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Hobo Stew

Hobo stew is a hearty Dutch oven meal with tender potatoes and vegetables simmered in a flavorful beef broth until the pot is bubbling. It’s an easy campfire stew dinner that cooks hands-off with a covered simmer.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

stew meat or ground beef
  • 1 lb stew meat or ground beef
potatoes
  • 4 potatoes cubed
carrots
  • 4 carrots sliced
onion
  • 1 onion diced
corn
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn drained
green beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) green beans drained
diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
garlic powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
paprika
  • 1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the meat
  1. Heat a Dutch oven over campfire and brown the stew meat or ground beef until browned, stirring occasionally. Keep the pot bubbling lightly so the meat develops color.
Build the stew
  1. Add potatoes, carrots, onion, corn, green beans, diced tomatoes, and beef broth to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Scrape up any browned bits so the liquid starts off flavorful.
Season and bring to a boil
  1. Season the stew with garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper, then stir again until evenly distributed. Increase heat until the stew reaches a rolling boil.
Simmer until tender
  1. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover the Dutch oven, and cook 35-40 minutes until vegetables are tender. Look for steady bubbling around the edges and soft, easily pierced potatoes.
Serve
  1. Ladle the hobo stew into bowls while hot. Serve with the bubbling pot held close to the campfire so it stays warm at the table.

Notes

Pro tip: For extra flavor, brown the meat until deeply browned before adding vegetables—those bits dissolve into the broth during simmering. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3-4 days; freeze up to 2-3 months. For a lower-sodium swap, use reduced-sodium beef broth and season to taste with less salt.