Beef Bourguignon Recipe

This beef bourguignon recipe is a classic French dish worthy of mastering! You’ll love the tender beef and vegetables stewed for two hours in the oven to create a rich and savory sauce. It’s the perfect dish for holiday entertaining because the whole thing can be made up to two days ahead—in fact, it’s even better when made ahead! This gives the flavors a chance to marry, and the reheating makes the beef even more tender and delicious.

Pair this dish with my Gratin Dauphinois for a classic French side dish that can also be made ahead of time and reheated when it’s time to serve. 

What’s the Difference Between Beef Stew and Beef Bourguignon?

Beef Bourguignon is a sophisticated beef stew that takes its name from the Burgundy region of France (or Bourgogne, as it’s known in France), where it originated. Burgundy is a main wine-producing region in France, and traditionally, a whole bottle of red Burgundy wine is used in this recipe, whereas beef stew typically doesn’t include wine. The other difference can be seen in the ingredients used. Traditional beef stews often include potatoes and carrots, whereas beef bourguignon is famous for including bacon, mushrooms, and caramelized pearl onions. Beef Bourguignon has always been popular in France, but was popularized in the U.S. thanks to Julia Child. This recipe is very close to Julia’s, with a few adjustments made on my part to heighten some of the flavors.

What’s the Secret to a Great Beef Bourguignon?

Is simple. It’s time. Stew meat is tough; it gets more tender the longer you cook it. It should take a minimum of 2 hours in a covered Dutch oven placed in the oven at 325°F. The way to know that it is done is by taking out a piece of meat and testing for its tenderness. It should easily cut with a fork, practically fall apart. That’s when you know it’s done! For an even better-tasting beef bourguignon, with even more tender meat, make it 1-2 days ahead. Allow it to cool, then reheat it and serve. This “make-ahead” component is what makes beef bourguignon such an excellent recipe for holiday entertaining.

Ingredients:

• Stew Meat: The best cuts of beef for beef bourguignon are those that become tender after several hours of slow cooking. In France I use paleron, or Beef Chuck as it’s known in the States. But you could also use Brisket or Short Rib. Trader Joe’s sells beef already cut into cubes in their meat case which is labled “Beef Stew Meat” which is also quite good too! 
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper: This recipe has many stages and components. To get the best flavor, season to taste at each stage. 
• All-Purpose Flour: This is used to dredge the beef before searing. This creates a protective coating around the meat that becomes a crust after searing. It helps to protect the beef and keep it tender while also helping to thicken the stew. 
• Olive oil: For sauting various components of the recipe. 
• Applewood Smoked Bacon: The bacon adds a wonderful smoky flavor to this dish. The fat rendered after cooking the bacon is then used to saute the vegetables, adding even more flavor.
• Yellow Onions: This dish uses two types of onions: diced yellow onions to provide a base of flavor and frozen pearl onions for a lighter flavor.
• Carrots: I like to keep them on the larger side to create a prettier presentation of the finished dish. I also slice the ends diagonally, which adds to the presentation. 
• Red Wine: Pinot Noir, Côte de Rhone, or a Bordeaux are the best choices for beef bourguignon. The wine adds tremendous flavor to the sauce so it should be a good quality wine you would actually drink!
• Beef Stock: Use beef stock over beef broth since the stock will provide more flavor. 
• Tomato Paste: I add a small amount of tomato paste to balance the flavor of the wine. 
• Garlic: At least two large cloves.
• Dried Thyme: Adds a deep thyme flavor.
• Fresh Thyme: Adds a bit of freshness to this hearty stew. 
• Bay Leaf: You can use either fresh or dried. It will be added to the stew and simmered for 2 hours while it cooks in the oven. You can remove it before serving. 
• Butter: Once the stew is done, a pat of butter is added to create a velvety smooth finish to the sauce. 
• White Button Mushrooms: These will be quartered, or halved if they are small, and sauteed in butter until nicely browned before adding them to the stew to simmer. 
• Frozen Pearl Onions: These are small onions with a delicate flavor. They are found in the frozen food aisle. They’ll be sauteed in a pan with olive oil to become lightly caramelized before adding them to the stew.
• Cornstarch + Cold Water: This will create a slurry that will thicken the stew once it has simmered for 2 hours.
• Fresh Italian Parsley: For a pretty garnish and fresh finish. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

• It’s easy to double the recipe and make two batches to feed a crowd.
• It’s an elegant recipe for Christmas or Christmas Eve.
• It can be reheated in the oven, freeing you to mingle with your guests!
• It makes for fantastic leftovers the next day, or it can be frozen up to one month. 

Step #1: Sauté the Bacon 

• You’ll saute the bacon in a non-stick skillet until it gets crispy.
• I prefer to begin this recipe in a skillet to get the bacon crispy and a great sear on the beef. Then, transfer it to a large Dutch oven to simmer in the oven later.
• In years past, I’ve started in the Dutch Oven, but I have found that the enamel finish on these pots can sometimes prevent the bacon from getting crispy and the beef from getting a nice crust.
• Don’t worry—you won’t lose the flavor the bacon and beef provide in these initial steps since we’ll deglaze the pan later with a little bit of the wine and transfer it to the Dutch oven to simmer.

