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We can’t think of a better thing to serve on a cold winter night than a steaming, supremely satisfying bowl of stew. Here, we’ve gathered a wide variety of our favorites to keep things interesting all season long. Most can be made ahead; classics like Creamy Chicken Stew and Cioppino come together in less than an hour for easy weeknight cooking. For a little Southern charm, go with Brunswick Stew or Chicken Bog. Feeling spicy? Try Jamaican Stew Peas and Spinners or Pork and Chile Stew. No matter what you’re craving, we’ve got a stew for that — keep scrolling for all the hearty, mouthwatering options sure to keep you warm this winter.
Creamy Chicken Stew
Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Quick, warm, and comforting, this creamy chicken stew features both light and dark meat plus earthy mushrooms and tender potatoes. It’s table-ready in just 45 minutes.
Beef Stew in Red Wine Sauce
Cara Cormack
Jacques Pépin’s mother served this quintessential beef stew at her restaurant, Le Pélican, where she made it with tougher cuts of meat. Jacques likes the flatiron — a long, narrow cut that’s extremely lean but becomes tender and stays moist.
Brunswick Stew
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
For our modern version of this beloved dish with roots in traditional Southern cuisine, the sweet-savory stew features tender braised pork shoulder along with corn, potatoes, and lima beans. They all meld in a piquant broth based on fire-roasted tomato and chicken stock.
Cioppino (Seafood Stew)
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
One of chef Bobby Flay’s favorite spots to enjoy this iconic San Francisco dish is Nick’s Lighthouse. The stew is typically made from a variety of seafood depending on what’s freshest; Flay’s version of the recipe uses generous portions of shrimp, littleneck clams, and snapper.
Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew)
Food & Wine / Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
This traditional Polish hunter’s stew layers smoky pork, kielbasa, and bacon with sauerkraut, green cabbage, and dried porcini mushrooms. A bottle of lager brings a bitter lift, while halved prunes provide a balancing sweetness. Serve with fresh dill for a pretty green pop.
Coq au Vin
Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel
This weeknight-friendly take on the classic French chicken stew from legendary cook Ina Garten is brimming with bone-in chicken pieces, pancetta, and hearty vegetables like carrots and mushrooms. Generous pours of Cognac and red wine add depth to the rich broth.
Swiss Army Stew
“Everything goes into one pot; a few hours later a meal ideal for the depths of winter emerges,” Andrea Slonecker writes of this veggie-heavy beef stew regularly served in one form or another to soldiers in Switzerland.
Kale and White Bean Stew
Diana Chistruga
Hearty greens like kale bring some much-needed color to the table in the colder months. This simple stew — just nine ingredients total, including salt and pepper — uses kale the Portuguese way, in a stew with fresh pork sausage (plus canned tomatoes and beans).
Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)
Sop up this Vietnamese beef stew’s fragrant broth — redolent of lemongrass, ginger, star anise, and plenty of fresh herbs — with a chewy baguette, or ladle it over noodles.
Seafood Gumbo
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Top Chef alum Tiffany Derry’s excellent gumbo has it all: chicken breasts and thighs, andouille sausage, blue crabs, shrimp, and a heaping helping of okra. Derry suggests serving it with cornbread and rice, though it’s also tasty with hush puppies.
Chicken Goulash
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
It’s worth seeking out sweet Hungarian paprika for this traditional Eastern European stew; the recipe calls for two whole tablespoons, making it the dish’s predominant flavor.
Trinidadian Oxtail Stew
Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel
This warming and aromatic stew from chef Osei “Picky” Blackett is packed with fall-off-the-bone tender braised oxtails, fruity chile peppers, and hearty vegetables like carrots and Yukon Gold potatoes.
Green Curry Lobster Stew with Sweet Potato and Mushrooms
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
“Lobster stew is one of the pillars of Maine cooking,” according to chefs Mike Wiley and Andrew Taylor of Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland. This aromatic version inspired by the Thai soup tom kha is enriched with umami-heavy Golden Mountain sauce and mushroom confit.
Feijoada
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Sally McKay
Made in a programmable pressure cooker, Junior Borges’ classic Brazilian feijoada brings together smoky pork spareribs, salty beef, ham hock, and two types of sausage, all simmered with black beans and garlic into a deeply savory stew. Rich and soulful, it’s traditionally served with hot white rice for a comforting meal.
