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Texas-Style Cowboy Stew Recipe That’ll Stick to Your Ribs

Cowboy Stew Recipe
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This Texas-style cowboy stew is a hearty one-pot meal featuring bacon, ground beef, and sausage simmered with potatoes, beans, corn, tomatoes, and bold spices. It’s perfect for cold nights and feeds a hungry crowd with rich, smoky flavor and satisfying texture.

Ingredients

  • 5 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (80/20 or 90/10)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 3–4 cups beef broth
  • 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can sweet yellow corn, drained
  • 1 (4-ounce) can mild green chiles
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 (14-ounce) package beef kielbasa, sliced

Instructions

  1. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook chopped bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain excess fat, leaving 1 tablespoon in the pot.
  2. Add diced onion and cook over medium heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add ground beef, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, then drain excess fat.
  4. Stir in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and broth. Mix well to combine.
  5. Add kidney beans, pinto beans, corn, green chiles, diced tomatoes, potatoes, sausage, and reserved bacon. Stir thoroughly.
  6. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender and stew is thickened.

Notes

  • Use low-sodium broth and tomatoes to control saltiness.
  • For a spicier version, add chipotle peppers or red pepper flakes.
  • To make it soupier, use 5 cups of broth instead of 3–4.
  • Omit potatoes if freezing the stew; add cooked potatoes after thawing.
  • Substitute black beans or ranch-style beans based on preference.

Find it online: https://www.cookwithbenchi.com/cowboy-stew-recipe/