When the wine goes into the pot, it loosens every browned bit left behind by the beef and bacon. That’s the moment this Beef Bourguignon starts to smell like a slow Sunday supper, even though the work up to that point is mostly browning and stirring. I keep the beef in generous cubes, then let the covered Dutch oven do the long, steady work until each piece gives easily to a fork.
The order matters here. Mushrooms get browned on their own, pearl onions join near the end, and the mushrooms go back in only for the final stretch. That keeps them from disappearing into the sauce during the long braise, while the wine, broth, thyme, and bay leaves have time to turn into a deep, savory base. What lands in the bowl is tender beef in a glossy, wine-rich stew, with mushrooms and little onions still easy to find.
Kitchen Note
Pat the beef dry before it hits the pot, and brown it in batches rather than crowding the Dutch oven. Dry surfaces and room around the cubes help them develop browned edges instead of steaming.
Save this Beef Bourguignon for a slow-braised dinner with tender chuck, browned mushrooms, and pearl onions tucked into a rich red-wine sauce.
Why the Mushrooms Go Back in at the End
A long braise is exactly what makes chuck tender, but it’s too much time for already-browned mushrooms. If they stay in the Dutch oven for the full cook, they soften deeply and lose the distinct, meaty bite that makes them such a good contrast to the beef. Browning them first gives their surfaces color; holding them out preserves more of that texture.
The pearl onions have a different job. They’re frozen, so they can go straight into the hot stew for the final covered stretch and warm through as the beef finishes becoming fork-tender. The mushrooms wait until after that, then spend only a short time in the uncovered pot. That last uncovered bake brings everything together without asking the mushrooms to endure the whole braise. It’s a small timing choice, but it gives the finished stew more than one texture instead of a pot of uniformly soft pieces.
What Chuck, Wine, and Mushrooms Contribute to This Stew
- Boneless beef chuck — Chuck has the connective tissue and rich beef flavor that suit a long, covered braise. Keep the cubes close to the specified size so they cook at a similar pace; a leaner cut won’t give the stew the same tender, succulent result. Patting the pieces dry also helps them brown rather than release moisture into the pot.
- Dry red wine — The wine supplies the stew’s deep, slightly tangy backbone, while beef broth rounds it out. Choose a dry red you’d be comfortable drinking; a sweet wine would pull the sauce in a different direction. If you need to avoid wine, beef broth is the closest ingredient already in the pot, though the finished sauce will be less wine-forward.
- Cremini mushrooms — These hold up well to browning and bring an earthy, savory note. Halve smaller ones and quarter larger ones so the pieces are reasonably even. The recipe also works with the two cuts specified; the larger pieces simply remain more noticeable in each serving.
- Thick-cut bacon — Bacon renders savory fat for browning and gives the broth a smoky depth. Thick-cut pieces stay substantial after cooking. Leaving it out is possible, but the stew will lose that smoky note and some of its layered savoriness.
- Pearl onions — Frozen pearl onions save the peeling and trimming, and they’re added late enough to stay recognizable. Keep them frozen until they go into the pot; there’s no need to thaw them first.
- Flour and tomato paste — Flour helps give the cooking liquid body, while tomato paste contributes concentrated savory depth. Stir both into the softened vegetables and cook them briefly before adding the wine, so the flour and paste are distributed through the base instead of sitting in lumps.
Building the Wine-Braised Beef in the Dutch Oven
Brown the mushrooms, then render the bacon
Heat the oven to 325°F and melt the butter in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes, until they’re browned, then transfer them to a plate. Cook the diced bacon in the same pot over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, until browned and crisp, and move it to a plate while leaving the fat behind. Keeping the bacon fat in the pot gives the beef and vegetables a flavorful surface to cook against.
Give the beef room to brown
Season the patted-dry chuck with kosher salt and black pepper, then add the olive oil to the Dutch oven. Brown the beef in batches for 3–4 minutes per side, transferring each batch to a plate as it’s ready. Don’t pile the cubes on top of one another; crowded beef releases moisture and won’t develop the same browned exterior. A well-browned surface gives the stew more depth before the wine ever goes in.
Build the base and loosen the browned bits
Add the diced onion and carrot pieces to the pot and cook for 5–7 minutes, until softened. Stir in the minced garlic, flour, and tomato paste, cooking for 1 minute so the mixture is coated and fragrant. Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits. Bring the wine to a simmer for 2 minutes, then stir in the beef broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves before returning the beef and bacon.
Braise until tender, then finish with the vegetables
Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 2 hours at 325°F. Stir in the frozen pearl onions, cover again, and bake for 30–45 minutes more; the beef should be fork-tender, not merely cooked through. Stir in the browned mushrooms and bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaves, then let the stew rest for 10 minutes before serving so the bubbling settles and the sauce can come together.
Small Changes That Keep the Character of Beef Bourguignon
Make the mushroom pieces more prominent
Quarter the cremini mushrooms rather than halving them for smaller bites that spread through the stew, or leave them halved for larger, more noticeable pieces. Either cut browns in the same pot; choose pieces of similar size so they cook evenly.
Make the mushroom browning dairy-free
Use olive oil instead of butter to brown the mushrooms. The stew will have a slightly less buttery finish, while the mushrooms still brown before they’re set aside. The olive oil already used for the beef works naturally with this adjustment.
Leave out the bacon for a less smoky stew
Skip the bacon if you prefer a cleaner beef-and-wine flavor. You’ll lose the bacon’s rendered fat and smoky depth, so brown the beef in the olive oil and expect a less layered base; the chuck, wine, broth, and vegetables still make a complete stew.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for 3–4 days. The sauce may thicken as it chills, and the beef will remain tender.
- Freezer: Freeze in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator; the mushrooms and onions may be softer after thawing.
- Reheating: Warm gently in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring now and then, until steaming throughout; add a splash of beef broth if the chilled sauce is too thick. Avoid a hard boil, which can make the beef break apart.
Questions That Come Up When Making Beef Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 325°F.
- In a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until browned; transfer them to a plate.
- Cook the bacon in the Dutch oven over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until browned and crisp, then transfer it to a plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Season the beef with the salt and pepper.
- Add the olive oil to the pot, then brown the beef in batches for 3–4 minutes per side; transfer each batch to a plate.
- Add the onion and carrots to the pot and cook for 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, flour, and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits, and bring it to a simmer for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the beef broth, thyme, and bay leaves, then return the beef and bacon to the pot.
- Cover and bake for 2 hours at 325°F.
- Stir in the frozen pearl onions, cover, and bake for 30–45 minutes more, until the beef is fork-tender.
- Stir in the browned mushrooms and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Remove the thyme stems and bay leaves, then let the stew rest for 10 minutes before serving.