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I braise fall-apart beef low and slow in red Burgundy (Pinot Noir) wine with bacon, pearl onions, mushrooms, and carrots for cozy, restaurant-quality comfort food. Make it in the oven, in an Instant Pot, or in a Slow Cooker.
What is Beef Bourguignon?
Boeuf Bourguignon is one of the most famous French beef stews and a staple of French cuisine. Traditionally, beef is braised low and slow in red Burgundy wine with lardons (type of fatty cured, unsmoked pork slab), onions, mushrooms, and a bouquet garni (herbs tied together). Then the sauce is often finished-very Frenchly-with a little beurre manié (an alternative to roux) or flour for body. It's classic rustic bistro fare, a fixture in Parisian bistros and across France, especially in Burgundy. It's usually served with small boiled or mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or simply a hunk of crusty bread. When it's done right, the sauce (the red wine gravy) is glossy and savory-you basically need a baguette as a flotation device. Perfect for entertaining and cold-weather nights!
Make Cozy French Beef Stew in Red Wine at Home!
My Beef Bourguignon version sticks to tradition while minimizing the effort. I still use the classics to make the red wine gravy: Pinot Noir (Burgundy if I have it), pancetta/bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions. I sear well-marbled beef until it's deeply bronzed, then braise it gently in red wine and beef stock with carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, and a touch of tomato paste to make a glossy, velvety, intensely savory beef stew. I brown the mushrooms and pearl onions separately until caramelized and glistening, and fold them in at the end so they keep their texture and add big, roasty flavor (instead of going pale and soggy in the stew). I use a Dutch Oven, this restaurant-quality recipe serves a family of 4-6 comfortably, and-best part-tastes even better the next day. Hello, make-ahead entertaining and cold-weather comfort food!
Best Beef Options for Beef Bourguignon
- My best choice is chuck roast because it's well-marbled and collagen-rich, so it turns buttery and tender without much babysitting. You can also use short ribs (boneless or English-cut)-they bring big beef flavor and natural gelatin to the red wine stew; if they're bone-in, I simply reduce the added broth by about ½-1 cup and plan to skim a bit of fat after the braise. I also recommend beef cheeks for that shreddy texture; they take well to a long, gentle cook and make the sauce feel plush.
- Brisket is another option I like because the fat cap keeps it juicy; I keep the simmer extra gentle and avoid over-reducing the gravy so it stays tender. If beef round (top/bottom) is all you can find, it will work, but it's lean: I would cut the cubes a little larger, braise at the barest simmer, and stop the reduction sooner to keep it from drying out.
- Cuts to avoid here are tenderloin, strip, and sirloin-they're lean, pricey, and don't benefit from long braising, so you won't get that melt-in-the-mouth result you're after.
Best Wine Choices for Boeuf Bourguignon
- Burgundy/Pinot Noir is the traditional choice because the bright acidity of this red wine cuts through the rich, gelatinous sauce and pairs well with carrots, mushrooms, and thyme, which is exactly what Bourguignon needs. Pinot's low-to-moderate tannins won't turn harsh or bitter as the stew liquid reduces in the oven, and lighter oak (or none) means the stew tastes savory and beefy. I'm happy in the $12-22 range for these styles. Look for unoaked to lightly oaked bottles and words like "fresh," "bright," or "food-friendly" on the shelf tags.
- Easy alternatives are Merlot (with soft tannins), Chianti, or Beaujolais.
- Wines to avoid (and why): I do not recommend big, heavily oaked Cabernet or very tannic reds-those tannins can concentrate into bitterness as the stew reduces, and the oak can taste clumsy in the sauce. Super-jammy wines can make the stew feel flat and sweet. Also, skip "cooking wine."
- No-alcohol workaround: If you want to skip wine altogether, use 3½-4 cups low-sodium beef stock plus 1-2 tablespoon red wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon balsamic for gentle acidity. I would reduce the red wine gravy a bit longer to concentrate, then finish with a small knob of butter for gloss.
