Slow cooker Brunswick stew is one of those southern dishes that you can rely on for flavor. In fact, it’s so packed with deliciousness you’ll catch yourself making it often. I love the fact that you can make Brunswick stew as thick or thin as you want. We prefer a very thick consistency, but it’s completely up to you.

Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew Ingredients

You can use either chicken or pork to make Brunswick stew. This time, I chose chicken, but I’ve made it both ways. You’ll also need potatoes, stewed or diced tomatoes, tomato soup, corn, lima beans, green beans, diced onion, and barbecue sauce.

The barbecue sauce can be a homemade version, or you can buy it ready-made. I’ve done both, and to be honest, it really doesn’t matter since you use so little for this version.

It’s up to you whether or not to salt and pepper it. Since it has ingredients that are already loaded with salt, I don’t usually add much, if any. If you like spicy food like we do, you can add a dash or two of sriracha or Tabasco. I used sriracha.

Keep in mind that anything you add with alter the flavor. For example, sriracha has more of a tomato flavor, while Tabasco’s vinegar base comes through.

For exact measurements of each ingredient and full directions, go to the recipe card at the bottom of the page. You can even print out the card by using the “print” button.

How to Make Brunswick Stew in the Slow Cooker

First, I usually put the chicken in first since I don’t cook it beforehand. However, if you use canned chicken, you can simply stir it in with everything else.

Next, combine all of the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker pot. Yeah, just dump ’em in there. Give it a stir and pop the lid on.

Finally, turn it on low and go about your day. When you come back 6 or 8 hours later, you’ll have some delicious, warm Brunswick stew.

This Brunswick stew is so thick, you can eat it with either a spoon or fork. However, if you want more broth, you can add more of any of the liquid ingredients.

When I want more of a broth, I typically add chicken broth. Otherwise, the flavor balance changes.

You have a choice of leaving the chicken or pork in bite-size pieces. Or you can shred the meat, which is more typical of old-fashioned Brunswick stew.

What Do You Serve with Brunswick Stew?

We usually have some sort of cracker or bread when we eat Brunswick stew. It’s also good with a side of potato salad.

Or you can serve it with this southern-style cornbread. For a spicier cornbread, try these jalapeno corn muffins.

If you like a sweeter cornbread, try a slice of cornbread from my friend Julie’s blog. She adds an extra ingredient to make Jiffy cornbread mix moist and delicious.

Or you can make it totally from scratch. It’s all about personal taste.

Is Brunswick Stew Gluten Free?

The way I make Brunswick stew, it is definitely gluten free. If you want to make sure, all you have to do is read the ingredients list on all of the packages and don’t add anything that has wheat, barley, or rye. Some companies actually put the words gluten free on the labels to make it easy.

Easy Brunswick Stew

I tasted Brunswick stew years before I met my husband. From my first bite, I knew it was something I wanted again … and again. But my mother-in-law’s version was one of the most flavorful I ever had. It had a different but familiar taste.

I finished my first bowl and then had seconds … you know, to figure out what was in it. Normally, I can figure it out without asking. But this was different. It had a barbecue flavor, but it was still different. When I asked for her recipe, she willingly gave it to me. Of course, I checked the list for that “familiar” taste.

The first thing I noticed was that she used an entire bottle of barbecue sauce. That cracked me up because it was basically barbecue soup. Although I don’t dump a bottle of sauce into the pot, I add a little bit to pay homage to the woman who gave birth to my husband. It actually adds some depth to the already-wonderful flavors. And people seem to really like it.

More Recipes

If you like stews and soups, try this delicious beef stew. Although the recipe is for two, you can double the ingredients list if you’re feeding more people.

Another recipe we enjoy is this warm and comforting chicken and rice soup. It’s perfect for a cold day or any time when you need to relax.

See this recipe shared at Full Plate Thursday.

Please feel free to share!