Kentucky Burgoo
A thick, slow-simmered stew of mixed meats and vegetables, traditionally served alongside barbecue.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 240 min
- Total
- 270 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Equipment
- •Large stockpot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- fat
- 15
- carbs
- 32
- protein
- 26
- calories
- 380
Instructions
- 1
Put the beef, pork, and chicken in beef broth in a large stockpot. Simmer until very tender, about 2 hours.
- 2
Take out the meats and shred them. Discard bones and skin, then return the meat to the pot.
- 3
Add the onions, carrots, and crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- 4
Add the potatoes. Simmer until they are nearly tender, about 20 minutes.
- 5
Stir in the corn and lima beans. Simmer until the stew thickens, about 1 hour, stirring often.
- 6
Season the stew with Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- 7
Continue cooking uncovered. Cook until the burgoo (a traditional thick stew) reaches a thick, stew-like consistency.
- 8
Serve the burgoo hot. It goes great alongside barbecued mutton.
Chef's tips
Traditional burgoo uses whatever meats you have, historically including squirrel or mutton. Simmer low and slow, stirring often near the end so it does not burn as it thickens.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Reheating
Reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding a little water or broth if too thick.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Not skimming off the fat, which leaves the stew greasy.
- •Rushing the simmer, which keeps the meats tough and stops the flavors from melding.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Kentucky Burgoo?
Sign in to save this recipe to a collection. Bookmarking works without an account — it stays on this device.
Sign in for collectionsSimilar recipes
Dishes with the same spirit, spice level and course.
More from Kentucky
Cooking that shares the same kitchen and pantry.
Recipes using similar ingredients
Use what you already bought for this recipe.
