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Beef Bourguignon Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 127 reviews

Classic French Beef Bourguignon is a rich and hearty stew featuring tender braised beef chunks cooked slowly in red wine with bacon, pearl onions, mushrooms, carrots, and aromatic herbs. This traditional oven-braised dish offers deep, complex flavors ideal for a comforting meal served with mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Bacon

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 ounces bacon, roughly chopped
  • 3 pounds beef brisket (or chuck steak or stewing beef), cut into 2-inch chunks, trimmed of fat

Vegetables

  • 1 large carrot, sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
  • 12 small pearl onions (optional)
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms (white or brown), quartered

Liquids and Sauces

  • 3 cups red wine (Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Chianti; for milder sauce, use 2 cups)
  • 2–3 cups beef stock (use 3 cups if only 2 cups of wine)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Seasonings and Herbs

  • 1 pinch coarse salt
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (divided)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for braising the beef.
  2. Sauté Bacon: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook about 3 minutes until crisp and browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large dish and set aside.
  3. Sear Beef: Pat the beef chunks dry with paper towels. In the bacon fat remaining in the pot, sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides. Remove beef to the dish with bacon.
  4. Sauté Vegetables: In the same pot, add carrots and diced onion; sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Drain excess fat leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
  5. Combine and Season: Return bacon and beef to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and toss to coat. Cook 4-5 minutes to brown the flour.
  6. Add Liquids and Herbs: Stir in pearl onions, red wine, and enough beef stock to barely cover the meat. Add tomato paste, crushed bouillon cube, thyme, parsley (reserve some for garnish), and bay leaves. Bring mixture to simmer on the stove.
  7. Braise in Oven: Cover the pot and transfer it to the lower oven rack. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours until the beef is fall-apart tender. Adjust oven temperature to keep liquid at a very slow simmer.
  8. Cook Mushrooms: In the last 5 minutes of braising, heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. When foam subsides, add remaining 2 cloves minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  9. Strain Sauce: Remove the pot from the oven and pour the contents through a colander set over a large pot to collect sauce. Discard bay leaves and herbs.
  10. Recombine and Add Mushrooms: Return beef and vegetables to the Dutch oven. Top with the sautéed mushrooms.
  11. Skim Fat and Reduce Sauce: Skim any fat from the sauce and simmer it briefly on stovetop. Aim for a sauce consistency thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Adjust thickness by adding stock if too thick or boiling to reduce if too thin.
  12. Season and Serve: Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Pour sauce over the meat and vegetables. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes to heat through if serving immediately.
  13. Serving and Storage: Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles. For next-day serving, cool completely, refrigerate covered, reheat gently for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Choosing a good quality red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Chianti enhances the depth of flavor.
  • Use beef brisket, chuck steak, or stewing beef cut into large chunks for best texture.
  • Patting beef dry before searing ensures better browning.
  • Slow oven braising develops tenderness and rich flavors over several hours.
  • Sauté mushrooms separately to keep their texture firm and flavorful.
  • The dish improves in flavor when prepared a day ahead.
  • Remove excess fat from the sauce for a cleaner finish.
  • Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or buttered noodles to soak up the luscious sauce.

Keywords: Beef Bourguignon, French stew, braised beef, red wine stew, classic French recipe, comfort food, hearty beef stew

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