Beef Bourguignon, or beef burgundy, is a French stew of red wine-braised beef, carrots, onion, and herbs that’s finished with sauteed mushrooms and pearl onions. This iconic stew is synonymous with comfort food and is especially good on cool evenings.
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Tara’s Favorite Dish and The Benchmark For All Others
Often regarded as the king of all beef stews, beef bourguignon is a comforting French-style stew that combines tender chunks of beef that are braised in red wine with carrots and herbs along with the addition of sauteed pearl onions and mushrooms to finish the dish.
When we released this recipe and beef burgundy video on our YouTube channel it took off! To this day it is one of our most popular and loved dishes. Tara gave it a perfect 10 and judges all my other dishes against this one.
Beef bourguignon is wonderful served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes or a chunk of crusty bread to soak up the red wine and beef sauce.
Thanks to its incredible aroma, it’s tempting to eat right away, but is even better the next day making beef burgundy the perfect dinner party main course (preceded by crocks of French onion soup, of course.)
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Beef. We used a whole chuck roast for our beef bourguignon. You can use other cuts of beef, such as brisket or top, eye, or bottom round. Be sure to dry the beef very well before seasoning, and when searing work in batches to ensure all sides are browned.
- Wine. Beef bourguignon is traditionally made with red burgundy wine. Burgundy is made from pinot noir grapes in the Burgundy region of France. If you’re a stickler for tradition, you can use a burgundy, but you’ll get great results using pinot noir from other regions of the world as well. You can also use cabernet or syrah in its place.
- Beef stock. Homemade beef stock is optimal here, but if you don’t have it, the next best thing is to use low-sodium beef base to make the broth. Boxed broth or stock should be used as a last resort.
- Bacon. Any neutral bacon or pancetta will work well for this dish.
- Mushrooms. Cremini are great but white button or any type of mushroom can be used.
- Pearl onions. If you can find fresh pearl onions, use them! They are infinitely better than the frozen ones which I unfortunately had to use.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Beef Bourguignon
- Trim 3 pounds of beef chuck of its fat and cut into 2-inch cubes. Slice 1/2 pound of thick-cut bacon into 1-inch pieces. Chop 1 large white onion and cut 2 large carrots into 2-inch chunks. Mince 6 cloves of garlic and 3 tablespoons of parsley. Quarter 1 pound of cremini mushrooms (Photo #1).
- Preheat the oven to 350f and set the rack to the middle level leaving enough room to accommodate a large Dutch oven and its lid. Dry the beef very well using paper towels (Photo #2).
- Liberally season the beef with salt and pepper (Photo #3).
- Place 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour into a plate or shallow bowl, then dredge the beef chunks in the flour. Shake or pat the beef well over the plate to remove the excess. Save the remaining flour for use later on in this recipe (Photo #4).
- Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon for 7-10 minutes or until most of the fat has rendered, then remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Leave all of the fat in the pot to sear the beef in the next step (Photo #5).
- Add the beef to the Dutch oven and sear until well browned on each side. Work in batches to ensure all pieces get a good sear. Once seared, remove and place the beef onto a plate and set aside (Photo #6).
- Remove excess fat from the Dutch oven leaving only a quarter cup or so in the pot. If you do not have enough fat left in the pot, add olive oil to make up the difference. Add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes or until they begin to soften (Photo #7).
- Add the carrots and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes longer, or until they have a bit of color. Then add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant (Photo #8).
- Add a 1/4 cup of tomato paste and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently to avoid burning. If the pot is too hot, add a splash of water to bring down the temperature (Photo #9).
- Add the remaining flour that was used to dredge the beef and using a spoon or nylon whisk, stir to incorporate. Cook until the flour is absorbed (Photo #10).
- Slowly add 3 cups of burgundy or other dry wine and 3 cups of low-sodium beef broth (made from beef base) to the pot while continuing to whisk to prevent lumps. Using a flat wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all of the brown bits (Photo #11).
