This beef Bourguignon recipe is a melt-in-your-mouth, classic French stew made with tender chunks of beef chuck, bacon, and vegetables braised in red wine to make a simple, any-time dinner that’s also impressive enough to serve for special occasions.
Thanks to Julia Child and Ina Garten, this classic Beef Bourguignon (French beef stew) is familiar to many home cooks. Beef Bourguignon is just a fancy name for an easy-to-make, humble dinner that tastes anything but. It’s slow-braised, deep, rich, and layered with savory flavor, right up there with my red wine braised short ribs, coq au vin, and Tuscan beef stew. The stew starts in a large Dutch oven on the stove top to brown and deglaze and is finished in the oven for a braise. This allows the flavors to meld together for a sauce like no other. The recipe comes from the Staub Cookbook: Modern Recipes for Classic Cast Iron. Staub-enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens are part of my kitchen essentials list, so when I received this cookbook, it quickly became copiously tagged with loads of amazing recipes I want to make. It’s filled with over 100 classic recipes made with cast-iron cookers that can be made any time of year. And I can confirm, that this beef bourguignon recipe is a huge crowd-pleaser.
In This Post
Why You’ll Love It
- This beef bourguignon is so impressive but also approachable because it’s simple to make and so comforting to eat
- Beef Bourguignon’s flavors deepen over time, making it the perfect recipe to make a day ahead, or even two, then rewarm to serve for dinner parties, Christmas dinner, or just a simple Sunday night family dinner
- It’s versatile—enjoy over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles (I love pappardelle for this), or buttery boiled potatoes
Beef Bourguignon Ingredients
Beef is far from the only flavor builder in this stew. The vegetables and aromatics nearly steal the show:
- Onion—I use a white or yellow onion but you could use frozen pearl onions if you wanted
- Carrots—when cooked low and low, these carrots take on the most unbelievable flavor
- Celery—along with onion and carrots, the celery is part of the mirepoix for this stew
- Mushrooms (and loads of them!)—you can use cremini or button mushrooms
- Garlic—adds big flavor to this dish
- Fresh thyme—for aromatics (do not use dried)
The other key ingredients you’ll need for this beef bourguignon recipe include:
- All-purpose flour—for thickening the stew
- Bacon—I love using thick-cut bacon lardons from my local butcher (don’t skimp on quality bacon here because it does matter!)
- Cognac—Cognac does this job by adding a sweetness to the sauce.
- Tomato paste—for umami and depth of flavor
- Red wine—Bourguignon refers to Burgundy region of France, so naturally, there is red wine, and it’s what distinguishes this stew from any other. But it isn’t the wine that deglazes the Staub cast iron coquette.
- Beef stock—(use stock, not beef broth)—it helps create a rich, saucy base for our stew
- Brown sugar—for a little sweetness
Find the complete recipe with measurements below
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How to Make Beef Bourguignon
- Crisp the bacon. The beef bourguignon starts with crisping bacon from a cold cast-iron Dutch oven for a salted depth of flavor. This method ensures the bacon doesn’t become chalky and brittle or lend a burned taste instead of its pure, bacon flavor.
- Sear the beef. Sear the beef chuck in the bacon renderings (this is just the beginning of layers of amazing flavor).
- Cook your veg. First, dice the celery, onion, and carrots to the same size so they cook evenly. Because the mushrooms are softer, they will cook faster so they can be cut larger—that’s the way I like them. Once the veggies have softened, add the garlic and sauté for just a minute or so.
- Deglaze the pan. Deglaze the pan with the cognac and cook until reduced by half, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits.
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- Make the Burgundy sauce. Stir in the tomato paste then add the wine, stock, thyme, brown sugar, and a pig pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Then, add the beef, bacon, and veggies back to the pot.
