Tender beef paired with a rich red wine sauce stewed with bacon, mushrooms, carrots, and onions create this flavorful French-inspired beef bourguignon recipe.
Why this recipe works
Beef Bourguignon is an elevated version of our crockpot beef burgundy recipe, one that might seem a bit scary to conquer but in reality, it’s not as difficult as you might think.
Beef bourguignon (burgundy) is a hearty stew comprised of mainly beef, bacon, and red wine with added vegetables like onions, mushrooms, and carrots. The meat is cooked low and slow for an incredibly tender melt-in-your-mouth meal that’s overflowing with rich flavor. It’s certainly a step up from regular beef stew!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
BEEF – We used beef chuck roast for this recipe, but brisket is another delicious option. The beef is cooked low and slow so tougher cuts of meat will be just fine in this recipe.
WINE & COGNAC – Using the Cognac is optional and that step can be omitted if you are not comfortable burning off the alcohol. You can replace the Cognac with 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce if you like, but it’s not necessary. You can simply omit the Cognac if preferred. I would not recommend skipping the wine in this recipe, it’s one of the main ingredients in beef bourguignon. Use a burgundy wine such as Pinot Noir, it does not have to be expensive. The alcohol content is cooked out in this recipe but leaves the stew with incredible flavor.
How to Make Beef Bourguignon
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 250 F.
- In an oven-proof Dutch oven, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add chopped bacon and cook over medium heat until soft, not crispy.
- While bacon is cooking, season cubed meat with HALF of the garlic salt and HALF of the black pepper.
- Remove cooked bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add seasoned beef to the pan and cook until browned.
- Remove beef and set aside.
- Add onion, garlic, carrots, and remaining garlic salt and pepper to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onions are tender.
- Pour Cognac into the onion mixture. This step involves lighting the Cognac to burn off the alcohol. Use either a long-handled match or a long-handled grill lighter. Standing back, carefully ignite the Cognac. The flame will light quickly, so be prepared! Allow the flame to go out on its own, this can take about 2-3 minutes.
CHEF TIP – if you have a microwave above your stove, watch the flame carefully. It can reach the height of your microwave or anything above the stovetop.
- Once the flame subsides, add the browned beef, bacon, tomato paste, thyme leaves, beef broth, and Pinot Noir. Bring to a gentle boil then turn off heat.
- Cover pan with lid and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Remove 1/4 cup of the pan juices to a glass measuring cup. Add flour to the pan juice and whisk until combined. Add flour mixture back to the pan, stirring to combine.
- Add sliced mushrooms and pearl onions to the pan. Cook uncovered over medium heat to cook the mushrooms and onions and to thicken the broth. Simmer over low heat for another 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store leftover beef bourguignon in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
Yes, you can freeze this dish. I recommend using large freezer bags to freeze beef bourguignon. Fill a gallon-sized ziptop bag about 3/4 full of the fully cooled stew, leaving enough space for it to expand once frozen. Freeze flat for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a heavy bottom skillet or dutch oven on the stovetop over low-medium heat until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
Serve beef bourguignon with a starchy side such as mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice. You can also enjoy it stew-style with crusty bread for mopping up the decadent sauce. Enjoy!
Channel your inner Julia Childs with this gorgeous beef bourguignon recipe and impress not only yourself with your cooking skills but your family and guests as well.
More Beef Recipes
- Irish Stew
- Beef Stroganoff
- Oven Swiss Steak
- Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs
- Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash & Noodles
- Veal Osso Buco
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Beef Bourguignon
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast most of the fat trimmed, cut into cubes
- ½ pound applewood smoked thick slice bacon chopped
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon garlic salt divided
- ½ Tablespoon black pepper divided
- 1 medium yellow onion slivered
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic about 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ pound carrots diced
- ½ cup Cognac
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ¾ cup beef broth
- 1 ¾ cup Pinot Noir
- 1 ½ Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ pound baby bella mushrooms sliced thin
- 3 ounces pearl onions
Things You’ll Need
- Dutch oven oven-safe with lid
- Long-handled grill lighter or long-handled stick matches
Before You Begin
- Using the Cognac is optional and that step can be omitted if you are not comfortable burning off the alcohol. You can replace the Cognac with 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce if you like, but it’s not necessary. You can simply omit the Cognac if you prefer.
- Pearl onions are available fresh, canned, and frozen. We suggest frozen as they are the easiest. Canned are ok as well, but fresh pearl onions will need to be peeled and can be a tedious process.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 F.
- In an oven-proof Dutch oven, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add chopped bacon and cook over medium heat until soft, not crispy.
- While bacon is cooking, season cubed meat with HALF of the garlic salt and HALF of the black pepper.
- Remove cooked bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add seasoned beef to the pan and cook until browned.
- Remove beef and set aside.
- Add onion, garlic, carrots, and remaining garlic salt and pepper to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onions are tender.
- Pour Cognac into the onion mixture. This step involves lighting the Cognac to burn off the alcohol. Use either a long-handled match or a long-handled grill lighter. Standing back, carefully ignite the Cognac. The flame will light quickly, so be prepared! Allow the flame to go out on its own, this can take about 2-3 minutes.CHEF TIP: if you have a microwave above your stove, watch the flame carefully. It can reach the height of your microwave or anything above the stovetop.
- Once the flame subsides, add the browned beef, bacon, tomato paste, thyme leaves, beef broth, and Pinot Noir. Bring to a gentle boil then turn off heat.
- Cover pan with lid and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Remove 1/4 cup of the pan juices to a glass measuring cup. Add flour to the pan juice and whisk until combined. Add flour mixture back to the pan, stirring to combine.
- Add sliced mushrooms and pearl onions to the pan. Cook uncovered over medium heat to cook the mushrooms and onions and to thicken the broth. Simmer over low heat for another 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Chef Antoine Davis
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christy says
Just wanted to make sure I understand, If I use Pinot Noir, do I still light it on fire? Or do you just do that with Cognac?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes you can. However, it’s important to note, you don’t HAVE TO burn off the alcohol with wine or cognac. The alcohol will dissipate with the long simmer as well. So if you prefer, you can do that.