- Add the beef and bacon to the pot along with 6 sprigs of fresh thyme and 2 large bay leaves. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and move to the oven to cook for 2 1/2 – 3 hours, or until the beef is very tender. Check on the beef at the 90-minute mark and if the sauce is too thick and sticking to the bottom of the pot, add a 1/2 cup of water and mix well, before returning the pot back to the oven. Once the beef is tender, remove the pot from the oven and taste test. Season with salt and pepper to taste and discard the thyme stems and bay leaves. Skim any visible fat from the top with a slotted spoon or use a few paper towels laid across the top to absorb some of the fat (Photo #12).
Note: If the sauce is too thin at this point (won’t coat the back of a wooden spoon), using a large colander, drain the contents into another pot so you’re left with just the liquid. Place the pot onto a burner, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook, while stirring, until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon. Add the beef, carrots, and onions back to the pot, remove from the heat, and cover while moving on to the next steps.
Preparing the pearl onions and mushrooms
Note: It is strongly recommended to cool down the tender beef and refrigerate overnight. The next day the flavors will be much more potent.
- Heat a large saucepan to a touch higher than medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with 16 pearl onions. Cook the onions for 4-5 minutes, or until tender, then remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate covered with foil (Photo #1).
- Add the cremini mushrooms to the same pan and cook for 5-8 minutes or until they release their water and start to brown (Photo #2).
- Once they brown, add the butter and cook until the mushrooms are glistening (Photo #3).
- Return the pearl onions to the pan and toss to mix and coat with the butter. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste and add 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves (Photo #4).
- Add the mushrooms and onions to the pot of beef (Photo #5).
- Add the parsley and mix gently. Serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread and enjoy (Photo #6)!
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Looking for more French-style stews? Check out our recipes for chicken fricassee, coq au vin, and ratatouille.
Top tips
- Mushrooms and pearl onions. While you can definitely cook the pearl onions and mushrooms along with the stew, the traditional way to make beef bourguignon is to cook these ingredients separately and add toward the end. We will often save these on the side and top each plate with a few mushrooms and onions to ensure each person gets an even amount.
- Make ahead. As with most soups and stews, beef burgundy is better when made in advance. This allows the flavors to marry and intensify. Make a day in advance, store in the fridge overnight, warm on the stovetop or oven, then prepare the mushroom and pearl onion sautee right before you’re about to eat.
More beef stew recipes
Beef Bourguignon
Beef bourguignon is a classic comforting French stew that combines chunks of beef braised until tender in a red wine broth with carrots, onion, and herbs, and topped with sauteed mushrooms and pearl onions.
Ingredients
For the stew
- 1/2 pound (226g) thick cut bacon cut into 1" pieces
- 3 pounds (1.4kg) beef chuck trimmed of fat and cut into 2" cubes
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 2 large carrots cut into 2" chunks
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup (65g) flour
- 8 sprigs thyme tied together
- 3 cups (720g) Burgundy wine or other dry red wine
- 2 large bay leaves
- 3 cups (720g) low sodium beef broth or stock see notes below
- 1/4 cup (60g) tomato paste
- salt and pepper to taste
For finishing
- 4 tablespoons (56g) butter
- 2 tablespoons (30g) olive oil
- 16 pearl onions
- 1 pound (454g) cremini mushrooms quartered
- 3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350f and set the rack in the middle level, allowing enough room to accommodate a large Dutch oven with a lid.
- Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until most of the fat has rendered (7-10 minutes) then remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Pat the beef cubes very dry then season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the beef cubes with flour then shake off all of the excess, making sure to save the flour for later. Sear the beef until well browned on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Place all of the beef onto another plate and set aside.
- Remove excess bacon and beef fat from the pot, leaving approximately a quarter cup in the pot. Add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes or until they begin to soften then add the carrots and continue to cook until they get a bit of color (about 5-7 minutes more).
