This Texas cowboy stew is a hearty, one-pot meal that's perfect for a winter night. It's packed with smoked meat, ground beef, veggies, and tomato-flavored broth, which is utterly delicious. This cowboy stew recipe is guaranteed to be a favorite with your family, and it's easy to make!
Contents
🌟 Why this recipe works
This hearty Texas cowboy stew is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter night. It's loaded with smoked sausage, ranch-style beans, corn, and potatoes and is served with delicious cornbread muffins on the side to soak up the delicious broth.
It's a Southern dish that is sure to fill you up and warm you from the inside out, and it's also incredibly easy to make in one pot, making it perfect for home cooks looking to save on washing up. It's also a great meal to cook outdoors, over the campfire with friends and family.
The pinto beans and corn add a nice touch of sweetness to the stew, while the green chilies give it a bit of a kick. You can adjust the level of spiciness to your liking by adding more or less of the chilies and spices.
The smoked kielbasa sausage, bacon, and ground beef give the stew its meaty textures and a rich, smoky flavor that is simply irresistible.
So, if you're looking for a hearty, comforting stew that is packed with flavor, this Texas cowboy stew is the perfect recipe for you. Serve it with some cornbread on the side like the Texans do, or freshly baked rolls and enjoy!
If you are in a mood for country-style food then you should try my braised pork shanks recipe.
🍽 Key Ingredients
Bacon - The bacon adds a lovely saltiness and smokiness to the stew.
Kielbasa sausage - Kielbasa is a Polish sausage that is made of pork and beef. It's smoked and has a lovely, rich flavor that goes perfectly in this stew.
Ground beef - Ground beef is a classic ingredient in stews. It gives the stew a lovely, rich flavor and adds some nice texture.
Onion and garlic - These two ingredients are the base of so many recipes and for good reason. They add a lovely depth of flavor to the stew.
Spices - chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper are all the spices required to add a touch of spice and extra smokiness.
Canned diced tomatoes - This is a great way to add some extra flavor and freshness to the stew.
Canned pinto beans - Pinto beans are a classic ingredient in Texas stews. They add a lovely sweetness and creaminess to the dish.
Canned green chilies - Green chile peppers add a nice touch of heat to the stew. You can add more or less depending on your preference.
Canned whole kernel corn - Sweet corn is a great addition to this stew. It adds a lovely sweetness and some extra texture.
Russet potatoes - Potatoes are always a welcome addition to stews, and Russets are the best choice for this recipe. They are nice and starchy, so they will help to thicken the stew as it cooks.
Beef broth - The beef broth is a great way to add some extra flavor to the stew. It's also perfect for deglazing the pan after cooking the meat.
Parsley - Chopped parsley is for garnishing and adding a touch of freshness.
Substitutions
Ground beef
You can easily substitute the ground beef for ground turkey or ground chicken if you're looking for a leaner option.
Kielbasa sausage
The kielbasa sausage can be swapped out for any other type of smoked sausages, such as chorizo or even regular pork sausage.
Beef broth
Chicken broth or vegetable broth work just as well in this beef stew.
🔪 How to make
Texas cowboy stew is the perfect one-pot dinner recipe to make at home to feed your family that is easy to make in 1 hour and super delicious. Just follow the recipe below to make this ultimate comfort food dish.
Preparations
- Mince the garlic cloves and dice the onion.
- Chop the bacon strips into small pieces.
- Cut the smoked sausage into ½-inch slices.
- Wash and peel the potatoes and slice them into ½-inch cubes.
Cooking instructions
Step 1
Cook the bacon pieces in a large pot over medium-high heat until brown and crispy.
Tip: Using a slotted spoon to transfer the crispy bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to remove the bacon fat and leave the bacon drippings in the pot.
Step 2
Add the sliced sausage to the pot and cook until they're brown on both sides. Remove the cooked sausage to the plate with bacon.
Step 3
Add the ground beef, onion, and minced garlic to the pot and brown until it is no longer pink. Sprinkle with chili powder, salt and pepper, and paprika, and cook for 1 more minute.
Step 4
Add the can of diced tomatoes with the tomato sauce, 2 cans pinto beans, green chilies with liquid, whole corn, potatoes, cooked bacon, sausage, and beef broth.
Step 5
Bring the stew to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Step 6
Remove the pot from the heat and garnish with chopped parsley.
Step 7
Serve with a freshly sliced baguette and a dollop of sour cream.
💭 Cooking tips
Use mixed vegetables
Make the stew more filling by cooking half a bag (500 grams) of frozen mixed vegetables. Mix the frozen vegetables into the stew when simmering for an hour.
Thick stew
If your stew is too thick, you can make it thinner by adding another half a cup of broth or water.
📖 Recipe Variations
This Texas cowboy stew recipe is so delicious as it is, but if you feel like adding more spice, cheese, or even making it more filling with pasta or rice, we have a few variations for you to try!
