This isn’t a weeknight recipe, and I’ll say that upfront. Beef bourguignon is the kind of thing I make on a weekend when there’s nothing pressing and I actually want to spend a little time in the kitchen. The beef marinates overnight, then simmers low and slow the next day until it falls apart with a fork. It takes patience, but almost none of that time is hands-on.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!I first started making a version of this on cold Sundays, back when I wanted something that would fill the house with a good smell for hours while I did other things around the house. That’s really the appeal. You do the prep work, then the oven takes over.
The sauce is what makes it. Red wine reduced down, a proper roux, and hours of slow cooking turn into something rich and glossy that clings to every bite of beef.
Why You’ll Love This Dinner
The overnight marinade does a lot of the work before you even turn on the stove. It tenderizes the beef and builds flavor into the wine you’ll use later for the sauce.
Almost everything happens in one pot, which keeps cleanup manageable considering how much flavor you’re getting out of it. The beef comes out fall-apart tender, the sauce turns silky once the roux and reduced wine come together, and the vegetables stay intact instead of turning mushy, since they go in near the end.
It also reheats beautifully, which makes it a solid make-ahead option if you want dinner mostly done before a busy day.
Ingredients
A few things are worth knowing before you start. Use a dry red wine you’d actually drink, since it becomes the backbone of the sauce, something like a Pinot Noir works well and doesn’t need to be expensive. Well-marbled beef chuck holds up best through the long braise. Pat the beef and pearl onions very dry before browning; damp surfaces steam instead of browning.
For the marinade:
- 2.2 lbs boneless beef chuck, cut into 1½–2 inch chunks
- 4 cups dry red wine
- 20 pearl onions, peeled
- 3 medium carrots, cut into chunky pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, whole
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the stew:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil (or neutral oil)
- 9 oz button or cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Step-by-Step Instructions
Marinate overnight. In a large nonreactive container, combine the beef, wine, pearl onions, carrots, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. This step does a lot of the flavor building, so don’t rush it if you can help it.
Strain and prep. Strain the marinade, keeping the wine, beef, vegetables, and herbs separate. Pat the beef very dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper. Dry beef browns; wet beef steams.
Sear the beef. Heat a 6 to 7 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sear the beef in batches, without crowding the pot, until deeply browned on most sides. Add more oil as needed between batches. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.
Brown the mushrooms. In the same empty pot, add the mushrooms with no oil. Let them release their liquid and pick up some color, stirring occasionally, then transfer to a bowl.
Sauté the onions and garlic. Pat the marinated pearl onions dry. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot and sauté the onions until lightly golden. Stir in the marinated garlic cloves for another minute, until fragrant, then transfer both to the bowl with the mushrooms.
Reduce the wine. Pour the reserved marinade wine into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, and reduce by about half, until the aroma turns mellow instead of sharp and the wine looks slightly syrupy at the edges. This usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Build the base. Melt the butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the marinated carrots along with the thyme and bay leaves, and cook 2 to 3 minutes until the carrots look glossy. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until it looks like damp sand rather than dry clumps.
Simmer low and slow. Slowly pour in the beef stock while stirring to build a smooth base, then add the reduced wine and stir until glossy. Return the browned beef and any accumulated juices to the pot, adding a bit more stock only if needed so the meat is just covered. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the beef is very tender, about 2½ to 3 hours on low heat on the stovetop, or in a 325°F oven.
Finish with the vegetables. In the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the sautéed mushrooms, pearl onions, and garlic. Simmer until the vegetables are plump and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Rest and serve. Discard the thyme stems and bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving, then finish with chopped parsley.
What to Serve With It
Something soft to soak up the sauce is really all you need. Creamy mashed potatoes are the classic pairing, though fluffy rice works just as well if that’s what’s on hand. A simple green salad on the side lightens things up, and warm crusty bread never hurts if there’s extra sauce left in the bowl.
Variations
Beef short ribs can stand in for the chuck if that’s what your butcher has, since both cuts respond well to a long braise. If you don’t have pearl onions, a diced yellow onion works, though the texture won’t be quite the same. A splash of balsamic vinegar stirred in near the end can round out the sauce if you want a touch more depth. This one doesn’t need much adjusting beyond that, the method is already fairly forgiving.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days, once the pot has cooled to room temperature. It freezes well too, up to 3 months, which makes it a good one to double if you’re already committing the time. To reheat, warm it gently on the stovetop until just simmering, adding a splash of stock or water if the sauce has thickened more than you’d like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the overnight marinade?
You can shorten it if you’re short on time, but the overnight soak really does deepen the flavor and tenderize the beef, so it’s worth planning ahead when possible.
Why does the beef need to be so dry before searing?
Any moisture on the surface causes it to steam instead of brown, and that browning is where a lot of the deep flavor in this dish comes from.
Can I make this in a slow cooker instead?
The sautéing and reducing steps are best done on the stovetop first, but once the sauce is built, you can transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours instead of using the oven or stovetop.
What if my sauce turns out too thin?
Simmer it uncovered for a few extra minutes near the end to let it reduce further. If it’s too thick instead, a splash of beef stock loosens it right up.
Can I use a different cut of beef?
Chuck is ideal because it becomes tender through a long braise. Leaner cuts tend to dry out and won’t get that same fall-apart texture.
Does the alcohol cook out of the wine?
Reducing the wine and then simmering the stew for hours cooks off most of the alcohol, leaving behind the flavor without the sharpness.
A Dinner Worth the Wait
This one takes a bit of planning, but very little of it feels like work once the pot is on. It’s the kind of meal that makes a house smell good all afternoon, and it’s just as satisfying reheated the next day.
Beef Bourguignon
Equipment
- Dutch oven (6-7 quart)
- Small saucepan
- Large nonreactive container
Ingredients
- 2.2 lb boneless beef chuck cut into 1½-2 inch chunks
- 4 cup dry red wine for marinating
- 20 pearl onions peeled
- 3 carrots medium, cut into chunky pieces
- 3 cloves garlic whole
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves dried
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil
- 9 oz button or cremini mushrooms quartered
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cup beef stock low sodium
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine beef, wine, pearl onions, carrots, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves in a nonreactive container. Cover and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.
- Strain the marinade, reserving the wine, beef, vegetables, and herbs separately. Pat the beef very dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat a 6-7 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sear the beef in batches until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the mushrooms to the empty pot with no oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid and take on light color. Transfer to a bowl.
- Pat the marinated pearl onions dry. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot and sauté until lightly golden. Stir in the marinated garlic cloves for 1 more minute. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms.
- Pour the reserved wine into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, and reduce by about half until mellow and slightly syrupy.
- Melt the butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the marinated carrots with the thyme and bay leaves and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then sprinkle in the flour and stir 1-2 minutes until it looks like damp sand.
- Slowly pour in the beef stock while stirring, then add the reduced wine and stir until glossy. Return the browned beef and juices to the pot, adding more stock only if needed to just cover the meat.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the beef is very tender, 2½ to 3 hours on low heat on the stovetop or in a 325°F oven.
- In the last 20-30 minutes, stir in the sautéed mushrooms, pearl onions, and garlic. Simmer until the vegetables are plump and the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Discard thyme stems and bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning. Rest 10 minutes, then garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