- Add the garlic to the pot and cook until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes) then add the tomato paste and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. If it starts to burn just add a couple of ounces of water into the pot to lower the temperature.
- Add all of the remaining flour to the pot and use a nylon whisk or wooden spoon to incorporate. Cook until none of the flour is white (about 2 minutes).
- Slowly add the wine and beef base to the pot while whisking to avoid any lumps. Using a flat wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all of the brown bits. Add the beef, bacon, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot and turn off the heat.
- Cover the pot and place it in the oven to cook for 2 1/2-3 hours or until the beef is very tender. Note: Check on the beef at the 90-minute mark and if the sauce is too thick and sticking to the bottom of the pot, add a 1/2 cup of water and mix well, before returning the pot back to the oven.
For finishing
- Once the beef is tender remove the pot from the oven and taste test. Season with salt and pepper if required. At this time, discard the bay leaves and thyme.
- Skim any visible fat from the top or use a few paper towels laid on top of the sauce to capture some of the fat.
- If the sauce is too thin, drain the contents into another pot, separating the liquid from the other ingredients. Place the pot onto a burner and turn the heat to medium-high. Simply cook until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon then combine the ingredients back together. Make sure to keep the pot covered while moving on to the final step below.
- Heat a large pan to a touch higher than medium heat. Add the olive oil along with the pearl onions. Cook the onions until tender (about 4-5 minutes) then remove with a slotted spoon into a plate that is covered with foil.
- Add the mushrooms to the same pan and cook until they release their water and start to brown (about 5-8 minutes). Once they begin to brown add the butter and cook until they are glistening (about 2-3 minutes). Return the pearl onions back to the pan and toss/mix to coat. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper and the thyme leaves.
- Mix the parsley into the pot. You can mix all the mushrooms and pearl onions into the pot before serving or divide them onto plates so that each person gets a few pearl onions and mushrooms. Serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread. See notes below about serving the next day which is preferred.
Notes
- If possible, it’s best to let the pot cool and then refrigerate overnight. The flavors will be much more concentrated and the taste will be that much better. To reheat the next day, simply simmer on the stovetop at medium to medium-low heat until hot. If the sauce is too thick, just add a bit of water to loosen it up.
- Makes 6 large or 8 moderate-sized servings.
- Homemade beef stock is the best, but beef base is vastly superior to most boxed beef stock. Low sodium-beef base tends to be on the saltier side so be sure to season with salt and pepper to taste before serving and after any liquid reduction has occurred.
- As said above this dish will be better the next day making leftovers is preferred to eating right away. Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 954kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.4g | Protein: 91g | Fat: 42.7g | Saturated Fat: 16.1g | Cholesterol: 265mg | Sodium: 1362mg | Potassium: 1847mg | Fiber: 3.7g | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 47mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi! You said in the video that you can use Top round roast for this recipe. Can you please tell me any tips on using top round for this one? Anything i should keep in mind or do a little differently when using top round? Thanks!
Hi Sal, thanks for the comment. Top round is cut from the rear leg and is more lean than chuck so that may slightly impact cooking time. The top round may need slightly less time and may have a little less flavor.
This recipe was fabulous. I substituted sirloin cubes instead of the roast. Served with mashed potatoes, however I think it would be great over egg noodles as well.
Hi Phyllis, we’re so happy you enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment!
Hi James. Thanks very much for this recipe. I’ve been cooking for years and have eaten Beef Bourguignon many times, but I’ve never gotten around to making this truly classic dish. Your step-by-step instructions are fantastic, and I’ve had your YouTube video running as a commentary as I’ve been cooking. I discovered you on TikTok, followed you on IG (I’m @ducatistagram), and then found you here and on YouTube. A multifaceted way to “get to know” you and your family of tasters and supporters. Do you (or they?) do the filming and editing? Or do you have a crew? Just curious, as it must be a lot of effort given all the fantastic content you create to accompany each recipe. Chapeau! I’m a New Yorker located in Vienna, Austria and used a 1995 Blaufränkisch (from Burgenland Austria) to give the dish a more “local” character. I guess that makes it “Beef Burgenland”. 😉 Like Pinot Noir, Blaufränkisch is a versatile and elegant wine, but it has a more robust profile given its slightly higher tannin and acidity levels. It resulted in a more structured wine base and probably sacrificed a bit of the delicate, nuanced wine flavour of the Pinot Noir. It’s in the oven now. We’ll see. Merci!!!
