Slow cooked beef bourguignon is a rich, comforting French-style dinner with tender beef chuck, smoky bacon, red wine, carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions simmered into a deeply savory sauce. Long oven braising makes it reliable, hearty, and ideal for a relaxed weekend meal or special dinner.
This is the kind of dish worth making when you want dinner to feel a little more special without relying on complicated techniques. Most of the flavor comes from patiently browning the beef, building the sauce in the same pot, and then allowing the oven to handle the long, gentle cooking.
The combination of bacon, beef, Burgundy-style red wine, tomato paste, garlic, and herbs creates layers of savory flavor, while carrots, cremini mushrooms, and pearl onions make every serving substantial. By adding the mushrooms and pearl onions later, they keep more of their shape instead of disappearing into the stew.
It also works particularly well for entertaining because the stew benefits from resting before serving. Once the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has settled, you have a hearty one-pot main course that pairs beautifully with potatoes, bread, or another simple side.
Slow Cooked Beef Bourguignon Ingredients
You do not need an unusually long ingredient list to build a full-flavored bourguignon, but each component plays an important part in creating the finished sauce.
- Beef chuck: A well-marbled braising cut that becomes exceptionally tender after several hours in the oven.
- Bacon: Adds smoky, savory flavor while providing rendered fat for browning the beef.
- Red wine or Burgundy: Forms the flavorful backbone of the braising liquid and helps loosen all the browned bits from the pot.
- Beef broth and bouillon base: Reinforce the beef flavor and provide enough liquid for a generous sauce.
- Yellow onion: Creates a sweet, savory aromatic base as it cooks.
- Carrots: Add mild sweetness and a tender vegetable component to the finished stew.
- Garlic: Brings aromatic depth without overpowering the wine sauce.
- Tomato paste: Concentrates the savory flavor and adds body to the braising liquid.
- All-purpose flour: Helps thicken the cooking liquid into a richer sauce.
- Fresh thyme and bay leaves: Give the stew its classic herbal background.
- Unsalted butter: Used for both the aromatic vegetables and the mushroom garnish.
- Cremini mushrooms: Bring an earthy flavor and meaty texture that works naturally with beef.
- Pearl onions: Add small bursts of sweetness and give the finished stew its traditional hearty appearance.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: Season the beef, vegetables, and finished sauce throughout cooking.
How to Make This Slow Cooked Beef Bourguignon
STEP 1: Heat your oven to 350°F. Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp and enough fat has rendered to coat the bottom of the pot. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the flavorful fat behind.
STEP 2: Pat the beef cubes very dry before seasoning them generously with salt and black pepper. Brown the beef in batches in the hot bacon fat, giving each piece enough room to make direct contact with the pot. Transfer the browned beef to a plate as you work.
STEP 3: Melt some of the butter in the Dutch oven and add the diced onion and carrots. Cook briefly until the vegetables begin to soften and pick up a little color. Stir in the garlic, followed by the tomato paste, and allow the paste to cook for a couple of minutes to deepen its flavor.
STEP 4: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and stir continuously until it is incorporated and no longer smells raw. Pour in the red wine, scraping firmly across the bottom of the pot to release all the browned bits left from the bacon, beef, and vegetables.
STEP 5: Stir in the beef broth and bouillon base, then return the browned beef and cooked bacon to the pot. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, cover the Dutch oven, and transfer it to the oven for about 2 1/2 hours.
STEP 6: While the beef braises, melt the remaining butter in a skillet and brown the quartered cremini mushrooms. Avoid stirring them immediately so they can develop good color. Add the drained pearl onions and continue cooking for several more minutes, then season the mixture lightly.
STEP 7: After the initial braise, carefully remove the Dutch oven and fold the browned mushrooms and pearl onions into the stew. Cover again and return the pot to the oven for another 45–60 minutes, or until the beef can be easily separated with a fork.
STEP 8: Rest the covered bourguignon for about 30 minutes before serving. Skim excess fat from the surface if necessary, remove the herb stems and bay leaves, then taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper before spooning everything into bowls.
What to Serve with Beef Bourguignon
Because the wine sauce is one of the highlights of this dish, choose a side that can soak it up rather than competing with it.
- Creamy mashed potatoes: Their mild, buttery flavor is an ideal base for the tender beef and red wine sauce.
- Crusty bread: A simple baguette or rustic loaf makes it easy to enjoy every bit of sauce left in the bowl.
- Buttered egg noodles: A good option when you want something a little lighter than mashed potatoes while still making the meal filling.
Why is my beef bourguignon meat still tough?
Beef chuck becomes tender only after its connective tissue has had enough time to break down. If the pieces are still firm after the suggested cooking time, they usually need more braising rather than less. Keep the pot covered and continue cooking until the beef yields easily when tested with a fork.
Can I make beef bourguignon ahead of time?
Yes. This is an excellent make-ahead dish because the flavors continue to blend as it rests. Prepare the stew, cool it properly, and refrigerate it. Reheat it slowly before serving, adding a small splash of broth if the sauce has thickened more than you prefer.
