Famous Alabama Camp Stew
This recipe is as old as the hills and is often known as Brunswick stew outside of my stomping grounds. Hearty and delicious this stew will fill you up and keep you and your family grinnin’ like a possum eating a sweet tater.
Famous Alabama Camp Stew
If you happen to live anywhere near Alabama and go to the grocery store to get the ingredients for this, chances are the cashier will ask “You making camp stew?”.
Mama remembers having Camp Stew as a child, around campfires, at family gatherings, and even in the school lunchroom. The name came from it being so easy to make while camping since it can be made entirely out of canned goods.
Many Variations of This Stew…
Some people add potatoes, some leave out the onion and opt only for canned goods, and others add Worcestershire or hot sauce. Add more corn, less corn, lima beans instead of butter beans, etc. This is easily modified so go with your favorites. I would try to keep the meat the same, though, because a lot of the flavor comes from the sauce in that.
However, I have seen other brands of this meat and they work just fine as well – we tend to stick with Castlebury’s but don’t let another brand be a deal breaker. Either way you go, this is one of the most delicious flavorful stews to ever touch a spoon and my friend Jyl has a firm policy in her family that she always doubles the recipe because folks can’t help but come back for seconds, thirds, and often fourths. The recipe below will serve about 6 people.
Make it how you like but I suggest trying it this way first, because you’ll likely be hooked from the get go and the first bite will tell you exactly why this stew is so famous.
Ingredients You’ll need for this Alabama Camp or Brunswick Stew Recipe Are:
- Canned Pork in BBQ sauce and Canned Beef in BBQ sauce Or 2 cans of one or the other
- Canned Chicken in water or Rotisserie works too.
- Diced tomatoes
- Butter beans or lima beans
- Canned corn
- Onion
How To Make Alabama Camp Stew also known as Brunswick Stew
Note: Peel and dice your onion. Open all your cans and don’t drain them. Toss it all in there, liquid and all. No salt or pepper is needed unless you just really want to add it but I’d suggest tasting it first.
Put all of this in a pot over medium heat and stir often until it comes to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring from time to time, for about an hour.
*If you are cooking this over a fire, just stoke the fire, put ingredients in the pot, stir it a lot, and try your best not to let the bottom scorch. Eat it when you get tired of messing with it. 🙂
Enjoy your delicious camp stew!
If you are making my Bags To Dishes meals, this is a great addition! Simply leave out the onion and the entire recipe is shelf stable.
Ingredients
- 3-14 ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 14 ounce can whole kernel corn
- 14 ounce can butter beans baby limas, or limas
- 1 onion chopped
- 2-10 ounce cans beef bbq in sauce I use Castlebury's
- 10 or 12 ounce can chicken
Instructions
- Dump all contents into a medium sized stockpot, including liquid in all of the cans.
- Place over medium heat, stirring often, and bring just to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes to an hour.
Nutrition
You may also enjoy these stew recipes:
Lentil Stew Budget Friendly & Delicious
Ground Beef Stew (with a secret!)
Chicken Stew Recipe 30 Minutes To Your Table
Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember, amateurs built the ark.
Professionals built the Titanic.
Castlebury has brought back their BBQ Pork and BBQ Beef?! I’m too excited! Someone bought them years ago and they stopped producing these. I also add soy sauce, Wooster, lemon and a few other things I will keep secret. Love Camp Stew.
Christy, you misspelled Castleberry’s and I followed suit even though I didn’t think the spelling looked right. Shame on me!
Nah, if that’s the worst thing we do today we’re in pretty good shape!
I am a Castleberry and all most of my mail comes misspelled! It doesn’t bother us too bad! 🙂
I am a Castleberry and all most of my mail comes misspelled! It doesn’t bother us too bad! 🙂
I’m from North Carolina and our version is called Brunswick Stew, but almost always contains green beans too. I can’t wait to try this. I’m always looking for something easy! Love your blog Christy!
Thank you Kim!!
This is not Brunswick stew. I grew up eating Brunswick stew in Virginia and have made it a few times. This is close, but not it. This looks very good. I plan to make it on a camp out this weekend.
I have never heard if the BBQ beef and the pork. Will check tomorrow when I go to WalMart.
I never use cand meats to make camp stew it don’t tast the same. Here is my recipe i only use chicken and pork FROM THE freezer Department. You will need Worcestershire sauce in about a half cup of barbecue sauce. Corn, green beans, onions, puree potatoes or small chopped potatoes you can use any kind of vegetables you want I have never used Green beans. Salt and pepper. Easy to freeze for a rainy day.
Thank you Carol. I don’t do canned meat either, the texture is something I do not care for, especially canned chicken. Will try but use fresh meat plus your suggested woostershire and BBQ sauce addition.
A neighbor gave me this recipe over 25 years ago and I make it about once a month in fall and winter. I use creamed corn and the corn “milk” acts a mild thickener. I also freeze leftover rotisserie chicken, bbq pork or beef, etc and throw it in. We like potatoes and carrots in ours, too. I put in 1/2 cup of any brand BBQ sauce, 2 T vinegar and 2 T sugar. Put it all in the slow cooker on low 8-10 hours. Everyone loves this!
Can you give me your exact recipe please for the soup? Thank you!
one of my oldest friends makes this. she add about 1/3 cup BBQ Sauce. This is tasty so make it soon!
Sounds great. going to try this soon.
This is also called 7 can stew…in the South..this is very good on a cold day..place all ingredients in crock pot and great to have ready after work..
but there’s 8 cans.. 😉
Who cares?
Never seen the beef and pork in cans, but it looks great. I have seen dried onions which if you were making a bags to dinners set up, a small jar or plastic sealed container of onion flakes would work just fine.
I have made this stew many times and always used Castleberry’s but stopped making it when they discontinued the BBQ in the van due to some health scare. I have not been able to find it. Where do you get yours? Thanks.
I tried this and loved it. Today the roads are bad and I had “most” of the ingredients. So I had a Christy “ whatever cranks your tractor” moment and just started putting stuff in. I’ll bet it will be edible but probably not close to the original recipe.
You are right about Castleberry’s being almost impossible to find. We substituted Loyd’s Pork in BBQ sauce (found in the section near the refrigerated mashed potatoes) and then the same for Beef brisket (used half the tub for brisket, whole tub for pork). It cooked up great! Also substituted and used 2 cans (instead of 3) of tomatoes and 28 oz can (instead of 14 oz) “Southern Seasoned” butter beans in place of the lima beans. Also added a ham hock, 12 oz can cubed potatoes, Worchestershire sauce, a little hot sauce, packet of ranch dressing and packet of Good Seasoning brand garlic/herb seasoning and a can or two of water. Made this over a campfire. Hubs said it tasted like gourmet Brunswick Stew!! Added shredded cheese to the top when serving in bowls.
Sounds wonderful! This is what I love about recipes. You can make them your own!
You have inspired me. However, I don’t like to mix meats, so I will try it with one of the three. I usually do whatever you say =) I’m sure I will have another opportunity in the next post…
Heehee, this was funny. Can you just be my best friend and lets hang out every day for the rest of our lives?
Of course, true Southern girls are hard to find.
I’m a good ole Bama girl living in New Hampshire and sharing my southern cooking with all these Yankees and keeping my southern ways of eating alive!
It’s one meal that gets so many compliments… I serve with cornbread.
It’s truly a comfort food for me.