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Pork Stew is loaded with tender chunks of pork shoulder, potatoes, and carrots in a thick, hearty broth. It simmers on the stovetop with simple herbs and pantry staples, and it’s so flavorful and rich, you’ll have the whole family reaching for another bowl!
More Hearty Stews to Try: Simple Beef Stew | Slow Cooker Chicken Stew | Brunswick Stew
Before You Get Started
Pork stew is simple, but the cut you buy and your timing decide whether the meat turns out tender or chewy. Keep these in mind before you start:
- Use pork shoulder, not loin — Shoulder has the fat and connective tissue that turn tender with a long simmer. Lean loin and tenderloin dry out and get tough.
- Give the pork its full hour — Shoulder needs about an hour of simmering before it’s fork-tender. If it’s still chewy, keep going and check every 15 minutes.
- Add the vegetables later — Potatoes and carrots only need 15 to 20 minutes. Added at the start, they fall apart before the pork is ready.
Best Cut of Pork for Stew
The cut you buy makes the biggest difference in how tender your stew turns out. Here’s how the options compare:
Best: Pork shoulder or pork butt. Both come from the shoulder, and pork butt is sometimes sold as Boston butt. They’re well-marbled cuts that turn fork-tender with a long simmer. I always buy boneless for pork stew because I don’t want to have to deal with the bone. It’s the same cut I use for my Slow Cooker Carnitas, Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, and Pulled Pork Chili.
Works in a pinch: Packaged pork stew meat. It’s convenient, but it’s often a mix of trimmings from different cuts. Some pieces turn tender while others stay a little chewy. If you can, buy a whole shoulder roast and cut it yourself.
Skip: Pork loin or tenderloin. These lean cuts don’t have enough fat to stay juicy through a long simmer, so they turn tough and dry.
RECIPE OVERVIEW
How to Make Pork Stew
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
This stew comes together in one pot with a quick browning step, a long, mostly hands-off simmer, and the vegetables added near the end. See the recipe card below for full amounts and instructions.
1. Brown the Pork and Vegetables
Cut the pork into 1½-inch chunks and season with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. The butter adds flavor, and the oil keeps it from burning.
Add the pork, onion, and celery and cook for several minutes, turning the pork, until it’s browned on all sides. It doesn’t need to cook through.
Give the pork room to brown. If your pot is on the smaller side, brown the pork in two batches. Crowded meat steams instead of browning, and you lose a lot of flavor.
2. Add the Herbs, Broth, and Tomatoes
Stir in the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves and cook for about a minute, just until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth and the tomatoes with their juices. Scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot as you stir. They melt into the broth and give the stew its rich flavor.
3. Simmer Until the Pork Is Tender
Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about an hour. The pork is ready when a piece breaks apart easily with a fork.
If it still feels firm or chewy, give it another 15 minutes and check again.
Prefer the oven? Cover the pot and braise at 325°F for about an hour, then move it back to the stovetop to add the vegetables. It’s a nice way to cook without watching a burner.
4. Add the Potatoes and Carrots
Add the potatoes and carrots and bring the stew back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are fork-tender.
I like Yukon Gold potatoes here. They hold their shape and release a little starch that helps thicken the broth.
Swap in what you have: A few big handfuls of fresh spinach can stand in for the green beans in the next step. Sliced mushrooms can go in with the potatoes, or stir in frozen peas during the last 5 minutes.
5. Thicken and Finish
The potato starch thickens the stew a bit on its own, but a cornstarch slurry gives you a thicker, heartier broth.
Stir in the green beans. Whisk the cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water or broth until smooth, then stir it into the stew. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, until the broth thickens and the green beans are heated through.
Pull out the bay leaves, stir in the parsley, and taste for salt and pepper.
Toss the pork in flour for a thicker stew. Coat the pork chunks lightly in flour before browning in step 1. The flour thickens the broth as it simmers, and you may not need the slurry at all.
