Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon, or beef burgundy, is one of the world’s classic dishes. Made famous by Julia Child, this French stew features tender beef simmered for hours in a rich wine gravy. Serve it with mashed potatoes for an unforgettable meal.

French cuisine is often though of as very fancy. But in reality, some of their best dishes are rustic stews. Coq au Vin and Garbure are two great examples.

Beef Bourguignon

Julia Child may be the most famous chef of the modern era, and her most famous dish is Beef Bourguignon, or Boeuf Bourguignon.

It is a French beef stew, where red wine, specifically a Burgundian variety, makes up most of the braising liquid.

This is my take on Julia’s signature stew.

Ingredient Notes

You can find exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the end of this post. Here are the things you will need:

• Bacon – Find the thickest cut bacon you can find, or better yet, get an uncut slab if you can. Julia Child calls for ¼ inch think sticks. Alternately, you can use pork belly.
• Beef – Chuck roast is the classic choice. Look for a piece with plenty of marbling, and cut it into 2 inch cubes. Other options are short ribs or oxtails.
• Salt and pepper – Season the beef generously before searing. This is a big pot of stew, so good seasoning right from the beginning makes a difference.
• Carrots – I cut them into fairly substantial chunks so they hold their shape during the long cooking time. Ideally, look for larger carrots.
• Onion – A regular yellow onion is perfect here. It cooks down into the sauce and forms part of the savory base of the stew.
• Garlic – I use plenty of freshly minced garlic. Six cloves may sound like a lot, but this is a large batch and the flavor mellows considerably during the long braise.
• Tomato paste – Adds richness, color and another layer of savory flavor. I cook it for several minutes until it darkens before adding the liquid. That little extra step makes a noticeable difference.
• All-purpose flour – I use flour twice in this recipe. Most of it coats the beef and helps give the sauce some body as the stew cooks. The remaining tablespoon gets mixed with butter to make a beurre manié, which finishes and thickens the sauce at the end.
• Red wine – This is Beef Bourguignon, so the wine really matters. Pinot Noir is a classic choice, especially a Burgundy, but Côtes du Rhône, Merlot or another dry, medium-bodied red will also work well. Avoid sweet wines.
• Beef broth – Along with the wine, this makes up the braising liquid.
• Bay leaves – A couple of bay leaves quietly add depth as the stew spends those hours in the oven. Just remember to fish them out before serving.
• Fresh thyme – Thyme is one of those herbs that feels right at home in a long-simmered beef stew. I prefer fresh here, but you can substitute about 1 teaspoon dried thyme if that’s what you have.
• Olive oil – I use this for browning the pearl onions and mushrooms toward the end of cooking.
• Pearl onions – One of the classic additions to Beef Bourguignon. I use frozen pearl onions because they save me from the tedious job of peeling a pile of tiny onions. There is no need to thaw them first.
• Button mushrooms – Mushrooms soak up all those rich flavors beautifully. I quarter them rather than slicing so they remain substantial in the finished stew. Cremini mushrooms are an excellent substitute and have an even deeper, earthier flavor.
• Butter – I use butter when finishing the mushrooms and pearl onions, then again to make the beurre manié. Make sure the butter for the beurre manié is softened so you can easily mash it together with the flour into a smooth paste.

How to Make Beef Burgundy

1. Start the oven: Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Fry bacon: First, fry your bacon in the pot you will be making the stew. I use a 7 quart dutch oven, but any similarly sized oven-safe soup pot with a lid will work. When the bacon is done, remove it to a plate.

3. Sear beef: Pat the beef dry with a paper towel, and season generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear the beef in the grease left behind by the bacon. Sear on all sides, aiming to get a bit of caramelization on the beef. Remove the beef to a plate, and skim off all but about 2 tablespoons of the remaining grease.

4. Sauté veggies: Add the onion and carrots. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion starts to become translucent.

5. Add flavor enhancers: Stir in minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Then add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens to a deeper red.

