This Kentucky burgoo recipe is the ultimate stew with a big variety of meats and vegetables simmered low and slow, popular for large gatherings and community events.
Kentucky Burgoo
We're cooking up a huge pot of hearty stew in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends. Care to join me?
Stew is always satisfying, filled with loads of meats and vegetables, very filling and warming, for both the body and the soul. We're heading to the American Midwest and a bit south for this particular recipe.
It's called Burgoo, and I think you're going to love it!
What is Burgoo?
Burgoo is a stew popular in the American Midwest and south, particularly Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana. It's a hearty mix of meats and vegetables simmered low and slow. It's often called Kentucky burgoo.
Is Burgoo the same as Brunswick stew? Burgoo is similar to other regional stews, Brunswick Stew from the south, Booya of the upper Midwest or U.S. Mulligan Stew, though you'll find regional differences in ingredients and flavors.
Traditional burgoo is made with mutton and chicken, and earlier versions included all manner of seasonal meats, like venison, game birds, squirrel, raccoon, rabbit, possum and others, hence the nickname "Roadkill Soup" or "Game Meat Stew".
Burgoo is popularly served at large community events, fundraisers and fests, like the Burgoo Festival in Utica, Illinois and other places. It is also served at the Kentucky Derby, especially on derby day.
The word "Burgoo" is said to be a mispronunciation of "bird stew" or possibly "barbecue", or even slang for a hearty soup or stew. Regardless, whatever you call it, it's quite tasty!
Let's talk about how to make burgoo, shall we?
Burgoo Ingredients
NOTE: The full ingredients list with measurement and complete recipe steps are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Oil. Olive oil or vegetable oil for cooking.
- Meats. I use pork shoulder, chuck roast and bone-in chicken. See the Recipe Notes for options and alternatives.
- Vegetables. Onion, carrots, bell pepper, jalapeno peppers, celery, okra, garlic, potatoes and corn.
- Stock. Use chicken stock or beef stock, or a combination of both.
- Tomatoes. I used canned crushed tomatoes.
- Extras. BBQ sauce (optional, for a tangier version), hot sauce, bay leaves, canned or frozen lima beans, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper.
How to Make Burgoo - the Recipe Overview
Lightly season the pork, chicken, and beef (and other meats you're using) then brown them in a very large pot (at least 8 quarts) to medium-high heat.
Remove and set aside.
Add the onion, green peppers, jalapenos, carrots, celery and okra. Cook for 5 minutes to soften, then add the garlic for a minute.
Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, bbq sauce (if using), hot sauce to taste and bay leaves.
Return the browned meats to the pot, cover and simmer for 2 hours to cook the chunks of meat and everything through.
Remove the chicken and pull the meat from the bones, and break apart any larger chunks of meat with forks.
Add the potatoes, corn, lima beans, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Simmer for 30 minutes to cook the potatoes through.
Boom! Done! You've just made a big pot of burgoo! Looks wonderful, doesn't it? Incredibly hearty, very comforting. I love myself a nice bowl of burgoo. Serve with Tabasco or hot sauce on the side.
This dish is even better the next day!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The Meats. Mutton is commonly used in traditional burgoo. You'll mostly find modern burgoo recipes made with chicken, beef and pork. Any stew meat will work for this recipe, as will seasonal game meats, like squirrel meat, venison or game birds.
- The Vegetables. You can use many other vegetables to make burgoo. Common additions to what I've used include green beans, cabbage and other root vegetables. Use your favorites.
- Seasonings. You'll note the only seasonings used to make traditional burgoo are salt and pepper. You can easily add in your favorites, like a spicy Cajun seasoning, chili powders or others.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftover burgoo will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Warm it on the stovetop or gently in the microwave to enjoy again.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my burgoo recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Want more Southern-style stews? Chicken Bog is a classic lowcountry comfort food of tender pulled chicken and creamy rice in a delectable broth. My Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo is very hearty, a classic from Louisiana and made with a rich roux.
- For a meatier stew, Hungarian Goulash is loaded with meats and vegetables, and big paprika flavor.
- Looking for Latin American flair? Pollo Guisado is a Latin American-style chicken stew with vegetables, also very hearty, similar to Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup). Also try Sancocho, a Latin American stew very similar to Burgoo.
- See all of my Spicy Stew Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Burgoo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds pork shoulder cut into chunks
- 2 pounds chuck roast or other stew meat, cut into chunks
- 2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces I use legs and thighs
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- 2-3 jalapeno peppers chopped (optional, for some spice factor)
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 celery ribs chopped
- 1 cup okra chopped (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 8 cups chicken stock or use beef stock
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes canned, or fresh
- 1 cup bbq sauce optional, for a tangier version
- Hot Sauce to taste + more for serving
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 large potatoes peeled and diced
- 12 ounces corn canned or fresh
- 12 ounces lima beans canned
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a very large pot (at least 8 quarts) to medium-high heat. Season the pork, beef and chicken with salt and pepper. Sear them in batches in the pot a few minutes per side to brown them. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, peppers, carrots, celery and okra. Cook for 5 minutes to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, bbq sauce (if using), hot sauce to taste and bay leaves. Return the browned meats to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours.
- Remove the chicken and pull the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and return the tender meat to the pot. Break apart any larger chunks of meat with forks.
- Add the potatoes, corn, lima beans, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are softened and cooked through.
- Taste and adjust for salt and pepper and hot sauce. Serve with extra hot sauce!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Donna says
How would I adapt this to a crockpot? Thanks
Mike H. says
Donna, here is what I would do... At the end of steps 1 and 2, transfer the browned meats and vegetables to your crockpot. For step 4, cover the crock pot and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours OR until the meats are tender. For step 6, cover and cook on LOW for an additional 1-2 hours or on HIGH for about 30 minutes OR until the potatoes are tender and cooked through. You do need to experiment with the time a bit, but should be a good starting point. Please let me know the time you will end up with!
Gary says
Oh my gawd this is fabulous thank you for sharing. Ya'll got something amazing going on down there in Kentucky!!!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Gary!
Jon says
Can you use a hunk of a pork loin if I cut it into bite size
Mike Hultquist says
You sure can, Jon. Enjoy.