Slow Cooker Option
Want dinner to cook itself while you’re out? The slow cooker version uses the same ingredients with just a few changes:
- Brown the pork, onion, and celery on the stovetop first, then stir in the garlic and herbs. Browning adds a lot of flavor.
- Add everything to the slow cooker except the green beans, cornstarch, and parsley.
- Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is fork-tender.
- Stir in the green beans and cornstarch slurry for the last 30 minutes, uncovered on high.
- Remove the bay leaves and stir in the parsley before serving.
One pot, a long simmer, and very little babysitting. If that’s your kind of weeknight, my Easy Hands-Off Dinners collection has plenty more, from slow cooker pot roast to sheet pan sausage and potatoes.
What to Serve Alongside
Pork stew is a hearty one-pot meal on its own, so it doesn’t need much on the side. Something warm for dunking into the broth is all you really need. Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits are my first pick, and Sour Cream Cornbread adds a little sweetness that contrasts nicely with the savory broth.
Short on time? My Easy Beer Bread mixes up in minutes and bakes while the stew simmers. A loaf of crusty bread or a simple green salad works great too.
Storage Tips
Storage, Freezing, and Make Ahead
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Freezer: Pork stew freezes exceptionally well. Store it in freezer containers, leaving about an inch of space at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. The potatoes may soften a little after freezing, but the flavor holds up.
Make-ahead: This stew tastes even better the next day once the flavors have time to settle. Make it on the weekend, refrigerate, and reheat on the stovetop for an easy weeknight dinner. Add a splash of broth if it’s thickened too much in the fridge..
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my pork stew meat still tough?
It almost always needs more time, not less. Pork shoulder goes through a firm, chewy stage before the connective tissue breaks down and the meat turns tender. Keep it at a gentle simmer and check every 15 minutes until a piece breaks apart easily with a fork.
If you used a lean cut like pork loin or tenderloin, extra time won’t help, since those cuts dry out instead of getting tender.
Can I use leftover cooked pork?
Yes, leftover pork roast or pork tenderloin works well and makes this a quicker dinner. Since the meat is already cooked, skip the hour-long simmer. Brown the onion and celery, add the herbs, broth, tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots, and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Stir in bite-size pieces of the cooked pork for the last 10 minutes so it heats through without drying out.
Can I use beer or wine for some of the broth?
Yes. Swapping 1 cup of the broth for a dark beer or dry red wine adds a deeper, richer flavor. Pour it in right after the garlic and herbs and let it bubble for a minute or two while you scrape up the browned bits, then add the rest of the broth and the tomatoes.
Skip anything sweet or very hoppy, since the flavor gets stronger as it cooks down.
More Cozy Soups and Stews
- Sausage Tortellini Soup with Spinach
- Baked Potato Soup
- Creamy Sausage and Potato Soup
- Beef and Barley Soup
- Smoky Bacon and Bean Soup
- Split Pea Soup
Pork Stew
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt cut into 1½-inch chunks
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 large ribs celery roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 15 ounces canned diced tomatoes undrained
- 2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 large carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water or broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
Instructions
- Prep the pork: Cut the pork into 1½-inch chunks and season with salt and pepper.
- Brown the pork: Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat and melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the pork, onion, and celery and cook for several minutes, turning the pork, until browned on all sides. The pork doesn't need to cook through.
- Add the broth: Stir in the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the broth and tomatoes with their juices, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer the pork: Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour, until the pork is fork-tender.
- Add the vegetables: Add the potatoes and carrots and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Thicken the stew: Stir in the green beans. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the water or broth until smooth, then stir it into the stew. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened and the green beans are heated through.
- Finish and serve: Remove the bay leaves, stir in the parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Thicker stew: The potatoes thicken the stew a little on their own. For an even thicker broth, use the full 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, or toss the pork lightly in flour before browning.
- Broth swap: Beef broth makes a darker, deeper-flavored stew. You can also swap 1 cup of broth for dark beer or dry red wine.