6. Return the beef: Add the beef back into the pot. Sprinkle ¼ cup flour into the beef chunks. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes.

7. Deglaze with wine: Gradually pour in the wine, stirring to thoroughly deglaze the pot. Make sure to really scrape along the bottom of the pot to mix in all those tasty bits. Bring to a low simmer and allow the wine to reduce for about 5 minutes.

8. Finish the braising liquid: Add in the beef broth, bay leaves, thyme and cooked bacon. Stir well.

9. Slow cook: Cover the pot with a lid and place it in the preheated oven. Cook for 2.5 hours.

10. Prepare pearl onions and mushrooms: Towards the end of the cooking time (when there are about 15-20 minutes left), heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the pearl onions and cook for a few minutes until they are lightly browned. Remove to a plate.

Add the mushrooms to the same skillet and sear until they are browned up. Melt in 2 tablespoons of butter and return the pearl onions to the skillet. Mix well.

11. Prepare beurre manié: In a small bowl, mash the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour together (this mixture is called beurre manié).

12. Fine tune the stew: At the end of the cooking time, remove the stew from the oven. Skim most of the grease of of the top before stirring. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Add the beurre manié and stir until it is fully incorporated. Stir in the pearl onions and mushrooms. Taste and adjust for salt.

13. Finish cooking: Return the stew to the oven, uncovered this time, for 45 additional minutes.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Keep the beef chunks fairly large. I aim for about 2 inch cubes. Very small pieces can start falling apart during the long cooking time.
• Dry the beef before searing. Pat the chunks dry with paper towels before seasoning them. Excess moisture causes the beef to steam rather than develop that beautiful brown crust.
• Don’t crowd the pot. Sear the beef in batches with a little space between the pieces. Yes, it takes longer, but that deep caramelization is one of the biggest flavor builders in the entire dish.
• Don’t waste those browned bits. After searing the beef and cooking the vegetables, there will be plenty of goodness stuck to the bottom of the pot. When you add the wine, scrape it all up and work it into the sauce.
• Cook the tomato paste until it darkens. Give it the full 3 to 4 minutes rather than simply stirring it in. It becomes deeper and richer in flavor and loses that raw tomato paste taste.
• Keep the braise gentle. The low oven temperature slowly breaks down the chuck without aggressively boiling the meat. Don’t try to rush this one.
• Don’t skip the beurre manié. Mashing softened butter and flour together before stirring it into the finished stew gives the sauce that final bit of body and a beautiful silky consistency without leaving flour lumps.
• Skim the excess fat before finishing the sauce. Between the bacon and beef chuck, quite a bit of fat can rise to the surface during cooking. Removing most of it keeps the finished sauce rich without becoming greasy.
• Make it a day ahead if you can. Beef Bourguignon is fantastic freshly made, but I think it is even better the next day. After an overnight rest in the refrigerator, the flavors have more time to come together. It also makes it very easy to remove any excess hardened fat from the surface before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

The most classic pairing for beef burgundy is potatoes. Mashed is my top choice, though boiled are also common.

Egg noodles, white rice and crusty bread are all great choices.

For a vegetable side, you can keep with the French theme and make Green Beans Almondine. Or make use of your leftover pearl onions with our Peas and Pearl Onions. A simple green salad will also do.

Leftovers and Storage

Beef Bourguignon is one of those wonderful dishes that tastes even better the next day. Once it has cooled, refrigerate for up to 4 days.

To reheat, warm it gently in a covered pot over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beef is heated through. If the sauce has thickened too much in the refrigerator, add a small splash of beef broth or water to loosen it up. Try not to let it boil aggressively, as that can cause the tender beef to start falling apart.

You can also freeze Beef Bourguignon for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container, leaving a little room at the top for expansion. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently on the stovetop.