Other Substitutions & Variations
- Beef Substitutes: Pork shoulder or lamb stew meat is a delicious twist to this classic dish!
- Pancetta/Bacon: If you aren't a pork eater, just omit this. Use more oil for browning the beef instead.
- Mushrooms: Shiitakes, oysters, or a wild mushroom mix can give an earthier flavor to this dish.
- Pearl onions: Halved small shallots or chopped sweet onions can replace the pearl onions if needed.
Serving Ideas
There are so many cozy ways to serve this French beef stew! Of course, my family loves when I serve it the traditional way: over buttery roasted garlic mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, with a crusty baguette on the side. Beef Bourguignon is also great over cheesy polenta (Parmesan or Gruyère) or even a simple, creamy risotto. In fall and winter, I like to use (you guessed it!) my favorite winter squash-roasted butternut squash or acorn squash purée, kabocha or even pumpkin! I also highly recommend tossing Beef Bourguignon with wide pappardelle ribbons (that Italian-French mashup!), or spoon it into baked russets or over crispy smashed potatoes with chives and crème fraîche. Gnocchi is another great option-the sauce clings like it was made for it.
More Beef Recipes
- Garlic Butter Steak with Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash
- The Best Steak Marinade (The Complete Ribeye Steak Dinner + Side Dishes)
- Vegetable Beef Soup
- Ground Beef Gnocchi
- Grilled Flank Steak with Mango-Avocado Salsa
Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs beef chuck or stew meat, cut into 1-1 ½ inch cubes
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 4 ounces pancetta or thick-cut bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups dry red wine Burgundy or Pinot Noir
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 ounces pearl onions fresh or frozen, peeled
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms or white mushrooms, halved or quartered
Garnish
- ¼ cup Fresh parsley roughly chopped
- Thyme leaves roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook pancetta or bacon until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate. Leave the fat in the pot.
- Turn the heat to medium high. Working in batches, sear the beef on all sides in the pancetta fat, adding a bit of olive oil as needed. Transfer seared beef to the plate with pancetta.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot, if needed. Sauté carrots, diced onion, and thyme until the onions have softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute more.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables, stirring to coat.
- Slowly pour in red wine, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add beef broth, bay leaf, beef and pancetta to the pot.
- Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2½ to 3 hours, until beef is fork-tender.
- About 30 minutes before the stew is done, sauté the mushrooms and pearl onions in a skillet with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper until browned and just tender.
- Stir the mushrooms and pearl onions into the stew. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, for the remaining 20-30 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce slightly.
- Discard bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or crusty bread.
- Note: I provide helpful step-by-step photos + tips below this recipe card. ⬇️⬇️
Notes
- Patting the beef dry before seasoning and searing is essential for browning the meat which adds flavor and depth to this dish.
- Don't overcrowd the pot when you're browning the meat. Be patient and work in batches.
- Cook slow on low at all times! This recipe requires patience. Don't turn the temperature of your oven up to try and hasten the cooking process. If you increase the temperature it will boil the beef and become tough which is the opposite of what you want.
- Make ahead: Eating the finished stew the following day is actually the best! It gives time for the flavors to meld and gets better overnight.
- Remove extra fat: If there's a lot of extra fat on top, feel free to skim it off the top.
- Blanc version: Use white wine instead of red, omit the tomato paste, and add a little bit of cream at the very end for a lighter version.
How to Make Beef Bourguignon in a Slow Cooker
- Brown the meat & bacon first: In a skillet on the stove, cook the diced pancetta or bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon. In the same fat, sear the beef cubes in batches until browned on all sides. Transfer beef and pancetta to the slow cooker.
- Cook veggies: Add olive oil to the same skillet if needed, then sauté the carrots, onion, and thyme for 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour, stir to coat the vegetables, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Deglaze: Slowly pour in the wine, scraping up browned bits. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker.
