My Texas Cowboy Stew, actually fills mine Always–hungry Boys! That’s because it’s packed with smoked bacon, spicy sausage, ground beef, and potatoes. Everyone simmer together in the rich broth for a hearty stew.

Bowl of Texas cowboy stew with cornbread and a gold spoon.

What sets this Texas stew recipe apart

  • Flavor first! Making the bacon first creates a flavor that comes through in every bite.
  • Different textures: The potatoes add depth to the stew, while the corn and beans keep it hearty without being heavy.
  • Flexible cooking methods: Works great on the stovetop, in the crock pot or Instant Pot.
  • The real taste of Texas: Cumin, chili powder, and green chilies add some extra flavor without overpowering the stew.

Ingredients for Texas Cowboy Stew

Overhead shot of labeled 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 for added heat
  • Decorating ideas: Top it with sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, or whatever you want!
  • Sausage: Instead of smoked sausage, you can use kielbasa sausage.
  • Broth Options: You can use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water. But beef broth adds the richest flavor and goes best with the meat.
  • Add-ons: Add beans or extra veggies like green beans, carrots, jalapeños, peppers or black beans. If it becomes too thick, add ½ cup more beef broth.

How to Make Texas Cowboy Stew

You’ll love this easy cowboy stew recipe! Pro tip: If you make it the day before, the flavors will intensify overnight! Then you can reheat it for a quick and easy dinner the next day! Serve with a side of my sweet, fluffy cornbread!

  1. Cook the bacon: Dice the bacon, then add it to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir and cook until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and place it to drain on a plate lined with absorbent paper. Drain off most of the fat in the pot.
  2. Cook the minced meat: Add the ground beef to the pot, cook and crumble until no pink remains, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Add: Add the chopped onion, garlic and sausage and continue to cook until the onion is translucent and the sausage is browned.
  4. Combine and simmer: Lower the heat to medium, then add the diced tomatoes, beans, green chiles, corn, potatoes, broth, cumin, chili powder and cooked bacon to the pot. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Simmer the Texas cowboy stew for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.
Bacon cooking in the bottom of the Dutch oven.
Ground meat cooked in some bacon fat.
Sausage, onions and garlic added to cooked meat.
Vegetables, beans, bacon, broth and seasonings added to the cooked meat mixture.

Instant Pot and Crockpot Instructions

  • Texas Cowboy Stew Instant Pot Instructions
    1. Cook the meat: Use the Sauté setting for steps 1–2: crispy bacon, then browned beef, sausage, onion, and garlic.
    2. Combine: Add all remaining ingredients; stir to combine.
    3. Cover and seal: Attach the cover and seal the valve.
    4. Cooked: Cook on manual speed (high) for 4 minutes.
    5. Publication: Manually release the steam and test the potatoes before serving.
  • Texas Cowboy Stew Crockpot Instructions
    1. Brown Meat: In a skillet, crispy bacon and browned beef, sausage, onion, and garlic (steps 1–2).
    2. Add to Crockpot: Transfer to a 6-7 quart slow cooker.
    3. Combine: Add the remaining ingredients and mix.
    4. Cooked: Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.

Press

Texas Cowboy Stew

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Smoky, beefy and beyond easy! My Texas Cowboy Stew is the one-stop dinner every busy mom needs in her weekly rotation.
Course Dinner, starter, main course, main course
Kitchen American, Southern, Texan
Keyword Comfort food, Cowboy soup, Cowboy stew, Cowboy stew recipe, fall recipes, Hearty stew, soup recipes, Texas cowboy stew, Texas cowboy stew recipe, Texas soup
Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 1 Now 10 minutes
Total time 1 Now 30 minutes
Portions 10 portions
Calories 426kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Equipment

  • 1 large pot or Dutch oven

Ingredients

  • 6 slices Bacon
  • 1 pound lean ground meat
  • 1 cup diced onion about half a large onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic about 2 cloves
  • 14 ounces smoked sausage cut into ¼-inch thick rounds
  • 1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes not drained
  • 1 (15.5 ounces) can borlotti beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 ounces) can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes and green chilies not drained
  • 1 (15 ounces) can whole grain corn drained
  • 3 cups Peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes about 2-3 medium potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2½-3 cups beef broth
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chilli powder
  • salt taste
  • ground black pepper taste

Instructions

  • Dice 6 slices of bacon chopped, then add to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir and cook until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and place it to drain on a plate lined with absorbent paper. Drain most some fat in the pan.
  • Add 1 pound lean ground beef in the pot, cook and crumble until no pink remains, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1 cup diced onion, 2 teaspoons minced garlicAND 14 ounces smoked sausageand continue to cook until the onion is translucent and the sausage is browned.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, 1 can pinto beans (15.5 ounces)., 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chiles, 1 can (15 ounces) whole corn, 3 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced, 2 ½-3 cups beef broth, 2 teaspoons of cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powderand I reserved the bacon in the pot. Season with salt AND ground black pepper taste.
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot, then simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.

Notes

Instructions for storage and heating
  • Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • Freezing: Cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
  • Heating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop until heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 38G | Protein: 25G | Fat: 19G | Saturated fat: 7G | Polyunsaturated fats: 3G | Monounsaturated fats: 9G | Trans fats: 0.2G | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 1103mg | Potassium: 1086mg | Fiber: 8G | Sugar: 4G | Vitamin A: 228UI | Vitamin C: 25mg | Soccer: 91mg | Iron: 5mg
Overhead shot of a pot of Texas Cowboy Stew

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