Beef Bourguignon is one of the great classics of French country cooking. It’s the kind of meal that would have been slowly simmering on a farmhouse stove or served in a neighborhood bistro on a cool evening in Burgundy. While some versions can be quite elaborate, the heart of the dish is surprisingly simple: good beef, red wine, vegetables, and patience.

Julia Child introduced generations of Americans to Beef Bourguignon, and her recipe remains a masterpiece. Over the years, however, I’ve adapted it into a version that’s a little more approachable for the home cook while preserving everything that makes the dish special.

One lesson I learned after making this countless times is not to rush the mushrooms and pearl onions. Years ago I often stirred them directly into the stew, but taking the extra step to brown them separately before adding them at the end creates deeper flavor and much better texture. It’s a small detail that makes a noticeable difference.

Roussillon, Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, France

Here’s some other French bistro classics:

A wonderful braised chicken dish, Delicious French Fricassee: A Simplified Recipe

Or, who can resist the French classic, Coq au Vin: A Bistro Favorite Made Simple

My favorite way to prepare steak, Perfectly Cooked Steak au Poivre Recipe

Or a unique Georgian dish very influenced by French techniques, Georgian Shkmeruli: Garlic Chicken in a Creamy Sauce

Or a seafood classic from the south of France, Traditional Bouillabaisse-French Seafood Stew

My favorite once week dish, Simple Roasted Chicken Recipe: A French Classic

And some of the best potatoes you’ll ever eat, How to Make Perfect Sarladaise Potatoes

Looking for a list of recipes I come back to again and again, My Favorite Recipes

Ingredients 

4- 5 lbs Beef Chuck cubed

1 bottle Red Wine, Pinot Noir is ideal. 

2 Tbsp Oil

1/3 lb Bacon, pancetta or pork belly.

1 Onion, sliced

2 cups Baby Carrots 

2 cloves Garlic, smashed

1 Shallot, sliced

Salt and Pepper 

2 Tbsp Flour

1 Tbsp Tomato Paste

2 tsp Thyme, dried. 

2 Bay Leaves

1 1/2 cups Pearl Onions, peeled, left whole 

4 cups Mushrooms, left whole if small

2 Tbsp Demi-Glacé – Optional, but great addition if you have some on hand. Learn how to make this at the Cooking School page.

Preparation:

Prep your meat and pour in your bottle of wine and allow to marinade 8 hours up to overnight. Drain the meat, pat the meat dry, reserving the wine. 

Blanch the bacon or pork belly in simmering water for 15 minutes, drain, remove and pat dry. This is only really necessary if the bacon is smoked. Using pancetta will eliminate this step. 

Heat the oil and render down the bacon and remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.

Preheat oven to 325F/163C. Salt and pepper the beef cubes and sear on all sides and remove from the pan and set aside. 

Add in the sliced onions, baby carrots, garlic, shallots and cook until slightly softened. Add in the flour and stir until incorporated and it takes on a slightly golden color. You want it to lose its rawness. 

Then add bay leaves, thyme, tomato paste and the retained red wine. Stir and incorporate and then add back the beef and bacon. Cook covered in the oven, for 3 hours. 

After 3 hours sauté the mushrooms and pearl onions in a tablespoon of butter, until they begin to caramelize, then remove the beef from the oven and add them into the pot and continue cooking uncovered for another hour.

Serve with potatoes, French fries or noodles. 

This article is part of The Pasadena Chef Cooking School. Explore more cooking lessons, techniques, and ingredient guides here. The Pasadena Chef Cooking School

Classic French Beef Stew with Red Wine

Beef Bourguignon is a classic of the French bistro menu. It’s the food your grandmere would make. Some recipes are very complicated, but if you strip it down to the essential elements, it’s manageable. 

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Prep Time 8 hours hrs

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Servings: 6

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 4- 5 lbs Beef Chuck cubed
• 1 bottle Red Wine Pinot Noir is ideal.
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 1/3 lb Bacon pancetta or pork belly.
• 1 Onion sliced
• 2 cups Baby Carrots
• 2 cloves Garlic smashed
• 1 Shallot sliced
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 tsp Thyme dried.
• 2 Bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups Pearl Onions peeled, left whole
• 4 cups Mushrooms left whole if small.

Equipment

• Oven Proof Pot

Method

 

1. Prep your meat and pour in your bottle of wine and allow to marinade 8 hours up to overnight. Drain the meat, pat the meat dry, reserving the wine.
2. Blanch the bacon or pork belly in simmering water for 15 minutes, drain, remove and pat dry. This is only really necessary if the bacon is smoked. Using pancetta will eliminate this step.
3. Heat the oil and render down the bacon and remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.
4. Preheat oven to 325F/163C. Salt and pepper the beef cubes and sear on all sides and remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Add in the sliced onions, baby carrots, garlic, shallots and cook until slightly softened. Add in the flour and stir until incorporated and it takes on a slightly golden color. You want it to lose its rawness.
6. Then add bay leaves, thyme, tomato paste and the retained red wine. Stir and incorporate and then add back the beef and bacon. Cook covered in the oven, for 3 hours.
7. After 3 hours sauté the mushrooms and pearl onions in a tablespoon of butter, until they begin to caramelize, then remove the beef from the oven and add them into the pot and continue cooking uncovered for another hour.
8. Serve with potatoes, French fries or noodles.

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