Beef, bacon, and beer make this beef carbonnade incredibly flavorful. Add a generous dose of onions to the mix and you may have yourself a new favorite beef stew recipe!
Why this recipe works
Beef carbonnade is a hearty, flavor-rich beef stew with plenty of onions, bacon, garlic, and seasonings to go around. “Carbonnade” simply means beef stew made with onions and beer.
Don’t be alarmed by the amount of onions called for here – after a couple of hours in the oven, the flavor of the onion is transferred to the meat and gravy, and the onions themselves will almost disintegrate.
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 two pounds of boneless chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes for this recipe.
BEER – Belgian ale is the most popular choice for carbonnade, but light or dark beer will also work. If you are worried about the flavor of beer in the end results, don’t worry, it cooks out (same with its alcohol content). However, making the stew with beer infuses richness you wouldn’t experience when using broth or stock. It’s worth every last drop.
ONIONS – As one of the main ingredients in carbonnade, we are not skimping on the amount of onions added. Five cups of thinly sliced onions will transfer loads of flavor to this stew.
How to Make Beef Carbonnade
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 325F.
- Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving the drippings in the pan. Set bacon aside.
- Cook beef, salt, and pepper in drippings over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, browning the beef well on all sides.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove beef with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onion to the pan, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the broth, white wine vinegar, sugar, dried thyme, bay leaf, and the beer and bring to a boil.
- Return bacon and beef to pan.
- Cover and bake at 325°F for 2 hours or until the beef is tender. Discard the bay leaf and serve over noodles.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.Â
Absolutely. This beef stew is even better the next day, in our opinion. Simply reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop and enjoy.
Yes, you can freeze this stew. To do so, transfer the cooked and cooled stew to an air-tight container or large ziptop bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stovetop until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
Serve beef carbonnade over a bed of egg noodles or mashed potatoes for a complete meal. Be generous with your scoops of leftover pan gravy on top and optionally pair with a side of crusty bread to mop it all up.
More Stew Recipes
I love to bake and cook and share my kitchen experience with all of you! Remembering to come back each day can be tough, that’s why I offer a convenient newsletter every time a new recipe posts. Simply subscribe and start receiving your free daily recipes!
Beef Carbonnade
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 slices bacon finely diced
- 2 pounds boneless chuck roast cut into 1 inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 5 cups thinly sliced onion
- 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 ounces beer 1 can. Light or dark
- 6 cups cooked egg noodles
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Belgian ale is the most popular choice for carbonnade, but regular light or dark beer will also work. If you are worried about the flavor of beer in the end results, don’t worry, it cooks out (same with its alcohol content). However, making the stew with beer infuses richness you wouldn’t experience when using broth or stock. It’s worth every last drop.
- Don’t be alarmed by the amount of onions called for here – after a couple of hours in the oven, the flavor of the onion is transferred to the meat and gravy, and the onions themselves will almost disintegrate.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving the drippings in the pan. Set bacon aside.
- Cook beef, salt, and pepper in drippings over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, browning the beef well on all sides.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove beef with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onion to the pan, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the broth, white wine vinegar, sugar, dried thyme, bay leaf, and the beer and bring to a boil. Return bacon and beef to pan.
- Cover and bake at 325°F for 2 hours or until the beef is tender. Discard the bay leaf and serve over noodles.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Leftovers – store in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.Â
- Make Ahead – store in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator and reheat over medium heat on the stovetop.
- Freezing – transfer the cooked and cooled stew to an air-tight container or large ziptop bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stovetop until warmed through.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared here on December 14th, 2010 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips.
Amanda Davis
Latest posts by Amanda Davis (see all)
- How to Make Bruschetta - December 5, 2024
- Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread - December 2, 2024
- Homemade Turkey Gravy - November 25, 2024
Doug Taylor says
Great recipe! Thanks.
danielle says
we're trying this tonight. didn't want to heat the kitchen up so we are trying it in the crockpot.
Fight the Fat Foodie says
Wow! This looks absolutely delicious!
Megan says
This looks like a great meal and I want to try it next time I get a chuck roast. I always have a roast on hand but I just cooked one yesterday for tacos tonight.
Debbie says
Hi Amanda, It looks delicious…this is exactly the kind of dish my husband loves!!!
RecycleCindy says
Another yummy looking dish for sure. I will have to try this recipe sometime.
briarrose says
Wow that looks so tender and tasty. Beautiful job. Just looking at that makes me crave it. ;)
Barbara @ Modern Comfort Food says
This is my kind of main course dish, Amanda, and a great way to warm up when it's nippy outside (as it is even here in FL today). Now if only I could get my husband to cooperate by eating beef … unlike your kids, though, he'd love the beer!
bo says
Your husband doesn’t eat beef?
Dan says
This looks delicious.