Hearty French Beef Bourguignon Recipe: A Cozy Classic

Rich, hearty french beef bourguignon emerges as a culinary masterpiece that whispers stories of rustic kitchens in burgundy.

Generations of home cooks have perfected this classic stew with patience and love.

Tender chunks of beef slowly simmer in robust red wine, creating layers of deep, complex flavors.

Aromatic herbs and smoky bacon infuse each bite with warmth and comfort.

Mushrooms and pearl onions dance alongside the meat, adding subtle earthiness to the dish.

Comfort seeps through every spoonful, connecting you to centuries of french cooking traditions.

Classic French Beef Bourguignon With Rich Flavor

• Craft Culinary Masterpiece: Transform ordinary ingredients into a rich, luxurious French classic that impresses dinner guests with minimal professional cooking skills.
• Customize with Ease: Adapt the recipe by switching protein types, experimenting with vegetable combinations, or modifying wine selections to suit personal taste preferences.
• Weekend Comfort Cooking: Enjoy a slow-cooking experience that fills your kitchen with incredible aromas while creating a hearty, deeply satisfying meal perfect for relaxed family gatherings.
• Nutritious One-Pot Wonder: Pack multiple food groups into a single dish, delivering balanced nutrition through tender beef, vibrant vegetables, and savory herbs without complicated preparation steps.

Ingredients to Create This Hearty Dish

• Beef Chuck Roast: A tender and flavorful cut perfect for slow-cooking and developing rich depth in the stew.
• Bacon or Salt Pork: Provides a smoky base flavor and renders fat for cooking other ingredients.

• Onions, Carrots, Garlic: Create a classic flavor foundation with sweet and savory notes.
• Pearl Onions: Add a delicate texture and mild sweetness to the finished dish.
• Mushrooms: Contribute an earthy and umami dimension to the stew.

• Red Wine: Adds complexity and helps tenderize the beef during slow cooking.
• Beef Broth: Provides a rich, deep base for the stew’s liquid.
• Tomato Paste: Enhances the overall depth and color of the sauce.
• Parsley, Thyme, Bay Leaves: Offer traditional French herbal aromatics and subtle flavor layers.
• Salt, Pepper: Essential for seasoning and balancing the overall taste.

• Butter, Flour: Create a thickening roux to give the stew a silky texture.
• Olive Oil: Used for sautéing and adding a light richness.

Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Crisp Up Bacon

Grab a large oven-safe pot and cook bacon until golden and slightly crispy. Remove the bacon, keeping all those delicious drippings in the pot.

Step 2: Brown the Beef

Dry the beef chunks thoroughly and season generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat in batches until each piece develops a gorgeous brown crust.

Set aside the browned beef.

Step 3: Create a Flavor Base

• Cooked bacon
• Butter
• Flour

Stir everything together, coating the meat and allowing the flour to cook for a couple of minutes.

Step 4: Prepare Vegetable Medley

• Onions
• Carrots

Add minced garlic and cook briefly. Set vegetables aside.

Step 5: Reduce Wine

Use the same pan to simmer wine, reducing its volume by about a cup to concentrate flavors.

Step 6: Build the Stew Foundation

Pour reduced wine into the beef pot.

• Tomato paste
• Fresh parsley
• Thyme
• Bay leaves

Step 7: Slow Cooking Magic

Cover the pot and bake at 300°F for 90 minutes.

Step 8: Add Vegetable Companions

Stir in the sautéed carrots and onions.

Continue cooking for another 60-90 minutes until beef becomes incredibly tender.

Step 9: Prepare Pearl Onions

Simmer frozen pearl onions with water, salt, and butter until they turn golden.

Step 10: Sauté Mushrooms

In a pan, heat butter and oil. Sauté mushrooms in two batches until beautifully browned.

Step 11: Final Assembly

Remove herb stems and bay leaves. Gently fold in pearl onions and mushrooms.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Step 12: Serving Suggestion

Ladle the rich, aromatic stew over creamy mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.

Enjoy your culinary masterpiece!

Tips to Enhance the Flavor and Tenderness

• Choose chuck roast or beef shoulder for the most tender, flavorful results that melt in your mouth during slow cooking.
• Use thick-cut bacon or authentic French lardons for a rich, smoky base that elevates the entire dish’s depth of flavor.
• Select a dry red Burgundy or pinot noir to match the traditional recipe, ensuring authentic French cooking authenticity.
• Allow sufficient cooking time at low temperature to break down tough meat fibers, creating incredibly tender beef that falls apart easily.
• Replace pearl onions with shallots or regular chopped onions if unavailable, maintaining the dish’s classic flavor profile.

