Hearty French Country Beef Bourguignon Recipe with Soul

Beef bourguignon simmers with rich, hearty flavors that transport you straight to the French countryside.

Generations of home cooks have cherished this classic stew for its deep, comforting essence.

Tender chunks of beef melt into a robust red wine sauce, creating a symphony of taste and texture.

Slow-cooked with care, this dish reveals layers of complex flavors that dance across your palate.

Herbs and vegetables intertwine, transforming simple ingredients into a culinary masterpiece.

Each spoonful tells a story of traditional French cooking and rustic elegance.

Let this beef bourguignon become the star of your next family dinner, promising warmth and satisfaction in every delectable bite.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Calories: 480 kcal

Servings: 6

Ingredients for Homemade Beef Bourguignon

• Beef Chuck: Rich, marbled cut perfect for slow braising, providing deep flavor and tender texture.
• Bacon: Adds smoky complexity and renders delicious fat for initial sautéing.

• Yellow Onions: Sweet foundation that caramelizes beautifully during slow cooking.
• Carrots: Brings natural sweetness and earthy undertones to the stew.
• Garlic: Intense flavor booster that infuses the entire dish with aromatic depth.
• Fresh Thyme: Classic herb that provides subtle, woodsy notes characteristic of French cuisine.
• Bay Leaf: Delivers gentle herbal background flavor during long simmering process.

• Red Wine: Burgundy style wine creates luxurious, rich braising liquid with complex flavor profile.
• Beef Stock: Intensifies meaty essence and provides necessary cooking liquid for tender meat.
• Tomato Paste: Adds subtle acidity and deepens overall color of the bourguignon.
• Salt and Black Pepper: Essential seasonings for enhancing and balancing entire dish's taste.
• All-Purpose Flour: Light coating helps beef brown perfectly and slightly thickens sauce.

Tools for Crafting a Cozy Beef Bourguignon at Home

• Dutch Oven or Deep Pot: Large, heavy-bottomed cookware essential for browning meat and simmering the stew.
• Paper Towels: Used to pat beef dry before seasoning, ensuring better browning.
• Cutting Board: Needed for preparing and handling beef before cooking.
• Chef's Knife: Sharp knife for trimming and cutting beef into cubes.
• Tongs: Perfect for safely turning and moving beef while searing.
• Wooden Spoon or Spatula: Great for stirring and managing ingredients during cooking process.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons: Help measure flour, salt, and pepper accurately.

Step-by-Step Guide to Beef Bourguignon Comfort

• Prep the Meat

Pat beef completely dry, ensuring no excess moisture remains. Generously season with salt and pepper to enhance flavor profile.

• Brown the Beef

Heat a combination of olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven until sizzling. Carefully place beef pieces into the hot pan, creating a golden-brown crust by searing each side for 2-3 minutes. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding and achieve perfect caramelization.

• Create Flavor Foundation

Remove beautifully browned meat and set aside. The delicious brown bits stuck to the pan bottom will become the secret weapon for an incredibly rich sauce.

• Sauté Aromatics

In the same pan, gently cook chopped onions, garlic, and carrots until they soften and release their wonderful fragrance. These vegetables will form the flavor base of your classic French stew.

• Deglaze and Build Sauce

Pour red wine into the pan, scraping up all those delectable browned bits from the bottom. Add beef broth, tomato paste, and herbs to create a deeply complex cooking liquid.

• Combine and Simmer

Return seared beef to the pot, nestling the pieces into the flavorful sauce. Cover and transfer to a preheated oven, allowing everything to slowly cook and meld together for maximum deliciousness.

• Finish and Serve

Remove from oven when beef is meltingly tender. Rest briefly before serving to allow flavors to settle and sauce to thicken naturally.

Cooking Tweaks for a Deeper Beef Bourguignon Flavor

• Beef Perfection Hack: Invest in a high-quality, well-marbled beef cut like chuck roast to ensure maximum tenderness and rich flavor during slow cooking.
• Low-Carb Friendly Twist: Replace traditional flour dredging with almond flour or omit entirely for a gluten-free version that maintains the dish's classic taste profile.
• Wine Selection Magic: Choose a robust Burgundy or Pinot Noir for authentic flavor, but budget-friendly dry red wines work wonderfully if you're watching your spending.
• Make-Ahead Meal Prep: This stew tastes even better the next day, so prepare it in advance and gently reheat for an incredibly deep, developed flavor that'll impress dinner guests.
• Vegetarian Transformation: Swap beef with hearty mushrooms like portobello or a plant-based meat alternative, keeping the same cooking technique and red wine braising method for a delicious vegetarian adaptation.