More beef stew recipes:
Carbonnade Flamande
Spanish Oxtail Stew
German Goulash
Carne Guisada
Beef Caldereta
Beef Tagine
Chile Colorado
Sancocho

Recipe Video

Beef Bourguignon (Recipe + Video)

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Beef Bourguignon is a classic French stew made famous by Julia Child. Slow-cooked until incredibly tender, it’s a rich and comforting meal worthy of a special occasion.

5.0 Stars (5 Reviews)

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Ingredients

• 6oz bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-1.5 inch chunks
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 3 large carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 750ml red wine
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 16 frozen pearl onions
• 1 pound button mushrooms, quartered
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened and divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. In a large dutch oven or soup pot, fry bacon until it crisps up. Remove to a plate.
3. Dry the beef chunks with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear the beef in the grease left behind by the bacon. Sear on all sides, aiming to get a bit of caramelization on the beef. Remove the beef to a plate, and skim off all but about 2 tablespoons of the remaining grease.
4. Add the onion and carrots. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion starts to become translucent.
5. Stir in minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
6. Add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens to a deeper red.
7. Add the beef back into the pot. Sprinkle ¼ cup flour into the beef chunks. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes.
8. Gradually pour in the wine, stirring to thoroughly deglaze the pot. Bring to a low simmer and allow the wine to reduce for about 5 minutes.
9. Add in the beef broth, bay leaves, thyme and cooked bacon. Stir well.
10. Cover the pot with a lid and place it in the preheated oven. Cook for 2.5 hours.
11. Towards the end of the cooking time, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the pearl onions and cook for a few minutes until they are lightly browned. Remove to a plate. Add the mushrooms to the same skillet and sear until they are browned up. Melt in 2 tablespoons of butter and return the pearl onions to the skillet. Mix well.
12. In a small bowl, mash the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour together (this mixture is called beurre manié).
13. At the end of the cooking time, remove the stew from the oven. Skim most of the grease of of the top before stirring. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
14. Add the beurre manié and stir until it is fully incorporated. Stir in the pearl onions and mushrooms. Taste and adjust for salt.
15. Return the stew to the oven, uncovered this time, for 45 additional minutes.
16. Serve with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, buttered noodles or crusty bread.

Notes

• Beef. Chuck roast is the classic choice. Look for a piece with plenty of marbling, and cut it into 2 inch cubes. Other options are short ribs or oxtails.
• Red wine. This is Beef Bourguignon, so the wine really matters. Pinot Noir is a classic choice, especially a Burgundy, but Côtes du Rhône, Merlot or another dry, medium-bodied red will also work well. Avoid sweet wines.
• Keep the beef chunks fairly large. I aim for about 2 inch cubes. Very small pieces can start falling apart during the long cooking time.
• Dry the beef before searing. Pat the chunks dry with paper towels before seasoning them. Excess moisture causes the beef to steam rather than develop that beautiful brown crust.
• Don’t crowd the pot. Sear the beef in batches with a little space between the pieces. Yes, it takes longer, but that deep caramelization is one of the biggest flavor builders in the entire dish.
• Don’t waste those browned bits. After searing the beef and cooking the vegetables, there will be plenty of goodness stuck to the bottom of the pot. When you add the wine, scrape it all up and work it into the sauce.
• Cook the tomato paste until it darkens. Give it the full 3 to 4 minutes rather than simply stirring it in. It becomes deeper and richer in flavor and loses that raw tomato paste taste.
• Keep the braise gentle. The low oven temperature slowly breaks down the chuck without aggressively boiling the meat. Don’t try to rush this one.
• Make it a day ahead if you can. Beef Bourguignon is fantastic freshly made, but I think it is even better the next day. After an overnight rest in the refrigerator, the flavors have more time to come together. It also makes it very easy to remove any excess hardened fat from the surface before reheating.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 677Total Fat 42gSaturated Fat 17gUnsaturated Fat 25gCholesterol 175mgSodium 883mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 4gSugar 5gProtein 53g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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