As part of my Bylandersea America 250 series, I continue exploring the foodways of early America—where necessity, creativity, and regional ingredients blended to create enduring recipes. One of my personal favorites is Brunswick Stew, a hearty and storied dish so beloved that both Virginia and Georgia still claim it as their own.
A Tale of Two Brunswicks
The exact birthplace of Brunswick Stew remains a matter of friendly debate. Virginia insists it originated in Brunswick County in 1828, when a hunting party cook simmered a pot of squirrel with onions and stale bread. Georgia counters that the dish began earlier in Brunswick, Georgia, where locals used a mix of game and garden vegetables in a long, slow cook.
Whichever claim you favor, the essence of Brunswick Stew lies in its colonial practicality — turning what was available (wild game, corn, beans, and tomatoes) into a sustaining meal for farmers, travelers, and soldiers. Colonial cooks made it in great iron pots over open fires, stirring constantly with wooden paddles to prevent scorching.
A Colonial Crowd-Pleaser
By the 18th century, stews like this became mainstays of plantation kitchens and taverns. Recipes evolved as ingredients became more accessible: chicken and rabbit often replaced squirrel, and the dish thickened with corn or lima beans.
Brunswick Stew wasn’t just a recipe — it was an event. Communities gathered for “stew days,” where massive cauldrons bubbled over the fire from dawn until dusk. The smell of smoky meat and vegetables filled the air as neighbors traded stories and tasted the pot until it reached the perfect consistency — so thick a spoon could stand upright.
A Taste of the 18th Century
The Williamsburg Cookbook preserves a traditional version of this beloved stew, adapted from colonial-era notes. It substitutes chicken for game, typically squirrel, and balances the sweetness of corn and tomatoes with the savor of smoked meat. It’s a recipe that honors the past while satisfying modern palates — and one that still feels right served outdoors on a cool fall evening.
1 Stewing Hen (6 pounds) or 2 broiler-fryers (3 pounds each), I used 1 broiler fryer and 6 chicken (lower or drumstick) legs
2 large onions, sliced, I used 8 small pearl onions, plus 1 onion sliced
2 cups okra, cut (optional but really helps thicken the broth)
4 cups fresh or 2 cans (1 pound each) tomatoes
2 cups baby lima beans (I used frozen)
3 medium potatoes, diced
4 cups corn cut from cob or 2 cans corn (1 pound each)
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon sugar
Directions
Cut the chicken into pieces and simmer it in 2 quarts of water or chicken broth until meat slips off the bones, about 2 ½ hours on low. Remove meat and set aside.
Add the raw vegetables to the pot and simmer, uncovered, until the beans and potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally.
Added the chicken and seasonings.
Tips: Flavors improve if you let this stand overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it the next day.
Use a heavy Dutch oven or cast-iron pot to recreate the slow, even cooking of the colonial hearth.
The stew should be thick, not soupy — simmer uncovered toward the end to reduce the broth. The okra helps to thicken the broth.
For authenticity, include a touch of smoked ham or bacon for depth.
Serve with cornbread or hot biscuits, just as colonial taverns would have done.
Savoring the Story
When you ladle out a bowl of Brunswick Stew, you’re tasting a piece of early American ingenuity. The recipe’s roots reach back to a time when cooks blended survival with flavor — transforming what they had into something to be shared.
Just as I imagine colonists did centuries ago, I like to enjoy my stew on a cool evening. That doesn’t happen often in Florida where I now live, but I still love this meal.
🕯️ Do You Know?
Both Virginia and Georgia have erected historical markers proclaiming themselves as the birthplace of Brunswick Stew — and both proudly host annual stew festivals to prove it.
