Beef Bourguignon
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This authentic beef bourguignon recipe features fall-apart tender beef with vegetables, braised in a rich red wine sauce. Simple to make– let it simmer all afternoon and you’ll be rewarded with a pot of pure comfort for dinner!
Table of Contents
It’s that time of year where we crave comforting and hearty dishes– I’m looking at you baked rigatoni, homemade chicken marsala, and creamy mushroom pasta. If you’re looking for a ridiculously delicious recipe, this beef bourguignon is for you. Mostly hands-off cooking, letting it slow cook to develop intense depth of flavor.
What Is Beef Bourguignon?
Beef bourguignon pronounced “BORE-ghin-yon”, also known as bœuf bourguignon (the French spelling) is a hearty beef stew made with red wine. Usually made with a tough cut of beef like chuck roast that’s marbled with fat, and braised until it’s fall-apart tender with red wine, beef stock, mushrooms, onions, and carrots.
Why You’ll Love it
- Easy & Low Effort: You might think just by the name that there’s a lot of work involved, but looks can be deceiving. You only need about 30 minutes of active cooking time which is mainly rendering the bacon, searing the beef, and allowing the vegetables to soften.
- Immensely Flavorful: Beef bourguignon is known for its depth of flavor which comes from the slow cooking process with the red wine, vegetables, and earthy herbs.
- Hearty & Comforting: From the hearty beef and vegetables in a deep red sauce often paired with mashed potatoes or crusty French bread, it makes a wonderful meal.
- One Pot Wonder: We all love recipes that come together in one pot (less dishes make all of us happy!) From searing to sautéing to braising– straight from the stovetop to the oven ALL IN ONE POT!
Tips & Tricks
- Sear the Beef: Pat the beef chunks dry and add them into the pot with the bacon grease. Avoid moving the beef around too much as allowing it to sit helps create the brown crust on the exterior. This is key as it adds more flavor to the dish. The beef will not be cooked through– that’s okay!
- Cook the Tomato Paste: Once you add the tomato paste, allow it to cook for 1 minute to develop more flavor.
- Cook the Flour: Adding the flour helps thicken the sauce but if you don’t cook the flour long enough, you will have a flour taste come through. That’s not what we want.
- Deglaze the Pot: There’s a reason why we had the red wine and stock at the end once the bacon has cooked, the beef is seared, the vegetables have softened, the tomato paste has cooked, and the flour has soaked up the liquid. Deglazing the pan helps loosen the cooked-on bits from the bottom of the pot from each of these steps, so be sure to gently scrape them up.
- Be Patient: Most of the recipe comes together on the stovetop, but it really finishes in the oven– that’s where most of the flavor really intensifies. Don’t rush this!
You Need These Ingredients
- Beef: You want a quality boneless chuck roast, marbled with fat for the best results. This is a tougher meat but it will become extremely tender during the cooking process. You can either cut it down yourself or buy pre-cut– just make sure they are about 1 1/2-inch pieces.
- Bacon: Adds an extra layer of flavor from searing the meat in the bacon fat. You can cook in strips or pieces, completely up to you.
- Butter: Just 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter is all you need to add a buttery richness to the dish while assisting in thicken the gravy.
- Tomato Paste: This adds a ton of flavor to the broth and provides sweetness and tang.
- Flour: Adding flour to the cooked vegetables helps thicken the sauce while it cooks. Make sure you cook the flour taste out for 2-3 minutes before adding in the wine and beef stock.
- Wine: Bourguignon means “cooked in red wine” which is exactly what we’re doing. Using a dry red wine is best but you can substitute any type of red wine, or even additional stock if you prefer to cook without alcohol.
- Beef Stock/Broth: Adds more beef flavor and adds another depth of flavor.
- Vegetables: Mushrooms, carrots and onions are traditional in beef bourguignon.
- Fresh Herbs: Using fresh herbs takes this to the next level and adds an earthy flavor.
- Spices: Grab pantry staples like salt, pepper, and garlic powder. You can also use fresh garlic if you prefer.
In Photos: How To Make Beef Bourguignon
The full printable recipe is outlined below, with a little work upfront, the dish finishes cooking in the oven making your house smell incredible.
Step 1: Over medium heat in a large heavy pot, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and place on plate lined with paper towels.
Step 2: Add the beef chunks to the remaining bacon grease with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Step 3: Sear the beef until there’s a brown crust on all sides. Remove the beef and set aside in a bowl.
Step 4: Add the butter, vegetables, starting with the carrots and onion, and sauté until they begin to soften. Then, add the mushrooms until softened. Stir in the tomato paste.
