Instant Pot Brunswick Stew—tomato based stew with smoky pork, lima beans, corn and potatoes. Serve with a side of cornbread for a perfect dinner.
Note: SLOW COOKER instructions are listed in the recipe
Each week in 2020 I’m sharing a recipe inspired by one of the 50 states. (See all the state recipes I’ve covered so far.) Today’s recipe is inspired by the Old Dominion State…Virginia. When I think of Virginia I always think of the phrase, Virginia is for lovers. I also think of it as the birthplace of the nation. It was the location for the first Thanksgiving and the place where half of the civil war was fought. 8 U.S. presidents were from Virginia, more than any other state.
Instant Pot Brunswick Stew
Today’s recipe is inspired by the state of Virginia. Brunswick stew is a tomato based stew recipe with smoked pork and chicken, lima beans, corn and potatoes. It tastes great served with a side of cornbread and honey butter.
There is a bit of an argument on where the the recipe originated. According to Southern Living, “The good people of both the town of Brunswick, Georgia, and Brunswick County, Virginia, equally and passionately claim to be the point of origin for the eponymous stew.
Some decades ago, Brunswick, Georgia, mounted a 25-gallon iron pot atop a town monument. The inscription declares the pot to be the very one in which the very first Brunswick stew did bubble on July 2, 1898. Georgian Brunswick stew tends to be made in relatively small batches, often in local cafes where it is served as a barbecue side dish.
In 1988, the Virginia General Assembly issued a decree naming Brunswick County the home of Brunswick stew, claiming they can trace their stew back to 1828. These days, stew making in Virginia is often a male-dominated ritual. Men known as stewmasters tend huge cauldrons, stirring the contents with boat oars, cooking up hundreds of quarts to be sold at fund-raisers for community causes. These stews are very thick, often not declared done until an oar can stand upright in the center. Virginian Brunswick stew is served as a main dish with bread on the side.”
Recommendations
Whether you believe Brunswick stew started in Virginia or Georgia it is super tasty! My version is made fast in the Instant Pot and I chose to just use pork instead of both pork and chicken. Although if you want to throw chicken into the pot you totally can. This is a perfect recipe to make if you have leftover pulled pork. If you don’t have leftover pulled pork you can cook the pork in the Instant Pot and then add in all the soup ingredients.
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes…
Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli Soup
Instant Pot Appalachian Soup Beans
Instant Pot Brunswick Stew
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3–4 cups cooked and shredded pork OR 2 ½ -3 pounds pork picnic or butt roast, bone-in
- ½ pound cubed potatoes
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 (14 oz) can petite diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen lima beans (or canned)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
To make with cooked pork:
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting when the display says HOT add in the butter and let it melt. Add in the onions and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Add in broth and scrape bottom of the pot. Add in pork, potatoes, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, lima beans, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the SOUP or manual/pressure cook button to 2 minutes. When time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve.
To make with uncooked pork:
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting when the display says HOT add in the butter and let it melt. Add in the onions and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add in the 2 cups of broth. Scrape bottom of pot. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Add in a 2 ½ to 3 pound trimmed bone-in half pork picnic roast and salt and pepper it. Pour 1 tsp of liquid smoke on top of the pork.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 60 minutes. Allow the pot to release the pressure naturally for at least 15 minutes. Move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Remove the pork and place it on a cutting board. Shred the meat and discard any excess fat. Add the shredded meat into the Instant Pot.
- Add in potatoes, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, lima beans, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the SOUP or manual/pressure cook button to 2 minutes. When time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
To make in the slow cooker: add onion, broth, cooked pork, potatoes, tomato paste, tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, lima beans, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve. (If you want to make it with raw pork add broth and pork to slow cooker and cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred and then add in the rest of the ingredients and cook for 4 more hours on low.)
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. No changes for the 8 or 3 quart.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Could you add more veggies like extra Lima’s etc and still keep the same cooking time?
I like to add some liquid smoke to mine, to taste, and I use fire roasted diced tomatoes. Primarily pulled pork for the meat, but if I have leftover rotisserie chicken, it goes in, too. Also if corn is in season, fresh off the cob is scrumptious, and a little chopped okra is great as well, if you’re in the mood for it. Otherwise your recipe is pretty close to mine. I grew up in Georgia, and this stew originated in the town of Brunswick there, though I’m well aware that Virginians like to claim it for themselves, and can’t say I blame them! Who wouldn’t?
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Your ideas sound so tasty! I will have to try them next time!
Any advice on a possible time adjustment for using chicken instead of pork? I’m not a huge user of my Instant Pot, but I would like to give this recipe a try!
If it’s cooked chicken then I would use the same cooking time. If not you’ll need to cook the chicken ahead of time and shred it. You can do this easily by following instructions from this post: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-cook-chicken-breasts-in-the-instant-pot-frozen-or-fresh/
I made it for the first time , my husband and I loved it ! We will keep this as a favorite and will share recipe with family .Thank you .
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So glad to hear it Millie!
As a pure born and raised in Virginia , I am so happy to see you chose Brunswick Stew as our recipe. I know you have pork but we put chicken in ours. I put Turkey as I am allergic to chicken. I can’t wait to make your recipe in my instant pot.
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Yay! I’m glad you approve. I will try this recipe in the future with chicken too!
Please let me know how you like chicken in the Brunswick stew when you make it.
Your recipes are my favorite. Have cooked many of them and just loved them. I don’t have any family members living with me and I am glad so it leaves all for me.
Ann
Haha! More for you Ann! Okay Ill let you know. Do you use chicken thighs, breasts? Bone-in?
Hi, I thought you would like to know your “Pin Recipe” link within the recipe is not working. The one at the end of your explanation, “Pin this recipe for later,” is working.
Great recipe, my family loves Lima Beans!
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Thank you. I will look into it.