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My Texas Cowboy Stew actually fills up my always–hungry boys! That’s because it’s loaded with smoky bacon, spicy sausage, ground beef, and potatoes. They all simmer together in a rich broth for a hearty stew.
What Sets This Texas Stew Recipe Apart
- Flavor First! Rendering the bacon first builds flavor that carries through every bite.
- Different Textures: Potatoes give the stew its thickness, while the corn and beans keep it hearty without being heavy.
- Flexible Cooking Methods: Works perfectly on the stovetop, in the crockpot, or in the Instant Pot.
- True Texas Flavor: Cumin, chili powder, and green chiles give it a kick without overpowering the stew.
Texas Cowboy Stew Ingredients
- Bring on the HEAT! Use a medium or hot can of diced green chiles or add a few pinches of red pepper flakes to add some heat
- Topping Ideas: Top it with sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, or whatever you like!
- Sausage: Instead of smoked sausage, you can use kielbasa sausage.
- Broth Options: You can use chicken broth, veggie broth, or water. But, beef broth adds the richest flavor and goes best with the meat.
- Add-ins: Add extra beans or veggies like green beans, carrots, jalapeños, bell peppers, or black beans. If it gets too thick, stir in ½ cup more beef broth.
How To Make Texas Cowboy Stew
You are going to love this easy cowboy stew recipe! Pro tip: if you make this a day ahead, the flavors will deepen overnight! Then you can reheat for a quick and easy dinner the next day! Serve with a side of my sweet, fluffy corn bread!
- Cook Bacon: Dice the bacon into small pieces, then add it to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir and cook until crisp, 5-7 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Drain off most of the grease in the pot.
- Cook Ground Beef: Add the ground beef to the pot and cook and crumble until no pink remains, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add: Add the chopped onion, garlic, and sausage, and continue to cook until the onion is translucent and the sausage is browned.
- Combine & Simmer: Lower to medium heat, then add the diced tomatoes, beans, green chilies, corn, potatoes, broth, cumin, chili powder, and cooked bacon to the pot. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Once bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Simmer Texas cowboy stew for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.
Instant Pot & Crockpot Instructions
- Texas Cowboy Stew Instant Pot Instructions
- Cook Meat: Use the Sauté setting for steps 1–2: crisp bacon, then brown beef, sausage, onion, and garlic.
- Combine: Add all remaining ingredients; stir to combine.
- Cover and Seal: Secure the lid and seal the valve.
- Cook: Cook on Manual (High) for 4 minutes.
- Release: Manually release the steam and test the potatoes before serving.
- Texas Cowboy Stew Crockpot Instructions
- Brown Meat: In a skillet, crisp bacon and brown beef, sausage, onion, and garlic (steps 1–2).
- Add to Crockpot: Transfer to a 6–7 quart slow cooker.
- Combine: Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
- Cook: Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
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Texas Cowboy Stew
Smoky, beefy, and beyond easy! My Texas Cowboy Stew is the one-pot dinner every busy mom needs in her weeknight rotation.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced onion about half a large onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic about 2 cloves
- 14 ounces smoked sausage sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes not drained
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles not drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn drained
- 3 cups peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes about 2-3 medium potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 ½-3 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Dice 6 slices bacon into small pieces, then add to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir and cook until crisp, 5-7 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Drain off most of the grease in the pot.
- Add 1 pound lean ground beef to the pot and cook and crumble until no pink remains, about 5-7 minutes. Add 1 cup diced onion, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, and 14 ounces smoked sausage, and continue to cook until the onion is translucent and the sausage is browned.
- Lower the heat to medium and add 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, 3 cups peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes, 2 ½-3 cups beef broth, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, and reserved bacon to the pot. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Once bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot, then simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.
Notes
Storing & Reheating Instructions
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm on the stovetop until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 426kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 25gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 1103mgPotassium: 1086mgFiber: 8gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 228IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
More Hearty Stews to Try!
Looking for more budget-friendly hearty stews? Make my Hobo Stew next and try these other favorites!
This is easy and tasty. We like spice so I added red pepper flakes. It’s hearty and a good winter stew. It’s like jacked up chili.
This recipe was amazing! Made it just as said but added some smoked papirika, Mexican corn and seasoned black beans. Thank you for this recipe!
Great meal. Can you give the serving size? Thank you.
I have this as a stew that serves 10. So 1/10th of the stew is a serving size. It’s about 1 cup of stew, but that is an estimate.
Delicious! Even better the second day. I added some collard greens to the recipe as well.
I made this and it was delicious. I made it almost exactly. I left out chili powder and I salted too early. DO NOT SALT UNTIL TOWARD THE END.
I MADE THE MISTAKE OF SALTING IN THE BEGINNING AND MINE TURNED OUT TO SALTY. IT WAS STILL EDIBLE THOUGH.
I am a male person and I just made it for my family. I have only tried a sample so far as it is scalding hot. But it is delicious 😋
We are waiting for the cornbread to be done and dinner is served!
Thank you for the recipe 😁
Looks great, thank you for sharing!
Great
So delicious!
FYI I can’t star your recipe.
These are good ideas here. 💡
Thank you for sharing. 😊
why do you ASSUME its a mom cooking dinner? that sounds like discrimination against men that cook dinner. why not use the term PERSON as in saying every PERSON needs in their weeknight rotation
You’re so right Dale! Sorry that offended you. I will for sure be using person from now on.