What kind of red wine works for beef bourguignon?
Use a dry, full-bodied red wine that you would be comfortable drinking. Burgundy is traditional, but another dry red with enough flavor to stand up to the beef works well. Avoid unusually sweet wines, since they can make the finished sauce taste noticeably sweeter.
Do I have to brown the beef first?
Browning is strongly recommended. The caramelized surface of the beef and the browned residue left in the Dutch oven create much of the stew’s deep savory flavor. Adding raw beef directly to the liquid will still cook it, but the finished bourguignon will have less complexity.
Can I use dried bay leaves instead of fresh?
Yes. Fresh bay leaves have a somewhat softer, more delicate character, but dried bay leaves work well in a long braise. Because dried leaves can be more concentrated, you may prefer using slightly less depending on their size and strength.
Pro Tips for Slow Cooked Beef Bourguignon
- Dry the beef thoroughly. Moisture on the surface encourages steaming, while dry beef develops a much better brown crust.
- Do not overcrowd the Dutch oven. Searing the chuck in several batches gives you better caramelization and a richer sauce.
- Brown the mushrooms separately. Cooking them in a skillet before adding them to the stew gives them better texture and keeps their flavor from becoming diluted during the long initial braise.
Keeping Leftovers Fresh
Let leftover bourguignon cool before transferring it to airtight containers. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. The sauce may become noticeably thicker once chilled because the fat and gelatin from the beef firm up, which is completely normal.
For longer storage, freeze the cooled stew in freezer-safe containers for up to about 3 months. Leave a little space at the top of each container for expansion. Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator before reheating whenever possible.
For the gentlest reheating, place the bourguignon in a covered saucepan or Dutch oven over low to medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until the beef and sauce are hot throughout. If the refrigerated sauce is too thick, loosen it with a small amount of beef broth.
Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave. Heat in shorter intervals and stir between each one so the sauce warms evenly without overheating the tender pieces of beef.
Slow Cooked Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
For the Beef Stew
- 2 cups full-bodied red wine or Burgundy wine
- 5 garlic cloves finely minced
- 3 large carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 1/2 pounds beef chuck divided into 2-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon base
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 bay leaves preferably fresh
- 5 strips bacon sliced into 1-inch sections
- 2 cups beef broth
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 yellow onion diced into approximately 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Kosher salt as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper as needed
For the Mushroom and Pearl Onion Garnish
- 10 ounces pearl onions thawed and thoroughly drained
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms quartered into roughly 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the bacon pieces in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or braising pot. Cook over medium-high heat for approximately 5–7 minutes, or until crisp and the fat has rendered.
- Lift out the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve it for later, keeping the rendered bacon fat in the pot.
- Blot the beef cubes thoroughly with paper towels. Season all sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Sear the beef in batches in the hot bacon fat, taking care not to overcrowd the pot. Brown each batch well on all sides, allowing approximately 3–4 minutes per batch.
- Transfer each browned portion of beef to a plate. The meat does not need to cook through at this stage; the purpose is to establish a deeply caramelized exterior.
- Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the same pot and allow it to melt and begin foaming.
- Stir in the diced yellow onion and chopped carrots. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring periodically, until the vegetables soften slightly and begin developing color.
- Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for approximately 1 minute, just until aromatic.
- Mix in the tomato paste and cook for another 2–3 minutes, stirring as it lightly caramelizes against the bottom of the pot.
- Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables. Stir continuously for 2–3 minutes to remove the raw flour flavor and form the thickening base for the sauce.
- Pour the Burgundy or other full-bodied red wine into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned caramelized residue from the bottom, incorporating it thoroughly into the liquid.
- Add the beef broth and beef bouillon base, stirring until combined.
- Return the seared beef and reserved crisp bacon to the pot. Add the fresh thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover securely with a tight-fitting lid and transfer the pot to the preheated 350°F oven.
- Keep the beef covered and braise it in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
- During the braising period, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the butter is foaming, arrange the quartered cremini mushrooms in the skillet. Leave them undisturbed for 3–4 minutes so that a golden crust develops.
- Stir the mushrooms and continue sautéing until browned on all sides, for approximately 5–7 minutes total cooking time.
- Add the thawed and drained pearl onions. Cook the mushrooms and onions together for another 5 minutes, then lightly season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and reserve the mushroom and onion mixture.
- After the beef has braised for 2 1/2 hours, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven.
- Gently fold the sautéed cremini mushrooms and pearl onions into the stew, distributing them evenly throughout the braising liquid.
- Cover the pot again and return it to the 350°F oven for an additional 45–60 minutes. Continue cooking until the beef is exceptionally tender when tested with a fork and the mushrooms and onions have absorbed the flavors of the sauce.
- Remove the finished beef bourguignon from the oven and leave it covered at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- During this resting period, the sauce will settle and excess fat may rise to the surface. Skim away any unwanted surface fat if desired.
- Taste the braising liquid and adjust the seasoning with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as necessary.
- Serve the beef bourguignon with generous portions of tender beef, carrots, mushrooms, pearl onions, bacon, and the rich red wine sauce.