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Texas Cowboy Stew

Texas cowboy stew with smoky sausage, bacon, and tender potatoes in a hearty, spicy tomato broth. Built by simmering everything in one pot for a thick, chili-style texture—great for scooping over cornbread.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Texas Cowboy Stew
  • 6 slices bacon Chopped
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb smoked sausage Sliced
  • 1 onion Diced
  • 1 green bell pepper Diced
  • 3 cloves garlic Minced
  • 1.5 lb potatoes Cubed
  • 2 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
  • 2 can (15 oz) pinto beans Drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn Drained
  • 3 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the bacon and brown the filling
  1. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven until crisp, then remove it and leave the drippings in the pot (visual cue: browned, crisp bits).
  2. Brown the ground beef, smoked sausage, onion, and green bell pepper in the drippings for 8 minutes, stirring often (visual cue: meat browned and vegetables softened).
  3. Drain excess fat, then add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds (visual cue: fragrant garlic).
Simmer the stew
  1. Add potatoes, diced tomatoes, Rotel, pinto beans, corn, beef broth, chili powder, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper to the pot (visual cue: broth turns red and speckled).
  2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes (visual cue: potatoes pierce easily with a fork).
Finish and serve
  1. Stir the cooked bacon back into the stew (visual cue: crisp bacon distributed throughout).
  2. Serve hot with cornbread on the side (visual cue: steaming stew with hearty chunks).

Notes

Pro tip: after the 8-minute browning, drain excess fat so the stew stays thick without being greasy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently). For a lower-fat swap, use turkey bacon and lean ground beef while keeping the same spices and simmer time.