- Finish the stew in the oven. Return the bacon, beef, and vegetables stop the pot, cover, and place in the oven. Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until the beef is fork-tender. Remove from the oven, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Sprinkle with fresh parsley just before serving, if desired.
see more: 20 Recipes You Can Make with A Pound of Ground Beef (It’s What’s for Dinner)
Tools You’ll Need to Make This Recipe
- Staub Cookbook: Modern Recipes for Classic Cast Iron — I’ve given a copy of the book with a Staub Dutch oven as a wedding gift
- Staub 7 Qt. Cast Enamel Dutch Oven — available in every color
- Zwilling Pro 8-inch Chef’s Knife (I can’t cook without it!)
- My favorite garlic press—and it’s the cheapest I’ve ever found.
FAQ
- What is the difference between beef bourguignon and beef stew? Beef bourguignon and beef stew are quite similar and feature many of the same ingredients. However, beef bourguignon features a lot more wine and beef stew either has little wine or no wine at all.
- Which cut of meat is best for beef bourguignon? Beef chuck is one of the best meats for beef bourguignon—or any stew. It’s ribboned with fat, and fat equals flavor plus tenderness. It browns well and holds up to the longer cooking time to become incredibly tender.
- What’s the best wine for beef bourguignon? I recommend using a dry red wine for this beef bourguignon recipe. If you don’t use a burgundy wine, I’d recommend a pinot noir or Malbec. Use a red wine you’d like to drink, not a cooking wine.
- Can I prep beef bourguignon in advance? Yes. This dish’s flavors deepen over time. Cook it in its entirety one or two days before serving, refrigerate, and rewarm to serve. Or, cook through the stovetop steps a day or two ahead then finish in the oven the day you’d like to serve.
see more: 20 One-Pot Wonder Meals—They’re What’s for Dinner
Recipe Tips
- Don’t discount the alcohol. Brandy can be used instead of Cognac, but know that all Cognacs are brandies, but not all brandies are Cognacs. The alcohol evaporates as it cooks and while you could skip the cognac, don’t substitute for the red wine or you’ll truly miss what makes this stew special.
- Use quality bacon. Be sure to use good-quality bacon in this boeuf bourguignon recipe. You want pork bacon that doesn’t have any added flavorings.
- A cast-iron pot/Dutch oven is best. While you can make the recipe in a slow cooker or Instant Pot, I’ve found the 1 ½ to 2-hour braise in the cast iron pot delivers a depth and richness that’s hard to recreate with other cooking methods. So for this one, I’m sticking with the braise.
- Don’t overcook your veggies. Because the meat is removed from the pot before the vegetables are cooked until soft, they hold their shape and don’t turn into mush.
What do You Serve With Beef Bourguignon
This stew can easily be served on its own, it’s a true meal all in one. But I like to serve it alongside a few other veggie sides, like:
- Warm crusty bread with butter
- Buttered noodles (such as egg noodles, tagliatelle, or pappardelle)
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If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #every_day_delicious_kitchen.
The Best Delicious Beef Bourguignon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces bacon diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 6 carrots diced
- 4 celery stalks diced
- 1 pound cremini or button mushroom sliced
- 4 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- ½ cup cognac
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups dry red wine such as Pinot Noir
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- Chopped fresh Italian parsley for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add the beef to a large mixing bowl and season it with the salt and pepper then toss with the flour. Set aside.
- In a large cast-iron cocotte dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until the edges of the bacon are crispy. Remove the bacon to a large bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Increase the heat to medium high. Add the beef to the fat in the pan and brown it on all sides. Remove the beef rom the pan to the bowl with the bacon.
- Add the onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, or until aromatic. Remove the vegetables from the pan to the bowl with the beef.
- Deglaze the pan with the cognac and cook until reduced by half, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits.
- Stir in the tomato paste then add the wine, stock, thyme, brown sugar, and a pig pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.
- Return the bacon, beef, and vegetables stop the pot, cover, and place in the oven.
- Cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours in the preheated oven, until the beef is fork-tender. Remove from the oven, and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Serve garnished with parsley over my favorite mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.
Notes
If you don’t have cognac, you can leave it out if you’d like.
This dish’s flavors deepen over time. Cook it in it’s entirety one or two days before serving, refrigerate and rewarm to serve. Or, cook through the stovetop steps a day or two ahead then finish in the oven the day you’d like to serve.
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