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    Beef Bourguignon

    December 17, 2024

    Winter fare doesn’t get much better than this beef bourguignon recipe! The classic French beef stew is made with simple ingredients like chuck roast and red wine, and the leftovers are heavenly.

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    homemade beef bourguignon with mushrooms and pearl onions being served on top of classic mashed potatoes
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    Beef Bourguignon (or Boeuf Bourguignon) is a rustic, classic French beef stew that’ll never fail to wow company and warm you to the bone. Popularized in the states by Julia Child’s classic tome, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, (where she calls it “one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man”) the classic Beef Bourguignon recipe relies on simple beef stew ingredients — plus bacon and lots of red wine — and a low-and-slow simmer to make a fall-apart tender beef stew that’s dense, with a winey gravy, mushrooms and onions that’s so richly flavorful. Though Julia Child suggests boiled potatoes, we love beef bourguignon best served over buttery mashed potatoes! And best of all, this recipe is at its most delicious if you make it a day before you want to serve it, so it’s ideal for company. For a slightly simpler version of a wine-kissed beef stew recipe, try our Wine Braised Beef with Mushrooms.

    chuck roast, bacon, spices, tomato paste, flour, red wine, bouillon, olive oil, onion, carrots, and mushrooms in bowls

    Beef Bourguignon Ingredients

    • Beef chuck: Julia’s boeuf a la bourguignon recipe calls for “stewing beef” but instead of buying the pre-cut stew beef, we like to buy a really good chuck roast (the same cut of beef you’d use for a classic Beef Stew or Pot Roast) and either cube it up ourselves or as the butcher to do it for us. If you DIY, a sharp knife will be your best friend.

    • Red wine: “Beef Bourguignon” means beef cooked in the style of the Burgundy region of France, and the wine of Burgundy is, well, Burgundy! French Burgundy is a red wine made from Pinot Noir grapes, so any easy-drinking Pinot Noir will do fine here. There are lots of decent $15 bottles of Pinot Noir available that would be ideal for making this recipe with (and pour yourself a glass while you cook — why not? Julia definitely would!)

    • Bacon: Bacon is a key element here! Julia Child’s beef bourguignon calls for a “chunk” of bacon cut into lardons, which are thick little pieces of bacon. Pre-cut, thick-cut bacon is just fine here.

    • Onions: It’s a stew, after all!

    • Carrots: For color and sweetness.

    • Garlic: We would never, ever make a beef stew without garlic!

    • Tomato paste: A major source of umami, tomato paste adds so much depth and richness to this recipe.

    • Herbs: Thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper

    • Flour: To thicken the red wine gravy.

    • Beef Bouillon: While you could use beef stock if you’ve got it, we love using bouillon instead. It’s just so easy to keep on hand. Better Than Bouillion is our go-to, but use whatever you’ve got.

    • Pearl onions: These are an absolutely classic beef bourguignon ingredient, and they really make this otherwise-simple beef stew feel a little fancy. Ina Garten’s beef bourguignon recipe is nearly as famous as Julia Child’s and you just know she’s always adding pearl onions to stuff — she’s just fancy like that, and when you make this stew, so are you!

    • Mushrooms: You could use white button mushrooms, but we prefer cremini mushrooms for their color and flavor.

    cubed chuck roast being seasoned with salt and pepper
    chopped bacon being cooked in a dutch oven
    chuck roast pieces seasoned with salt and pepper being browned in bacon fat in a dutch oven
    onion, carrot, garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme and flour being cooked in bacon fat in a dutch oven

    How To Make Beef Bourguignon

    1. Brown the bacon. You’ll use the heck out of your Dutch oven for this recipe — start now!

    2. Brown the beef chuck pieces in the bacon fat. Oooooh yes. That smells so good. Set the browned beef aside for now.

    3. Stew-ify. Sauté the onions and carrots, garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme.

    4. Now start to gravy-ify it. Add the wine, the bouillon and water.

    5. Simmer for a few hours. Add the beef and bacon and simmer the beef bourguignon for 2-3 hours, until the meat is nearly falling apart it’s so tender.

