French Beef Stew (Boeuf Bourguignon)

Name: French Beef Stew (Boeuf Bourguignon)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 120 min
Ingredients: Light olive oil or peanut oil; 12 oz thick applewood smoked bacon (diced); 3 lbs chuck beef (trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes); 1 lb carrots (peeled and cut into chunks or coins); 2 yellow onions (thinly sliced); 10 cloves chopped garlic; 1/2 cup Cognac; 2 cups good Pinot Noir (or other good quality dry red); 2 1/2 - 3 cups low sodium beef broth; 2 TB tomato paste; 1 tsp dried thyme; 4 TB room temp butter; 3 TB flour; 1 lb frozen pearl onions (whole); 1 lb fresh button or cremini mushrooms (thickly sliced); 3 bay leaves; kosher salt and black pepper; chopped fresh parsley for garnish

This French beef stew is straightforward and tastes like none other. We’ve simplified the instructions, while retaining the same classic flavors of famous Boeuf Bourguignon.

Published December 7, 2021
26 ratings
50 comments
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French Beef Stew Boeuf Bourguignon — Boeuf Bourguignon has incredibly deep, rich flavor

Beef Stew, french Style

This succulent dish has become one of my favorite entrees, particularly through fall and winter seasons. .

Whether we’re having dinner guests or craving something special for the family, this French Beef Stew is consistently a no-fail crowd pleaser. It’s one of my favorite “gather” menu items. Friends and family are consistently wowed over this slurp worthy boeuf bourguignon.

After all, ultimately it’s just a really good beef stew. Taken up a notch with a few simple tricks.

Boeuf Bourguignon French beef stew 2 — French beef stew can be made in advance

Make Your Beef Stew Ahead of Time

The bit that takes some pre-planning is the browning of individual cubes of beef. You’ll want to wear an apron or some old clothes that you’re ok with dirtying; then, get ready for the complex flavors to happen. .

Browned chunks of beef are cooked down in red wine and savory broth, adorned with mushrooms and pearl onions. Flavorful herbs are slow cooked in the broth. The result is the most tender, savory, richly flavorful beef stew ever experienced.

Hint: Make this stew the night before and simply reheat when ready to serve. Relax on the day of your dinner party and enjoy your people. Note that the flavors in the stew infuse even further with time, so we actually recommend making it in advance.

French beef stew or Boeuf Bourguignon in a bowl

Serve it the Way You Like, Anytime

Serve up your boeuf Bourguignon with a rustic, crusty bread or egg noodles or carb of choice. You really can’t go wrong here. Break out a bottle of a plush, fruit-forward Pinot Noir for a phenomenal pairing.

Make this for your next dinner party, date night, Valentines Day, or Sunday dinner. Your loved ones will be singing your praises.

More to cook and eat:

Watch us make it:

French Beef Stew (Boeuf Bourguignon)

4.77 from 26 ratings

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This is hands-down a favorite dish to serve for friends and family. If you plan ahead, you can have this entire dish made the night before to let flavors meld, which makes your dinner party that much easier.

Prep Time: 45 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs

Servings:

Ingredients

Light olive oil or peanut oil
12 oz thick applewood smoked bacon, diced
3 lbs chuck beef, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into chunks or coins
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
10 cloves chopped garlic
½ cup Cognac
2 cups good Pinot Noir, or other good quality dry red
2 ½ - 3 cups low sodium beef broth
2 TB tomato paste
1 tsp dried thyme
4 TB room temp butter
3 TB flour
1 lb frozen pearl onions, whole
1 lb fresh button or cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
3 bay leaves
kosher salt and black pepper
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat 2 TB oil in large Dutch oven (or heavy, oven-safe pot with tight fitting lid.) Add bacon and cook over medium until evenly and lightly browned throughout. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a large plate. Remaining oil and grease should stay in the pot.
Using paper towels, thoroughly dry uncooked beef and sprinkle the cubes evenly with a thin layer of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Reheat the oil/bacon grease in the Dutch oven and sear the beef cubes in a single layer, working in batches, until each cube is brown on all sides. Do not over crowd the pan, making sure to leave some space between each piece of beef. Add more oil as needed to finish browning. Set beef aside in plate with the bacon.
If needed, add 2 TB to pot and heat oil. Add carrots, onions, garlic, 1 TB kosher salt, 2 tsp black pepper and saute for 5 minutes until onions are lightly browned. Deglaze bottom of pot, adding 1 TB oil as needed. Add Cognac and cook another 10 minutes on medium.
Add beef and bacon back into Dutch oven with their juices. Add the wine and enough beef broth to almost cover all the meat. Add tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Once liquid is reaches a simmer, cover the pot with tight fitting lid and place in oven for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until meat is very tender when pierced with fork.
Meanwhile, mix together 2 TB butter with 3 TB flour in small bowl and set aside. Saute mushrooms with 2 TB butter in skillet just until mushrooms start to become soft.
Remove stew from oven. Add the butter/flour mixture, frozen pearl onions, and mushrooms to the stew. Bring to a boil on stovetop and immediately reduce to simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any fat off the top. Remove bay leaves. Season with additional kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread or egg noodles.

Notes

If not serving immediately, let the stew cool to room temp and store in fridge. Just before serving, bring stew to a simmer. Cover and simmer 15 min, basting with its own sauce a few times while simmering.

Wine Pairing: A good quality red, similar to the one you used in the recipe. A jammy Pinot Noir recommended.

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