How to Plate and Pair Beef Bourguignon Like a Pro

• Rustic Dinner Centerpiece: Serve this rich beef bourguignon as the star of a cozy family dinner, placing the hearty stew in a large ceramic dish for a stunning presentation.
• Wine Pairing Perfection: Complement the deep flavors with a robust red Burgundy wine like Pinot Noir, which mirrors the recipe's classic French origins and enhances the meat's depth.
• Accompaniment Elegance: Nestle the beef bourguignon over creamy mashed potatoes, buttery egg noodles, or crusty French bread to soak up the luxurious sauce and create a complete meal experience.
• Gourmet Garnish Touch: Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley or thyme on top just before serving to add a bright, herbal note that cuts through the stew's richness and provides a fresh visual contrast.

Save, Store, and Reheat Your Beef Bourguignon

• Smart Refrigeration Strategy: Store beef bourguignon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, allowing flavors to deepen and meld beautifully.
• Freezing Magic: Portion cooled stew into freezer-safe containers, which can maintain quality for 2-3 months without losing rich taste or tender meat texture.
• Reheating Wisdom: Gently warm leftovers in a covered pot over low heat, adding splash of beef broth to restore moisture and prevent meat from drying out.
• Prep-Ahead Brilliance: Chop vegetables and prepare beef one day ahead, then complete cooking process next day to enhance depth of flavor and reduce day-of kitchen stress.

Rustic Homemade Beef Bourguignon Recipe

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4.5 from 39 reviews

• Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 7 1x

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Description

Hearty beef bourguignon from France combines tender meat, red wine, and aromatic herbs in a classic slow-cooked stew. Rich flavors meld together, creating a comforting dish you’ll savor with crusty bread and good company.

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Ingredients

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• 2 lbs (900g) beef chuck or stewing beef
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 ½ cups beef broth
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 carrots
• 1 cup pearl onions or small shallots
• 2 cups cremini or button mushrooms
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 2 tbsps butter
• 2 tbsps tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Fresh parsley, chopped

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Instructions

1. Meat Preparation: Meticulously pat beef dry with kitchen towels, ensuring surface moisture is eliminated for perfect caramelization and intense flavor development.
2. Seasoning and Coating: Generously season beef with salt and pepper, then delicately dust with flour to create a sublime golden crust that seals in succulent juices.
3. Searing Technique: Heat olive oil and butter in a robust cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat, creating a sizzling landscape for transforming meat’s exterior.
4. Browning Process: Strategically arrange beef pieces in a single layer, allowing each cut to develop a rich, mahogany-colored crust without overcrowding the cooking surface.
5. Flavor Foundation: Extract the deeply concentrated caramelized bits from the pan, preserving the intricate flavor profile that will elevate the entire culinary experience.
6. Vegetable Integration: Gently introduce pearl onions, sliced mushrooms, and diced bacon into the same vessel, allowing them to absorb the residual meat essences and develop a profound aromatic base.
7. Liquid Infusion: Pour red wine, beef broth, and tomato paste, creating a luxurious braising liquid that will tenderize the meat and marry all ingredients into a harmonious symphony of flavors.
8. Slow Cooking Transformation: Cover and transfer the Dutch oven to a preheated 325°F oven, allowing the beef to slowly simmer and become meltingly tender over approximately 2-3 hours.
9. Final Refinement: Uncover during the last 30 minutes of cooking to concentrate flavors and allow the sauce to reach a velvety, rich consistency that clings beautifully to the meat.

Notes

• Moisture Management: Blot beef cuts thoroughly with kitchen towels to remove excess water, ensuring perfect browning and preventing steaming instead of searing.
• Seasoning Strategy: Use kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper generously, then dust with a light flour coating to create a delectable golden crust and enhance flavor absorption.
• Searing Technique: Maintain medium-high heat with olive oil and butter in a heavy cast-iron pot, arranging meat in a single layer without overcrowding to achieve optimal caramelization.
• Flavor Foundation: Preserve the fond (browned bits) in the cooking vessel, as these concentrated drippings are crucial for developing deep, rich flavor complexity in the final dish.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Searing
• Cuisine: French

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 7
• Calories: 470
• Sugar: 4 g
• Sodium: 780 mg
• Fat: 26 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Carbohydrates: 32 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 30 g
• Cholesterol: 85 mg