Deliciously tender BEEF BOURGUIGNON slow-cooked in a red wine sauce along with different flavorful veggies. This French beef recipe can be easily made at home for a special dinner or for an intimate occasion. Truly a must-try!
It’s funny how some fancy dishes are so easy to make. Food like Beef Bourguignon always intimidated me when I first started cooking because it sounds so posh.
I just laughed at myself when I realized that it’s somewhat similar to this Slow Cooker Beef Stew but with red wine!
Red wine makes anything fancy right? That’s another plus for this recipe! I love boozing up dishes to make the flavors richer. So here’s an easy way to bump up your beef stew.
What is Beef Bourguignon?
Beef Bourguignon is a French dish that is basically a beef stew braised in red wine or red burgundy. Carrots, onions, and garlic are traditionally added to the dish to hype up the flavor and complement the beef. Mushrooms and bacon are used to garnish the dish to balance it out with earthy smoky flavors.
How is beef bourguignon pronounced?
One way to pronounce the name is roughly BO-ZHEE-NYO with a nasal sound on the last syllable. You could just easily say Beef Burgundy because it literally means the same thing: Beef from Burgundy.
The finished Beef Bourguignon tastes like mild burgundy accompanied by a slightly sweet beefy flavor with herby and earthy tones. The general taste profile here will mainly depend on the ingredients you use. I’m going to use ingredients that I would highly recommend to easily get that suave taste.
Beef Bourguignon Ingredients
Beef
The beef for this recipe is especially flavored because it’s seared in bacon fat. Searing the meat will cook the beef’s exterior while leaving the insides half-cooked.
This technique is done so that you can retain the natural juices of the beef. Using the bacon fat infuses its sweet smoky flavors to the meat.
Here’s a fun fact: You can’t overcook the beef even if you wanted to. Simply make sure that there is enough liquid in the pot.
Wine and Broth
The wine is mainly used for deglazing the pot which captures the full flavors of the ingredients. You should also remember that wine has alcohol which means that it evaporates more quickly while leaving flavor notes in the pan. That’s where the broth and the water come in. These two will be used to actually cook the meat and making sure the flavors are infused into every inch of the meet.
Which Red Wine is Best for Beef Bourguignon?
The best wine to use here is those with red Burgundy like Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon.
I know some of these can be a bit pricey so you might be looking for an alternative. Any dry red wine will do the trick although the taste will vary differently based on the type and brand.
Can I skip the wine? For those who want to skip the wine, you may do so by replacing it with beef broth, however, I can’t guarantee you that it’ll have the same flavors like the one with red wine.
Vegetables
The carrots, mushroom, celery are used to accompany the beef in the stew to add a different dimension of flavor and texture. It also gives a certain earthiness to the beef burgundy that tones down any overpowering taste from the wine.
Garnish
Bacon and onion simply spell out comfort food. Remember the sweet taste of bacon fat is infused with your meat when you seared it so it’ll fit well. The onions will release a natural sweetness when sautéed and tender.
I hope by now you have an idea of what this whole Beef Burgundy will taste like. Exceptionally AHA-mazing!
Storing Beef Bourguignon
How long will Beef Bourguignon last? You can cover it and place it in the fridge if you don’t plan to consume it immediately. It will last for about 3 – 4 days as it is. You can prolong this dish’s life by freezing it properly and just reheating it when ready.
To freeze, let it cool completely before transferring it in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezing bags and just pop it in the freezer. It’ll last for about 3 months.
How to reheat beef bourguignon? You can heat this dish using a microwave, oven, or over the stovetop. Let it simmer gently over the stovetop for about 10 minutes. Or turn on your oven to 360F (180C), and place the covered oven-safe serving dish with Beef Bourguignon and let it warm through in the oven for about 20 minutes.
What to Serve with it?
Make a mouthwatering spread with this Beef Bourguignon along with some of my favorite side dishes for this recipe.
More Easy Beef Recipes to Try
Love this one? You can check out these other tasty yet simple beef recipes.
How to Make Beef Bourguignon
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Pat dry the beef with a paper towel, lightly season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour on the beef and mix. Set aside. Add the chopped bacon to a large Dutch oven or pot. Sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes until crisp and browned. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place bacon on a plate for later use. Drain excess bacon fat from the pan and leave about1-2 tablespoons in the pan. Add more oil if you do not have enough bacon fat left.
