This classic Beef Bourguignon, also known as beef burgundy, is a tasty combination of fall-apart beef braised in red wine with garlic, onions, carrots, and bacon for a rich and savory comfort food meal. This recipe is amazingly delicious and impressive yet easy enough for even the novice chef. Life is too short to reserve fabulous dishes for holidays and company.
It is absolutely one of my favorite dishes, and you don’t have to be an artist in the kitchen to make this. My recipe does not have as many steps as Julia Child’s recipe, but I think it tastes just as good, if not better.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below
- Bacon: Use thick-cut slab bacon or pork belly.
- Carrots: For aesthetic purposes, peel the carrots. Let that bright orange color show through.
- Beef: My favorite beef cut for this is the chuck roast. It slow cooks really well and has some fat, so the meat does not dry out, which can happen if it is too lean. Other cuts of beef include bone-in short ribs and fatty brisket. Do not purchase beef stew meat for this recipe. It is too lean, it will not cook up tender.
- Dry red wine: I use a Pinto Noir, but Merlot, Shiraz, and an unoaked Cabernet Sauvignon are all good choices. Make sure the quality is high enough that you would enjoy a glass.
- Beef broth: Preferably low-sodium or use beef stock.
- Fresh herbs: Bay leaves, thyme, and parsley are my go-to herbs.
How To Make Beef Bourguignon
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Brown the bacon in a Dutch oven and plate it.
- Salt and pepper both sides of the chuck roast pieces and dredge them in flour. Brown them on both sides in the bacon grease and plate them.
- Add onions and carrots to the remaining bacon grease and cook until the onions are softened. Plate the vegetables. Remove excess bacon grease.
- Melt a little butter in the pot and cook the mushrooms until brown. Plate the mushrooms.
- Add the wine and deglaze the pot, loosening the brown bits. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, and browned chuck roast to the liquid. Place the covered Dutch oven in the oven for about an hour.
- Melt the butter and whisk the flour into it. Slowly stir it into the liquid with the beef over low heat on the stovetop. Continue stirring and cooking until slightly thickened.
- Add the bacon, onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Place the pot back in the oven and cook for about another hour.
Preparation Tips
- Trim the cartilage and most of the fat from the chuck roast and cut it into 2-inch chunks.
- The Dutch oven will be very hot, especially the lid handle, so be very careful.
- If you can find fresh pearl onions, they make a wonderful substitute for the yellow onion and a beautiful presentation. Blanch the pearl onions in a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes, then pinch the stem end, and the pearl onion will pop out.
- Fish out the bay leaves and the stems from the thyme sprigs.
- This recipe can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. Remove any fat that solidifies on the top and reheat on the stovetop.
Serving Suggestions
Just as any other stew is almost a complete meal in itself, so is this one. You can serve over rice, homemade mashed potatoes, or wide egg noodles. Or pair it with a crusty baguette with cold butter and a glass of Pinot Noir. Other great wines to serve with this are a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.
More Beef Recipes
Beef Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon Recipe is beef braised in red wine with garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, and bacon. Scrumptious yet easy enough for even the novice chef.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 563kcal
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick cut bacon chopped
- 3 lb chuck roast
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to tastre
- 1 large sweet onion diced
- 3 large carrots peeled and cut in chunks
- 4 clove garlic crushed
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces small white button or cremini mushrooms
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In dutch oven or deep oven proof skillet cook bacon until crispy. Remove to plate covered with paper towel using slotted spoon.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Salt and pepper both sides of the chuck roast pieces and dredge them in flour. Brown them on both sides in the bacon grease and plate them.
- Add onions and carrots to the remaining bacon grease and cook until the onions are softened. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Plate the vegetables. Remove the excess bacon grease. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the pot and cook the mushrooms until brown. Plate the mushrooms.
- Add the wine and deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen the brown bits on the bottom. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, and browned chuck roast to the liquid. Place the covered Dutch oven in the oven for 1 hour.
- Melt the butter and whisk the flour into it. Slowly stir the mixture into the liquid with the beef over low heat on the stovetop. Continue stirring and cooking until slightly thickened, 4-5 minutes.
- Add the bacon, onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Place the pot back in the oven and cook for about 1 hour. Fish out the bay leaves and stems from the thyme sprigs.
Notes
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can use a deep oven skillet and cover it with aluminum foil.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
Nutrition
Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 502mg | Potassium: 996mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4151IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 4mg
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Susan
Could this recipe be doubled for a larger group of people..holiday dinner… the night before and placed in a large roaster to cook the following day?
Beth Pierce
There are a lot of steps to this recipe so I am not sure that it could be done that way. It is an elegant meal so it would be delicious but I just don’t think it would work like that. So sorry! I don’t want you to be disappointed.
Sally
OH WOW – I can almost taste this now! Looks really, really good! Printing it off right now to add to my recipe line up. Thanks!
Nancy
Yummy! I’d serve with some fresh, homemade bread for dipping! Very hearty and filling and oh so good.
Andrea Metlika
This looks Divine!!! I love everything about this dish.
Cindy Gordon
Such a delicious comfort food for any time of the year!
Jamie
This looks so hearty and comforting! I love these types of recipes where the whole house smells wonderful!
Bryan
Could you do this in a crock pot?
Beth Pierce
Yes I think that you could although you would need to do most of the process in a skillet. Like cook the bacon, brown the chuck roast, cook the carrots and onions and most of step 3, and brown the mushrooms in a skillet. But the actual cooking time can be done in a crock pot on low for about 8 hours or so. I would also add the baby potatoes halfway through the cooking process and the mushrooms in the last hour of cooking. Let me know if you have any more questions and I will try to help.
Patricia Groholski
I made this recipe and it was amazing. I use a bottle of Cabernet Savounion. I also added very small golden potatoes to the pot and served it with rice. My family enjoyed the rich flavor and like having crunchy sourdough bread to soak up the gravy. The time required to cook this dish is well work it.
Beth Pierce
So glad that you liked it. Sounds like an amazing meal. I also love crunchy sourdough. Sounds like the meal was perfect.
Eileen St Jean
I have Port wine on hand.. would that be ok?
Beth Pierce
Yes it would. Sorry about the delay. I was out at the movies and dinner.
SusieQ
This recipe looks amazing! I’m wondering if I could use beef or chicken broth in place of the wine? Or, is there another option?
Thank you!
Beth Pierce
Red wine really is the foundation for Beef Bourguignon so if you were to fix it without it really would be more of a beef stew. Delicious as well but not as rich in color and flavor. All that being said you certainly could do that and make a great stew.