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A rustic bowl of French beef bourguignon with tender beef, mushrooms, pearl onions, carrots, and crusty bread.

Classic French Beef Bourguignon

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Tender beef braised in red wine with bacon, mushrooms, pearl onions, carrots, and herbs.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Calories: 690
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
 
 

Stew
  • 2 lb beef chuck cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 4 oz thick-cut bacon diced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 2 medium carrots cut into chunks
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 pieces bay leaves
  • 1 tsp fine salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
Garnish
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms quartered
  • 1 cup pearl onions peeled
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Equipment

  • Dutch oven
  • Large skillet
  • Tongs
  • Wooden spoon
  • Fine-mesh strainer

Method
 

Brown the beef:
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C). Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp; transfer it to a plate.
  2. Brown the beef in the bacon fat in batches, adding the olive oil if needed. Transfer the beef to the plate.
Build the braise:
  1. Cook the onion and carrots in the pot until lightly browned. Add the garlic and flour and stir for 1 minute.
  2. Pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits. Add the stock, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, bacon, and beef. Bring to a simmer.
  3. Cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender.
Finish and serve:
  1. Sauté the mushrooms and pearl onions in a skillet until browned and tender. Stir them into the finished stew and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
  2. Remove the bay leaves, adjust the seasoning, scatter with parsley, and serve hot with bread or potatoes.

Nutrition

Calories: 690kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 52gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 920mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8g

Notes

  • Dry the beef thoroughly before browning for better color.
  • The stew should barely simmer in the oven, not boil hard.
  • Make it one day ahead for an even deeper sauce.