Best Recipes Ever: Stews and One-Pot Dishes

By Food & Wine
Updated October 11, 2019
F&W's editors combed through the more than 10,000 recipes we've published in our 35 years of existence to find the very best. Here are some of our super comforting stews and one-pot meals, including everything from Mexican-style pozole to seafood-packed gumbo.
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Asian Beef Stew

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This brothy stew is succulent and soothing, but sisters Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley invigorate it with fish sauce, Asian spices and lemon juice. "We both just love sour flavors," says Jasmine Hemsley. "It's our Filipino mum's influence."

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Italian Seafood Stew

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In this luscious, tomato-rich stew, Marco Canora cooks calamari slowly until it becomes supertender. He says calamari is absolutely essential to the success of the dish, because it releases its liquid as it simmers, which adds a huge amount of flavor to the sauce. “I’m a big fan of substitutions,” he says, “but not in this case.”

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Turmeric Chicken Stew

Abby Hocking / Food & Wine
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In this version of chicken stew from Food & Wine's Paige McCurdy-Flynn, hominy takes place of noodles, and add fresh turmeric and lime juice add an irresistible deep flavor. If you can't find fresh turmeric, 1 tablespoon of ground turmeric can be substituted.

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Veal Stew with Spring Greens

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This lemony stew has a delicious mix of spinach, sorrel, watercress, romaine and herbs.

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Iraqi Lamb and Eggplant Stew with Pitas

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This sweet and tangy Middle Eastern stew, with falling-apart-tender lamb, is one of wordsmith and perfect host Jesse Sheidlower’s favorites. He found it in Nawal Nasrallah’s Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and a History of the Iraqi Cuisine.

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Cranberry Bean and Pumpkin Stew with Grated Corn

© Ryan Robert Miller
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This hearty recipe is a cross between a soup and a stew. The grated fresh corn that’s added at the end gives the dish body and a wonderfully fresh flavor. The beans need to soak overnight, so plan accordingly.

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Andouille, Crab and Oyster Gumbo

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Andrew Zimmern’s sensational seafood-packed gumbo is terrific in its simplicity, with a foolproof roux that requires just 15 minutes of stirring instead of the usual hour.

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Braised Root Vegetables and Cabbage with Fall Fruit

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When F&W editors first saw the recipe for this simple braised vegetable dish from legendary French chef Alain Ducasse, we were skeptical; the combination just seemed so odd. But gently cooking the fruit and vegetables in chicken broth makes them surprisingly delicious. The dish has since become our favorite cold-weather side for chicken, pork and duck.

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Moussaka with Yogurt Béchamel

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Baked Penne with Sausage and Creamy Ricotta

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This hearty pasta dish is studded with chunks of Italian sausage and mixed with a quick garlic-infused tomato sauce. It’s then topped with dollops of fresh ricotta and a sprinkling of both mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano, which form a cheesy layer as the pasta bakes.

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Lamb Tagine with Green Olives and Lemon

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When making most stews, cooks typically brown the meat before braising it; here, Ethan Stowell skips that step, which simplifies the Moroccan recipe and gives the lamb a buttery, melt-in-the-mouth texture. The dish is vibrantly flavored with ginger, cumin, coriander, olives and lemon; the broth is delicious over couscous.

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Chicken Goulash with Biscuit Dumplings

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The chicken stock and sour cream both serve a dual purpose here: They moisten the biscuits and enrich the thick, luscious sauce.

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Quinoa and Brown Rice Bowl with Vegetables and Tahini

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“While in Los Angeles filming the second season of Top Chef: Just Desserts, I discovered Café Gratitude, a vegan café with a cult following,” Gail Simmons says. “For me, its fresh, simple food was the perfect antidote to all that sugar. I became addicted to aptly named dishes like I Am Fortified—a bowl of whole grains with lots of cooked vegetables. When I got back to New York, I developed my own version.”

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Chicken and Biscuits in a Pot

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The chopped fresh herbs in the biscuits that top this comforting chicken stew add another layer of flavor to the dish.

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Pork and Tomatillo Stew

HELENE DUJARDIN
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This spicy Mexican-style stew is loaded with vegetables, including carrots, an excellent source of vitamins A and K. Andrew Murray makes it for his employees around harvest time. “It’s our comfort food at the winery,” he says. “And it’s a nice excuse to stop for a few minutes and eat together, even when we’re busy.”

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Cassoulet with Duck Confit

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Chef Laurence Jossel created this stripped-down version of the classic French stew, with creamy white beans, luscious store-bought duck confit, smoky French garlic sausage and slab bacon. Letting the beans rest overnight develops their flavors.

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Root Vegetable and Cauliflower Tagine with Parsley Yogurt

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For Aida Mollenkamp, spiced Moroccan tagines are a dinner-party staple because they can be made in advance. “In case something impromptu happens,” she says, “you’re not stressed about the main dish.” And tagines are incredibly versatile. This version is vegetarian, but lamb or chicken could be added.

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Beef Stew in Red Wine Sauce

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For this beef stew, Jacques Pépin uses a special piece of the shoulder called the flatiron steak. This long, narrow piece is extremely lean, tender and moist, and it makes an ideal stew. He does not use stock, demiglace or even water. He makes his stew strictly with a robust red wine. This rich, winey beef stew is always a hit with his chef friends.

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Chicken and Barley Stew with Dill and Lemon

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This one-pot dinner from F&W’s Gail Simmons is an enriched take on classic chicken soup with rice; at once flavorful, hearty and comforting.

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