Easier Than It Looks French Boeuf Bourguignon Recipe

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
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Updated on 09/26/22
French Boeuf Bourguignon

rudisill / Getty Images
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 35 mins
Marination Time: 8 hrs
Total: 12 hrs
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
684 Calories
30g Fat
17g Carbs
69g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 684
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 38%
Saturated Fat 11g 57%
Cholesterol 208mg 69%
Sodium 893mg 39%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 69g
Vitamin C 10mg 50%
Calcium 81mg 6%
Iron 8mg 43%
Potassium 1309mg 28%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

There are many versions of the classic French Boeuf Bourguignon recipe but this is the traditional one you will find in French restaurants and home cooking. Universally enjoyed, this slow-cooked beef stew is the ultimate comfort food. It is perfect in winter, especially with mashed potatoes to soak up the flavorful gravy.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups dry red wine

  • 2 cups strong beef stock

  • 1/4 cup cognac, or good brandy

  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped into large pieces

  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long pieces

  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

  • 10 black peppercorns

  • 3 whole cloves

  • 1 allspice berry

  • 1 dried bay leaf

  • 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch chunks

  • 3 tablespoons softened butter, divided

  • 1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, coarsely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 pound pearl onions, peeled

  • 1 pound small white mushrooms, wiped clean and bottoms trimmed

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Steps to Make It

  1. In a large glass, stainless steel, or plastic container, gently toss together the red wine, beef stock, Cognac, onion, carrots, garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, bay leaf, and beef. Cover, refrigerate, and marinate overnight or at least 8 hours.

  2. Preheat an oven to 300 F (150 C). Remove the beef from the marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip off, and place it on a plate. Blot the surface of the beef dry with a paper towel. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a bowl and reserve the marinade liquid.

  3. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Fry the bacon, stirring frequently, until crisp. Keeping the fat in the Dutch oven, use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel.

  4. Add the drained beef to the bacon fat and cook, turning occasionally until well-browned on all sides.

  5. Transfer the browned beef to a plate (you can use the same plate you used to drain the beef in step 2). Add the marinated vegetables to the fat in the Dutch oven and sauté over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes or until they are just starting to brown.

  6. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Gradually add all of the reserved marinade liquid, stirring to form a smooth sauce.

  7. Return the beef and bacon to the Dutch oven and stir a few times to combine the ingredients. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours, until the beef is very tender.

  8. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a clean bowl. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve. Skim the fat from the sauce using a spoon or a gravy separator and pour it back into the Dutch oven, along with the beef.

  9. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pearl onions and sauté for 10 minutes, until tender. Continue cooking until most of the cooking liquid evaporates.

  10. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper to the pan and sauté along with the onions for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms release their liquid and start to soften.

  11. Knead or mash together the reserved 1 tablespoon of softened butter and all-purpose flour to make a beurre manié.

  12. Stir the beurre manié into the onion and mushroom mixture and cook it for 1 minute, until it thickens slightly.

  13. Add the thickened onion and mushroom mixture to the Dutch oven and bring the stew to a simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve hot.