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.
No Wine?
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 Cook Beef
If you’ve got stewing beef or chuck beef, here are a few favorites!
Beef and Noodles
Did your family love this Beef Bourguignon? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Beef Bourguignon Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon chopped
- 3 pounds chuck cubes or stewing beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black 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 halved
- 1 pound baby potatoes halved, 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
- chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
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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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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I have made this several times and my family loves it. We have something going on and I am wondering how this might do in the crockpot vs. simmering on the stove.
While I haven’t tried it, I do think it would work in a slow cooker. I would suggest preparing the recipe as directed and following the cook times on our Crock Pot Beef Stew. Let us know how it goes for you!
Gorgeous! I made it for a dinner party and it was a hit. I had a seafood dish planned and discovered that one of the guests wouldn’t eat it. So I scrambled to prepare this at the last minute, let it cook during during the afternoon, and just left it in the oven on warm until dinner. Didn’t change a thing, and it had just the right consistency. I used to live near France and know that the French would add a chunk of chocolate at the end to get that glossy, rich sauce, but this this recipe was amazing on its own and didn’t need it. It went perfectly with your garlic mashed potatoes, some buttered green beans and crusty bread. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. Thank you, Holly!
I’m so glad you loved it Kay, sounds like a delicious meal to share with your guests.
I have never written a recipe review in my life but this was just fabulous. I used a bit less beef and added a couple of russet potatoes and it turned out perfectly. My kitchen smells amazing and it’s the perfect meal for a rainy night in New England!
Thank you so much for leaving a review Krys, I really appreciate it! I’m so glad you loved this meal.
So delicious!!! Starting a family tradition. This will be our New Year Day dinner. We bought a 3 lb chuck roast and cut it up into 1 inch pieces. It was perfect you could cut it with a fork!!! Thank you Holly !!!
Can I double the recipe for a party of 12? Also, if we don’t eat pork, will turkey bacon work?
Hi Atia, I have not tried doubling this recipe but it should work as long as you have a big enough pot or dutch oven. Turkey bacon will work as a substitute for bacon for sure! We would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Made this today. It was absolutely delicious. Served over mashed with a side of French bread. I have never rated or commented on a recipe before but just had to let you know. The smell as it cooked was divine and the recipe is very easy.
So happy to hear that, Ann!
I made it without changing anything, but left the potatoes out. It smelled absolutely amazing while it was cooking in the oven, and my husband and I couldn’t wait for it to be done! I thickened the sauce with a little bit of cornstarch and then we devoured it with mashed potatoes on the side. Tomorrow I’ll cook some wide egg noodles, because I’m sure that’ll be delicious as well!!!
Really really good, but extremely rich! I made it with potatoes and will serve it over mashed potatoes next time.
How to substitute the red wine?
You can replace it with additional beef broth.
I made this last and it’s quickly become my favorite dish! Thank you for your recipes! I live on your app! Lol.