This Beef Bourguignon is the ultimate cozy, slow-cooked comfort food I make when the weather gets chilly. Tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef chuck, smoky bacon, and rich mushrooms simmer away in a deeply flavorful red wine gravy. It tastes like an elegant restaurant meal, but it’s shockingly straightforward to make right in your oven!
The ultimate French comfort food made simple at home!
I love a good, classic beef stew, but there is something so incredibly special about Beef Bourguignon. My entire family completely devours this dish, and it makes the whole house smell like an absolute dream while it’s tucked away in the oven. It has that fancy, weekend-project reputation, but I promise you it is totally doable for a cozy family dinner!
We start by searing our flour-tossed beef to build up a great color and flavor base, then crisp up some thick-cut bacon and soften our aromatics. After that, we layer in the wine, broth, and vegetables, and let the oven do all the heavy lifting. It really is a “set it and forget it” kind of magic once it gets going!
We love serving this over a giant, steaming mound of creamy mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles to catch every last drop of that gorgeous, glossy red wine gravy. And don’t forget some crusty bread – it is an absolute must-have for cleaning the plate! 🥖🍷
Ingredients I like to use
- Beef chuck: I highly recommend using beef chuck for this recipe. It has the perfect amount of marbling that breaks down perfectly during a long, slow braise, leaving you with pieces that literally melt in your mouth.
- Thick-cut bacon: This adds a smoky depth to the entire base of the stew. Don’t skip it if you can!
- Herbes de Provence: This dried herb blend (typically containing thyme, rosemary, and savory) gives it that distinct, authentic French country flavor profile. If you don’t have this blend on hand, thyme and rosemary will do. I do not recommend substituting Italian seasoning, the flavor profile does not match.
- Red wine: You don’t need a super expensive bottle, but pick something dry and robust that you would actually enjoy drinking, like a Pinot Noir, Cabernet, or Merlot.
- Pearl onions & Mushrooms: These are classic Bourguignon staples! Quartering the mushrooms keeps them substantial, and pearl onions add a lovely, sweet pop to the stew. If you can’t find pearl onions (check the frozen section), small shallots work just as well. Half or quarter the shallots if they’re on the larger side.
Secret tip if your gravy tastes too acidic:
If your gravy ends up with too much of an acidic taste from the wine once it’s done, you can sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon baking soda over the stew, let it dissolve/foam for a few seconds and then fully stir it in.
It will not give your stew a baking soda taste, but it will neutralize excess acid. However, it’s important to measure strictly ⅛ teaspoon, do not add more or it may give your stew a strange taste!
Also an important ingredient – the pot!
This recipe works best in a heavy cast iron French or Dutch oven. I use a 6-quart size and highly recommend using one that is at least 5 quarts! The mushrooms take up a lot of room at first, and if your pot is too small, it will crowd the ingredients and take much longer to slow-cook evenly.
If your pot is smaller than 5 quart, you will probably struggle to fit all of your mushrooms, and it will take longer to cook in the oven.
How to make a (hopefully) authentic Beef Bourguignon dinner
I’m only about 6% French at best, so I will absolutely not claim perfect authenticity here. I have done my best to create a recipe that is close to what I think would be authentic though, while still containing all of the elements the non-French among us like in our Boef Bourguignon, so I’ll leave it at that.
Now let’s walk through the recipe and I’ll share all of my tried-and-true kitchen tips so your stew turns out perfectly the first time you make it!
Recipe walk-through/kitchen tips
- Searing the beef: Make sure your beef is completely patted dry before tossing it with the flour! If it’s damp, the flour turns into a paste that prevents a proper crust from forming. I highly recommend using a pair of long tongs here – the flour-dusted meat loves to stick to the bottom of the pan at first, and it does splatter some. Leave it alone for a full 2 minutes before flipping; it will release naturally once a golden crust forms.
- Blooming the aromatics: Take your time when cooking the tomato paste and Herbes de Provence. You want the paste to turn from a bright red to a deeper, rusty brick color. This caramelization removes the raw metallic taste of the paste and creates a savory depth you can’t get any other way.
- Wine simmering: Please, do not skip simmering the wine uncovered for 10 minutes! I tried rushing this once to save time, thinking it would evaporate in the oven anyway. Because the Dutch oven lid forms a tight seal, the harsh alcohol vapors just trapped themselves inside, leaving the gravy tasting incredibly sharp and medicinal. Letting it bubble openly on the stove first completely solves this!