    6. Cook the pearl onions and mushrooms separately so they’re tender and crispy and when the stew is done, serve the onions and mushrooms with the beef stew.

    red wine being poured into a dutch oven with onion, carrot, garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme and flour
    browned chuck roast added back into the sauce in a dutch oven for beef bourguignon
    mushrooms and pearl onions being coked in a skillet with olive oil and salt
    mushrooms and pearl onions being cooked in a skillet with olive oil and salt

    What To Serve With Beef Bourguignon

    mushrooms and pear onions added to a dutch oven with beef bourguignon
    homemade beef bourguignon with mushrooms and pearl onions being served on top of classic mashed potatoes

    How To Store + Tips

    • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. In fact….

    • Beef bourguignon tastes BETTER on the second day! If you want to see like an impossibly laid-back host or hostess, cook the beef bourguignon a day before you’re hosting and simply warm it up gently on the stove top when it’s time for dinner.

    • You can also freeze leftover beef bourguignon! It freezes well for up to 3 months.

    a pot of beef bourguignon made with mushrooms, pear onions, carrots, onion, tomato paste, red wine, and spices
    a pot of beef bourguignon made with mushrooms, pear onions, carrots, onion, tomato paste, red wine, and spices

    More Cozy Dinner Ideas

    Bon Appetit!

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    Beef Bourguignon

    December 17, 2024

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  20 min
    • Cook Time:  3 hrs
    • Calories:  616
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    Ingredients

    • 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, patted dry and cut into 2-inch cubes
    • 3 teaspoons kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 5 ounces thick-cut bacon, chopped
    • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
    • 1 large carrot, diced
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 2 fresh sprigs of thyme
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 3 cups red wine, such as Burgundy, Pinot Noir or Chianti
    • 4 teaspoons beef bouillon
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
    • 8 ounces pearl onions, peeled (or frozen, thawed)
    • Mashed potatoes, for serving (optional)
    • Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position.

      chuck roast, bacon, spices, tomato paste, flour, red wine, bouillon, olive oil, onion, carrots, and mushrooms in bowls

    2. Season the beef all over with 2½ teaspoons of the salt and pepper.

      cubed chuck roast being seasoned with salt and pepper

    3. Place the bacon in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon crisps and the fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate, reserving the fat in the pan.

      chopped bacon being cooked in a dutch oven

    4. Increase the heat to medium-high. Once the fat is just smoking, working in batches, add the beef in a single layer and cook until browned and crisp on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and continue with the remaining beef.

      chuck roast pieces seasoned with salt and pepper being browned in bacon fat in a dutch oven

    5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the yellow onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf, and 1 sprig of thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, or until mostly incorporated with the fat.

      onion, carrot, garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme and flour being cooked in bacon fat in a dutch oven

    6. Increase the heat to medium-high, pour in the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until simmering, 5 minutes. Stir in the bouillon and 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer over high. Return the bacon and beef, along with any collected juices, to the pot. Cover and roast in the oven until the beef is very tender, about 2½ hours.

      browned chuck roast added back into the sauce in a dutch oven for beef bourguignon

    7. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is just smoking, add the mushrooms and pearl onions and season with the remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, undisturbed, until the mushrooms and onions are browned , about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup of water and the remaining teaspoon of bouillon. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the onions are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to high, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are caramelized, 2 to 5 minutes more.

      mushrooms and pearl onions being cooked in a skillet with olive oil and salt

    8. Serve the Beef Bourguignon, pearl onions and mushrooms over mashed potatoes, if using, then sprinkle with parsley.

      homemade beef bourguignon with mushrooms and pearl onions being served on top of classic mashed potatoes

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 616
    • Protein 56 g
    • Carbohydrates 15 g
    • Total Fat 27 g
    • Dietary Fiber 2 g
    • Cholesterol 185 mg
    • sodium 1599 mg
    • Total Sugars 5 g

    Beef Bourguignon

    Questions & Reviews

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    • Cindy

      This recipe was absolutely stunning. I made it for an early christmas celebration with my family and everyone was so impressed.

      Thanks Cindy, so happy your family loved it!