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Hobo Stew

Hobo stew is a Dutch oven campfire stew with tender potatoes, carrots, and hearty meat in a savory broth. It simmers until the vegetables soften and the pot is bubbling, making it ideal for camping dinners.
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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 and vegetables
  • 4 potatoes Cubed
  • 4 carrots Sliced
  • 1 onion Diced
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn Drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) green beans Drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
Broth and seasonings
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the meat
  1. Place the Dutch oven over the campfire and brown the stew meat (or ground beef). Cook until you see browned bits forming at the bottom of the pot, then continue to the next step.
Add vegetables and broth
  1. Add the cubed potatoes, sliced carrots, diced onion, drained corn, drained green beans, diced tomatoes, and beef broth to the Dutch oven. Stir to distribute everything evenly so the mixture looks uniformly combined.
Season
  1. Sprinkle in the garlic powder and paprika and add salt and pepper to taste, then stir well to combine. Seasoning should be evenly speckled throughout the stew.
Simmer until tender
  1. Bring the stew to a boil over the campfire, then reduce the heat and cover the Dutch oven. You want steady bubbling with gentle simmering as you cook.
  2. Simmer covered for 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. The potatoes should be easily pierced and the stew should look thick and bubbling around the edges.
Serve
  1. Ladle the hobo stew into bowls and serve hot. The meat and vegetables should be visible in the bowl with hot, steaming broth.

Notes

For best texture, cut potatoes into similar-size cubes so they finish cooking at the same time. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days in a covered container; reheat on the stovetop until steaming. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 2 months, then thaw and reheat. For a lighter option, use 90% lean ground beef or swap in low-sodium beef broth and season to taste.