Potjiekos (South African Slow-Cooked Pot Stew)

Name: Potjiekos (South African Slow-Cooked Pot Stew)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 205 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: South Africa
Ingredients: 3 lb stewing beef or lamb, cubed; 2 onions, quartered; 4 carrots, chunked; 4 potatoes, halved; 2 cups butternut squash, chunked; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 cups beef stock; 1 cup red wine; 2 bay leaves; Salt and pepper to taste

Potjiekos (South African Slow-Cooked Pot Stew) photo 1

8 servings25 min prep180 min cookMedium South Africa

♡ Sign in to save Print / Save as PDFPro

The Story Behind It

The Tale of Potjiekos (South African Slow-Cooked Pot Stew)

Story updated September 17, 2026

Potjiekos, meat and vegetables slow-cooked in a three-legged cast-iron pot over an open fire, traces back to Dutch "hutspot" cooking, linked to food shortages during the 16th-century siege of Leiden. Dutch settlers brought cast-iron pots to the Cape in 1652, and the dish evolved further as Voortrekkers carried their potjie pots on ox wagons into the interior.

Ingredients

Scale:· 8 servings

3 lb stewing beef or lamb, cubed
2 onions, quartered
4 carrots, chunked
4 potatoes, halved
2 cups butternut squash, chunked
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1Brown the meat in batches in a cast-iron potjie pot over an open fire or coals.
2Layer the onions and garlic over the meat without stirring.
3Layer the carrots, then potatoes, then butternut squash on top in that order.
4Pour in the stock and wine and add bay leaves; season with salt and pepper.
5Cover with the lid and simmer very gently over low coals for 3 hours without stirring, checking liquid levels occasionally.
6Gently stir just before serving to combine the layers.
7Serve hot straight from the pot.

Want Cook Mode, your own recipe photos, and unlimited calculators?

Get Home Cooking Pro

Comments

Loading comments…