Shortcut Kentucky Burgoo

This shortcut Kentucky burgoo recipe is healthy, freezer-friendly, and full of flavor -- and it's ready in about 1 hour!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword burgoo, burgoo recipe, kentucky burgoo

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 5

Servings cups

Calories 227kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 1 teaspoon total)
2 cups tomato or vegetable juice (such as V8 juice)
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon celery salt
1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 very large potato)
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 cups frozen lima beans
1 cup frozen cut okra
1 (16 ounce) container prepared bbq pulled pork, such as Jack Daniels brand (or use leftover pulled pork from a previous meal)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish

Cook the ground beef in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink, stirring to crumble, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the ground beef to a plate or bowl; set aside. Drain off excess grease from the pot.
Heat the olive oil in the same Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, bell pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring regularly, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute.
Add the tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, celery salt, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
Stir in the corn, lima beans, okra, pulled pork, shredded chicken, and ground beef. Continue cooking for at least 10-15 minutes (or longer, if you like the corn and other veggies really soft).
Stir in fresh parsley. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Ladle into bowls and garnish with additional chopped fresh parsley.

While it's not as big as a traditional burgoo kettle, you'll still need to use a very large Dutch oven for this big batch of stew. I recommend a Dutch oven with a capacity of at least 7 quarts. Here's my favorite!

You do not need to thaw the corn, lima beans, or okra before adding them directly to the pot.

If using pulled pork in bbq sauce (such as this homemade version or this Jack Daniels brand), add the bbq sauce right into the pot with the pork. It gives the stew even more sweet and zesty flavor!

Add an acidic component at the end to brighten up the dish, such as a splash of apple cider vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.