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.
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.
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.)
Looking for more French-style stews? Check out our recipes for chicken fricassee, coq au vin, and ratatouille.
How to make Beef Bourguignon
First, brown the beef and braise
- 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.
Next, prepare 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)!
Note: Instead of adding the pearl onions and mushrooms to the pot, you can serve the beef bourguignon, then add them as a topping to ensure every serving has an equal amount of onion and mushroom.
Top tips
- 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.
- 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
- Peposo – 5 ingredient Tuscan-style black pepper stew.
- Spezzatino di manzo – Italian beef stew with carrots, mushrooms, celery, and red wine.
- Guinness beef stew – Irish-style stew with beef, carrots, and potatoes simmered in a Guinness beef broth.
- Classic pot roast – with carrots, potatoes, and chuck roast braised in the oven.
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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 thick cut bacon cut into 1" pieces
- 3 pounds 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 flour
- 8 sprigs thyme tied together
- 3 cups burgundy or other dry red wine
- 2 large bay leaves
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth or stock see notes below
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- salt and pepper to taste
For finishing
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 16 pearl onions
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms quartered
- 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
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 to 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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Wrote a comment but didn’t go through. I/ we loved it! I used a chuck roast – trimmed and cubed, salted and peppered but didn’t flour. Seared in bacon fat, then removed and added veggies. Added garlic and a splash of cognac, then completely followed recipe. 2 cups Chianti and about 1 cup beef stock, 3 hours in oven at 300. Cooked mushrooms in garlic butter separate and guests added as a side. Served with sliced crusty buttered bread and went to heaven. The beef melted in my mouth. Wow! Thanks Tara and Jim for such a delicious dinner. I love your recipes. Going to make your French onion soup this week with green salad. Thank you!
Brian from Texas here, again! Let me join the chorus of raves about this one! We tried it last night and it was just fantastic. I used a Choice cut of chuck, which still came out very tender but also significantly reduced both the cost and the amount of fat I needed to skim off. I also added a dollop of Better than Bouillon with the wine/low-sodium broth, just for some extra umami.
Y’all are batting three for three in our household with many more recipes to explore. Thanks!
Hi Brian, great to hear how much you liked this one! Thanks for the comment!
Amazing recipe. We used Fresh pearl onions. We blanched them to make sure they were tender like the frozen onions.
This was amazing, thank you for the recipe. I prepped some the night before so less work day of. I threw in some new potatoes but I wish I had some crusty bread to soak up the gravy. I’m trying to watch the carbs but next time…I’m getting bread!
Hi Carol, thanks for the comment and we are so happy you enjoyed!
Love this recipe. Making it for a second time. Great success with some of your other recipes also. (I love your son’s scoring at the end of your videos. I now check that first before picking a new recipe. Almost malpractice not to do that first.). I do like to add mushrooms and pearl onions pre oven and not later. Makes entertaining easier if I can make everything (except the potatoes) the day before. I also love your pictures in the instructions. Easier than watching and pausing a video when cooking for still learning cooks like myself.
I made this today for the first time, but not the last. I was going to refrigerate it over night and have it tomorrow but my wife said it smelled so good we had it tonight instead of going out and it was terrific!! We’ll have the leftovers tomorrow.
Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Mike
Made this last week and it was delicious. The depth of flavor was amazing. We enjoy your podcasts and keep the recipes coming. Thank you . . .
Amazingly Delicious and so worth the effort!!!
I did exactly as recommended by making it the day prior to serving. It was delicious, tender, and rich with flavor. It paired well with mashed potatoes. My go to stew has always been your Italian Beef Stew served with polenta but I have to say that this Beef Bourguignon is also Top Shelf. It comes down to Italian verses French in my house. We are both. Thank you so very much!
Hi Marian, we’re so happy you enjoyed this recipe and appreciate your comment!
I made this recipe yesterday, and will serve for today’s meal. I’m very pleased with the result, it’s actually delicious! The best part – it’s oven baked and easy to serve in my coated cast iron pot – everyone is able to help themselves at the table. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I’ve always wanted to make this, and now I have and it was a success! I can’t help but wonder if my efforts would meet Julia’s approval….:)
I’m just finishing the mushrooms and onions, taste tested deliciousness in the pot! Can’t wait till dinner tonight!
Made this for New Years Eve dinner. It was not nearly as intimidating as I used to think it would be. It turned out perfectly and it tasted amazing. I watched the video on YouTube and it made the process much more manageable.
Hi Brad, we’re so happy you enjoyed and thanks for the comment!
Made this for my buddies tonight for our New Year’s Eve party with your roasted garlic mashed potatoes. It was awesome, thanks for the recipe!
Hi Rex, we’re so happy you all enjoyed!
I’m going to make this! Looks exquisite.
Thank you and Merry Christmas.
Hi Angela, we hope you love it!
What are the major differences between this recipe, Italian beef stew recipe and regular beef stew recipe… All are pretty similar. Is it mainly the choice of wine and herbs used? Thanks
Hi Debbie, all stews are similar. Beef Bourguignon starts with bacon as the fat and is finished with sauteed pearl onions and mushrooms in butter. It’s traditionally made with burgundy wine and includes fresh thyme. The Italian beef stew starts with a soffrito, includes an Italian wine, and includes fresh rosemary and bay leaf.
Awesome dish! Family really enjoyed this on a cold fall evening. Made it the day before and served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
Thank you!
Hi Dawn, we’re so happy you enjoyed and thanks for the comment!
Can this dish be made without bacon?
Yes, you can just use olive oil to replace the fat from the bacon, or use beef fat/lard.
Made this and it’s definitely a rich and flavorful dish. That said, it’s a fair amount of work, especially when trying to prepare and time some sides. Recommend making the day before as mentioned in the recipe if for no other reason than to divide up the work. A good special occasion dish.
As seen in the video, I also ran out of bacon fat and had to add some oil.
Hi Joe, we’re happy you enjoyed this one. Yes, there is a bit more work and make ahead definitely helps!
I’ve never had this in a restaurant. Is the sauce supposed to be very wine forward? I was finishing processing a deer this afternoon and made this with some cubed venison and everything seemed to go swimmingly but I used a Pinot Noir that was pretty bold and the sauce reduction is so wine dominated I don’t really like it. I feel pretty bad about this because the whole thing smelled excellent and I think I would love it if I used less wine.
Hi Daniel, after the braising process the wine flavor should mellow quite a bit, however, if its still too much of a wine flavor for you, you can replace some of the wine with stock.
I can’t wait to make this recipe for Christmas Eve dinner! In the freezer, I have homemade stock made from beef bones that is very gelatenous. Will that work or would it be better to use a thinner stock?
Hi Linda, thanks for the comment. Your homemade stock would be great here!
I made this for Christmas Eve as planned and it was met with rave reviews!! I have made other versions of this dish before, but none come close to this recipe. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much!
Hi Linda, we’re so happy you enjoyed!
Not tried the recipe yet but just randomly noticed you YouTube Channel and had a look. I will DEFINITELY make this, looks great and my wife loves her beef in this fashion (slow cooked – pull apart). Thanks for posting
Hi Alex, thanks for the comment! We hope you and your wife love this one!