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.
I just cooked a big ole pork tenderloin for a church dinner tomorrow…if there is any left I’m gonna be making this! Will also be good to take to a sick sister who is down with some really bad respiratory stuff. Always enjoy your sharing. My Aunt lives is Madison and every time I am up there one of us says “i wonder where she lives…”
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I hope you enjoy the Camp Stew Twila!! Maybe we will run into one another during one of your visits!!
I realize maybe this is a dumb question…but does the finished stew taste like barbecue sauce? I love a BBQ pork sandwich but can’t imagine a stew that tastes like BBQ. I’ve never had the canned meats pictured so I don’t know how BBQ-y they taste. There’s a lot of other stuff going in there so maybe it’s like putting a can of tomato sauce in your vegetable soup, you don’t specifically taste the tomato sauce, just the wonderful combined flavor of everything.
It doesn’t taste like BBQ sauce, it is along the same lines of a Brunswick Stew if you need something to compare it to. I hope you will give it a try, it is absolutely delicious!
a can of tomato soup is always a good add at my house…
I’m from Alabama and I’ve never heard of canned beef in Brunswick Stew nor beef at all. The stew is made with smoked chicken or pork and bbq sauce added, if unable to smoke the meat, then you can just gently boil the meat . Most people around here just go to their favorite bbq place and buy a pound of barbecued pork to add to their homemade stew.
I hope to make this soon, but I cant seem to find the canned beef or pork in sauce around here: at least not in any local grocers. I’m going to continue looking though, I may have to order it from amazon. ALSO…awhile back, your pretty Mom, posted a potato pancake recipe, and in that post she said she had a roast beef hash recipe, I WOULD LOVE to have that recipe if she would be willing to share. Thanks, Susan
Hi Christy
I’m curious as to why your family doesn’t eat pork anymore. I’m kind of new to your blog so perhaps you explained the “why” sometime back.
Your recipes are delicious and so “comfort food” and you are inspiring with all your quotes (and your sense of humor!) and best of all your love for the Lord!
Hey Rebecca! Thank you for being here! I haven’t explained why so you haven’t missed anything. We quit pork almost two years ago as part of our walk. I have never gone into detail here as our hope is to encourage everyone on their individual faith walk as we all strive to follow the perfect example of our Messiah, Jesus. 🙂
This kind of stew is sold in Tennessee where barbeque pork is sold in the summertime too and sometimes as a fundraiser with just the stew. Especially around July 4th. so that stew is good even when the weather’s hot. I believe it was originally made with whatever game meat was on hand.
I couldn’t bring myself to buy the canned beef, but I had plenty of ground beef in the freezer, so I used that. Gracious, this was good. I used one can of the Costco canned chicken. Delicious, especially the next day or two.
I am so glad you liked it Phyllis!!