3 Burgoo Recipes for Your Kentucky Derby Party

Burgoo is a traditional Kentucky dish that is served at the Kentucky Derby. It is a thick stew of 3 meats (typically beef, chicken, and pork) and vegetables. It is the perfect dish to serve at your Kentucky Derby party. There are many different ways to make this delicious stew. Here are 3 popular recipes to try out this year!

burgoo stew kentucky derby party

Beef, Chicken & Lamb Burgoo

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cook Time: 5 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 lb. boneless beef shank, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 lb. boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
  • 1 (3 to 4 lb.) whole chicken or hen, cut into 8 pieces
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 medium onions, quartered
  • 4 cloves peeled garlic
  • 1 medium fresh hot red pepper, quartered
  • 2 c. chopped onions
  • 2 c. medium diced carrots
  • 1 c. medium diced green bell peppers
  • 1 lb. baking potatoes (like russets) peeled and medium diced
  • 2 c. peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
  • ½ lb. fresh green beans, strings removed and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 c. fresh corn kernels
  • 2 tbsp. light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley leaves          

Directions:

In a large, heavy pot, over medium heat, add the oil. Season the beef and lamb with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, sear the meat, in batches, for a couple of minutes on all sides. Add the onions, garlic, cloves, and pepper. Cover with water. (about 3 to 4 quarts). Bring to boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until tender, about 3 hours. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. During the last 1 ½ hours of cooking, add the chicken. Remove the meat, chicken and vegetables from the pan, set aside and cool. Discard the vegetables. Add the remaining vegetables and brown sugar to the pot of hot liquid. Continue to cook for 1 hour.

After the meat has cooled, cube the beef and lamb into 1-inch pieces. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken and discard. Dice the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add the cubed meat and chicken to the vegetables, continue to cook for 30 minutes. Re-season if necessary. Ladle the stew into serving bowls. Serve with hot cornbread or biscuits. Garnish with parsley.

 

 

Beef, Chicken & Pork Burgoo

Yield: 12-16 people
Cook Time: 3 hours, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 3-4 lb. pork shoulder or country ribs, cut into large pieces (3 to 4 inches wide)
  • 2-3 lb. chuck roast, stew meat, or other inexpensive cut of beef, cut into large pieces (3 to 4 inches wide)
  • 3-5 chicken legs or thighs (bone-in)
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 qt. chicken stock or broth
  • 1 qt. beef stock or broth
  • 1 28-oz. can of crushed tomatoes
  • 2 large potatoes (we used russets)
  • 1 bag of frozen corn (about a pound)
  • 1 bag of frozen lima beans (about 14 ounces)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4-8 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • Tabasco or other hot sauce on the side              

Directions:

Heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a large soup pot (at least 8 quart size). Salt the meats well on all sides. When the oil is shimmering hot, working in batches brown all the meats. Do not crowd the pan or the meat will steam and not brown well. Do not move the meat while browning a side. Let the meat pieces get well seared. Remove the browned meats to a bowl.

Add the onions, carrots, celery and green pepper to the pot and brown them. If necessary, add a little more oil to the pot. After a few minutes of cooking, sprinkle salt over the vegetables.

When the vegetables are well browned, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant. Add back the meats, and the chicken and beef broths and the tomatoes, stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 hours.

Uncover and remove the meat pieces. Strip the chicken off the bone and discard skin if you want. Break the larger pieces of meat into smaller, more manageable pieces. The reason you did not do this at first is because the meats stay juicier when they cook in larger pieces. Return all the meat pieces to the pot and bring it up to a strong simmer.

Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks about the same size as the meat pieces (if using new potatoes, you can skip the peeling, but russets you'll want to peel). Add them to the stew and cook them until they are done, about 45 minutes. When the potatoes are done, add the Worcestershire sauce, mix well and taste for salt. Add more Worcestershire sauce to taste if needed.

Add the corn and lima beans. Mix well and cook for at least 10 minutes, or longer if you’d like. Here is the point where you decide whether you want a burgoo that’s been hammered into a thick mass or a stew with bright colors in it. It’s your call. To serve, taste one more time for salt, and add either Worcestershire or salt if you want. Serve with crusty bread or cornbread and a bottle of hot sauce on the side.

 

Wild Game Burgoo

Yield: 6-10
Cook Time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 to 2 squirrels or rabbits, cut into serving pieces
  • 2 to 3 lb. venison, cut into large pieces (3 to 4 inches wide)
  • 3 to 5 pheasant legs/thighs (bone-in)
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 qt. pheasant or chicken stock
  • 1 qt. beef or game stock
  • 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 large potatoes
  • 1 bag of frozen corn (about a pound)
  • 1 bag of frozen lima beans (about 14 ounces) or canned black-eyed peas
  • Salt and pepper
  • ¼ c. Worcestershire sauce
  • Tabasco or other hot sauce on the side

Directions:

Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven or soup pot and set the heat to medium-high. Working in batches, brown all the meats. Do not crowd the pan or the meat will not brown well. Salt the meat as it cooks. As they brown, move the various meats to a bowl.

Add the onions, carrots, celery and green pepper to the pot and turn the heat to high. Cook the vegetables until they are well browned; you might need to add a little more oil to the pot. When the vegetables have browned, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add back the meats, along with the chicken and beef broths and the tomatoes. Stir to combine and add salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 hours.

Fish out the meat pieces. Strip the pheasant and squirrel off the bone. Tear the large pieces of venison into bite-sized pieces. The reason you did not do this right at the start is because venison will stay moister when it cooks in larger pieces. Return all the meat to the pot and return the stew to simmer.

Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks about the same size as the meat pieces. Add them to the stew and simmer until they are tender. Add the Worcestershire sauce, mix well and taste for salt. Add more Worcestershire sauce to taste if needed.

Finally, add the corn and lima beans. Mix well and cook for at least 10 minutes, or longer if you’d like. Serve with cornbread and a bottle of hot sauce on the side.

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