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Hobo Stew

Hobo stew is a Dutch oven stew made with browned meat, hearty chunks of potatoes, and tender vegetables simmered until bubbling and thick. This campfire stew is built in one pot for an easy camping dinner with big comfort-food texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Stew meat or ground beef
  • 1 lb stew meat or ground beef Use stew meat for chunkier texture or ground beef for a thicker, quicker stew.
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
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste Adjust to your preference at the end; taste before serving.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the meat
  1. Heat a Dutch oven over campfire and brown the stew meat or ground beef until it develops color. Keep it at a steady sizzle so the pot stays hot and the bottom doesn’t burn.
Build and season the stew
  1. Add potatoes, carrots, onion, corn, green beans, diced tomatoes, and beef broth to the Dutch oven. Stir to combine so the liquid reaches all the vegetables.
  2. Season with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper, then stir again to evenly distribute the spices. Look for the broth to turn uniformly speckled with seasoning.
Simmer until tender
  1. Bring the stew to a boil over the campfire. Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain gentle bubbles.
  2. Cover and simmer the stew for 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. You should see steady, bubbling simmering around the edges and potatoes yielding with a spoon.
Serve
  1. Serve hot in bowls. Spoon from the center so each serving includes meat, potatoes, and vegetables.

Notes

Pro tip: if using potatoes, cut them into similar-size cubes so they finish tender at the same time. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days; reheat on the stovetop or campfire until bubbling. Freezing works well for up to 2-3 months—thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently. For a lower-sodium option, choose low-sodium beef broth and season with herbs plus a reduced amount of salt.