- Bone-in pork: Buy about 2½ pounds to account for the bone. Cut the meat into chunks and simmer the bone in the stew for extra flavor, then remove it before serving.
- Swaps: Use fresh spinach instead of green beans, stirring it in during the last few minutes. Mushrooms and frozen peas work well too.
- Slow cooker: Brown the pork, onion, and celery on the stovetop, then add everything except the green beans, cornstarch, and parsley to the slow cooker. Cook on low 7 to 8 hours or high 4 to 5 hours. Stir in the green beans and slurry for the last 30 minutes.
- Storage: Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Freezing: Freeze in containers with about an inch of headspace for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
THIS 👏WAS👏AMAZING 👏
Thank you so much Kristine!
This soup is outstanding! I just made it tonight, and it was absolutely delicious. Definitely warms & satisfies the soul on a cold night.
Nice! Thanks for stopping by khahn.
Made this recipe today with some leftover pork tederloin roast and it turned out AMAZING! A delicious comforting stew for a cool day. I served it with crsuty French bread and everyone loved it!
Nice! Awesome feedback Naomi! Thanks for stopping by.
Excellent! Used slt. floured pork pieces w/bone. Extra potatoes & carrots. No frozen vegetables. Did use corn starch to thicken. & dried Parsley (1/3). Served with leftover Peas & Green Beans. & breadsticks. If there are any leftovers I’ll serve with our leftover rice. Will get crusty bread next time. Tasty Sunday dinner.
Awesome feedback Paula! Thanks for stopping by to share.
Making this recipe for the 1st time. It smells delicious and I anticipate it will taste wonderful. The only problem I have is not knowing the serving size. I get that there’s 6 servings, but I’m going to have to literally try to dish out 6 equal bowls. On the plus side, I’ll only have to do this once, but sure would be easier if that info was included. Anyways, that’s a small thing. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Chuck, I don’t generally include serving sizes for things like soup and casserole because there are inevitably always small differences. When I feed my family, I just start dishing out and what they get is what they get – then there’s room for seconds!
Very delicious! I forgot to add the garlic and reread the recipe and couldn’t find when to add it so I just added it when it was simmering. Changes I made were: I used a small bag of small red potatoes, cubed with skin on and chopped up some baby carrots and I didn’t have any green beans. I put the potatoes and carrots in after 30 minutes of simmering, cover on and 30 minutes later, added the parsley. A quick stir afterwards, and it was done. The pork (I used two packages of “Pork for Stew” from Publix) was perfect and the flavors of the stew were so good! Highly recommend!
Hi Arlin, the garlic was part of the “spices” in step 3, but I realize how that could be confusing. I’ve updated the recipe to clarify. I am glad you enjoyed the stew!
Made this tonight for the fam, they devoured it. I made some adjustments for our taste buds, I substituted green beans for spinach, added it on the last 10 mins of cooking. Turned out great, thanks.. I enjoy making cozy warm foods.
Awesome feedback Barb! Thanks for stopping by.
Thank you for sharing this delicious and wonderful recipe! I made this last night for dinner and it truly was enjoyed by my family! I didn’t use canned tomatoes because I didn’t have any; but I used fresh tomatoes and a couple of squirts of tomato paste. I also substituted the broth by using a bottle of beer, a mixture of leftover apple cider, balsamic vinegar & water to scrape up the yummy bits of the fond that had formed after browning the pork chunks( I tossed the pork chunks in a little flour). I didn’t add potatoes or green beans but I did add frozen peas/carrots & fresh mushrooms! YUMMY!! Thank you again for sharing! I will definitely check your website again & again for new recipe ideas!
You are so welcome Linda! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback.
K.
Can you please adjust the timing for this recipe? To say it cooks in 50 mins, NOT counting over an hour for the pork to get tender is b.s.!
Hi Jeromy – I’m Kristin, the real person behind the blog. No need to be nasty. It was an honest mistake and the time was correct in the actual recipe.