French Beef Stew (Bourguignon)
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French beef stew is an easy version of the classic bourguignon recipe. Make this recipe to serve for Christmas or a comforting winter meal.
My French beef stew starts with Julia Child’s beef bourguignon recipe as a base. Pancetta is used instead of bacon, garlic, shallots and onions are sautéed in the rendered fat, beef cubes are browned and I keep it low and slow in the oven with Cipollini onions and Crimini mushrooms for a beyond tender dinner.
French Beef Stew
This recipe makes a good comfort food. It looks like a lot of effort to mae, but it’s really very easy. It’s all about using fresh ingredients and allowing it to slowly cook in the oven.
Beef bourguignon is a classic French dish, first brought to the consciousness of American cooks from the Grand Dame of America’s Culinary heritage, Julia Child.
I was always fond of her cooking shows as a kid and remember the others like Jacques Pépin, the Galloping Gourmet and other shows on PBS, but she stood out. Maybe it was her stature, her accent, her ability to have fun in the kitchen all the while being serious about the method and technique at the same time.
In my version here I will be using a bottle of Pinot Noir I was given and because I don’t drink, will put it to good use in this dish. The Cipollini onions are a favorite of mine and will substitute for the small pearl onions usually used in this dish. And while any kind of bacon is good, I am using pancetta here since I was recently at my favorite deli Mona Lisa and picked up a pound or two. Let’s get cooking!
Ingredient notes
What kind of beef to use:
The best cuts of beef for stew are large cuts from either the front shoulder or the rear. These are a little tougher and lend well to slow cooking because the connective tissue breaks down, leaving you with tender meat. It’s less expensive as well. These are the specific cuts to look for. Any of them can be used in the French beef stew:
- Beef Chuck
- Chuck Shoulder
- Chuck Roast (also known as chuck-eye roast
- Top Chuck
- Bottom Round Roast
- Bottom Eye Roast
- Rump Roast
- Eye Round Roast
- Top Round
How to peel Cipollini onions
I love the small Cipollini onions. They are Italian and a version of the pearl onion. Their creamy flavor makes it a perfect addition to the rich, red wine and pancetta sauce.
To quickly and easily peel these, I immerse them in boiling water for 3-4 minutes and then rinse under cold water. I then cut the root part off and squeeze the other end and the onion slips right out.
Notes for making French beef stew
- Use cast iron if possible. I prefer to render the pancetta and brown the beef cubes in my cast iron skillet to get a really good crust on them. It may add one more pan to clean, but I prefer that extra touch. Completely optional of course!
- Don’t overcrowd the pan to brown the meat. Take your time, it’s worth it. You want the beef to have a nice crust, so it needs to sear, not steam. Give them some room in that pan!
- Scrape up all the little bits on the bottom of the pan. The culinary term for those little bits of brown goodness from the pancetta and beef is fond. You want to use all of those to add a deep and rich flavor to the finished dish. If using a cast iron skillet scrape all into a casserole pot/dutch oven, deglaze a little with some beef broth.
Pour the red wine and beef stock in and stir to mix thoroughly. Place the bay leaves and tied thyme bundle in the spot and stir. Cover and place in oven to bake for 2 hours. At this point take a break and relax! Or you can prep your garlic bread to sop up all that delicious red wine sauce you’ll be eating later.
After 2 hours check the liquid level in your baking casserole and if more is needed to just cover the meat, add some beef stock. At this point add the mushrooms and onions to the pot and stir to mix in. Cover and continue to bake for 2 1/2 more hours.
When time is up remove from oven, remove thyme bundle and stir. Serve this Beef Bourguignon with your choice of potato, rice or over pasta. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with some crusty, garlic bread to sop up the delicious red wine sauce.
For other tasty comfort food dinners try my recipes for Braised Beef Short Ribs, or Beef Tips in Red Wine Sauce and if you need to know how to make Salisbury steak, I’ve got you covered, too. Enjoy!
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This post, first published on Kevin is Cooking on April 11, 2014, was last updated with new content on Sept. 28, 2021
French Beef Stew (Bourguignon)
Ingredients
- 8 oz pancetta or bacon lardons
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 lbs lean stew beef (See Note 1)
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 shallot large, diced
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 5 sprigs of thyme tied
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bottle red wine (750ml)
- 2 cups beef stock
- 3 bay leaf
- 30 Cipollini onions
- 1 lb Crimini mushrooms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Cut the pancetta into small bite size cubes and beef into 2-inch cubes. Set aside.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or casserole pot and render the pancetta low and slow over medium heat. Remove browned pancetta and set aside.
- Add 2-inch beef cubes to rendered pancetta fat and brown on all sides. Season with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to pan and sauté the sliced onion until golden in color then add the diced shallot and crushed garlic. Cook for several minutes.
- With spoon scrape up all the little bits on the bottom of the pan from the pancetta and beef.
- Next, add the browned pancetta and beef, sprinkle with flour and stir, cooking for several minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to mix in.
- Pour the red wine and beef stock in mixing thoroughly. Place the bay leaves and tied thyme bundle in the pot and stir. Cover and place in oven to bake for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours check liquid and if more is need to just cover meat then add beef stock. At this point add the mushrooms and onions to the pot and stir to mix in. Cover and continue to bake for 2 1/2 more hours.
