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Classic French Beef Bourguignon (Dutch Oven Red Wine Beef Stew)

Classic French beef bourguignon braised in red wine until fork-tender, with bacon, pearl onions, mushrooms, and a glossy, thickened sauce. Dutch oven cooking delivers deeply savory flavor with browned beef and a low-and-slow simmer.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the stew
  • 3 lb beef chuck
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 6 oz thick-cut bacon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 carrots
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 cup dry red wine Pinot Noir or Burgundy
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
For the finish
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 lb cremini mushrooms
  • 12 oz pearl onions peeled; frozen is fine
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Braise the beef
  1. Heat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Pat the beef chuck dry, season it with salt and black pepper, and toss it with all-purpose flour.
  3. Cook the thick-cut bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, until crisp, then transfer bacon to a plate and leave the fat in the pot.
  4. Add olive oil to the Dutch oven and raise the heat to medium-high; sear the beef in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until deeply browned on all sides, then transfer to the plate with the bacon.
  5. Lower the heat to medium and cook the yellow onion and carrots for 5 minutes, until softened.
  6. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until the paste darkens.
  7. Pour in the dry red wine and scrape up all the browned bits.
  8. Add the beef broth, fresh thyme, bay leaves, beef, and bacon; bring to a simmer, cover, and braise in the oven for 2½–3 hours until the beef falls apart with a fork.
Finish and serve
  1. In the last 20 minutes, melt unsalted butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Sauté the cremini mushrooms and pearl onions for 8–10 minutes, until golden and tender.
  3. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaves from the stew.
  4. Stir the mushrooms and onions into the stew and simmer on the stovetop for 5 minutes until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.
  5. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve hot.

Notes

For best flavor, dry the beef well before seasoning so the flour coating browns deeply during searing. After braising, cool and refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop. Freezing is yes for up to 3 months (add the mushroom and onion finish after thawing for the best texture). For a lighter option, use center-cut bacon and reduce the butter to 1 tbsp.