Pork and Chile Stew
Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Natalie Ghazali
James Beard Award–winning chef Robert Del Grande simmers tender baby back ribs in a smoky, tortilla-thickened chile broth, stirs in a generous amount of chopped cilantro, then serves the stew with crumbled Cotija cheese, radishes, lime wedges, and more cilantro for a vibrant bowl.
Beef-and-Fonio Meatballs with Sweet Potato Stew
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
Senegalese chef Pierre Thiam is passionate about fonio, a nutritious West African millet, which he uses here in beef meatballs with Parmesan cheese and thyme. To finish, he simmers them in a thick, garlicky tomato broth with tender chunks of sweet potato.
Cataplana (Portuguese Fish Stew)
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis
Justin Chapple shares his version of the savory feast of shellfish and smoky linguiça hailing from the Algarve in Portugal. Named for the vessel it’s traditionally cooked and served in, cataplana gets lots of flavor from the Portuguese sausage included.
Jamaican Stew Peas and Spinners
Andrew Bui / Food Styling by Max Rappaport
Luscious, hearty, and satisfying, this vegetarian stew pea dish comprises red kidney beans, aromatics, coconut milk, a Scotch bonnet pepper, and more. The spinners are unfussy finger-like dumplings that add a dense, toothsome bite. Serve it all over rice.
Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Prepared entirely in a Dutch oven, Mingoo Kang’s version of this popular Korean stew starts with the briny liquid from rehydrating dried anchovies, which mingles with the rendered pork belly fat and tangy kimchi to form a bold broth as the meat cooks alongside planks of firm tofu.
Creamy Spinach, Artichoke, and Chicken Stew
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle / Food Styling by Nicole Hopper
Transform spinach-artichoke dip into a one-pot stew for dinner by adding chicken thighs, capers, wine, and tangy Boursin cheese — using jarred artichoke hearts makes it wintertime-friendly. It’s perfect over noodles or alongside toasted baguette slices for dipping.
Burgoo
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabor Hall / Prop Styling by Tucker Vines
Our version of this hearty and tomatoey stew uses chicken, pork, corn, lima beans, and potatoes. But the Kentucky classic is adaptable to whatever you have on hand, making it a great dinner for cleaning out the fridge.
Julia Child’s Best Beef Stew
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Debbie Wee
A signature from her first Food & Wine column, Julia Child’s long-simmered stew builds depth by marinating beef with aromatics and red wine, then browning in batches for a fond-rich base. “I love stews of all kinds, particularly those made with beef since I think that of all meats, it marries best with other flavors,” she wrote.
Short Rib Stew
Maxwell Cozzi
2008 F&W Best New Chef Ethan Stowell browns beef short ribs before slowly simmering the meat with wine and stock for two hours. One reviewer sums it up: “Very simple recipe, very rich, balanced flavor.”
Caribbean-Style Fish Stew
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Whole red snapper is marinated in garlic and ginger and fried until golden, then submerged in a bright, flavorful sauce made from stewed tomatoes and homemade fish stock. Scotch bonnet peppers bring a little heat, while lime juice offers a pleasant tang. A shower of cilantro finishes the dish.
Beef Mafé (West African Peanut Stew)
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Creamy peanut butter is married with beef broth, tomato paste, garlic, and ginger for the base of this cozy West African stew from Mawa McQueen. Cubed beef, sweet potato, carrot, and eggplant absorb all that flavor as they simmer until fork-tender. Serve it over brown rice for a memorable bowlful.
Chicken Bog
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
This cozy stew of chicken, smoked sausage, and rice comes together entirely in your Dutch oven. It starts over the stove then finishes in the oven, covered, to ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170°F and the rice is cooked throughout.
Classic Pot-au-Feu
Food & Wine / Photo by Carson Downing / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans
For this stew, the unofficial national dish of France, winemaker David Duband braises two cuts of beef — shank and rump roast — with marrow bones, then separately cooks leeks and carrots with more marrow bones until everything is deeply flavorful and tender.
