30 Min Easy Pork Stew Recipe (Stove Top)

You’re going to love this warm and comforting, easy Pork Stew Recipe Stove Top version. It has an amazingly unique blend of tender chunks of pork, sweet potatoes, and a medley of fresh herbs and spices that make a one pot meal the whole family will love!

Stove Top Pork and Sweet Potatoes Stew

This delicious and healthy pork stew is the perfect meal any time of year but it’s especially delicious on cool fall or winter evenings when you want an easy and hearty meal but are short on time. This quick stew takes less than 45 minutes to prepare.

But because it’s loaded with other flavorful ingredients like black beans, robust tomatoes, garlic and onions every single bite will have everyone thinking it’s been simmering for hours. 

There is truly no other meal that’s more comforting than homemade soup and stew recipes. From classics like this Bacon Cheeseburger Soup and Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup to something a little more-savory like this Sausage, Spinach and Peppers Soup, you can never go wrong when soup or stew is on the menu!

One of the things you are going to love about this stew recipe is that it’s made with pieces of juicy and tender pork tenderloin. Unlike tougher cuts of pork, tenderloin can be cooked fairly quickly. That means you don’t have to let it simmer for hours to get this melt-in-your-stew on the dinner table quickly.

Why We Love this Recipe

• This recipe makes a wonderful, hearty stew that’s a one pot meal the whole family will love.
• The balance of flavor between the sweet potatoes and the tangy tomatoes are simply amazing.
• Awesome for meal prep. Just store it in individual freezer containers so you can thaw just the amount you want serve.

Recommended Tools:

• Large dutch oven (or heavy bottom soup pot)
• Butcher knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons

Sweet Potato and Pork Stew Variations and Add-ins

• Root vegetables: If you want to swap out the sweet potatoes, you could consider adding a few medium carrots or even baby red potatoes in their place.

• Other veggies: You really can’t go wrong by adding any of your favorite veggies. Consider chopped green beans, bell peppers and mushrooms. You can also swap the diced onion with pearl onions if you prefer.

• Seasonings: This stew has a bit of a Mexican pork stew flavor because of the black beans, chili powder and cumin. But you can easily cater the flavors to your own preference. If you want more of a Russian style stew, you can omit those spices but leave the bay leaf. Add Worcestershire sauce and paprika and let simmer until the meat is tender.

• Broth: You can make your own chicken stock or broth, or you can use organic chicken bone broth. It’s loaded with nutrients and adds great flavor. You can also use red wine or white wine to deglaze the pan before adding the rest of the ingredients. Once you have brought the stew up to a boil, turn it down and allow it to cook for about 30-40 minutes. The stew will take a little longer to cook if you add wine because you have to give the wine time to condense and the alcohol time to cook off.

• Pork: If you’re not a fan of pork, chicken breasts will work great. You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs as well.

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Medium red onion, diced
• Celery stalks, diced
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• Pork tenderloin, cut into 1” cubes
• Medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” cubes
• Black beans, drained and rinsed
• Ground cumin
• Chili powder
• Italian seasoning
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Bay leaves
• Canned crushed tomatoes
• Low-sodium chicken stock (chicken broth)
• Fresh parsley, chopped, divided

How to Make Healthy Stove Top Pork Stew

Step One: Sauté the Vegetables

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add red onion, celery, and garlic to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste.

• Stirring frequently, cook until the veggies begin to soften and smell fragrant, approximately 3-4 minutes.

Step Two: Sauté the Pork and Potatoes

• Add pork pieces and cubed sweet potatoes, stirring occasionally, until the pork begin to brown, around 2-3 minutes.

Step Three: Add the Black Beans

• Add black beans and spices and stir to combine. Continue to cook for another 30 seconds, or just until the spices become fragrant. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if needed.

Step Four: Add the Remaining Ingredients and Simmer

• Add tomatoes and chicken stock. Increase the heat to high, scraping up any browned bits in the pot. Bring this tomato sauce to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium.

• Simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork stew meat is cooked through, and the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, about 13-15 minutes.

• Remove from heat and remove bay leaves. Stir in 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley. Salt and pepper as needed.

Step Five: Serve and Enjoy!

• Serve in bowls, adding remaining fresh parsley for garnish and serve immediately.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Tip: Like most tomato-based dishes, this flavorful stew tastes even better the next day – so consider making a double batch to enjoy later!

FAQs

Can I Use Another Cut of Pork?

If you happen to have leftover pork shoulder or pork butt, it will work really well in this stew. Pork loin is not recommended for this recipe because it’s such a lean meat that it can become dried out even in soups and stews.

Can I Make This Recipe in a Slow Cooker?

You certainly can but the cooking time will take longer when you cook this stew in a crock pot. To make this recipe in the crock pot, you’ll start off sautéing the pork pieces and veggies in large saucepan then add them to the crockpot with the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for about 6 hours or on high about 4 hours or until the pork is completely fork tender.

Can I Freeze Pork Stew?

If you can make this recipe in advance and freezer or freezer any leftovers that you may have. Make sure to store in a freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. Or you can freeze in airtight containers that are made for the freezer.

Can I Make Sweet Potato and Pork Stew in the Instant Pot?

The instant pot work great with this recipe. Use the sauté function to sauté the veggies and pork cubes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and scrap up the brown bits in the bottom of the pressure cooker. Cook the stew on high pressure for about 18 minutes with 10-15 minutes of natual release.

Want More Healthy Pork Recipes?

• Maple Balsamic Pork Chops
• Easy Smothered Pork Chops with Gravy
• Sheet Pan Pork Chops
• Cashew Pork Stir Fry
• Apple Fennel Roasted Pork Tenderloin
• Grilled Stuffed Pork Chops