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A classic French stew with oh-so-tender braised fall apart beef with vegetables in a luxurious red wine gravy sauce.
why i love beef bourguignon
- Oh-so-tender slow cooked, fall apart chunks of beef, braised to perfection
- Must luxurious, velvety red wine sauce, great for date night, weekend company or holiday gatherings
- Easy, speedy streamlined version without compromising flavor
- So good over mashed potatoes and crusty bread for sopping
what exactly is beef bourguignon
Similar to its sister dish, coq au vin, beef bourguignon (also known as beef Burgundy) is a classic French stew made with braised beef, garlic, onions, carrots, mushrooms and bacon in a rich red wine sauce. Beef bourguignon is often served with boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes or pasta.
beef bourguignon versus beef stew
While both beef bourguignon and beef stew are very similar, the main difference is the presence of red wine in the dish. Beef stew is typically made with little to no wine, whereas beef bourguignon uses substantially more with some recipes using a full bottle of wine.
tips and tricks for success
- Use a heavy pot. A heavy bottom pot, such as a Dutch oven, is ideal here for slow cooking and even heat distribution.
- Use top sirloin steak. Using sirloin instead of the traditional chuck roast not only saves time, but it is a cut of meat that is much more leaner than chuck roast.
- Sear the meat. Searing the steak over medium high heat will add all the extra, deeper flavors here, sealing all the juices inside.
- Choose a wine you will drink. A dry red wine (cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or merlot) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your dish. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety.
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are ideal here, delivering the best kind of flavor.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
- Leftovers are even better. Similar to lasagna, beef bourguignon tastes even better with time, giving the flavors a chance to meld and intensify even more.
- Reheat over low heat. Skim and discard any fat off the surface, reheating over low heat on the stovetop until warmed through.
what to serve with Beef Bourguignon
Easy Beef Bourguignon: Frequently Asked Questions
A red burgundy (a pinot noir) is a popular choice of wine for beef bourguignon. Cabernet sauvignon and merlot are also great options.
Additional beef stock can be used for red wine as a non-alcoholic substitute. Stock will be less acidic and more mild in flavor than red wine.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Leftovers can be reheated on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 20-30 minutes.
Beef bourguignon is very much freezer-friendly. You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 2 pounds top sirloin steak, diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups dry red wine
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
for the mushroom onion mixture
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving excess fat in the Dutch oven.
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Season steak with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
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Working in batches, add steak to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 6-8 minutes; set aside.
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Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
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Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Whisk in flour and tomato paste until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
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Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven.
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Stir in beef stock, thyme and bay leaves. Return steak to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until flavors have blended and stew has thickened, about 30 minutes.
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Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in mushroom onion mixture, bacon and parsley until warmed through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
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Serve immediately.
for the mushroom onion mixture
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Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5-6 minutes.
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Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.