Beef Bourguignon – WellPlated.com

Beef Bourguignon (or “Boeuf Bourguignon”) is a bucket list recipe that is surprisingly easy to make at home! Fall-apart tender beef simmered in a rich red wine sauce, this traditional French Burgundy beef stew is a meal you will remember.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Beef Bourguignon Recipe

• Rustic Yet Spectacular. Beef Bourguignon is special, in the way of long, slow-simmering soups and stews made with humble, meaningful ingredients. It cooks for hours, like a good Crockpot Beef Stew or Braised Short Ribs, rewarding your patience by turning inexpensive beef and carrots into something truly magnificent.
• Comparatively Easy. I wanted to make beef Bourguignon accessible to home cooks by streamlining the ingredients and reducing the cook time. No offense to the masters, but I found Julia Child’s original boeuf Bourguignon and Ina Garten’s version both left me wishing for more vegetables and some of the steps felt unnecessary. I doubled up on the carrots and mushrooms, then removed ingredients that were not essential to create the best beef Bourguignon I’ve ever had.
• Easier Than You Think. When you think French cuisine, you probably think there’s a lot of work involved. This easy beef Bourguignon recipe (along with my Chicken Fricassée and French Omelette) prove that isn’t the case! This recipe takes time, but the steps are straightforward and simple.

What Is Beef Bourguignon?

A few years ago, we booked a last-minute trip to Europe, and I lived out my dream to eat traditional beef Bourguignon in the region where it was created, Burgundy, France.

And I even had a glass (or more) of Burgundy wine to pair with it. How lucky am I?!

If you’re not familiar with this classic French recipe, here’s what you need to know:

• Boeuf Bourguignon is pronounced “booff boar-gone-yawn.”
• It translates to “Burgundy Beef” (“beouf” is French for “beef” and “Bourguignon” is French for “Burgundian”).
• Boeuf Bourguignon consists of beef (usually a tough, inexpensive cut like chuck), red wine, beef stock, carrots, aromatics like garlic and onion, pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon.
• It tastes robust, comforting, velvety, and complex—think of Beef Burgundy as the French equivalent of classic Beef Stew.

How to Make the Best Beef Bourguignon

The Ingredients

• Chuck Roast. A tough, marbled cut like chuck roast is the best cut of beef for beef Bourguignon. Packed with protein, it becomes tantalizingly tender during cooking but still retains its flavor.

• Bacon. Beef Bourguignon without bacon just isn’t the same! It adds an extra layer of savory goodness that is absolutely delicious.
• Mushrooms. A fantastic addition to beef dishes like this one (and Beef Stroganoff).
• Butter. Adds richness to the dish and helps thicken the gravy (plus, it’s French!).
• Red Wine. In cooking, Bourguignon means “cooked in red wine,” which is what we’re doing in this recipe. It intensifies the flavor and helps tenderize the beef during cooking. A dry red wine is best.

• Carrots and Onions. These humble vegetables give this French stew hearty flavor. Onion and French-cuisine lovers will enjoy this classic French Onion Soup too!
• Tomato Paste. Helps to create a simmered all day flavor in a fraction of the time. (This trick is also used in this Crock Pot Hamburger Soup.)
• Thyme. For an earthy, herby flavor.
• Beef Broth. Accentuates the beef flavor and adds depth.
• All-Purpose Flour. Helps thicken the stew.

The Directions

1. Prep the Beef. Cut the beef chuck into 1-inch cubes. Dry and season the beef.

2. Cook the Bacon and Mushrooms. Start with the bacon then sauté the mushrooms and butter in the pot with the bacon drippings. Remove to a plate.
3. Cook the Beef. Sear the beef until browned on all sides. Transfer beef to the plate with the bacon. Repeat with any remaining beef. Stir in about 1/4 of the wine.

4. Add Some Veggies. Sauté the carrots and onions, then add the remaining stew ingredients.

5. Simmer Then Bake. Lay the sprigs of thyme on top. Let simmer. Cover and bake beef Bourguignon at 250 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

6. Thicken. Return the pot to the stovetop. Mash the butter and flour together, then add the mixture to the pot.

7. Finish. Add the pearl onions and remaining mushrooms. Bring the beef bourguignon to a boil, then let simmer. Remove the thyme. ENJOY!

Storage Tips

• To Store. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat. Rewarm beef Bourguignon in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
• To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

What to Serve with Beef Bourguignon

• Dutch Oven. I use my 5.5 quart to make a Le Creuset beef Bourguignon recipe, but you can use any brand of Dutch oven you like; STAUB is great too.
• Wooden Spoon. Helps scape up all the delicious browned bits from the pot.
• Extra Large Cutting Board. Plenty of room for cutting all of the ingredients in this recipe.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Get That Perfect Sear. Start by patting the beef dry. When the beef is dry on the outside, you can get a better sear on it. Then, when you’re cooking the beef, work in batches. Crowding the pan also gets in the way of searing because it creates too much steam.
• Cook the Tomato Paste. When you add the garlic and tomato paste, you’ll cook for 30 seconds before moving onto the next step. Cooking tomato paste is one of those little hacks that helps take your meals to the next level. Similar to blooming spices, it adds a surprising amount of depth and dimension!
• Deglaze the Pan. Another trick that adds flavor to this beef Bourguignon recipe? Deglazing! When you pour in the wine, the acidity helps loosen the cooked-on bits on the bottom and sides of the pan. Add the wine, let it sit for about 30 seconds, then use a wooden turner (which looks like a wooden spoon, but with a flat edge on the bottom) or spoon to scrape until there’s nothing left sticking to the pan.