This Beef Bourguignon is a delicious French stew that’s actually easy to make.
This stew has a deep rich broth, tender chunks of beef, cozy vegetables, and bacon. It’s all simmered together for the perfect meal.
It’s a dish that Julia Child was well known for, and while it does need some time, most of the time is spent simmering.
A Delicious Stew
Beef Bourguignon (pronounced “beef bur-gee-nyon,”) or beef burgundy is a version of beef stew. The difference between this recipe and our usual beef stew is the richness of the broth due to bacon and red wine.
Carrots, onions, mushrooms, and garlic round out this one-pot meal. The whole thing bakes in the oven until tender.
Ingredients for Beef Bourguignon
This recipe is a simplified version of Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon, with the steps somewhat simplified (and ingredients slightly adapted).
Beef – When choosing meat for stew or bourguignon, choose chuck roast for the most tender meat. Stewing meat will works as well but may need a little bit of extra time to become tender.
Vegetables – I add potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms but any root vegetable will work in this recipe. Replcae the regular onions with pearl onions if you can find them.
Baby potatoes are great as they hold shape and need no peeling. Yukon gold or reds work too. You can skip the potatoes and serve this dish over mashed potatoes instead.
Seasonings – Herbs like thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf enhance the flavor of this slow-cooked masterpiece. Fresh or dried will work.
Wine for Beef Bourguignon
The addition of wine makes beef bourguignon. Choose a dry red, like pinot noir, burgundy, cabernet sauvignon, or merlot., this adds the rich flavor that makes this recipe so famous! Wine for cooking doesn’t need to be expensive but choose a wine you wouldn’t mind drinking. Do not use cooking wine in this recipe, the flavor isn’t great.
Most often, I include a replacement for wine in recipes, however, wine is a forward flavor in this dish (just like coq au vin). In this case, I would suggest making a classic beef stew recipe or Hungarian Goulash.
How to Make Beef Bourguignon
- Crisp the bacon in a large Dutch oven per the recipe below.
- Sear the beef in small batches. Add the onions and carrots.
- Stir in the wine, beef, broth, and herbs and bake according to the recipe.
Top the stew with crumbled bacon and serve with crusty bread or even spooned into a bowl of mashed potatoes.
Beef bourguignon can be cooked in the slow cooker or Instant Pot following the cooking times for beef stew.
Tips for Perfection
Beef Bourguignon sounds super fancy, but with just a few tricks and tips it can be super easy!
- Brown the beef in small batches and don’t stir too much.
- Cook bourguignon low and slow in the oven for the best flavor and tender beef.
- You can thicken the sauce with a little bit of cornstarch slurry (mix equal parts cornstarch & cold water) if desired.
- Add in the bacon at the end but leave a little bit to garnish too!
Like chili and lasagna, this recipe tastes just as good (or almost better) the next day!
What to Serve With Beef Bourguignon
- If you don’t add potatoes to the stew, you can serve this over garlic mashed potatoes or homemade egg noodles.
- Beef Bourguignon pairs well with more elegant side dishes like roasted asparagus with tarragon vinaigrette or sauteed brussel sprouts.
- Definitely perfect with a side of homemade French bread or cheese puffs.
More Ways to Slow Cook Beef
If you’ve got stewing beef or chuck beef, here are a few favorites!
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Beef Bourguignon Recipe
Beef Bourguignon is an elegant, flavorful dish full of fresh veggies and tender beef.
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
- ½ pound bacon chopped
- 3 pounds chuck cubes or stewing beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups beef broth or beef stock, heated
- 2 cups red wine
- 12 ounces mushrooms
- 1 pound baby potatoes optional
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dry rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- parsley for serving
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Preheat the oven to 325°F.
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In a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon until it’s crisp. Transfer the bacon to a bowl leaving the fat in the pot.
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Gently dab the beef dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Sear the beef in small batches over medium-high heat until browned. Once browned, transfer to a plate.
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In the same pot, sauté onions and carrots for about 2-3 minutes, or until the onions start to turn translucent. Return the browned beef to the pot and sprinkle with flour, stirring to coat, and let it cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
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Add the broth, wine, mushrooms, potatoes (if using), tomato paste, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Cover the pot and bake the stew for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
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Remove bay leaf and stir in ¾ of the bacon. Taste and season with additional salt & pepper if desired. Garnish with remaining bacon.
Potatoes can be added to this stew or you can leave them out and serve the stew over mashed potatoes. Use baby potatoes, red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes.
Choose a dry red wine, like Pinot Noir, Cabernet, or Merlot.
Add in the bacon at the end but leave a little bit to garnish too!
To Thicken stew further after baking, combine equal parts cornstarch and water. Add to simmering stew a little bit at a time while whisking to reach desired consistency.
Calories: 773 | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 64g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 1589mg | Potassium: 2049mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3584IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, French
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About the author
Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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