Booyah

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Quick Bite

Booyah is a thick northeastern Wisconsin stew made with chicken, beef or pork, vegetables, and broth simmered for hours in a big communal kettle. It is hearty, Belgian-rooted, and very much not “just soup.”

History

Booyah is especially tied to northeastern Wisconsin, including Green Bay, Southern Door County, and communities with Belgian immigrant roots. The dish is often connected to Belgian-American church picnics, fundraisers, firehouse events, and large community gatherings.

The name’s origin is debated, but one popular explanation says it came from a local pronunciation or misunderstanding of “bouillon.” Whether that story is perfect or not, it fits the dish: a big, brothy stew that became its own word and its own tradition.

Booyah is usually made in huge batches. Chicken is common, often joined by beef or pork, plus vegetables like cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, peas, beans, and tomatoes. The cooking can start early in the morning and run for hours until everything becomes deeply flavorful.

A good booyah should be thick, rich, and vegetable-packed, but not refined. It is community food. It belongs in roasters, kettles, church halls, festivals, taverns, and backyards where someone is guarding the pot like a family secret.

Fun Facts

• Booyah is strongly associated with northeastern Wisconsin and Belgian-American communities.
• It is often cooked in giant kettles for fundraisers and community events.
• Many locals insist booyah is not soup. It is booyah. End of discussion.

Where to Try

Kroll’s East Green Bay, Wisconsin
A classic Green Bay restaurant where booyah appears as part of the local food landscape.

Denmark Lions Club Booyah Denmark area, Wisconsin
Community booyah sales and fundraisers in northeastern Wisconsin are some of the most traditional ways to experience it.

Door County and Green Bay area church picnics and festivals Northeastern Wisconsin
Booyah is often best found at community events rather than fancy restaurants.

About the Game

This recipe is part of Van Life Challenge, a travel-themed board game from Gray Dog Games where players explore the United States, discover regional foods, and collect memorable experiences along the way.

Each featured food celebrates a real place, a local flavor, and the kind of delicious roadside discovery that makes every trip feel like an adventure.

Recipe

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Home-Cook-Friendly Wisconsin Booyah Serves: 10–12 Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 3 to 4 hours Difficulty: Medium Style: Wisconsin / Belgian-American Community Stew

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds
• 1 pound beef stew meat or pork shoulder, optional
• 12 cups water or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 3 cups diced potatoes
• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• 1 cup corn
• 1 cup peas
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 ounces
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Start the meats: Place chicken and beef or pork if using in a large pot with water or broth.
2. Simmer: Simmer until the meats are tender.
3. Pull the chicken: Remove the chicken, let it cool slightly, then pull the meat from the bones.
4. Return the meat: Return the meat to the pot.
5. Cook aromatics: In a skillet, cook onion and celery in butter or oil until softened.
6. Add vegetables: Add onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, corn, peas, green beans, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and salt to the pot.
7. Long simmer: Simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove bay leaves: Remove bay leaves.
9. Adjust seasoning: Taste and adjust seasoning.
10. Serve: Serve hot in big bowls.

Traditional note: To make it more traditional, cook it in a large kettle, use chicken plus beef or pork if you like, add plenty of vegetables, and let it simmer for hours. The batch should be big enough to make sharing feel unavoidable.

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