Beef Bourguignon Recipe

Today’s classic beef bourguignon recipe is our take on the French stew that is internationally adored for both weeknight dinners and special occasions.

This dish is rich in flavor with beef chunks slow-cooked in red wine and broth. It is infused with the beautiful aroma of onions, garlic, herbs, and finished with mushrooms.

One-pot cooking allows the flavors to mingle together and create the ultimate hearty and completely delicious meal. Even better, its flavors continue to infuse and deepen over time, making beef bourguignon a perfect make-ahead recipe.

What Is Beef Bourguignon?

The name ‘bourguignon’ comes from the region of France where the dish originated: Burgundy (Bourgogne). The recipe was then popularized by Julia Child’s cookbook ‘Mastering the Art of French Cookery’.

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In this dish, beef is tenderized by being cooked in a wine-based gravy with mushrooms, carrots, onions, and bacon. It’s traditionally served with a starchy, more plain side such as mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles to celebrate the taste of the stew and soak up all the delicious jus.

What Is the Difference Between Bourguignon and Beef Stew?

The most significant difference between beef stew and beef bourguignon is the presence of red wine. Traditional American beef stews are created with onion and liquid — water or broth.

Beef bourguignon on the other hand, is simmered with chicken broth or beef broth and red wine (which will cook out during the simmering), leaving you a thick and rich sauce.

Bourguignon is quite similar to beef stew when it comes to cooking technique but its extra ingredients give the dish a greater depth of flavor.

Is This Recipe Healthy?

Our beef bourguignon is made from scratch with carefully measured ingredients and nutrition in mind. So yes, it is healthy.

To be precise, each serving of our beef bourguignon contains 469 calories. This leaves space for a carb-rich side dish and a vitamin-rich juice, to create a wholesome and fulfilling meal.

With 536 mg sodium and 8.5 g saturated fat — mostly from the beef and bacon— our recipe aligns with the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines and still turns out savory, creamy, and tasty.

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Main Ingredients

While the name beef bourguignon sounds fancy, it’s actually just very tasty comfort food made with simple ingredients.

• Beef: This recipe is quite budget-friendly since it calls for inexpensive cuts like chuck or flank. These parts can easily be transformed into tender pieces with a slow-cooking process like in this recipe.
• Vegetables: Go with hearty pieces of vegetables of your choice. Carrots, onions, potatoes, and mushrooms are traditional and work well since they’re available all seasons and pair perfectly with beef.
• Pearl Onions: Small onions are traditionally used in bourguignon recipes but if you can’t find them at your local store, opt for the regular white or yellow onions. Peeling an extra layer or two can help to make them pearl onion size (about 3 – 4 cm diameter).
• Broth: This is the biggest variable in the difference between a good and an excellent beef bourguignon. Most people will go for the store-bought due to convenience, but nothing compares to homemade and it certainly adds extra flavor and wonder to your gravy. 
• Tomato Paste: It adds a touch of tang, helps to thicken the sauce and gives the dish more color.
• Red Wine: There are potential substitutes but really red wine is a must in any bourguignon recipe to ensure tender beef and the classic taste. We suggest using a lighter style wine so that it doesn’t overwhelm the natural beef flavor.

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Q&A

1. What Is the Best Cut of Meat for This Recipe?

A great stew starts with the proper cut of meat. For the French beef bourguignon recipe, you want to pick a collagen-rich one as it can stay juicy and tender even after hours of slow-cooking.

From our experience, beef chuck and short rib yield the best result. These cuts become fall-apart tender and exquisitely delicious in the gravy.

2. What Wine Is Best for?

It’s important to use a high-quality wine for this beef bourguignon recipe. The red wine is typically a red burgundy — a Pinot Noir or Gamy.

A splash of good wine can add tons of flavor and color, especially for meaty dishes. The red wine cooks down during the simmering process and concentrates into the most delicious flavor.

If you love this recipe, this Instant pot beef bourguignon is a more convenient version.

Store and Reheat

The great thing about beef bourguignon is that the longer it sits, the more tasty it becomes. So if you end up having any beef bourguignon leftover, it’s a real treasure.

• To Store: Keep the stew in an airtight container or a sealed bag. It will last in the refrigerator 3 – 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• To Reheat: When ready to use the dish, defrost the beef overnight in the fridge or in a microwave if you’re in a hurry. Put it in a pan on the stovetop and heat, stir occasionally to warm through.

What to Serve With

To make this beef bourguignon a complete meal, we pair it with mashed potatoes and pineapple cucumber juice.

Mashed potatoes are easy to make, inexpensive and always taste excellent with protein-packed stew dishes. Together, they make a complete and satisfying experience.

You can make mashed potatoes while your beef bourguignon is simmering so that the whole meal can be hot and ready to serve at the same time.

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In addition, our pineapple cucumber juice is light and refreshing to offset the richness of the meat. It adds extra nutrition and a sweet note to balance the savory.

With such a meal as this, you can’t help but be joyful!

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Beef Bourguignon Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Our beef bourguignon recipe makes melt-in-your-mouth beef with hearty veggies and crisp bacon, enriched to perfection in a rich red wine gravy.

- by Tuyet Pham, Luna Regina, 2021-10-18

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• cook TIME 1 hr 10 mins
• prep TIME 10 mins
• total TIME 1 hr 20 mins

• COURSE Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
• CUISINE French
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 469 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 20 oz beef chuck (cubed)
• 6 oz carrots (cubed)
• 6 oz brown mushrooms (quartered)
• 2 oz bacon (chopped)
• 6 oz pearl onions
• 4 oz white onions (chopped)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp garlic (chopped)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 fl oz red wine
• 1 tbsp Hunt’s tomato paste
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp brown gravy mix
• 3 1/2 cup unsalted chicken broth
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp parsley (chopped)

INSTRUCTIONS

Image instructions

1

In a large pot, stir fry 2 tbsp butter and 6 oz brown mushrooms over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.

2

Add 2 oz bacon and cook for 1 minute or until crisp. Add 2 tbsp garlic, 4 oz white onions, and 2 tbsp olive oil to the pot. Stir occasionally until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3

Add 1 tbsp tomato paste and whisk to combine, about 30 seconds.

4

Stir in 6 oz carrots and 2 tbsp flour, cook for 30 seconds.

5

Then add 20 oz beef chuck, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tbsp gravy mix, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and stir to combine. Pour 3 fl oz red wine into the pot, cooking for 30 seconds.

6

Add 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 bay leaf, and 6 oz pearl onions. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes to bring the mixture to a boil.

7

Reduce the heat to low and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 55 minutes.

8

Return the mushrooms to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes, making sure the beef is perfectly tender.

9

Sprinkle with 2 tbsp chopped parsley.

10

Serve hot.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

Beef Bourguignon Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 469Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g

40%

Saturated Fat 8g

50%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 12g

Cholesterol 108mg

36%

Sodium 536mg

23%

Potassium 1126mg

32%

Carbohydrate 21g

7%

Fiber 3g

13%

Sugar 7g

8%

Protein 35g

70%

Vitamin A 7306IU

146%

Vitamin C 13mg

16%

Calcium 73mg

7%

Iron 5mg

28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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