Place the beef, in batches, in the same pot as the bacon fat and sauté until browned on both sides- 2-3 minutes. Remove beef from the pan and place it with the bacon.
Add more oil or bacon fat in the pot, as needed (1-2 Tablespoons more). Then add onions, thyme, garlic, and bay leaves. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until onions are slightly translucent. Throw in the mushrooms and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes. Remove and set aside.
Throw in celery and carrots and saute for about 1-2 minutes. Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine, beef stock, and water in the pan. Scrape the sides of the pan, using a wooden spoon. Add the tomato paste and stir until fully incorporated. Return the beef and mushroom mixture back to the pot. Bring to boil, add beef bouillon or cubes (if desired), and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and transfer to the lower part of the oven and simmer for 1 ½ -2 hours or until the meat is tender. Adjust cooking times to desired preference beef tenderness.
Tips
While you cook, be sure to check on the pot if it has enough liquid. Add more water as needed. Once the beef is ready, taste and adjust seasonings accordingly with more salt and or pepper. If using pearl onions, sauté for about 3-5 minutes and place on top of the bourguignon together with reserved bacon. Garnish with parsley and served with mashed potatoes or noodles. Enjoy!
Watch How To Make It
Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 2 ½ - 3 pounds (1133.98g-1360.77g) boneless beef chuck , trimmed and cut into chunks
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup (31.25g) all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces (226.8g) bacon , diced
- 1 pound (453.59g) cremini mushrooms , sliced
- ½ cup (57.5g) chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon (8g) minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) thyme
- 2 small bay leaves
- 4 celery stalks , diced
- 3-4 carrots , sliced or cut in chunks
- 1 cup (235ml) dry red wine (preferably Pinot Noir)
- 3 cups (720ml) beef stock
- 1 cup (237ml) or more water
- 1 tablespoon (16g) tomato paste
- 1 - 2 teaspoons (2g-4g) beef bouillon , cubes or powder
- 15 - 20 small pearl onions , optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Pat dry the beef with a paper towel, lightly season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour on the beef and mix. Set aside.
- Add the chopped bacon to a large Dutch oven or pot. Sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes until crisp and browned. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place bacon on a plate for later use. Drain excess bacon fat from the pan and leave about1-2 tablespoons in the pan. Add more oil if you do not have enough bacon fat left.
- Place the beef, in batches, in the same pot as the bacon fat and sauté until browned on both sides- 2-3 minutes. Remove beef from the pan and place it with the bacon.
- Add more oil or bacon fat in the pot, as needed (1-2 Tablespoons more). Then add onions, thyme, garlic, and bay leaves. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until onions are slightly translucent. Throw in the mushrooms and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Throw in celery and carrots and saute for about 1-2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan by pouring in the red wine, beef stock, and water in the pan. Scrape the sides of the pan, using a wooden spoon. Add the tomato paste and stir until fully incorporated.
- Return the beef and mushroom mixture back to the pot. Bring to boil, add beef bouillon or cubes (if desired), and lightly season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and transfer to the lower part of the oven and simmer for 1 ½ -2 hours or until the meat is tender. Adjust cooking times to desired preference beef tenderness.
- While you cook, be sure to check on the pot if it has enough liquid. Add more water as needed.
- Once the beef is ready, taste and adjust seasonings accordingly with more salt and or pepper.
- If using pearl onions, sauté for about 3-5 minutes and place on top of the bourguignon together with reserved bacon.
- Garnish with parsley and served with mashed potatoes or noodles. Enjoy!
Tips & Notes:
- You may use other lean cuts of beef for stewing.
- For the wine, you may want to use something that's made with red Burgundy such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon.
- For those who want to skip the wine, you may do so by replacing it with beef broth, however, I can’t guarantee you that it’ll have the same flavors as the one with red wine.
- You can cover it and place it in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- While you cook be sure to check on pot, so it has enough liquid. Add more water as needed.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Elena says
Beautiful recipe! Love it!
Teresa Peeples says
I really liked this recipe. Have made several times now. Try serving of garlic Texas toast. YUM YUM!!!
imma africanbites says
Us, too! And I gotta try that Texas toast.