Chupín de Pescado (Whitefish Stew with Potatoes)
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
This traditional Argentinean stew starts with a bright tomato-based broth infused with paprika, bay leaves, and a hint of sugar, creating a vibrant base that pairs beautifully with mild white fish. Briny olives, capers, and smoky roasted red bell pepper deepen the stew, while tender potatoes and creamy chickpeas soak up the flavorful broth.
Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Base Stew)
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Born from postwar ingenuity, this hearty stew blends kimchi and Korean spices with Spam, baked beans, and ramen. Savory, spicy, and endlessly customizable, it’s a deeply delicious dish that’s often topped with a melty slice of American cheese.
Simplest Chicken and Leek Stew
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall
Jamie Oliver’s recipe comes together in 45 minutes from a short list of simple ingredients to yield a satisfying stew that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Don’t be tempted to swap out the leeks for standard onions — the subdued flavor of the leeks adds a subtle sweetness and sophisticated depth to the dish.
Crawfish Étouffée
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Use fresh or frozen crawfish for this luscious tomato-based Creole stew. Their tender meat, along with the stew’s rich flavors and fresh herb garnish, makes this dish ideal for special occasions but simple enough for every day.
Kare-Kare (Filipino Beef and Peanut Stew with Vegetables)
Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
An umami-packed sauce made with peanut butter and fish sauce levels up this hearty beef and vegetable stew from chef Miko Calo; serve with steamed white jasmine rice.
Lentil and Bean Stew with Gremolata
Loaded with legumes and aromatics, this is the kind of stick-to-your-ribs stew we long for in the cold winter months. We prefer French green lentils here, though brown will also work; use any combination of cooked beans for this recipe — you’ll need six cups total, or about four cans.
Three Sisters Bison Stew
Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel
This stew from chef Lee Garman of Owamni in Minneapolis draws on the “three sisters” — the foundational Native culinary trinity of beans, squash, and corn — plus meaty bison rib eye.
Creole-Style Catfish Stew
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell
Balanced, full-flavored, and lightning-fast to prepare, this Creole-seasoned stew features flaky catfish, which cooks up beautifully in the tomato–white wine broth.
Giant Lima Beans with Stewed Tomatoes and Oregano Pesto
Cedric Angeles
Made mostly with pantry staples, this tomato-bean stew from chef Laurence Jossel shines with a bright herbal pesto, tangy feta, and a crisp breadcrumb topping.
Awaze Tibs (Ethiopian Spiced Lamb Stew)
John Kernick
Chef Hiyaw Gebreyohannes keeps his version of the Ethiopian staple awaze tibs on the saucy side. The dish features tender, boneless leg of lamb in a kicky blend of berbere spices, smoked paprika, lemon juice, and wine. Serve it with tangy, spongy injera for the perfect bowl.
Oxtail and White Sweet Potato Stew
Chef JJ Johnson employs a red wine braise — complete with mulling ingredients like fresh orange and whole spices — to make the oxtails here fall-apart tender. The longer the braise, the better.
Saffron Chicken Tagine
Andrew Zimmern’s rendition of this deeply flavorful North African chicken stew is designed for a large enameled cast-iron casserole dish, no earthenware tagine necessary. To make it, he marinates both white and dark meat in an aromatic blend of warm spices with preserved lemon and harissa, then braises the chicken in broth that’s bolstered with the reserved marinade.
Carbonnade à la Flamande (Flemish Beef Stew)
Con Poulos
Yes, you absolutely should add beer to your beef stew — you’ll need three cans of your favorite dark Belgian-style ale for this recipe, a perfect complement to the caramelized onions.
Lamb Tagine with Green Olives and Lemon
Kana Okada
2008 F&W Best New Chef Ethan Stowell skips browning the meat, simplifying the recipe and giving the lamb a buttery texture. The dish is robustly flavored with ginger, cumin, coriander, olives, and lemon. Serve over couscous to catch the rich broth.
Yucatán Pork Stew with Ancho Chiles and Lime Juice
Cedric Angeles
After you’ve chopped the vegetables and browned the pieces of pork shoulder, making this slow-cooked Mexican-inspired stew is largely a hands-off affair. Allow three hours for the pork to become fall-apart tender, then season to taste and serve with rice and sliced jalapeños.
