Beef Bourguignon

Name: Beef Bourguignon
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes; 1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine, such as Burgundy, Pinot Noir, or Côtes du Rhône; 2 cups beef stock; 6 oz thick-cut bacon, cut into lardons (1/4-inch strips); 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped; 2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 4 sprigs fresh parsley, tied together); 1 lb pearl onions, fresh or frozen (thawed if frozen); 1 lb cremini or button mushrooms, quartered; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon sugar; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

To make beef bourguignon, brown bacon and beef chuck in a Dutch oven, cook the onion, carrots, garlic, and tomato paste, then braise everything with red wine, beef stock, herbs, and mushrooms in a 325°F oven until the beef is deeply tender. The dish takes time, but most of that time is the oven doing quiet French labor while you try not to open the lid every ten minutes.

Jump to Recipe

Beef bourguignon is not a Tuesday-at-5:30 emergency dinner, and pretending otherwise is how three pounds of beef chuck end up being rushed into mediocrity. The flavor starts before the wine ever appears: bacon renders in the Dutch oven, the beef gets dried and browned in small batches, and onion, carrot, garlic, tomato paste, and flour cook in the same pot so every browned bit becomes part of the braising liquid. Then an entire bottle of dry red wine, beef stock, herbs, bacon, and beef settle in for a 325°F oven braise.

After 2 1/2 to 3 hours, the chuck should yield to a fork without a negotiation. Pearl onions are glazed separately and mushrooms are browned in batches so they keep their texture instead of spending three hours surrendering in the pot. Fold them in at the end, reduce the sauce if it needs more body, and serve the whole thing over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or bread. It takes time, yes, but most of that time is the oven doing extremely competent work while your house starts smelling like you have your life together.

Prep45 minutes

Cook3 hours

Total3 hours 45 minutes

Serves6 servings

DifficultyHard

Ingredients

Servings

3 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine, such as Burgundy, Pinot Noir, or Côtes du Rhône
2 cups beef stock
6 oz thick-cut bacon, cut into lardons (1/4-inch strips)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 4 sprigs fresh parsley, tied together)
1 lb pearl onions, fresh or frozen (thawed if frozen)
1 lb cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Instructions

1Pat the beef completely dry with paper towels — this is not optional and I say that with experience — then season generously on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside.
2Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
3In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon lardons until they render their fat and turn crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
4Increase heat to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the bacon fat. Working in batches of no more than 4-5 pieces at a time (crowding the pan is how you get steamed beef and regret), sear the beef cubes until deeply browned on at least two sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove each batch to a plate and repeat with remaining beef, adding olive oil as needed between batches.
5Reduce heat to medium. Add the chopped onion and carrot to the same pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and picks up some color, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 1 minute.
6Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, letting it darken slightly. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat everything evenly. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
7Pour in the entire bottle of wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot — those are flavor and you want all of them. Add the beef stock, cooked bacon, and browned beef along with any resting juices. Nestle in the bouquet garni. The liquid should come about three-quarters of the way up the beef; add a splash more stock if needed.
8Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover with the lid and transfer to the oven. Braise at 325°F for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the beef is completely fork-tender and yields without resistance. Check at the 2-hour mark — every oven is slightly dishonest about its own temperature.
9About 30 minutes before the beef is done, prepare the garnish. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. If using fresh pearl onions, blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute, then slip off their skins. Add the pearl onions to the skillet, sprinkle with the sugar and a pinch of salt, and cook until golden and glazed, about 10-12 minutes. Remove and set aside.
10In the same skillet, increase heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms in a single layer (work in batches) and cook without stirring for 3-4 minutes until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
11When the beef is tender, remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Discard the bouquet garni. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Skim any excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid.
12If the sauce looks thin, simmer it on the stovetop over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
13Return the beef to the pot. Gently fold in the glazed pearl onions and sautéed mushrooms. Simmer everything together for 5 minutes to marry the flavors.
14Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley, over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 6 servings.

1010Calories

59 gProtein

23 gCarbohydrates

66 gTotal Fat

25 gSaturated Fat

3 gFiber

8 gTotal Sugars

930 mgSodium

210 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Dry the beef. Seriously. Wet beef steams instead of sears, and you will get a brown exterior by about 2035 if you're patient enough, which most of us are not. Paper towels, all sides, don't rush this.
Use a wine you'd actually drink. It doesn't have to be expensive, but if you wouldn't put it in a glass, it shouldn't go in the pot. The sauce reduces significantly and concentrates everything — including whatever the wine tasted like before you started.
The day-after rule is real. Beef bourguignon tastes noticeably better reheated the next day once the flavors have had time to settle in and get comfortable with each other, which is more than I can say for most houseguests.

Substitutions

beef chuck → beef short ribs (bone-in) Adds even more richness; increase braising time to 3.5 hours and remove bones before serving

red wine (full bottle) → 2 cups beef stock + 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar For an alcohol-free version; adds some acidity but the depth will be different — still good, just not the same

thick-cut bacon → pancetta Milder and less smoky; works well and is closer to the traditional French version

pearl onions → frozen pearl onions, thawed Completely acceptable shortcut; skip the blanching and peeling step entirely

all-purpose flour (for thickening) → 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water Stir into the simmering sauce at the end for a gluten-free thickener; don't add it dry

Storage Instructions

Cool completely before storing. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze in portions for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of beef stock if the sauce has thickened too much overnight.

Make Ahead

Beef bourguignon is an ideal make-ahead dish. Cook it completely, let it cool, then refrigerate overnight. The flavor improves significantly after 12-24 hours. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in a 325°F oven, covered, for about 20-25 minutes until heated through. Add the mushrooms and pearl onions during the final 10 minutes if you stored them separately.

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