Texas cowboy stew with rice
Adding rice to the stew will bump up the servings count and make it even more comforting. Add 1 cup of cooked rice to the pot while it is simmering and 1 extra cup of broth because the rice will soak up most of the stew broth.
Texas cowboy stew casserole
Turn the stew into a casserole by pouring the cooked stew into a casserole dish and sprinkling 1 cup of shredded cheese over the top. Bake it for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 350F until the cheese melts and starts to golden.
Spicy smoked cowboy stew
If you love your spicy food, double the amount of chili powder and add 2 or 3 chopped jalapenos or chipotle peppers to the stew.
Cowboy stew is one of the perfect lazy Sunday dinner ideas dish that can be customized to your liking!
🥗 What to serve with
There are so many delicious and easy-to-make side dishes that go great with cowboy stew. We love to serve this comforting dish with some freshly baked bread, a simple salad, and some roasted vegetables. Here are a few suggestions to try at home:
Fried cabbage
The perfect duo! Serve this cowboy stew with a side of Southern-fried cabbage with bacon for the ultimate comfort food meal. All you need is 1 cabbage for this recipe, as the rest of the ingredients and spices are used in the cowboy stew.
Jalapeno and cheddar cornbread
Pair this cowboy stew with a warm slice of jalapeno and cheddar cornbread. This cornbread is so easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. Plus, it's the perfect way to mop up all that delicious stew broth.
🙋 Frequently asked questions
Can I make Texas Cowboy Stew in a Crockpot?
Yes, you can! Just cook the bacon, sausage, and beef in a skillet over medium heat until browned, then add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker or Dutch oven and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
What is the best beef to use for Texas cowboy stew?
For this recipe, we like to use lean ground beef, but you can also use chuck roast cut into small cubes as the juices from the meat give the broth lots of flavor.
🧊 Storing and ♨️ reheating
If you have leftover Texas cowboy stew, you can easily store and reheat it for later.
Fridge - Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freezer - This cowboy stew freezes well for up to 2 months. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container.
Reheating - Reheat leftovers on the stove over medium heat until warmed through. You may need to add a splash of broth or water to thin it out, as it will thicken up as it sits.
🍳 Related stew recipes
If you love my cowboy stew recipe. Try one of these fantastic recipes for your next lunch or dinner.
👪 Serving size
This Texas cowboy stew recipe will easily give you enough servings for 8 - 10 people, so if you only have a few guests, just half the quantity of ingredients.
Cowboy stew is a hearty, filling, and easy-to-make one-pot meal that is perfect for a crowd. This recipe is packed with flavor and can be made in just 1 hour. So, if you're looking for a delicious and comforting stew recipe to make at home, then this Texas cowboy stew is the perfect dish for you.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!
📋 Recipe
Cowboy Stew
Ingredients
- 4 slices Bacon - chopped
- 2 (12 ounce) package Kielbasa sausage - cut into ½ inch slices
- 1 pound ground beef - 80/20
- 1 medium onion - diced
- 3 cloves Garlic - minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes - with liquid
- 2 (16-ounce) cans Pinto beans - with liquid
- 1 (7-ounce) can chopped green chilies - with liquid
- 1 (15-ounce) can Whole kernel corn - with liquid
- 2 medium Russet potatoes - peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 cup Beef broth (recommend low sodium broth) - add ½cup water if it is too thick
- 2 tablespoons Parsley - chopped
Instructions
Preparations
- Mince the garlic cloves and dice the onion.
- Chop the bacon strips into small pieces.
- Cut the smoked sausage into ½-inch slices.
- Wash and peel the potatoes and slice them into ½-inch cubes.
Cooking instructions
- Cook the bacon pieces in a large pot over medium-high heat until brown and crispy.
- Using a slotted spoon to transfer the crispy bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to remove the bacon fat and leave the bacon drippings in the pot.
- Add the sliced sausage to the pot and cook until they're brown on both sides. Remove the cooked sausage to the plate with bacon.
- Add the ground beef, onion, and minced garlic to the pot and brown until it is no longer pink. Sprinkle with chili powder, salt and pepper, and paprika, and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the can of diced tomatoes with the tomato sauce, 2 cans pinto beans, green chilies with liquid, whole corn, potatoes, cooked bacon, sausage, and beef broth.
- Bring the stew to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pot from the heat and garnish with chopped parsley.
- Serve with a freshly sliced baguette and a dollop of sour cream.
M. Walters
This recipe has really good flavor but, next time, I'm going to be sure to use all low/no sodium ingredients and leave out the salt. It is way too salty.
Admin
That's right. I emphasized on my recipe card that I highly recommend to use "low sodium brow" Thanks for the feedback and hope you try it again and let me know how it turns out 😉
Crystal
Made this 5 times. Good delicious stuff 🤗
Shelli M Buractaon
So delicious!!! I used sweet potato instead of russet and omitted the salt. I'll definitely be making this again.