- When time is up remove from oven, remove thyme bundle and stir. Serve with your choice of potato, rice or over pasta. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
- The best cuts of beef for stew are from either the front shoulder or the rear. These will be a little tougher and lend well to slow cooking where the connective tissue breaks down for tender meat. It’s less expensive as well. These are the specific cuts to look for. Any of them can be used for French beef stew: Beef Chuck, Chuck Shoulder, Chuck Roast, Chuck-Eye Roast, Top Chuck, Bottom Round Roast, Bottom Eye Roast, Rump Roast, Eye Round Roast and Top Round
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. Is the one my husband loves the most and the only one I feel safe to cook for friends. Thank you for sharing it.
I am so happy to read this, thanks so much Ginna!
Hi Kevin,
I had a taste to to make a hardy beef bourguignon over the past few days and on a whim I thought let me check if Kevin has a recipe for it. You’ve become my “go-to” for great recipes and cooking inspiration in general these days. Anyway, I followed your steps for bourguignon adding a little mirepoix to the base recipe cause we like a little more flavor from veg and the flavor and aromatics it gives in French style stews. I did the fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley) and some extra dashes of herbes de provence cause we like intensity of flavors. That and I whipped up fresh roasted garlic-parsely mashed and sliced toasted seasoned crostinis to compliment the stew. I must tell you, as many times as I’ve attempted making bourguignon over the years THIS recipe wound up being THE BEST version I’ve ever made of it. My wife couldn’t stop raving about it…and we both kept eating beyond getting full because of the fantastic entree it came out to be. Other than my little ‘additions’ I stayed true to all your prep, searing and roasting steps and the sauce came out just thick and flavorful enough that it was perfection all around. Anyway, I can go on about all this but I just wanted to thank you for the inspiration for what became a fantastic and satisfying Sunday supper for us. Cheers!
Now comments like these make my day, thanks so much Jay. Much appreciated and so happy you two enjoyed this one!
Why not stovetop on low for however long it takes to tenderize ?
You could do that, but I find the oven does a better job at even cooking James.
Hey Kevin,
What I like about your recipes is that they’re made by a real chef, with professional training.
I think you do a great job of explaining the classics with your own twist.
Beef bourguignon has a special place in my heart and it’s refreshing to see this recipe made the right way.
Stay awesome,
Devan from Braised & Deglazed
Thank you so much for that kinds comment! I hope you find more recipes you enjoy!
Hi Kevin I just found your website! Awesome recipes and I’m looking at this one the beef Bourguignon. Looks fantastic! I was looking for a recipe because I’m so tired of doing the same old things over and over when I have company. So this is going to work out perfectly for my family! One thing I know it’s gonna be really rich so what kind of side would you serve us well besides the bread? Thank you! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
We like to have it over mashed potatoes!
looks delicious, I am about to try it
It’s one of my all time favorites, enjoy Dolores!
I know you say to use large cuts of meat. How large would you say?? I’m just nervous that the cut will be too small and fall apart.
Sara, read the recipe card Notes regarding large cuts of beef. For the recipe itself, you will cut the beef into 2-inch cubes.
Thank you for responding. This recipe is awesome. I have made it several times now. Once for a dinner party, and everyone thinks I am an amazing cook now thanks to you 😉
I made the mistake of using chuck and it fell apart. Is there a more exact on the salt amount?
I’ve added notes to the recipe for beef stewing meat varieties to use. You want large cuts of meat from either the front shoulder or the rear. These will be a little tougher and lend well to slow cooking where the connective tissue breaks down and meat is tender. It’s less expensive as well. These are the specific cuts to look for. Any of them can be used in beef stew or substituted for what your recipe calls for:
Beef Chuck, Chuck Shoulder, Chuck Roast, Chuck-Eye Roast, Top Chuck, Bottom Round Roast, Bottom Eye Roast, Rump Roast, Eye Round Roast and Top Round work well. Ask your butcher, too! As for the amount of salt used I season using about a 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper. There will be plenty of salt coming from the pancetta or bacon if used. Hope this helps Susan.
Hi, Kevin. This recipe looks incredible. I’m wondering if I’d be able to make it in my crockpot after browning the meat? Can you give me any advice?
I have not myself, but see no reason why not Marissa. My first though is that it may not be as thick of a sauce though.
Hi Kevin
A true classic. I’ve been making it’s cousin for a long time. Adding Bacon was a new twist for me, can’t say yet because it’s still cooking. I noted one thing you might want to add to the basic instruction for Noobs. After cutting your meat into bits sized pieces, SALT it. Let it do it’s thing. Then when you cook the meat in the bacon renderings, you won’t be boiling it in all that water the meat is sure to release. Just a small step, but this is obviously not a spur of the moment meal, Cooking time of 4 1/2 hours assures that, so the night before, if you salt the meat it will draw out that water, sure as the sun will come up.
I also add carrots, if you haven’t try it, Ummmmm. Long cooked meat NEEDS some carrots.
Keep cooking.
GW
Thanks for you tips George!