Step 5: Add the beef chunks and half the bacon pieces back to the pot. Sprinkle in the flour and stir together until the flour absorbs the liquid.
Step 6: Add the beef stock, red wine, fresh herbs, and half of the bacon and stir together until combined. Place the lid on top and cook for 2-4 hours.
Serve Beef Bourguignon With
Most beef bourguignon recipes are served over creamy mashed potatoes but you can also serve it over homemade pasta, gnocchi, egg noodles, or even polenta. It’s also delicious with crusty bread like French bread, ciabatta bread or even in a bread bowl!
FAQ
A boneless beef chuck roast, marbled with fat, is the best cut of meat to use for beef bourguignon. It’s a tougher, inexpensive meat that benefits from a longer cooking time. You can either cut it down yourself or buy pre-cut– just make sure they are about 1 1/2-inch pieces.
Beef bourguignon is known for its depth of flavor which comes from the slow cooking process with the red wine, vegetables, and earthy herbs.
Using a dry red wine like Red Burgundy (Pinot Noir) is best but you can substitute any type of red wine, or even additional stock if you prefer to cook without alcohol.
Also known as a “burgundy sauce” and it’s made with red wine, onions, mushrooms, carrots, fresh herbs and beef stock.
Not all red wine is created equal as there are some that can become bitter when it’s overcooked. Having the carrots in the sauce can help add sweetness, but you could also add in a touch of sugar to help balance it.
Beef bourguignon, pronounced “BORE-ghin-yon”, also known as bœuf bourguignon (the French spelling).
Absolutely! Allow it to cool completely and place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
It’s a rich, savory stew with tender chunks of beef in a deep flavored red wine sauce featuring earthy herbs and vegetables.
More Savory Main Dishes
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Beef Bourguignon Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices (88 g) bacon, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 1/2 pounds (680.39 g) beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons (12 g) kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (4.5 g) garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) mushrooms, sliced or quartered
- 16 ounces (453.59 g) carrots, chopped or baby carrots
- 14.4 ounces (408.23 g) pearl onions
- 3 Tablespoons (48 g) tomato paste
- 1/3 cup (41.67 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (480 g) red wine, Burgundy or any dry
- 32 ounces (907.19 g) beef stock
- 2 sprigs (a few sprigs) fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 strip orange peel, (approx. 1 to 3 inches long)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
- Place a large oven-safe heavy pot on the stove over medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and place on plate lined with paper towels, about 5 minutes.
- Adjust the heat to medium-high. Add the beef chunks to the pot, leaving the bacon grease, with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sear the beef until there’s a brown crust on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the beef and set aside with the bacon.
- Add the butter to the pot, then the carrots and onions, sautéing for 3-5 minutes until they begin to soften. Then, add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and allow it to cook for 1 minute.
- Add the beef chunks and half of the bacon pieces back to the pot. Sprinkle the the flour on top and stir together until the flour absorbs the liquid. Allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes. (This is important to remove the flour taste).
- Adjust the heat to high. Stir in the wine and beef stock, gently scraping the bottom and sides of the pot with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. (These bits are flavor!) Add the fresh herbs and orange peel and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and carefully transfer the pot to the oven. Bake for 2-3 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender and the sauce has reduced by about half. Remove any stems from the fresh herbs and crumble the remaining bacon on top.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, homemade pasta or egg noodles. Leftovers stay fresh for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This beef bourguignon is a wonderful make-ahead recipe as it requires braising time of 2-3 hours. You can also follow the recipe through step 5. Allow it to cool completely, cover, and refrigerate overnight. When ready, preheat the oven to 300ºF, and continue at step 6.
- Freezing Instructions: You can freeze cooled beef bourguignon in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on low heat on the stovetop.
- Beef: You want to use a boneless chuck roast marbled with fat for the best results. This is a tougher meat but it will become extremely tender during the cooking process. You can either cut it down yourself or buy pre-cut– just make sure they are about 1 1/2-inch pieces.
- Red Wine: For best results use Red Burgundy (Pinot Noir) but you can also use any dry red wine, or even additional stock if you prefer to cook without alcohol.
- Slow Cooker Method: Follow the recipe through step 4. Then add the wine to deglaze the pan, scrapping up the bits from the bottom of the pot. Transfer to a slow cooker and add the beef stock and herbs. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours until the beef is fall-apart tender.
Made this for Sunday supper. A keeper as our house calls anything really good. Low and slow is the only way to get it really flavorful.
So happy you enjoyed!