Beef

Beef Bourguignon (Tender Beef in a Rich Red Wine Sauce)

By Samira Kazan

published February 02, 2026

A cozy pot of beef bourguignon with tender beef, mellow red wine, and plump mushrooms is one of those dishes I love to start preparing the night before. Marinating the beef and taking time with each step gives you a rich, glossy stew that tastes like it cooked itself.

A close-up ladle lifting tender beef, carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions from a rich beef bourguignon sauce. - 1

My little trick is reducing the wine marinade by about half for deeper flavor, then building a smooth roux so the sauce clings to every piece.

  • What you’ll need
  • How to make beef bourguignon
  • What to serve with Beef Bourguignon
  • Samira’s tips
  • Storage
  • More beef recipes
  • Beef Bourguignon Recipe

What you’ll need

Marinade Ingredients :

Beef, red wine, pearl onions, carrots, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves laid out on a counter. - 2
  • Beef chuck: Well-marbled and cut into large chunks so it stays juicy through the long braise.
  • Dry red wine: A full bottle for marinating and cooking. Reduce it for a smoother, deeper sauce. A dry red like Pinot Noir works well. It doesn’t need to be expensive, just choose one you enjoy.
  • Pearl onions: Marinate, then pat dry so they brown; add them late to stay intact.
  • Carrots: Chunky pieces add sweetness and hold their shape.
  • Garlic: Whole cloves from the marinade; sauté briefly with the onions to keep the flavor bright.
  • Thyme + bay leaves: Classic aromatics for gentle herbal depth.

Stew Ingredients :

Mushrooms, beef stock, tomato paste, butter, olive oil, flour, parsley, salt, and pepper arranged on a counter. - 3
  • Olive oil: For searing and sautéing.
  • Unsalted butter: For the roux and a touch of richness.
  • Mushrooms: Halved or quartered button or cremini; dry-sauté first so they brown and stay meaty.
  • Tomato paste: Toast quickly to add color and savory backbone.
  • All-purpose flour: Combine with butter for a smooth, glossy sauce.
  • Beef stock: Add just enough to barely cover the beef; top up only if needed.
  • Salt and pepper: To season.
  • Parsley: Fresh finish at the end for garnish.

See printable recipe card below for the full ingredients list and quantities.

How to make beef bourguignon

Peel the pearl onions, slice the carrots, and peel the garlic cloves, keeping them whole. Trim and cut the beef into large, chunky pieces. Combine the beef with the onions, carrots, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves in a nonreactive container, then pour in the wine. Mix to coat, cover, and refrigerate 12–24 hours for a deeper flavor.

You can shorten the marinade time if needed, but an overnight soak really seasons the beef and enriches the sauce.

Peeled pearl onions on a wooden board with their skins scattered around, prepared for beef bourguignon. - 4 Trimmed chunks of beef on a plate, prepped for making beef bourguignon. - 5 Red wine being poured over beef bourguignon ingredients including beef chunks, carrots, pearl onions, thyme, and bay leaves. - 6 Beef bourguignon ingredients marinating in red wine with pearl onions, carrots, thyme, and bay leaves. - 7 A sealed container filled with beef bourguignon ingredients marinating in red wine. - 8

Strain the marinade. You’ll have the wine in one bowl, the beef in another, the marinated vegetables in a third, and the herbs in a small pile.

Strained red wine marinade, drained beef pieces, pearl onions, carrots, and thyme laid out after marinating for beef bourguignon. - 9

Pat the beef very dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Dry beef browns better and builds flavor in the pot.

Heat a large Dutch oven (6–7 quarts) over medium-high. Add a little oil and sear the beef in batches without crowding until deeply browned on most sides. Set aside.

7. Pat dry - 10 Marinated beef pieces seasoned with salt and pepper on a plate, ready to sear for beef bourguignon. - 11 Marinated beef pieces sizzling in a hot pot as they brown for beef bourguignon. - 12 Seared beef pieces resting in a dish after browning, ready to continue cooking for beef bourguignon. - 13

In the same pot, add the quartered mushrooms with no oil. Let them release their moisture and pick up the fond, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, then remove to a bowl.

Pat the marinated pearl onions dry. Patting the onions dry helps them brown instead of steam. Add a drizzle of oil to the pot and sauté the onions until lightly golden, then stir in the marinated garlic cloves for further 1 minute. Transfer both to the bowl with the mushrooms.

Pour the wine marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, and reduce until it is roughly halved and smells mellow and fruity rather than sharp. Reducing by half softens acidity and concentrates flavor.

Mushrooms sautéing and browning in a pot to prepare them for beef bourguignon. - 14 Skimming impurities from the boiling red wine marinade before using it in beef bourguignon. - 15 Lightly browned pearl onions set aside after sautéing, ready to add to beef bourguignon. - 16 The red wine marinade boiling in a saucepan to remove alcohol before adding to beef bourguignon. - 17

Back in the Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the marinated carrots and the reserved thyme and bay leaves and cook 2–3 minutes until the carrots look glossy. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute.

Sprinkle the flour over and stir 1–2 minutes until it looks like damp sand. It should be buttery enough to coat evenly; cooking it briefly prevents a floury taste and sets you up for a silky sauce.

Slowly pour in the beef stock while stirring to make a smooth base. Add the reduced wine in batches, stirring until the sauce turns glossy and cohesive. Return the browned beef and any juices to the pot. Add just enough stock to barely cover.

Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the beef is very tender, about 2½–3 hours on low (stovetop) or in a 325°F oven. The sauce should lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Tomato paste simmering with carrots and herbs to build the flavor base for beef bourguignon. - 18 Hot beef stock being poured into the pot to build the sauce for beef bourguignon. - 19 Seared beef pieces being added back into the simmering sauce for beef bourguignon. - 20 Flour sprinkled over sautéed carrots and aromatics to form a thickening base for beef bourguignon. - 21 Reduced red wine being poured into the pot to deepen the flavor of beef bourguignon. - 22 A Dutch oven covered with its lid while beef bourguignon cooks slowly inside. - 23

In the last 20–30 minutes, stir in the sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions (with the garlic). Adding them late keeps the mushrooms meaty and the onions plump.

Simmer until the beef is fork-tender. Remove herb stems and bay leaves, taste, and adjust seasoning. Rest 10 minutes before serving, then finish with chopped parsley.

A pot of finished beef bourguignon simmering with tender beef, carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions in a rich red wine sauce. - 24

What to serve with Beef Bourguignon

This cozy stew is perfect with something soft to soak up all that rich sauce. You can go classic with creamy mashed potatoes or keep it simple with some fluffy jasmine rice . Both work really well. Just use whatever you have on hand.

A bowl of beef bourguignon served over creamy mashed potatoes with tender beef, carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions. - 25

Samira’s tips

  • Dry means brown: Pat beef very dry and give it space in the pot so it browns evenly and forms a rich crust.
  • Use visual cues: Reduce the wine until the bubbles slow and the volume looks halved; the aroma should be mellow, not boozy.
  • Roux texture: Stir flour into butter until it looks like damp sand, not dry clumps.
  • Add vegetables late: Onions and mushrooms go in during the last 20–30 minutes so they stay juicy.
  • Adjust body at the end: If the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered a few minutes; if too tight, add a splash of stock.

Storage

  • Fridge: Keeps for up to 4 days in an airtight container. It’s great for making ahead and planning meals. Make sure it cools to room temperature before storing.
  • Freezer: Good for up to 3 months.
  • Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop until just simmering. If the sauce is too thick, add a little stock or water to loosen it.
Glass meal prep containers filled with beef bourguignon and fluffy white rice, ready for storing or serving. - 26

If you make this beef bourguignon recipe , I’d love to hear how it went. Drop a comment and please leave a five‑star review so more people can find the recipe.

Equipment

  • Cast Iron Dutch Oven Pot

IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x

  • ▢ 2.2 pounds boneless beef chuck cut into large chunks (about 1½ to 2 inches)
  • ▢ 4 cups dry red wine for marinating
  • ▢ 20 pearl onions peeled
  • ▢ 3 carrots medium, cut into chunky pieces
  • ▢ 3 cloves garlic
  • ▢ 8 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ▢ 2 bay leaves dried
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
  • ▢ 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • ▢ 4 tablespoons olive oil (or neutral oil)
  • ▢ 9 oz button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ▢ 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ▢ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • ▢ 4 cups beef stock low sodium
  • ▢ 2 tablespoons 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. Reserve the wine. Transfer the beef to paper towels and pat very dry. Reserve the vegetables and herbs separately. Season the beef lightly with salt and pepper.
  • Heat a 6 to 7 quart Dutch oven over medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sear the beef in batches until deeply browned. Add more oil as needed. Transfer the browned beef 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 the onions until lightly golden. Stir in the marinated garlic cloves for a further 1 minute. until fragrant. 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 the aroma is mellow and the wine looks slightly syrupy at the edges.
  • Melt the butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the marinated carrots with the thyme and bay leaves and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over and stir 1 to 2 minutes until it looks like damp sand.
  • Slowly pour in 4 cups beef stock while stirring to make a smooth base. Add the reduced wine and stir until glossy. Return the browned beef and any juices to the pot. Add 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, 2½ to 3 hours on low or in a 325°F oven.
  • In the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the sautéed mushrooms, pearl onions, and the garlic cloves. Simmer until the vegetables are plump and the sauce lightly coats a spoon.
  • Discard thyme stems and bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning. Rest 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

adle lifting tender beef, carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions from a rich beef bourguignon sauce. - 27

Beef Bourguignon

Equipment

  • Cast Iron Dutch Oven Pot

Ingredients

  • 2.2 pounds boneless beef chuck cut into large chunks (about 1½ to 2 inches)
  • 4 cups dry red wine for marinating
  • 20 pearl onions peeled
  • 3 carrots medium, cut into chunky pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 8 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves dried
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil (or neutral oil)
  • 9 oz button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups beef stock low sodium
  • 2 tablespoons 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. Reserve the wine. Transfer the beef to paper towels and pat very dry. Reserve the vegetables and herbs separately. Season the beef lightly with salt and pepper.
  • Heat a 6 to 7 quart Dutch oven over medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sear the beef in batches until deeply browned. Add more oil as needed. Transfer the browned beef 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 the onions until lightly golden. Stir in the marinated garlic cloves for a further 1 minute. until fragrant. 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 the aroma is mellow and the wine looks slightly syrupy at the edges.
  • Melt the butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the marinated carrots with the thyme and bay leaves and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over and stir 1 to 2 minutes until it looks like damp sand.
  • Slowly pour in 4 cups beef stock while stirring to make a smooth base. Add the reduced wine and stir until glossy. Return the browned beef and any juices to the pot. Add 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, 2½ to 3 hours on low or in a 325°F oven.
  • In the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the sautéed mushrooms, pearl onions, and the garlic cloves. Simmer until the vegetables are plump and the sauce lightly coats a spoon.
  • Discard thyme stems and bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning. Rest 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Notes

Nutrition

Recipe on Alphafoodie: https://www.alphafoodie.com/beef-bourguignon/