24 Stew Recipes That Make Cold Nights Better
Few meals feel as comforting as a stew simmering on a cold day. These recipes deliver warmth, depth, and filling bites that make every spoonful count.
This selection features stews built with simple ingredients and bold flavors. Each one is easy to prepare, satisfying, and perfect for turning chilly days into cozy meals.
Venison Stew
Enjoy the wild taste of this Venison Stew! It’s a satisfying meal for any gathering. Just brown venison stew meat, combine it with veggies and broth, and let it simmer. You can pick whatever veggies you like in your stews; quantities are optional. It’s a much healthier alternative to beef and tastes even better the next day.
Get the Recipe: Venison Stew.
Oven Braised Meatball Stew
This classic oven meatball stew is a vintage dish that’s incredibly simple to prepare and absolutely tasty! It’s a full meal served in one pot, combining hearty meatballs with a rich, savory stew. Perfect for a comforting dinner, this recipe offers both ease and flavor, ensuring a satisfying dining experience with minimal cost and cleanup.
Get the Recipe: Oven Braised Meatball Stew.
Mediterranean Zucchini Stew With Tomatoes
Cozy up with a bowl of Zucchini Stew, a hearty, veggie-packed dish bursting with flavor! Tender zucchini, vibrant vegetables, and a savory broth come together for a comforting Mediterranean meal that’s as wholesome as it is delicious. Perfect for a quick dinner or meal prep!
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Zucchini Stew With Tomatoes.
Instant Pot Chicken Stew
Instant Pot Chicken Stew is the perfect one-pot recipe when you’re looking for a meal to warm you up. It’s healthy comfort food at its best!
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Stew.
Venison Lentil Stew
This venison lentil stew is made with ground deer meat, red lentils, tomatoes, and spinach. Make it in the Instant Pot, slow cooke,r or stovetop!
Get the Recipe: Venison Lentil Stew.
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Stew
Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Stew is a delicious, healthy crockpot soup. This easy soup recipe has chicken breasts, beans, chiles, corn, tomatoes, seasonings, and a flavorful broth. This is a veggie-packed crockpot chicken soup made from pantry staples.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Stew.
Hamburger Stew
Hamburger stew is one of those recipes that marries simple ingredients and big flavor, making it one of my favorite busy weeknight dinners. It’s comforting, hearty, and budget-friendly. You probably already have most of the ingredients to make this recipe, and the prep is minimal, just chopping, which can be done while the beef browns. Add your favorite vegetables or adjust the seasonings to suit your taste, but keep the base ingredients as written for a rustic, flavorful, and filling stew.
Get the Recipe: Hamburger Stew.
Old Fashioned Georgia Brunswick Stew
Get ready for a taste of Southern comfort with our Brunswick stew recipe. This hearty, soul-warming dish is a true delight, packed with tender chicken, smoky pulled pork, and an abundance of vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Old Fashioned Georgia Brunswick Stew.
Dutch Oven Chicken Stew
This old-fashioned recipe for Dutch Oven Chicken Stew with potatoes is a bowl of pure comfort. The one-pot classic has juicy chunks of chicken breasts, tender vegetables, and an amazing creamy broth. It’s hearty & filling yet easy to make.
Get the Recipe: Dutch Oven Chicken Stew.
Mediterranean Lamb Stew
You will love this one-pot Mediterranean Lamb Stew. It is a homely and comforting meal, full of the sunny flavours of the Mediterranean. For this recipe, we use cubed boneless lamb shoulder with fragrant herbs, tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant, and olives. Cooked slowly and gently, the lamb develops a rich flavour and becomes meltingly tender. It is certain to become a regular on your meal plan.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Lamb Stew.
Birria (Mexican Beef Stew)
Get ready for a very delicious and popular Mexican stew full of savory, earthy, and spicy seasonings, with fall-apart meat cooked the good old slow-and-low way for hours. This Birria de Res, aka Beef Birria, is so rich and flavorful, all thanks to your patience, as you cook it for hours in a broth of famous Mexican chili peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and a few seasonings.
Get the Recipe: Birria (Mexican Beef Stew).
Slow Cooker Mississippi Stew
This slow cooker Mississippi stew is everything you love about Mississippi roast, but in stew form. Tender chunks of beef, slowly cooked with ranch, pepperoncini, and savory gravy, make the yummiest combo.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mississippi Stew.
Norwegian Salt Cod Stew (Bacalao)
This Norwegian Salt Cod Stew, or Bacalao from the Spanish word for cod, is a recipe made with salted cod, olive oil, stewed tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and potatoes. One of Norway’s most famous (and popular) recipes, learn all about the history and export of Norway’s salt cod and the unexpected Spanish influence over its preparation in the 19th century.
