Brunswick Stew With Dumplings is a hearty American stew built around tender chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, lima beans, and sweet corn simmered together in a richly flavored broth. Brunswick stew has long been associated with the American South, although both Brunswick County, Virginia, and Brunswick, Georgia, have historical connections to the dish. This vintage version turns the traditional stew into an especially satisfying one-pot meal by topping it with tender homemade dumplings. Onion, garlic, red pepper, and tomatoes give the broth depth, while corn and lima beans add sweetness and texture. The dumplings cook directly in the bubbling stew, absorbing its savory flavors and making every bowl wonderfully comforting.
Ingredients
Brunswick Stew
- 2 to 2 ½ lb frying chicken (cut up)
- 1 ½ cups sliced onion
- 1 clove garlic (crushed)
- 1 tbsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 cups water
- 3 cups raw potatoes (diced)
- 1 lb tomatoes (1 can)
- 10 oz frozen Fordhook lima beans
- 12 oz vacuum-packed whole-kernel corn
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp corn-oil margarine (softened )
Dumplings
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp corn-oil margarine
- ⅔ cup skim milk
Instructions
Step 1: Cook the Chicken
- Combine the chicken, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and water in a Dutch oven.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
Step 2: Cool the Chicken
- Remove the chicken from the broth.
- Refrigerate the broth until the fat hardens on the surface.
Step 3: Prepare the Chicken and Broth
- Remove the chicken meat from the bones.
- Skim the hardened fat from the surface of the chilled broth.
Step 4: Add the Vegetables
- Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and lima beans to the broth in the Dutch oven.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Add Corn and Chicken
- Add the corn and cooked chicken to the stew.
Step 6: Thicken the Stew
- Blend 2 tbsp flour with 2 tbsp softened corn-oil margarine.
- Add the mixture to the stew in small pieces.
- Cook, stirring, until the stew is slightly thickened.
Step 7: Make the Dumpling Dough
- Combine 1½ cups flour, baking powder, and 1 tsp salt.
- Cut in 2 tbsp corn-oil margarine until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Stir in the skim milk just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Step 8: Cook the Dumplings
- Drop the dumpling batter by teaspoonfuls into the boiling stew.
- Cover and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through.
- Serve immediately.
Tips
- For the closest vintage flavor, use a whole cut-up frying chicken as specified on the original card.
- Bone-in chicken adds more flavor to the broth than boneless chicken.
- Chill the broth thoroughly so the chicken fat can be easily removed from the surface.
- Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
- If Fordhook lima beans aren't available, regular frozen lima beans can be substituted.
- Stir the dumpling dough only until moistened; overmixing can make the dumplings dense.
- Keep the Dutch oven covered while the dumplings cook so steam helps them become light and tender.
- For a less salty version, reduce the tablespoon of salt and season the finished stew to taste.
- Leftover stew will thicken considerably as it cools; add a little water or broth when reheating.
- For additional savory depth, chicken broth can replace some or all of the water.
Nutrition
Calories: 295kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 20gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 1050mgPotassium: 670mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 520IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 2.7mg