Hi George, thanks for the comment and we’re so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for watching! To answer your question, no, we don’t have a crew. It’s just Jim and I and more recently we have 1 editor who helps with the editing of our YouTube videos. We appreciate you following along with us!
Hi Tara. Thanks for the reply. I’ve now made this recipe twice, and it gets better each time. A few tweaks each time. It’s great! If you and Jim have a sec, I have a question: We’re travelling to a friend’s home for a special dinner, and I would like to prepare the main course the day before and bring it with me to finish when we arrive there the next day. Obviously Beef Bourguignon would be a good choice, but I’m not ready for 3 times in 3 months. Roast goose? Something else? I’d really appreciate your suggestions. Merry Christmas, George
Hi George, similar in taste to the beef bourguignon is coq au vin. That’s a great one to make a day in advance as it will taste better the next day. Brasato al Barolo would be another good option as it’s easier to slice the next day and will also taste better. Hope you enjoy!
The only Pearl Onions we can get in supermarkets in the UK are pickled ones.
What alternative can be used or are the pickled ones ok if I give them a wash?
Thanks.
Hi Ryan, thanks for the comment. You can give it a try with the pickled ones if you rinse them and dry them. Otherwise, you can omit them and just use the mushrooms – it will still be great.
Looks lovely and can’t wait to try it……..
Is it normal or smoked bacon?
Smoked sounds nice for extra flavour or would it not compliment the dish?
Hi Ryan, you can use any bacon you’d like although the smoked bacon often has very strong flavor and may change the taste of the dish.
I have bad luck with floured meat burning as I brown it, I can experiment through that but I’m wondering if I could skip that step and just make a roux, would that take away any texture or flavor?
Hi Jeff, You can lower your heat a bit and still get nice color and avoid burning, but if you’re worried you will be fine if you don’t brown the meat. It will take away a bit of flavor, but it will be hard to tell any difference in the finished dish.
Ignore my last comment. When I printed the recipe I got the option for 2 servings. Now I have to figure out how much is .08 cups of tomato paste!
Thanks
Larry
Nice recipe – can I suggest you scale them down for “dinner for 2” then use the 1x, 2x, 3x etc for larger portions.
Thanks and we enjoy the channel.
Larry
Hi Larry, glad you enjoyed the recipe. I saw you were able to scale down in the recipe card from your subsequent comment but that’s an automated system handling the scaling up and down which isn’t perfect. The recipes we write for our website and channel are almost always for 4 servings or more since that’s what we’re preparing for our family.
Came across this recipe as I’ve seen others of yours on YouTube that looked excellent. I made this exactly as shown and thought it came out fantastic! We had it over mashed potatoes and wished I had some crusty bread on hand to soak up that delicious sauce. I agree that the next day may be even better! As we were eating the whole recipe thickened up in the pot so next time I’ll let it sit longer for it to reduce before serving. Overall an absolute winner and can’t wait to make this again. Thanks and will be revisiting your channel for other great recipes to make.
Hi Brian, thanks so much for the comment and happy to hear you enjoyed it!
James, made this dish last night. Great recipe. My two roommates and I finished it in one sitting.
Hi Hunter, thanks for the great comment! So happy you and your roomates enjoyed it!
Oh my, that was good. Cooked it the day before, served it to my neighbors yesterday. Will be gorging on leftovers tonight. You really deliver the best recipes.
