Sandra Ina Garten Beef Bourguignon Recipe is a classic French stew featuring tender beef chuck and rich red wine. This slow-cooked meal uses aromatic thyme, smoky bacon, and earthy mushrooms to create a deep, savoury flavour perfect for cold evenings.
The first time I made this, I rushed the browning stage and ended up with grey, steamed meat instead of a deep crust. Now I always sear the beef in small batches to make sure the pan stays hot enough to develop that dark, caramelised exterior. If you crowd the pot, the temperature drops and you lose all that essential flavour that builds the base of the sauce.
This is one of those recipes that looks harder than it is. The whole thing comes down to patience whilst it simmers in the oven. The red wine is doing more work than you’d think, as it breaks down the tough fibres of the beef until they’re fork-tender. I love serving this on a Sunday afternoon when the house smells like a bistro.
Ina Garten Beef Bourguignon Recipe Ingredients
For the Stew
- 1kg (2lb 4oz) beef chuck, cut into 3cm (1 inch) cubes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 170g (6oz) bacon, chopped
- 2 large carrots, sliced diagonally
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 750ml (1 bottle) red wine, such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir
- 500ml (18fl oz) beef broth
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Finish
- 450g (1lb) mushrooms, quartered
- 150g (5oz) pearl onions, peeled
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 45g (1½oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
How To Make Ina Garten Beef Bourguignon
- Cook the bacon: Set a large Dutch oven over medium heat and fry the chopped bacon until the fat has rendered and the bits are crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Brown the beef: Turn the heat up to medium-high and sear the beef cubes in three or four batches until they have a dark brown crust on all sides. Take the meat out and put it on the plate with the bacon, making sure not to crowd the pan during cooking.
- Sauté vegetables: Add the carrots and chopped onions to the remaining fat and cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft and starting to brown. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for just one minute more until you can smell it.
- Add tomato paste: Stir the tomato paste into the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes, moving it around the pot so it darkens slightly without burning.
- Deglaze with wine: Pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer with broth and herbs: Put the beef and bacon back into the pot along with the beef broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover with a tight-fitting lid and move to a preheated oven at 160°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3) to simmer for 2 hours.
- Prepare mushrooms and pearl onions: Melt half the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and fry the mushrooms and pearl onions for about 10 minutes until they’re golden brown.
- Thicken the sauce: Mash the remaining butter and the plain flour together in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Whisk this paste into the hot stew liquid until it dissolves and the sauce begins to look glossy and thick.
- Combine and finish: Stir the browned mushrooms and pearl onions into the Dutch oven. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, and cook for another 30 minutes until the meat is very tender and the sauce has reduced slightly.
- Season and serve: Take out the thyme sprigs and bay leaves before tasting the sauce. Add salt and black pepper as needed and serve the stew whilst it’s steaming hot.
Recipe Tips
Choose the right beef. Use beef chuck or braising steak because these cuts have enough connective tissue to stay moist during the long cooking time. Avoid lean cuts like fillet or sirloin as they’ll become dry and stringy in the oven.
Dry the meat thoroughly. Use kitchen roll to pat each piece of beef dry before browning. Any moisture on the surface of the meat will create steam, which prevents that deep brown crust from forming.
Peel pearl onions easily. Drop the onions into boiling water for 30 seconds, then immediately put them into cold water. Cut off the root end and the skins should slide right off without any fuss.
Prepare a day ahead. This stew tastes significantly better after a night in the fridge because the flavours have time to meld. If you make it early, just reheat it gently on the hob over a low heat.
Don’t skip the bacon. The rendered bacon fat provides a smoky depth that vegetable oil alone cannot match. It acts as the primary seasoning for the vegetables and the beef as they sear.
Check the sauce consistency. If the sauce feels too thin after the final simmer, take the meat out and boil the liquid on the hob for a few minutes. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
What To Serve With Beef Bourguignon
This stew needs something to soak up the incredible red wine sauce. Thick slices of crusty French bread or a pile of creamy mashed potatoes are the best choices for catching every drop.
For a lighter side, try roasted green beans or buttered peas tossed with a bit of fresh parsley. If you want something more traditional, serve it over buttered egg noodles or alongside a simple jacket potato.
How To Store Beef Bourguignon
Fridge
Let the stew cool completely at room temperature before moving it to an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days, and you’ll find the texture of the sauce actually improves after the first 24 hours.
Reheat
The best way to reheat this is on the hob in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a splash of beef broth or water if the sauce has thickened too much in the fridge. You can use a microwave for 3-4 minutes, but the beef might lose some of its tenderness.
Freeze
Freeze the cooled stew in heavy-duty freezer bags or containers for up to 3 months. Make sure to leave a bit of space at the top as the liquid will expand when it freezes. Defrost it overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Ina Garten Beef Bourguignon Recipe Nutrition Facts
Per serving (1 of 6):
- Calories: 580
- Protein: 45g
- Fat: 32g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 980mg
Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.
FAQs
Yes, brown the meat and vegetables on the hob first to develop flavour, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook on the low setting for 7 to 8 hours until the beef is tender.
It simply needs more time in the oven to break down the tough fibres. Every cut of beef is different, so keep simmering it until a fork slides into the meat with almost no resistance.
You can use any dry red wine like Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon if you don’t have Burgundy. Do not use “cooking wine” from the supermarket as it contains far too much salt and lacks depth.
Ina Garten Beef Bourguignon Recipe
Description
A rich French stew with fork-tender beef, smoky bacon, and buttery mushrooms in a glossy red wine sauce.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Fry bacon in a Dutch oven until crispy then remove
- Sear beef in batches until dark brown and set aside
- Cook carrots, onions, and garlic in the bacon fat
- Add tomato paste followed by wine and beef broth
- Return meat to pot and bake at 160°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3) for 2 hours
- Fry mushrooms and pearl onions in butter
- Mix flour and butter paste into the stew to thicken
- Add mushrooms and bake for final 30 minutes
