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A pot of cowboy stew and two bowls filled with the stew on a table.

Texas Cowboy Stew

A woman's face.Angie Zoobkoff
This hearty stew, filled with ground beef, kielbasa, bacon, and vegetables is the perfect campfire Dutch oven meal.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 548 kcal

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

    • Add flavor--For a more beefy flavor, use beef broth instead of water.
    • 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.
    • 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
Keyword campfire cooking, dutch oven cooking, ground beef recipes
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