Variations to Personalize Your Bourguignon

• Countryside Rustic Style: Swap traditional red wine with local craft beer for a heartier, more robust flavor profile that captures rural cooking essence.
• Mediterranean Herb Blend: Replace thyme and parsley with rosemary, oregano, and fresh basil to introduce Mediterranean herbal notes and lighter taste.
• Smoky Mountain Version: Use smoked paprika, add diced poblano peppers, and substitute some beef broth with smoky chipotle sauce for a spicier, southwestern-inspired rendition.
• Winter Comfort Edition: Incorporate root vegetables like parsnips and turnips, include a splash of brandy during wine reduction, and garnish with crispy fried sage leaves for extra warmth and depth.

Suggested Pairings to Round Out Your Meal

• Perfectly Paired Wine Selection: Choose a full-bodied red Burgundy wine like Pinot Noir, matching the recipe’s regional origin and complementing the rich beef flavors with its smooth, earthy undertones.
• Rustic Bread Companion: Serve a crusty French baguette or rustic sourdough bread to soak up the delicious braising liquid, adding textural contrast and providing a perfect way to enjoy every last drop of the stew.
• Herbaceous Side Salad: Create a light green salad with fresh herbs like parsley and chives, dressed in a light vinaigrette to cut through the stew’s richness and provide a refreshing palate cleanser between hearty bites.

Proper Storage Tips for Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. Cool completely before sealing, keeping in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Transfer beef bourguignon to freezer-safe containers, removing excess air. Freeze for up to 3 months, maintaining best flavor and texture.

Place portion in microwave-safe dish, cover with damp paper towel. Heat on medium power for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure even warming.

Pour stew into saucepan, add splash of beef broth to prevent drying. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated thoroughly, about 10-15 minutes.

FAQs

• Is Beef Bourguignon difficult to make?

Not at all! While it requires multiple steps, the process is straightforward and involves simple techniques like searing, sautéing, and slow cooking. Anyone with basic cooking skills can master this classic French dish.

• Why do I need to sear the beef before slow cooking?

Searing creates a delicious golden-brown crust that locks in flavor and develops a rich, deep taste through the Maillard reaction. This step is crucial for building complex flavors in the stew.

• Can I use a different type of meat instead of beef?

Beef chuck or short ribs work best due to their marbling and ability to become tender during slow cooking. Other meats like lamb or pork might change the traditional flavor profile of the dish.

French Beef Bourguignon Recipe

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4.7 from 31 reviews

• Total Time: 3 hours
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Hearty French beef bourguignon beckons with rich, tender beef braised in red wine and aromatic herbs. Layers of complex flavors meld together, inviting you to savor this classic Burgundian comfort dish that celebrates rustic French culinary tradition.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Protein:

• 3 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 ounces bacon or salt pork
• 14 ounces frozen pearl onions
• 1 pound mushrooms, halved or quartered

Vegetables and Aromatics:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 pound carrots (about 7-8), chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Liquids and Seasonings:

• 3 cups red wine (750 milliliters)
• 24 cups beef bone broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Salt and black pepper (to taste)
• Oil for searing

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Instructions

1. Render bacon or salt pork in a large oven-safe pot over medium heat until golden and releasing fat, then remove meat while preserving drippings.
2. Thoroughly dry beef pieces, season generously, and sear in multiple batches until deep brown on all surfaces, transferring each batch from the pot.
3. Reintroduce beef to pot, sprinkle flour over meat, and gently toss to create an even coating, allowing flour to lightly toast for 1-2 minutes.
4. Separately caramelize chopped onions and carrots in olive oil, adding minced garlic during final moments of cooking until fragrant.
5. Deglaze cooking pan with wine, allowing liquid to concentrate and reduce by approximately one cup, concentrating flavor profiles.
6. Combine reduced wine with beef in pot, introducing broth, tomato paste, herbs, and aromatic seasonings, creating a rich braising liquid.
7. Cover pot and transfer to preheated 300°F oven, allowing meat to slowly tenderize for approximately 90 minutes.
8. Incorporate previously sautéed vegetables into stew, continuing low-temperature cooking until beef becomes exceptionally tender.
9. Prepare pearl onions by gently simmering with butter and water until achieving golden caramelization.
10. Separately sauté mushrooms in batches, ensuring proper browning without overcrowding pan.
11. Remove herb stems and bay leaves, integrate pearl onions and mushrooms into stew, adjusting seasoning as needed.
12. Plate over creamy mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, serving immediately while piping hot.

Notes

• Use high-quality, well-marbled beef chuck for the most tender and flavorful result, ensuring a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Pat the beef completely dry before searing to achieve a deep, rich brown crust that locks in incredible flavor and prevents steaming.
• Choose a robust red wine like Burgundy or Pinot Noir to enhance the dish’s traditional French character and provide depth to the sauce.
• Brown ingredients separately to develop complex layers of flavor, creating a more nuanced and rich final stew that will impress even discerning palates.

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Slow Cooking
• Cuisine: French

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 482 kcal
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 680 mg
• Fat: 32 g
• Saturated Fat: 12 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
• Trans Fat: 0.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 18 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 41 g
• Cholesterol: 115 mg