- Mushroom volume: When you first add the quartered mushrooms, it will look like you have way too many and they won’t fit. Don’t panic! Mushrooms are mostly water; as they cook down in the oven, they will shrink by more than half their size and perfectly nestle into the rich gravy.
- Testing for tenderness: Do not just poke the beef with a fork – actually remove one chunk and press it on a plate. If it bounces back or feels rubbery, it needs more time! True chuck roast requires that full breakdown time to melt the collagen. Give it another 30 minutes if it isn’t completely yielding.
Annoying but important: Sear in batches!
When browning your beef chuck, don’t add it all into the pot at once! Crowding the pan will cause the meat to steam instead of sear. Give the pieces space so they form a deep, golden-brown crust.
This takes extra time, and it annoys me every single time, but it’s definitely worth it in the end.
Side dishes we enjoy with our Beef Bourguignon
While mashed potatoes are the absolute gold standard for catching that glossy red wine gravy, there are several other delicious sides we enjoy (because, to be fully honest, I cannot always be persuaded to peel a mountain of potatoes):
- Creamy polenta or buttered egg noodles
- A crisp, green side salad with a sharp lemon vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the stew
- Crusty French baguettes or soft dinner rolls to mop up the plate
Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck (cubed)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4 oz thick-cut bacon (chopped)
- 1 medium-large yellow onion (peeled and cut into very thin wedges)
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried Herbes de Provence
- 2 cups red wine
- 1.5 cups beef broth
- 4 medium-large carrots (peeled, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks)
- ¾ pound mushrooms (quartered)
- 8 oz pearl onions (OR small/halved shallots (peeled))
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (OR ½ tsp dried (add dried with the Herbes de Provence))
- 3 tablespoons corn starch (optional for a thicker gravy)
- chopped fresh parsley (optional for serving)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 300°F. This recipe works best in a heavy cast iron Dutch/French oven. I use a 6-quart size, and I recommend using one that is at least 5 quart. The mushrooms are voluminous at first, and the smaller your pot, the longer it takes for your stew to slow cook in the oven!
- Prep beef: Pat the beef chuck dry with paper towels. Toss with flour, salt and pepper.2 pounds beef chuck, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, salt & pepper
- Sear beef: Heat your Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and sear your beef in batches, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate.1 tablespoon oil
- Sauté bacon and aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the bacon to the pot and cook until crisp-browned.Add the onion and sauté until softened – about 5 minutes.Stir in the garlic and cook for one more minute, then stir in the tomato paste and the Herbes de Provence for 1-2 minutes.4 oz thick-cut bacon, 1 medium-large yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons dried Herbes de Provence
- Simmer wine: Pour the wine into the pot, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer, then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to cook off the alcohol.(Do not skip this step, or your stew may become quite unpleasant from the alcohol that cannot evaporate when you cook it sealed in the Dutch oven).2 cups red wine
- Finish assembling: Stir the beef broth into the pot, then add the carrot, mushrooms and pearl onions. Add the beef back in, then add the sprigs of thyme, making sure they are submerged.1.5 cups beef broth, 4 medium-large carrots, ¾ pound mushrooms, 8 oz pearl onions, 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- Slow cook in oven: Cover the pot tightly and place it in the preheated oven. Slow cook in the oven at 300°F for 2 hours.
- Finish: Once done, CAREFULLY remove from the oven and check the meat for tenderness (it should be fall-apart tender – if it’s not, return it to the oven and cook for another 30 minutes).If you like a thicker gravy, make a slurry by whisking up to 3 tablespoons corn starch and a few tablespoons of cold water together in a small measuring cup, then stir this into the stew over medium heat. Simmer until thickened, then serve with chopped parsley over mashed potatoes!3 tablespoons corn starch, chopped fresh parsley
Notes
- Dry & sear beef: Pat meat completely dry before flouring so it crusts instead of steams. Sear in batches; do not crowd the pot.
- Simmer wine: Do not skip simmering the wine uncovered for 10 minutes on the stove, or the trapped alcohol will make the gravy taste harsh.
- Don’t Panic on mushroom volume: They look like too much at first but will shrink by half in the oven.
- Tenderness check: Press a piece of beef on a plate. If it feels rubbery, cover and return to the oven for 30 more minutes.
- Acidity: If your gravy has too much of an acidic taste from the wine once it’s done, sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon baking soda over the surface, let it dissolve a few seconds and then fully stir it in to neutralize some of the excess acid. Measure carefully and do not add excess baking soda!
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