Name: Beef Bourguignon
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 155 min
Total time: 190 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1100 g boneless beef chuck, cut into 4 cm / 1 1/2-inch cubes — About 2 1/2 lb.; 115 g thick-cut bacon, diced — About 4 oz.; 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp neutral oil; 1 yellow onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 500 ml dry red wine; 475 ml low-sodium beef broth; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 bay leaves; 225 g cremini mushrooms, halved; 225 g pearl onions, peeled; 2 carrots, cut into chunks; 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Before you start

What this method is trying to achieve

Beef bourguignon rewards staged cooking. Browning the meat builds flavor, low oven heat tenderizes chuck, and the mushrooms and pearl onions go in late enough to keep their identity while the wine-rich sauce concentrates.

Success looks like

Know the target before you cook

Beef should be fork-tender without shredding to dryness, vegetables should hold their shape, and the red-wine sauce should coat each piece with no watery layer at the bottom.

Ingredients

What you need

Beef

1100 g boneless beef chuck, cut into 4 cm / 1 1/2-inch cubes — About 2 1/2 lb.

Pork

115 g thick-cut bacon, diced — About 4 oz.

Seasoning

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

Browning

1 tbsp neutral oil

Aromatics

1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced

Base

2 tbsp tomato paste
500 ml dry red wine
475 ml low-sodium beef broth

Thickening

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Herbs

4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Vegetables

225 g cremini mushrooms, halved
225 g pearl onions, peeled
2 carrots, cut into chunks

Finish

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

Cook by the cues, not just the clock

Render bacon and brown beef

Render the bacon in a Dutch oven and remove it. Pat the beef dry, season it, and brown in batches in the rendered fat plus a little oil as needed.
Critical cueDo not crowd the pot; each batch should make dark fond rather than release a pool of water.

Build the wine base

Cook onion and garlic, then tomato paste. Stir in flour, add red wine and scrape the pot thoroughly. Add broth, thyme, bay, beef and bacon.
Critical cueThe flour should be dispersed before the liquid reaches a simmer so the sauce thickens evenly.

Braise low and slow

Cover and braise in a 325°F / 165°C oven until the beef is close to fork-tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Critical cueJudge by resistance, not color; the beef should yield when pressed with a fork.

Add vegetables late

Add carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions and continue cooking until they are tender and the beef is fully yielding, about 35 to 45 minutes.
Critical cueLate additions keep the vegetables recognizable instead of dissolving into the sauce.

Finish sauce

Remove thyme and bay. If the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered on the stovetop until glossy and coating; skim excess surface fat and finish with parsley.
Critical cueThe final sauce should cling to the beef. Free thin liquid pooling in the bowl means it still needs reduction.

Critical checkpoints

Stop here and check

other

After browning: deep fond present?

The pot has browned residue and the beef has dark seared faces.

Brown in batches and let moisture cook off before moving on.

texture

Before vegetables finish: fork-tender beef?

A fork enters and twists with little resistance while pieces remain moist.

Continue the braise if connective tissue still feels tight.

other

Before serving: sauce glossy or watery?

The sauce coats beef, mushrooms and onions instead of separating into thin liquid.

Use CookClue beef-stew-too-thin-or-watery if the bourguignon remains loose.

If yours looks different

Route the failure before changing the recipe

The bourguignon meat is tender but the red-wine cooking liquid remains thin and watery.Bourguignon sauce too thin? Use the beef-stew watery diagnosis to separate reduction and thickener causes.

Why Is My Beef Stew Too Thin or Watery?

After cooking

Storage, reheating & substitutions

Storage

Cool promptly and refrigerate covered for up to 4 days; the flavor and sauce body often deepen after chilling.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a covered pot. If the sauce is too thick, add a small splash of broth; if thin, finish uncovered.

Substitutions

Use beef chuck for the intended braising texture. A dry Pinot Noir or other dry red wine can be used; for an alcohol-free version, use extra beef broth and accept a different flavor profile.

Evidence

Sources & methodology

Technical claims and method decisions are tied to sources. Recipe-specific advice is not presented as a universal food-science law.

Beef BourguignonFood Network
Food Network identifies beef bourguignon as a red-wine beef stew and uses chuck in a long slow-cooked preparation.
publisherPassage verified
15 Easy, Delicious Dinners You Can Make With Budget-Friendly Beef ChuckSerious Eats
Serious Eats highlights beef chuck for braising and stewing and includes boeuf bourguignon as a classic use of the cut.
publisherPassage verified