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I only discovered Slow Cooker Campfire Stew recently and I’ve quickly become obsessed with its smoky, beany deliciousness!
Cooking gammon in the slow cooker is one of my favourite methods but when you cook it in this bean and tomato mixture it’s even better.
This is a ‘dump and go’ slow cooker wonder. It means you can chuck everything in before you head out and come home to an easy dinner.
The saltiness of the gammon works so well with the sweet baked beans and smoky paprika.
Plus you get lots of veggie goodness from the tomatoes, peppers, onion and celery. Serve it with my cheesy mash or air fryer jacket potatoes.
It’s such a quick and simple meal to prepare and ideal for batch cooking as the leftovers can be frozen and reheated when needed.
I also think this would be a great way to sneak some ‘hidden veg’ into meals – kids will love this and won’t realise all the goodness they’re eating!
Gammon is a pretty cheap joint of meat and paired with all the tinned ingredients this is a great budget dinner.
If you’re trying to use your slow cooker more at the moment, check out my other gluten free slow cooker recipes here.
What is campfire stew?
Campfire Stew is one of those recipes that seems to have many different names – including Cowboy Stew or Camp Stew.
It’s basically a joint of meat – usually gammon – cooked in a mixture of tomatoes, beans, veg and spices.
Campfire Stew is also a popular recipe in the Slimming World and Weight Watcher communities as it’s low fat and packed with fibre and veggies.
I cook mine in the slow cooker as it works so well, uses less energy and involves much less time stood in the kitchen.
Of course you could cook this in the oven too if you don’t have a slow cooker.
Find the instructions for that a little further down.
Which slow cooker do you use?
I use a Crockpot 3.7-litre slow cooker I was gifted from a family member. I think this is the newer model of mine.
I’m addicted to making things in the slow cooker at the moment, including my slow cooker ragu and my slow cooker gammon in ginger beer.
I know a lot of people are worried about the cost of living and looking for cheaper alternative to turning on the gas or electric oven.
The good news is slow cookers are actually pretty efficient to run!
I’ve done a bit of research online and it looks like a slow cooker costs roughly 16p a day to run.
That compares to 87p a day for an electric cooker.
What if I don’t have a slow cooker?
You can easily cook this campfire stew using a hob and oven if you don’t have a slow cooker.
Preheat the oven to 170C / 150C fan / Gas Mark 3.
Instead of adding everything to the slow cooker, first add the onion, celery, garlic and peppers to a large casserole dish and fry in a little olive oil for 4-5 minutes.
Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir. Trim the gammon and add to the middle, then bring the sauce to the boil.
Place a tight lid on top and then place in the oven for 3 hours, until you can shred the gammon.
But ultimately this recipe is made for the slow cooker so I’d definitely recommend it as the best and most efficient way to make it!
My slow cooker campfire stew recipe
This Campfire Stew recipe makes enough for 6 people. If you need less than that I suggest keeping the amount the same but freezing any leftovers.
It lends itself so beautifully to batch cooking and it’s cheaper to make a big batch than cut down the ingredients.
However, if you’d rather use a smaller joint of gammon you can halve the other ingredients too.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your creations!
And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Slow Cooker Campfire Stew
This easy Campfire Stew is cooked in the slow cooker - any leftovers can then be frozen for an easy meal when you need it. Serve with a jacket potato or crusty gluten free bread. Bonus points if you eat it round a campfire!
Ingredients
- 1kg unsmoked gammon (excess fat removed)
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 celery stick
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 x 400g tin baked beans
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp gluten free Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Add everything to the slow cooker except the gammon and stir well until thoroughly mixed.
- Trim any excess fat from the gammon joint and discard. Nestle the gammon in the sauce and ensure it is covered
- Place the lid on and cook for 6-7 hours on high or 10-12 hours on low.
- Remove the gammon, shred it with two forks and then return to the sauce, stirring well, before serving with rice, crusty gluten free bread or a jacket potato.
Notes
If you're in the US, the gammon joints tend to be a lot more heavily salted than in the UK. To reduce the saltiness, soak for several hours in cold water before adding to the slow cooker.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 161Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 495mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 7gSugar: 15gProtein: 8g
Need more slow cooker recipe inspiration?
Here are some more gluten free slow cooker recipes you can try out once you’ve made this Slow Cooker Campfire Stew.
- Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
- Turkey Meatball Curry
- Beef and Ale Stew Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Classic Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
- Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
If you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
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I want to make this with jackfruit for a veggie option, when should I add it in?