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    Published December 6, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    This tasty French Boeuf Bourguignon is loaded with vegetables and braised chunks of beef in a seasoned red wine beef broth for the ultimate gathering meal. I love everything about this hearty classic stew and feel you will.

    I don’t eat meat too often, but if I do, I make sure it’s loaded with flavor. If you’re similar to me, check out my Steak au Poivre or Salisbury Steak.

    casserole dish of cooked beef with herbs, mushrooms and carrots

    Boeuf Bourguignon

    Boeuf Bourguignon is a French dish of beef braised in red wine and cooked with mushrooms and other vegetables. Bourguignon is a term which means as prepared in Burgundy. It is essentially a very hearty beef stew.

    It was invented by the father of modern-day cookery, August Escoffier. He created and published the dish in the early 20th century, and as it evolved, it went from peasant food to an elegant recipe served at fine dining restaurants worldwide.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Beef – You can use beef chuck, round, top Sirloin, bottom round, or strip sirloin.
    • Bacon – I used regular-cut smoked bacon. You can also use thick-cut bacon or pancetta.
    • Flour – You will need all-purpose flour to coat the beef before cooking and to help create the roux.
    • Wine – Any good French red wine, like Bordeaux, cote de Rhone, or Beaujolais, will work in this dish.
    • Stock Beef stock or brodo is good in this recipe.
    • Herbs – I used a combination of fresh thyme, parsley, and bay leaves. You can substitute with 2 teaspoons of dry thyme and 1 tablespoon of dry parsley.
    • Celery – This is used as part of the vegetables with the beef.
    • Carrots – Large-cut carrots add a lot of flavor to this dish.
    • Onion – I used a yellow onion and garlic cloves. However, you can substitute the yellow onion with a red, white, or sweet.
    • Mushrooms – You will need button mushrooms. Substitute with baby Bellas.
    • Potatoes – Baby red or yellow potatoes are best to use.
    • Fat – Feel free to use olive or avocado oil, ghee, lard, beef tallow, or clarified butter.

    How to Make Boeuf Bourguignon

    Add the bacon to a large Dutch oven pot over medium heat and cook until crispy brown. Set the bacon lardons aside.

    cooked bacon

    While the bacon is cooking, mix ½ cup of flour with salt and pepper in a small bowl and lightly dredge the cubed beef in it.

    coating beef in flour

    Immediately add the beef to the pot with the bacon fat and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. It’s ok to do it in batches.

    cooking beef

    Remove the meat and add 4 tablespoons of flour to the leftover bacon fat in the pot until a roux is formed. Add the beef, add the wine, and cook over low heat. The mixture should get very thick.

    beef in wine

    Add the beef stock, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, cooked bacon, salt, and pepper. Mix, cover, and simmer on low heat for 2 hours.

    pot with stock and herbs

    With about 45 minutes left in the cooking process, add the oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrots, onions, garlic, and mushrooms and caramelize the vegetables until browned, about 6-8 minutes.

    cooking vegetables in a pan

    Transfer the vegetables to the Dutch oven pot, cover it, and cook it for 35 minutes more. Garnish the Boeuf Bourguignon with chopped parsley and serve alongside optional boiled, buttered, and seasoned baby potatoes.

    Boeuf Bourguignon in a serving dish

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 1 hour ahead of time. Keep it warm, covered over very low heat.

    How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw for 1 whole day before reheating.

    How to Reheat: Add your desired portion to a small pot and cook over low heat until hot. Be sure to stir occasionally.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    chef notes + tips

    • In a classic recipe, the cut of beef needs to be lean, so if you have a favorite cut of beef that is leaner, I would recommend using it.
    • When making the roux, scraping up all the browned goodness stuck to the bottom of the pan is important. That “stuff” is called fond and has lots of flavor.
    • I don’t add vegetables at the beginning because they tend to turn overly soft and mushy, and I like my vegetables to be a bit firmer than that, so I add them in at the end.
    • Beef burgundy is the same recipe as Boeuf Bourguignon. Boeuf Bourguignon got its name because of its recipe roots in the Burgundy region in France. 
    • Add the optional potatoes to a pot of boiling salted water and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender. Strain and toss with 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter—season with coarse salt and pepper.

    More Beef Recipes

    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    Delicious Classic Beef Bourguignon Recipe

    5 from 20 votes
    This Boeuf Bourguignon is loaded with vegetables and braised chunks of beef in a seasoned red wine beef broth for the ultimate gathering meal.
    Servings: 8
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

    Ingredients 

    • 8 strips of chopped-up bacon
    • 3 pounds beef round trimmed of fat and cut into 1 1/2” to 2” cubes
    • ½ cup + 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ cups Bordeaux or cote du Rhone wine
    • 6 cups beef stock
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 10 sprigs of fresh thyme
    • 1 small bunch of parsley
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 4 ribs of celery cut into 1” pieces
    • 4 peeled carrots cut into 1” pieces
    • 1 peeled and large diced yellow onion
    • 2 finely minced cloves of garlic
    • 3 cups button mushrooms
    • 2 pounds boiled baby potatoes tossed in butter, salt and pepper
    • sea salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Add the bacon to a large Dutch oven pot over medium heat and cook until crispy brown. Set the bacon lardons aside.
    • While the bacon is cooking, mix ½ cup of flour with salt and pepper in a small bowl and lightly dredge the cubed beef in it.
    • Immediately add the beef to the pot with the bacon fat and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. It’s ok to do it in batches.
    • Remove the meat and add 4 tablespoons of flour to the leftover bacon fat in the pot until a roux is formed.
    • Add the beef, add the wine, and cook over low heat. The mixture should get very thick.
    • Add the beef stock, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, cooked bacon, salt, and pepper. Mix, cover, and simmer on low heat for 2 hours.
    • With about 45 minutes left in the cooking process, add the oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
    • Add celery, carrots, onions, garlic, and mushrooms and caramelize the vegetables until browned, about 6-8 minutes.
    • Transfer the vegetables to the Dutch oven pot, cover it, and cook it for 35 minutes more.
    • Garnish the Boeuf Bourguignon with chopped parsley and serve alongside boiled, buttered, and seasoned baby potatoes.

    Notes

    Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 1 hour ahead of time. Keep it warm, covered over very low heat.
    How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw for 1 whole day before reheating.
    How to Reheat: Add your desired portion to a small pot and cook over low heat until hot. Be sure to stir occasionally.
    In a classic recipe, the cut of beef needs to be lean, so if you have a favorite cut of beef that is leaner, I would recommend using it.
    When making the roux, scraping up all the browned goodness stuck to the bottom of the pan is important. That “stuff” is called fond and has lots of flavor.
    I don’t add vegetables at the beginning because they tend to turn overly soft and mushy, and I like my vegetables to be a bit firmer than that, so I add them in at the end.
    Beef burgundy is the same recipe as Boeuf Bourguignon. Boeuf Bourguignon got its name because of its recipe roots in the Burgundy region in France.
    Add the optional potatoes to a pot of boiling salted water and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender. Strain and toss with 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter—season with coarse salt and pepper.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4gCalories: 570kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 49gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 646mgPotassium: 1791mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 5263IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 6mg
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: French

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