This Texas cowboy stew is the ultimate campfire cooking meal. Filled with three types of meat (yes, three!), corn, and potatoes in a spicy tomato broth, this hearty stew is a satisfying meal that can be prepared in your cast iron Dutch oven over the campfire.
If you're looking for a hearty, satisfying, one-pot meal that is ideal for campfire cooking, this is it. Cowboy stew is loaded with meat and vegetables, all married together in a spicy tomato broth. This recipe is the reason you haul your Dutch oven along on camping trips.
Why This Recipe is Great for Camping
- It's a one-pot camping meal that you can make in your Dutch oven that can be cooked over the campfire or camp stove.
- It makes a large batch, perfect for feeding a big family.
- It's hearty and satisfying, making it an ideal cool weather camping meal.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef--I recommend using lean ground beef (85/15), which will give you a little bit of fat for flavor.
- Tomatoes--Many cowboy stew recipes call for canned tomatoes and canned chiles, but I used Rotel tomatoes with green chilies in order to minimize the number of ingredients you will need to pack along on your trip. Feel free to substitute another brand of diced tomatoes with chilies, or you can use plain diced tomatoes if you don't want the extra heat.
- Corn--If you're camping, I recommend using canned corn. If you're at home or have access to a freezer, feel free to substitute frozen corn.
- Chili powder--I used a mild chili powder for this recipe. If you know that your powder is very spicy or you are sensitive to heat, start with less and add more to taste.
How to Make Cowboy Stew Over the Campfire
- Prepare a campfire and set your Dutch oven on a campfire grate over direct flame or suspend it from a cooking tripod. Add the bacon to the Dutch oven and cook until almost crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
- Add the kielbasa to the bacon fat in the Dutch oven and cook until browned on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and add it to the bowl with the bacon.
- Add the beef, onion, and garlic to the pot and cook until the beef is browned and the onion is softened.
- Sprinkle the flour, chili powder, salt, and pepper over the cooked beef mixture. Stir it in to evenly coat the beef and let it cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, corn, potato, and water to the stew and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender. Stir the bacon and kielbasa back into the stew and warm through.
FAQs
What size Dutch oven do I need?
This Texas cowboy stew recipe makes a large batch, so I recommend using a 5 quart Dutch oven or larger.
Can I add beans to my cowboy stew?
Absolutely. Feel free to make this stew heartier by adding a can of pinto or black beans, or even by stirring in a cup or two of Dutch oven baked beans.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in a sealed container in your cooler or fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a Dutch oven over low heat until warmed through.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Start cooking your bacon in a unheated (cold) Dutch oven. This will allow the bacon fat to render slowly, leaving plenty for the kielbasa to brown in.
- For a more beefy flavor, use beef broth instead of water.
- Since you're cooking in a Dutch oven outside, the cooking time can vary due to outside temperature and wind. If you're cooking on a very windy day, try to protect the Dutch oven with a barrier, such as a tarp.
- I like cooking cowboy stew on a tripod, because I can adjust the distance from the heat depending on the outside conditions and the heat of the fire. You can make this on a campfire grate, but you may need to move the Dutch oven around a bit, or adjust the amount of heat from your fire.
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Recipe
Texas Cowboy Stew
This hearty stew, filled with ground beef, kielbasa, bacon, and vegetables is the perfect campfire Dutch oven meal.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon cut into ½-inch matchsticks
- 12 ounces (340 g) kielbasa sliced into ½-inch-thick half moons
- 1 pound (454 g) lean ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon chili powder plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
- Two (10-ounce ) cans Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
- One (12-ounce) can whole kernel corn drained
- 2 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Prepare a campfire for cooking over medium heat.
- Place the bacon in a cold Dutch oven and set the Dutch oven on a campfire grate or suspend it from a tripod over the fire. Cook until the bacon is almost crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
- Add the kielbasa to the bacon drippings in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage begins to brown on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add it to the bowl with the bacon.
- Add the beef, onion, and garlic to the Dutch oven and cook until the beef is browned and the onion begins to soften, about 7 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, chili powder, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, corn, potatoes, and water. Bring to a simmer, cover the Dutch oven, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the bacon and kielbasa, and let simmer until heated through about 5 minutes. Season to taste with additional chili powder, salt, and pepper, if desired.
Notes
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- Add flavor--For a more beefy flavor, use beef broth instead of water.
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- Outdoor conditions--Since you're cooking in a Dutch oven outside, the cooking time can vary due to outside temperature and wind. If you're cooking on a very windy day, try to protect the Dutch oven with a barrier, such as a tarp.
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- Cooking tools--I like cooking this stew in my Dutch oven on a tripod, because I can adjust the distance from the heat depending on the outside conditions and the heat of the fire. You can make this on a campfire grate, but you may need to move the Dutch oven around a bit, or adjust the amount of heat from your fire.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 portionCalories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 38gFat: 29gCholesterol: 124mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3g
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