If you’re looking for a true comfort food classic, this Appalachian Burgoo is about as good as it gets. Packed with beef, tender potatoes, beans, corn, and rich, slow-simmered flavor, this is the kind of old-fashioned, stick-to-your-ribs meal that feeds a family and warms you up from the inside out.
This recipe is simple, budget-friendly, and perfect for big batches—whether you’re cooking for a crowd, meal prepping, or just craving a hearty bowl of something real.
This is what your grandma cooked when she needed to feed the whole family or when times were tight and she just needed to cook something that she had on hand.
👉 This is down-home cooking at its finest, straight from the hills of Appalachia.
👍 If you enjoy simple, hearty recipes like this, make sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit that BELL so you don’t miss the next one!
Be sure to check out our Etsy channel Back Porch Cookin.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BackPorchCookin/edit
Ingredients
• 1 lb Beef, finely cubed (Chuck or Stew meat)
• 1/4 cup self rising flour (seasoned with onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper)
• 2 tbsp Bacon grease (or butter)
• 1 Vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 ribs Celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup Tomato paste
• 3.5 cups Beef broth
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup Potatoes, diced
• 1 cup Corn (frozen or canned)
• 1 cup Butter beans (Lima beans)
• 1 cup Carrots, sliced
Instructions
1. Dredge and Sear: Toss your cubed beef in the seasoned flour until well coated. In your Dutch oven, melt the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches. You want a good crust on the meat—that flour is what will thicken your stew later. Remove the beef and set aside.
2. 
Lower the heat to medium. Toss in your onion and celery. Sauté until the onions are translucent, making sure to scrape up those browned flour bits from the bottom of the pot.
3. Caramelize: Add the 1/4 cup of tomato paste. Stir it constantly for about 2 minutes until it turns a deep mahogany color. This adds a “roasted” depth you can’t easily get in a slow cooker.
4. Deglaze: Slowly pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce while stirring. Return the beef (and any juices) back to the pot.
5. The First Simmer: Bring it to a light boil, then turn the heat down to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. This gives the beef time to get tender.
6. The Finish: Add your potatoes, carrots, corn, and butter beans. Simmer uncovered for another 30 to 45 minutes. Leaving the lid off for this final stretch allows the liquid to reduce and thicken into a proper burgoo consistency.
#burgoo #appalachiancooking #comfortfood #southerncooking #onepotmeal #easyrecipes #heartymeals #budgetmeals #homestylecooking #dutchovenrecipes #oldfashionedrecipes #groundbeefrecipes #countrycooking #foodie #homecooking
32 Comments
What’s your favorite comfort food to make when the weather starts warming up? Let me know in the comments below!
If you enjoy these traditional recipes and stories, be sure to subscribe. Check out our collection over at our Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BackPorchCookin/edit
I cant wait to make this!
Great video!
Add some elbow macaroni and you got goulash ❤❤
Country folk stew. Add what you got ❤
Best burgoo around is from Owensboro, Kentucky. We make our burgoo with mutton!! That’s the only burgoo I want! It’s the best! Love it! we have restaurants where you can go in and order it by the bowl, or a quart, even by the gallon!!
I used bacon grease for three decades when I was younger. Now that I am older, I stopped using bacon grease. It can over power the favor of what you are cooking. I suggest use a fat that doesn't over power your dish.
Heck yeah! That with cornbread or a biscuit. Almost like a Brunswick stew. I would definitely eat it. You could put squirrel in it or whistlepig. Yes sir.
That's the definition of…"sticks to yer ribs"…food 👍
Sir, you could read the phone book and I would listen. Thank you.
Seriously, though, I have friends and customers from all over the world. I bet all of them would love to try this. Food is probably the one thing that unites every one. Specifically, I'm thinking of my friend Christian in Adalaide, Australia. Appalachian food works just fine down there!
If you leave out the potatoes, carrots and butter beans, you would have a basic South Louisiana stew. We add anything from deer, rabbit, squirrel to shrimp or pork. We mostly serve it over rice, with mash potatoes being an option.
Oh sir this looks so good!! I’m going to use some baby limas I got and try this delicious recipe! I’m from the Deep South and this looks so comforting!
you aint telling us nothin new!
Step it up bro!
I’m from Harlan as well
❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
That’s not a meal, that’s a feast 😋😋😋
Love the video planning on making it with cast iron skillet corn bread, what can I substitute the butter beans with?
I had burgoo a decade ago at a hunting camp in Illinois. The cook, Dana, claimed he cooks it for a minimum of 24 hours.
He said that he gets $6 per small bowl at the summer festival of his small town.
He said the carrot and potatoes go in toward the end of the 24 hours, as they would literally cook to mush…
I ate 3 bowls as it was absolutely delicious.
You are making me hungry.
This is the first one of your viceos I have seen, but I have subscribed because this looks like you cook good food, but use simple pantry ingredients. I am British, but I live in China now, and it is almost impossible to get many US supermarket type ingredients, so recipes like this are ideal.
Big thanks 🙂
I never met anybody who likes butter beans. Thank goodness there are a hundred different beans to choose from. Secret: if you want to eliminate the "gas" effects of beans, rinse them well.
This looks like some great comfort food! I often do chili for family dinner, but one of the kids is not a fan of beans. I bet they will like this burgoo, though.
Trying this today thanks man!!
Are you or were you a 911 dispatcher?
I'm jealous of your cooktop.
Burgoo comes from the Royal Navy. Many folk who settled in the mountains has spent time in the navy.
Is it squares
My grandma cooked on a wood burning stove all year round. She’d make thanksgiving dinner which consisted of roast duck, mashed potatoes, dressing, homemade potato rolls and sweet potato pie. She cooked like a proper southern lady even though she was well above the Mason Dixon Line. She’s been gone 55 years and I miss her cooking every day.
We call it dueling banjo stew.
He must be getting a kickback from Special K.
Omg! You’ll never leave Harlan alive!
Wow! That stuff with cornbread! You better have a big ole pot and a lot of cornbread!
A rib sticker. Good for leftovers. Like he said, it would probably be good over rice.