Step#2: Sauté the Onions and Carrots

• Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Don’t wash out the skillet. Use the remaining bacon fat to saute the onions and the carrots.
• I start the onions early, and once they are fragrant and translucent, I add the carrots.
• You don’t need to cook them through at this stage; caramelize them to deepen their flavor.
• They will continue to cook through and become tender while simmering in the oven.

Step#3:Dredging the Beef

• Pat the beef dry with a paper towel.
• Season the beef well with salt and pepper to taste.
• Then dredge the beef in flour. Once seared in the skillet, the flour will allow the meat to form a crust. The crust will protect the beef while searing, keeping it tender.
• It’s best to dredge the beef in flour a few pieces at a time to prevent the flour from absorbing into the meat. So only dredge the beef you are about to sear, leaving room in your skillet to sear the meat on all sides without crowding.

Step#4: Searing the Beef

• In a large non-stick 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat.
• Once hot and shimmering, drop in a few pieces of the beef, allowing it to sear on all sides until golden brown and forming a crust.
• Don’t worry about cooking it through at this stage; it will cook through in the oven.
• Transfering the seared beef to a plate, and continue to sear the meat in stages. 

Step#5: Deglazing the Pan

• Once all the beef has been seared, deglaze the skillet with 1 cup of the wine.
• Scrape up any brown bits in the bottom with a wooden spoon; this will enhance the sauce’s flavor.
• Simmer the wine for about a minute or two to allow it to combine with the drippings in the pan.

Step#6: Transfer to a Dutch Oven

• You’ll need a 5-quart Dutch oven to hold the quantity of this recipe.
• Ideally, a Dutch oven with an oven-safe top that can go in the oven (no plastic handles)
• One of the benefits of Le Creuset Dutch Ovens is that you can choose the handle material, and you can buy one with a metal handle.
• If your handle is plastic or you are unsure, sometimes these handles can be easily removed with a screwdriver and put in the oven without their handle. I have done this before, and it just necessitates removing the top of your pot with oven mitts to check on your stew! 
• You’ll add the beef, the onions and carrots, tomato paste, herbs, and garlic, along with the deglazed wine, the remaining wine, and beef stock, to your pot. Give it a good stir, and then cover it and place it in the oven. I prefer to cook beef bourguignon in the oven instead of the stove because not only is it “passive cooking,” but you don’t have to “babysit” the stew as much, and I find the extra heat circulating in the oven helps the meat tenderize better. 
• Let it cook for 1 1/2 hours in the oven before adding the pearl onions and mushrooms. You can check on it every 20 minutes or so to stir it.

Step#7: Sautéing the Pearl Onions and Mushrooms

• What makes this stew so flavorful is that every component is seared or sauteed to create flavor and then added to the pot to mingle with the other components, deepening their flavor.
• Sautéing the mushrooms and onions separately may seem like one more pesky step in an already lengthy process, but trust me, it’s worth it for the flavor it provides!
• In the non-stick skillet, you’ll add butter to saute the mushrooms until they are browned and oil to caramelize the onions. This is why it’s best to saute them separately because the mushrooms brown better with butter and become more flavorful, and the pearl onions do better with olive oil to caramelize.
• Once your stew has been simmering for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes, you can add the mushrooms and the pearl onions, stir them into the pot, cover, and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Why is My Beef Bourguignon Tough?

If your beef bourguignon is tough, it means it isn’t done yet! Tough meat becomes more tender the longer it simmers in liquid, in a covered Dutch oven placed in the oven. In fact, the best way to know when your stew is done is to give it “the fork test”. Simply remove a cube of beef from the stew, put it on a cutting board, and you should be able to cut it in half easily with a fork. If it doesn’t have that tender texture yet, or feels tough or rubbery, put it back in the oven! Continue to cook it at 30-minute intervals until it can pass “the fork test”. 

Step#8: The Finishing Touches

• Once your beef is tender, remove the Dutch oven from the oven. This is where you’ll want to thicken the sauce.
• Create the cornstarch slurry. Be sure to use very cold water, or the slurry will not activate, and your stew will not thicken.
• Bring your stew to a boil. Slowly pour in the slurry, whisking constantly, until the stew has thickened nicely.
• Then whisk in the butter for a velvety finish.
• At this stage, you can either serve it immediately or allow it to cool, then put the lid back on your Dutch oven and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
• This assumes you are using a Dutch oven with an enamel interior. I wouldn’t do this with a metal pot. Instead, transfer it to a separate container before refrigerating.
• To reheat, return it to the oven at 350°F, covered, until hot. This should take about 20-30 minutes. 
• Ladle out into some shallow bowls and top with freshly chopped Italian parsley.