Beef Bourguignon

This ultra cozy Beef Bourguignon recipe is one of the most hearty and richly flavorful dishes you’ll ever make! It includes super tender beef portions simmered in a savory red wine sauce, and an abundance of fresh vegetables to round it out.

What is Beef Bourguignon?

Beef Bourguignon (which is pronounced beef boar-gin-yaan) is a signature French stew made up chunks of rich beef braised in a deeply flavored red wine based sauce, along with aromatic vegetables such as pearl onions and browned mushrooms. Often times it includes another rich meat such as pork (bacon!), and it also includes plenty of herbs for complementary fresh flavor.

It is a humble, rustic style dish yet somehow at the same time if seems luxurious with such sophisticated flavor. It’s creates a main dish worthy of a holiday celebration!

Wondering what to serve with Beef Bourguignon? It’s best paired with mashed potatoes or a hearty artisan bread because there’s so much of that complex gravy-like sauce to be soaked up by pairing with something so appropriately fitting.

Beef Bourguignon Recipe Ingredients

• Bacon: Preferably using regular cut bacon. Reserve the drippings as they are used in the stew for browning.
• Chuck roast: Look for a chuck roast with thin veins of fat marbled throughout. Avoid those with extra large chunks of fat as you’d just have to cut and toss this and wont have as much usable beef for the dish.
• Salt and black pepper: I season the roast somewhat light just so the dish isn’t overly salty in the end between the salted beef, bacon, broth, and soy sauce.
• Yellow onion and pearl onions: You can use frozen pearl onions in this dish if you can’t find fresh. Or use 2 cups yellow onion and omit the pearl onions.
• Garlic: Preferably use fresh garlic for best flavor, rather than bottled or dry.
• Tomato paste: This adds hints of rich tomato flavor to the dish giving it a little more depth.
• Flour: This will help thicken the sauce to more of a gravy-like consistency. If you want a thinner stock in the stew you could reduce it to as little as 1 Tbsp.
• Dry red wine: Wine really makes this dish. I like to use Pinot Noir or Cortes du Rhone varieties.
• Low sodium broth: Beef broth or chicken broth can be used here just be sure it’s a low-sodium option or even salt free because as the sauce reduces as it cooks the saltiness becomes more concentrated.
• Soy sauce: This may not be traditional to beef bourguignon but you’ll often see chefs add it to stews for more depth of flavor. It’s that little secret ingredient.
• Fresh herbs: Fresh thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and parsley are used in this dish. The bay leaf can be dried.
• Carrots: I add more carrots than may be traditional because why not up the veggies so you don’t have to make an extra side of them?
• Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms work well here.
• Olive oil: Butter can be used as well, olive oil just seems less heavier when paired here with the fattiness of the bacon drippings and roast fat in the stew.

How to Make Beef Bourguignon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bacon: Spray a large oven safe pot or braiser with non-stick cooking spray, add bacon and cook over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is golden brown and just crisp.

Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain and reserve fat in pot. Keep bacon in fridge.

Brown beef in batches: Working with half the chuck roast, dab it dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper (I actually go somewhat light when seasoning then just add more to the dish later on if needed).

Return pot to medium heat. Add half the chuck roast pieces and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining half.

Saute aromatics: In now empty pot return to medium heat, add yellow onion and saute 3 minutes.  Add tomato paste and garlic and saute 1 minute.

Thicken with flour: Add flour and saute 1 minute.

Add liquid and herbs: Pour in red wine while scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Pour in broth and soy sauce. Add thyme, rosemary and bay leaf.

Simmer and bake stew: Return beef to pot, add carrots. Bring mixture to a simmer. Cover with lid then transfer to oven.

Bake until chuck roast pieces are tender, stirring once halfway through, for about 2 hours.

Helpful tip to peel pearl onions: To peel fresh pearl onions drop in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain then cool. Cut root ends and squeeze onion downward to root tip to remove, then trim tops.

Brown mushrooms and pearl onions: During the last 15 minutes of cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and pearl onions and saute for about 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

Toss into stew: Add mushroom and onion mixture plus the bacon to the beef stew mixture and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste as needed.

Helpful Tips:

Bacon tip: I prefer to cook the bacon til crisp then add back to the dish at the end so it’s still somewhat crisp. But if you like it soft you can simmer it in the stew, just add it back in when adding the browned beef.

Pearl onions tips: Frozen pearl onions may be used here as well if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of peeling fresh ones. Add frozen and thawed onions after about 10 minutes of browning the mushrooms since they are already par-cooked.

You do not have to use pearl onions in the dish if you’d rather not. Just increase yellow onion to 2 cups.

Dried herbs: In a pinch dried herbs can be used in the dish. Use 1/2 tsp each thyme and rosemary and 1 Tbsp dried parsley.

How to Make Beef Bourguignon in the Slow Cooker

If you’d rather slow cook the dish in a crockpot that is an option. Here’s how you’ll alter the ingredients and steps:

Omit flour (just note that sauce won’t be as thick), reduce beef broth to 1 cup. Omit pearl onions and increase yellow onion to 2 cups.

Prepare as directed through the end of step 6.

Transfer to slow cooker along with beef, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook on low heat until beef is very tender, about 6 to 7 hours.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover beef bourguignon in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Rewarm in a pot or saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat, covered and stirring frequently.

Or rewarm individual servings in the microwave in a microwave safe dish on 50% power until warmed through. Don’t heat on full power or beef can become tough.

More Satisfying Braised Dishes to Try

• Beef Stew
• Braised Chicken Thighs and Vegetables
• Chicken Stew
• Italian Beef Stew
• Slow Cooker Beef Stew