17 Southern Slow Cooker Stews That Will Warm Your Soul

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There’s something magical about a slow cooker simmering away, filling your home with the comforting aroma of a hearty stew. Southern stews are known for their rich flavors and soul-warming goodness. Whether you’re looking to simplify dinner or savor a bowl of southern comfort, these five slow cooker stews are just what you need to hit the spot.

Curry Coconut Chickpea Stew

A pot and a bowl of coconut curry stew with chickpeas and kale.
Photo credit: xoxoBella

This vibrant and aromatic curried chickpea stew is a true delight for the senses. With its stunning colors and irresistible fragrance, it’s a treat that will captivate your taste buds. Plus, you can tailor the heat level to your liking, making it a mild and comforting or a bold and spicy experience – the choice is yours!

Get the Recipe: Curry Coconut Chickpea Stew

The Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew

A bowl of beef stew with chunks of meat, potatoes, carrots, celery, and a thick broth, garnished with chopped parsley.
Photo credit: Slow Cooker Meals.

For a soul-warming Southern stew, nothing beats the classic taste of this slow-cooked beef stew. It features melt-in-your-mouth beef, potatoes, carrots, and peas all bathed in a savory, thickened broth. The secret ingredient? A splash of red wine, which adds depth and richness to this timeless dish, making it perfect for a comforting meal.
Get the Recipe: The Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Jambalaya Stew

A bowl of rice topped with a fried egg, assorted vegetables, shrimp, carrots, greens, and sprinkled sesame seeds.
Photo Credit: The Forked Spoon.

This Slow Cooker Jambalaya Stew is packed with flavors from sausage, chicken, and shrimp, simmering together in a hearty tomato broth. Adding bell peppers, onions, and Cajun seasoning gives it that authentic Southern taste. Perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Jambalaya Stew

Slow Cooker Pork Stew

A blue fork alongside a bowl containing mashed sweet potatoes, cooked peas, chopped carrots, and chunks of meat on a wooden table.
Photo credit: Recipe This.

This slow cooker pork stew is a fantastic choice for a Southern comfort meal that will warm your soul. Tender pork chunks, hearty vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and celery, and a blend of savory spices come together perfectly. As it cooks low and slow, the flavors meld together, ensuring each bite is rich and satisfying.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork Stew

Oxtail Stew Recipe

Chunks of beef, potatoes, and carrots in a savory broth, garnished with fresh herbs.
Photo credit: Organically Addison.

Oxtail stew is a Southern staple, perfect for a soul-warming meal on a chilly day. This recipe calls for oxtails, onions, carrots, and celery, all simmered together in a robust broth seasoned with thyme and bay leaves. The long, slow cooking process breaks down the oxtails, creating a stew that’s hearty and deeply flavorful, ideal for warming your soul.
Get the Recipe: Oxtail Stew Recipe

Slow Cooker Camp Stew

A bowl of stew with chunks of meat, corn, tomatoes, and vegetables; a piece of cornbread; a salt shaker; spoons on a wooden table.
Photo credit: The Magical Slow Cooker.

Camp stew is a delightful hodgepodge of flavors, making it a perfect Southern slow cooker stew to warm your soul. This recipe mixes ground beef, sausage, and shredded chicken with vegetables and a tangy tomato base. The addition of Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke gives it a smoky, savory depth that’s simply irresistible.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Camp Stew

Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew

A bowl of stew with chicken, vegetables, okra, tomatoes, and beans, accompanied by cornbread.
Photo credit: The Magical Slow Cooker.

Brunswick stew is a Southern classic that’s sure to warm your soul. This slow cooker version uses chicken, pork, and beef, combined with corn, lima beans, and tomatoes in a rich, flavorful broth. A touch of barbecue sauce adds a sweet and smoky note, making this stew a true crowd-pleaser and perfect for comforting meals.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew

Slow Cooker Boneless Short Ribs

Fluffy mashed potatoes topped with thick brown gravy and braised beef short ribs with carrots and parsley.
Photo credit: Erren’s Kitchen

Indulge in the rich flavors of these tender Wine Braised Boneless Short Ribs, a hearty and comforting dish. Slow-cooked to perfection with a medley of aromatic onions, celery, carrots, and mushrooms, this effortless recipe yields fall-off-the-bone tenderness and deep, satisfying flavors that will leave you craving more.

Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Boneless Short Ribs

Grandma’s Hearty Offal Stew

Organ Meat Stew with parsley garnish.
Photo credit: Primal Edge Health.

Grandma’s hearty offal stew is a vintage recipe that makes use of the lesser known, but flavorful parts of the cow, such as the heart and kidney. This nutritious stew is a great way to use up every part of the animal and reduce food waste.
Get the Recipe: Grandma’s Hearty Offal Stew

Slow Cooker Shipwreck Stew

A slow cooker filled with stew containing ground meat, kidney beans, sliced potatoes, and vegetables in a red-brown broth.
Photo credit: The Magical Slow Cooker.

Slow Cooker Shipwreck Stew is a comforting Southern dish packed with ground beef, potatoes, and mixed veggies, all simmered in a flavorful tomato base. This hearty stew is a great choice for warming your soul with its rich, homey flavors that meld together perfectly in the slow cooker.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Shipwreck Stew

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

A bowl of chicken stew with carrots, potatoes, and herbs is placed on a checkered cloth on a wooden table. Nearby are a whole onion, bay leaves, herbs, two gold-colored spoons, and a checkered napkin.
Photo credit: The Magical Slow Cooker.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stew is a soul-warming Southern favorite featuring tender chicken, hearty potatoes, and carrots, all simmered together in a savory broth. Perfect for those chilly nights, this stew offers a comforting and delicious meal that warms you from the inside out.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

A close-up of a stew featuring tender meat, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and fresh parsley in a rich broth.
Photo credit: Homemade Hooplah.

This Slow Cooker Beef Stew is a classic Southern dish that will warm your soul with its rich, savory flavors. Featuring tender beef chunks, potatoes, carrots, and peas, all cooked to perfection in a thick, flavorful broth, it’s a hearty meal ideal for cozying up on a cold day.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Stew

The Easiest Slow Cooker Beef Stew

A white bowl filled with beef stew, including chunks of beef, carrots, potatoes, and green onions. A spoon in the bowl holds a portion of the stew.
Photo credit: Stef’s Eats & Sweets.

The Easiest Slow Cooker Beef Stew lives up to its name with a simple, no-fuss recipe that’s perfect for a soul-warming Southern meal. Tender beef, potatoes, and carrots are cooked in a savory broth, creating a deliciously hearty stew that’s sure to become a family favorite and warm your soul.
Get the Recipe: The Easiest Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Venison Lentil Stew

Two bowls of chunky vegetable stew and a spoon on a white tray.
Photo credit: Champagne Tastes.

Venison Lentil Stew offers a unique twist on the classic Southern stew, combining tender venison with hearty lentils and vegetables. Slow cooked to perfection, this stew is rich in flavor and an excellent choice for warming your soul on a chilly evening.
Get the Recipe: Venison Lentil Stew

Slow Cooker Mississippi Beef Stew

Chunks of beef, baby potatoes, carrots, onions, and broccoli in a thick gravy.
Photo credit: Simply Stacie.

Slow Cooker Mississippi Beef Stew is a Southern favorite that combines tender beef with pepperoncini, ranch seasoning, and au jus gravy. This hearty stew is perfect for warming your soul, with its rich, tangy flavors and melt-in-your-mouth meat, making it a standout choice for any slow cooker meal.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Mississippi Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

A picture of beef stew with mushrooms carrots and thyme.
Photo credit: Primal Edge Health.

Warm up with a comforting bowl of slow cooker beef stew, packed with tender beef, hearty vegetables, and a rich broth. This recipe allows you to enjoy all the flavors of a classic beef stew with minimal effort.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Creamy Meatball Stew

A Dutch oven containing a stew of meatballs and potatoes with peas and gravy and a dollop of sour cream.
Photo credit: xoxoBella

After a long day, this comforting meatball stew recipe is the perfect remedy! Tender meatballs, infused with aromatic herbs and spices, are smothered in a rich and creamy sauce, perfectly complementing the fluffy potatoes. This hearty, homemade dish is a true haven for the senses, sure to warm and satisfy.

Get the Recipe: Creamy Meatball Stew

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About Jenny deRemer

I am a Charleston, South Carolina-based culinary novice, an ardent authority on all things travel, a designer by trade, and the creator of Not Entirely Average. I have a weakness for farmers' markets, delight in adventures way off the beaten path, enjoy documenting my many moods through photography, and have been known to conquer the occasional yard sale with gusto!

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