- Stir in the beef broth and bay leaf. Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Slow cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
- Finish vegetables separately: About 30 minutes before serving, sauté the mushrooms and pearl onions in a skillet with olive oil, salt, and pepper until browned. Stir them into the slow cooker for the final 20-30 minutes.
How to Make Beef Bourguignon in an Instant Pot
- Using the saute function for browning and then pressure cook everything (except the pearl onions and mushrooms), for 45 minutes with a natural release. Stir in the sauteed mushrooms and onions, cover, and let it stay warm for about 20 minutes before serving.
Storage
- Rerfrigerate: Store the cooled stew into an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze the cooled stew in an airtight freezer safe container or resealable bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Either place on the stovetop over medium low heat in a pot until warmed through or microwave in a microwave safe bowl, slightly covered with a cover, until it reaches your desired temperature.
Supplies
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- 5 quart Dutch oven
- Tongs
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
How to Make Beef Bourguignon (Step-by-Step Photos & Tips)
- Preheat & prep. Preheat oven to 325°F. Pat beef very dry for better browning; season with salt and pepper.
- Cook pancetta/bacon. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook pancetta/bacon until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon and leave the fat in the pot.
- Sear the beef (in batches). Over medium-high, brown beef on all sides in pancetta fat, adding a little olive oil as needed. Do not crowd (crowding steams). Transfer to the plate with pancetta.
- Build the base. Add 1 tablespoon oil if needed; sauté carrots, onion, and thyme until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook 60-90 seconds to toast the paste until it turns deep brick red color and becomes fragrant. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables; stir 30 seconds.
- Thicken & deglaze. Slowly pour in red wine, scraping up all fond. (Tip: let the wine simmer 2-3 minutes to soften its edge.)
- Braise. Return beef and pancetta to the pot; add beef broth and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer (bare bubbles), cover, and transfer to the oven for 2½-3 hours until beef is fork-tender. (Oven heat provides steadier braise, less scorching than stovetop)
- Brown the garnish veggies. About 30 minutes before the braise is done, brown mushrooms and pearl onions in a skillet with a little oil. Season near the end so they don't release too much liquid.
- Finish & assemble. Stir mushrooms and onions into the stew; return the pot to the oven uncovered for 20-30 minutes to lightly reduce. Discard bay leaf. Taste and adjust salt/pepper. To balance flavors, you can add 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon. (Too thin? Reduce further or whisk in a pea-sized beurre manié (a roux of butter and flour). Too thick? Loosen with warm stock.)
- Serve: Hot over buttery mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, with crusty bread for dipping into the stew. (Tip: swirl in a small knob of cold butter off heat for a glossy, restaurant-style sauce.)
Do you use canned beef broth?
Hi Adrienne! Yes, I used canned broth!
Beef shank is the absolute best cut to use for this. You might have to go to a real butcher, but you should be doing that, as grocery store beef is fairly poor quality, regardless of grade - if it even has a grade listed.
Veal shank is traditional, but ya know...
Pinot Noir is interesting. I will have to try it. Thank you
Thank YOU for the awesome tips, Mike!! 🙂 Totally agree—beef shank adds such rich, amazing flavor! And yes, nothing beats a good butcher cut! Please report back if you do try this recipe and let me know what you think (especially about the Pinot Noir).
This is next on my list. Do you have some recommendations to make it gluten free?
Hi Robyn! Absolutely! You can make this gluten‑free by making just a few changes:
1) Replace the ¼ cup all‑purpose flour (used to coat the veggies/stew) with a gluten‑free all‑purpose flour blend (or GF measure-for-measure or GF 1:1 flour) or a gluten‑free starch like cornstarch (toss the beef/veggies in ~2 Tbsp cornstarch + a pinch salt & pepper before browning).
2) Make sure any broth, bacon/pancetta, tomato paste or packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten‑free (some have hidden wheat or barley additives).