Great to hear, Christina!
I’ve just done it, and it is marvelous!
In my humble opinion better than Chef J.P.’s recipe.
The slightly “burnt” taste coming from the brown bits is amazing.
My very best regards from Nymphenburg, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
Hi Tan, thank you for the wonderful comment, and so happy you enjoyed it!
Made this yesterday to eat today. It was awesome, the only think I did wrong was cooked a bit too long to get the beef tender and the carrots got a bit too soft (but still delicious). The gravy is amazing. Rich and delicious!
Hi Greg, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe and really appreciate your comment!
I am actually making this recipe right now and also watching your podcast about the Food Network! I made the grave mistake of not having my mis-en-place all set before starting, lol. I usually have everything set, measured and poured before beginning, but for some reason I decided to fly by the seat of my pants and absolutely regretted it. Something about hot bacon fat waiting for me to put the next thing in, made me rush around like stupid. I’m about at the 90 minute mark and will definitely check to see if the sauce is too thick. From the aromas in my kitchen right now, I think we have another winner. Thanks Jim and Tara!
Just want to say how much I love your YT videos – I have made countless recipes that you have posted and they ALL have come out so well. Your videos are the first that I started following and cooking from, and they remain my go-to when I get the cooking itch.
Thanks,
Kelly
Danbury, CT
Hi Kelly, thanks for the comment and hope you enjoyed the beef bourguignon! Thanks for watching the videos. It’s great to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipes!
This looks so good, I was wondering though, my husband is jewish and will not eat pork bacon, it there something else I can use?
Hi Jacque, you can either use a bit of olive oil to replace the pork fat, or if you have beef fat you can use that as well. Hope you both enjoy!
Tara- I forgot to say thank you for having the ‘serving size counter’ on the print page. I was able to decrease this recipe for 4 servings.
I can’t wait to make this. I have all the ingredients except the burgundy & the bacon. They will go on my next shopping list.
Jim & Tara- I love all your recipes because I can perfectly adapt them to my very restrictive diet. Until I found your YouTube channel I was perplexed as to how to make wonderful food at home because I truly hate cooking yet I’m a devout foodie. Your presentations & recipes are so easy to follow I can’t express how much joy it brings me when I complete your dishes & they taste phenomenal.
Unfortunately, I can’t support you on Patreon but I have spread the word about your YouTube channel to many people so hopefully, they can support you. Please continue bringing all of us your content. It is greatly appreciated. Send my best regards to your son, James.
Hi Dee Dee, thanks again for another great comment, we appreciate your kind words! Thanks for spreading the word about the channel, we appreciate the support!
Hi Jim and Tara.. just watched the video and recipe looks great but I don’t care for chuck roast. What other tender cut of beef can I use besides brisket?
Thanks! Love your videos and recipes..been a subscriber for couple years now!
Hi Suzanne, thanks for the comment and we’re so happy you’re enjoying the recipes and videos! Brisket really is the best alternative to chuck roast, but if you can’t use it you can use bottom or top round. They will be drier and perhaps not as good if you were to use chuck or brisket, but you’ll still get good results.
Looking forward to trying this recipe. I use Better Than Bouillon (like Jim does), so I’m interested in hearing how much BTB he adds per cup. I know directions suggest 1 tsp per cup of water. I tend to use a bit more, since I find it provides a beefier flavour. Just curious, since I want to replicate this recipe as closely as I can.
Hi Janice, Jim uses low sodium beef base and follows the instructions on the label (1 tsp per 8 oz of water). Thanks for the comment, and hope this helps.
Hi Jim and Tara!
Another excellent recipe. I have it out of the oven to cool and it tastes amazing. We are going to eat it tomorrow, and I can’t imagine being any better than it tastes right now! Do you plan to make a video? We love to watch the family involvement at the end of the videos.
Hi John, we’re so happy you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for the comment! We actually just filmed the video for this one and it should be up in a few weeks.