Get the Recipe: Norwegian Salt Cod Stew (Bacalao).
Guisado De Venado Venison Stew
This easy Guisado de Venado recipe is a rich, comforting venison stew with my own twist by adding intensely flavored chorizo for a slightly spicy version.
Get the Recipe: Guisado De Venado Venison Stew.
Cioppino – Fisherman’s Seafood Stew
Cioppino, a rustic Italian-American seafood stew, brings the flavors of the sea straight to your table. Originally crafted by Italian immigrant fishermen in San Francisco, this fisherman’s seafood stew combines the briny sweetness of fresh clams, mussels, shrimp, and white fish with a garlicky tomato-and-wine broth. It’s surprisingly easy to make and perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner or an elegant dinner party. Pair it with crusty sourdough bread to soak up every last drop of that flavorful broth, and you’ve got a meal that’s as comforting as it is impressive. One bite, and you’ll see why this iconic stew has stood the test of time.
Get the Recipe: Cioppino – Fisherman’s Seafood Stew.
Slow-Cooked Lamb Chinese Stew
Craving something rich and comforting? This slow-cooked lamb Chinese stew is the recipe for you! This Chinese stew is perfect for those chilly days, combining tender slow-cooked lamb, warm spices, and a savory sauce. Use cuts like shoulder or shank, and take the time to brown the lamb to create a deep, rich flavor. Cook in the slow cooker or follow our alternative cooking method for perfectly braised lamb.
Get the Recipe: Slow-Cooked Lamb Chinese Stew.
Wild Boar Stew with Mushrooms
Wild boar stew with mushrooms featuring caraway, marjoram & lots of paprika, with both slow-cooker and stovetop instructions. This recipe is a wonderfully easy and foolproof way to get to grips with a different and delicious protein source.
Get the Recipe: Wild Boar Stew with Mushrooms.
Romanian Spring Lamb Stew Recipe – Stufat de Miel
The Romanian spring lamb stew recipe is a classic dish, part of the Easter celebrations. Whilst the main star of the Easter dinner is the roast lamb, this stew is usually eaten in the days following the main event. In Romania, we don’t eat lamb at any other time of year outside of Easter. It is common to buy an entire lamb and use all the meat in different recipes, such as soup, drob, or this wonderful spring stew.
Get the Recipe: Romanian Spring Lamb Stew Recipe – Stufat de Miel.
Lebanese Moussaka Stew (Maghmour)
Lebanese Moussaka is a flavor-packed vegan stew from the Middle East, which is better known as maghmour.
Get the Recipe: Lebanese Moussaka Stew (Maghmour).
Trader Joe’s Holiday Vegetable Hash and Sausage Stew
This time of year is so busy for me and my family, so convenience items like Trader Joe’s holiday vegetable hash are a life-saver. Sure, the blend of chopped sweet potatoes, butternut squash, red onion, and fresh herbs is perfect for sautéeing up as-is as an easy side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. But I thought it would also be the perfect ingredient for making a cozy soup recipe.
Get the Recipe: Trader Joe’s Holiday Vegetable Hash and Sausage Stew.
German Rabbit Stew Hasenpfeffer
My German Rabbit Stew, Hasenpfeffer, is a traditional dish enjoyed for generations. The name combines “Hase” (hare or rabbit) and “Pfeffer” (pepper), referring to the flavorful marinade that tenderizes the meat and adds unique depth. With ingredients like juniper berries, red wine, and herbs, this stew is a delicious, hearty meal full of complex, savory flavors you will surely love.
Get the Recipe: German Rabbit Stew Hasenpfeffer.
Bison Stew
This crockpot bison stew with red wine and mushrooms makes a hearty, low-effort weeknight dinner. Preparation time is only 10 minutes, and tossing everything into the slow cooker lets you go about your day while your meal cooks.
Get the Recipe: Bison Stew.
One-Pot Moroccan Chickpea Stew Recipe (Vegetarian)
This Moroccan Chickpea Stew Recipe features lots of fresh veggies, tender red lentils, chickpeas, and warm seasonings in a savory, tomato-based broth. Combined and cooked in one pot, it’s a hearty vegetarian recipe that will transport your taste buds!
Get the Recipe: One-Pot Moroccan Chickpea Stew Recipe (Vegetarian).
Beef Stew with Root Vegetables
This beef stew is ideal for cozy fall days, bringing together hearty root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and parsnips with tender chunks of beef. Each spoonful is rich and flavorful, capturing the essence of the season with its blend of earthy vegetables and savory broth.
Get the Recipe: Beef Stew with Root Vegetables.