I'm allergic to tomatoes, can I use e something as a substitute ooro just leave it out.
Hi Juno! Yes — you can skip the tomato paste. The tomato paste adds flavor, but the dish will still work without it. To make up for the flavor gap, I’d suggest adding an extra splash of beef broth, a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (check it’s tomato‑free), and perhaps a small pinch of smoked paprika.
Julia: This was delicious! I used boneless short ribs and followed your advice on Pinot Noir vs another type of red. It came out beautifully. I’m anxious to try the leftovers this evening as I’m certain they’ll be even better today.
So glad you enjoyed it, Julie! 🙂 Boneless short ribs and Pinot Noir sound like a perfect combo — rich and flavorful. And yes, the leftovers are always next-level with this one. 🙂
Can you add potatoes? If so when do you add them?
Hi Christine! Even though I like to serve this with mashed potatoes on the side, you can certainly add potatoes directly into the stew. Here's how I would do it:
➡️ I recommend using waxy potatoes—Yukon Gold is the best choice or red potatoes. I wouldn't use russets (they fall apart).
➡️ You'll need about 3–4 medium Yukon Golds or 12–16 baby golds. Peel if you like; cut into 1–1¼-inch chunks (baby potatoes can be left whole/halved).
➡️ After the pot has been in the oven for about 1½ hours at 325°F, stir potatoes into the stew, keep them submerged, re-cover, and braise 60–75 minutes more until tender.
➡️ Top up with a splash of broth if the potatoes poke above the liquid; also, you'll probably have to add a bit more salt after potatoes go in.
I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes!
Made this in South Africa today Totally delicious. Thank you!
Hi Gill! Love hearing that it made its way all the way to South Africa!! 🙂
Hi Julia, Love this recipe as so many of your others. I made it in a slow cooker and found there to be a lot of liquid. Do you suggest lowering the amounts of wine and broth for slow cooking?
Hi Laura, you're 100% I should've noted this in the recipe (and should update the recipe with this).
For slow cooker recipes, you usually need less liquid than in oven braising, because almost nothing evaporates. If you follow the oven amounts (3 cups wine + 3 cups broth), you’ll end up with a thinner stew. I’d recommend:
➡️ 2 cups wine (instead of 3)
➡️ 2 cups beef broth (instead of 3)
➡️ If it looks too thin near the end, remove the lid for the last 30–40 minutes to let it thicken slightly, or stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water).
Dear julia- I am disappointed that on your most recent recipes you are not providing nutritional information e.g. Beef bourgignon and some of the apple recipes that arrived this week. I understand it is only an estimate but it is extremely helpful to know whether it is 300 calories or 600 calories per serving. PLEASE include calories with the disclaimer.
Hi Nancy, I just tried to add the nutrition info to this recipe and for some reason it's not letting me. I will attempt to do it later.
Hello,
I love your recipes. For making this is a crockpot/Slow Cooker: After you brown the meat and aromatics. What are the aromatics you are referring to?
Also, what size dutch oven did you use.
Thank you kindly,
Julie
Hi Julie! By aromatics I meant: carrots, onion, garlic, and fresh thyme. I used a large 7-quart Dutch oven.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I did!! 🙂 🙂
I’m making it’s cousin for the cabin crew tomorrow evening, Yum!!!
Awesome, Judy! I hope everyone loved it! 🙂
I just love your recipes, thank you so much, when I do one every body love it
I wish you happiness
Thank you, Bibiane, I am so happy to hear that! ❤️❤️
This is one of the most helpful recipe I have seen, you give so many alternatives AND the reason why.
I will be on the look out for more of your recipes. Thank you.
Terri, thank you. I put a lot of time and effort into this recipe, and I am glad it shows and is being appreciated. ❤️
Too many pop up ads!
Thanks for your feedback, Phil! I will keep adjusting my ad setup to make it better!
How this does the bacon have to be
HI Sally! You can use regular bacon.