Beef Bourguignon
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food: tender beef, rich wine sauce, and earthy vegetables, all simmered to perfection. A taste of France in every bite.
20 min active, one pan
Beef Bourguignon
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food: tender beef, rich wine sauce, and earthy vegetables, all simmered to perfection. A taste of France in every bite.
20 min active, one pan
Key move
Achieve deep, rich flavor by browning the beef in batches and deglazing the pot with red wine.
Cook mode keeps your place
Larger text, ingredients in reach, and saved step progress while you cook.
The Setup
- Dutch Oven6-quart
- Knife
- Cutting Board
The Mise en Place
5 of 16Your prep station before cooking begins
The Dry Mix (0/15)
Beef is tough after braising.
The oven temperature may be too high, or the braising time may be insufficient.
Sauce is too thin.
Remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of braising to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken.
Chef's Notes
Sear beef in batches to ensure a deep, rich crust, not just a steamed exterior.
Deglaze the pan with red wine after searing to capture flavorful fond from the bottom.
This stew improves overnight. Cool completely, then refrigerate. Reheat gently on the stovetop.
Serve over creamy mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or crusty bread to soak up the rich sauce.
Watch the Technique
Video source: YouTube
The Method
PREHEAT
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
Uneven heating: Avoid overcrowding the oven or blocking vents, which can lead to uneven cooking temperatures.
Oven is preheated to 325°F (160°C).
COOK
In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, cook the bacon lardons (225 g) over medium heat until crispy. Remove the lardons with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
Burnt fat: If the bacon fat turns dark brown or begins to smoke, lower the heat immediately to prevent a bitter base.
Bacon is golden brown and crispy, and has been removed from the pot.
SEASON
Season the beef chuck (1500 g) cubes generously with salt (1 tsp) and pepper.
Moisture barrier: If the beef is damp, it will steam instead of brown, preventing the development of a dark crust.
Beef cubes are evenly seasoned with salt and pepper.
BROWN
In batches, brown the beef cubes in the bacon fat over medium-high heat until deeply browned on all sides. Remove the browned beef and set aside.
Steaming the beef: Overcrowding the pot will cause the beef to boil in its own liquid instead of browning, losing depth of flavor.
Beef cubes are deeply browned on all sides and have been removed from the pot.
ADD
Add the carrots (3 medium) and celery to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Uneven softening: Keep the heat moderate; high heat will brown the vegetables before they soften through.
Carrots and celery are softened.
ADD
Add the garlic (4 cloves) and tomato paste (2 tbsp) and cook for 1 minute more.
Scorch risk: Tomato paste contains natural sugars that burn rapidly; keep the heat moderate.
Garlic and tomato paste are fragrant and slightly darkened.
SPRINKLE
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Raw flour taste: Ensure you cook the flour for the full minute; undercooked flour will leave a pasty, raw taste in the final sauce.
Flour is incorporated and lightly toasted.
DEGLAZE
Pour in the red wine (750 mL), scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer.
Incomplete deglazing: Leaving browned bits stuck to the bottom can lead to burnt spots during the long simmer.
Red wine is simmering and browned bits are scraped from the bottom of the pot.
ADD
Add the beef broth (500 mL), thyme (2 sprigs) sprigs, and bay leaf (1 leaf). Return the browned beef and bacon lardons (225 g) to the pot.
Liquid overflow: Overfilling the pot can cause the sauce to boil over in the oven, creating a mess and losing flavor.
Beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, beef, and bacon are in the pot.
COVER
Cover the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise for 3 hours, or until the beef is very tender.
Uneven cooking: If the lid is not tight-fitting, moisture will escape, causing the sauce to reduce too much and the meat to dry out.
Beef is very tender and easily shreds.
ADD
Remove the pot from the oven. Add the pearl onions (500 g) and mushrooms to the pot. Stir to combine.
Over-mixing: The beef is extremely tender at this stage; rough stirring will cause the meat to shred into the sauce.
Pearl onions and mushrooms have been added to the pot and stirred in.
RETURN
Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, and braise for 30 minutes more, or until the onions and mushrooms are tender.
Overcooking: Check early; if the vegetables become mushy, they will disintegrate into the sauce.
Onions and mushrooms are tender and slightly caramelized.
REMOVE
Remove the thyme (2 sprigs) sprigs and bay leaf (1 leaf) before serving. Season with salt (1 tsp) and pepper to taste.
Over-salting: The sauce has reduced significantly; taste carefully before adding salt to avoid over-seasoning.
Thyme sprigs and bay leaf are removed, and the dish is seasoned to taste.
SERVE
Serve hot with mashed potatoes, crusty bread, or egg noodles.
Sauce separation: Avoid letting the dish sit too long off the heat, as the sauce may lose its glossy consistency.
Beef Bourguignon is ready to be served.
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