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Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon has crazy tender melt-in-your-mouth beef, and hearty veggies slow-cooked to perfection in a rich sauce. This meal is comforting and perfect for the cold months ahead!
This rich and hearty meal is warm and satisfying this winter season. If you love a good stew, try this Tuscan Vegetables Chicken Stew, Skillet Pork Cacciatore or Beef Stew with Bacon.
Beef Bourguignon
This is THE BEST BEEF STEW I HAVE EVER HAD! If you guys are looking for a comforting, hearty and blow you away with flavor beef stew, this is your recipe. Ok, I am getting a little ahead of myself because I am so excited about this beef stew.
Who gets excited about a beef stew? Apparently, this girl. This has the most crazy tender beef with hearty vegetables and the absolutely best rich and delicious sauce! I am a total beef stew lover, especially when it cools down. It took me a couple of recipes to get it right.
These are my requirements for the perfect beef stew:
- Tender melt-in-your-mouth beef
- A thick and rich sauce
- Big hearty pieces of vegetables, preferably carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms.
This stew had all of that and more and my family couldn’t get enough of it!
What is Bourguignon?
The word bourguignon comes from a dish that is French and is called Buruandy in English. Bourguignon is similar to a beef stew but has a few variations of ingredients and a much deeper flavoring. A classic bourguignon has the presence of red wine in the recipe, which does cook out and is safe for kids to enjoy this bourguignon recipe. This bourguignon recipe is thick and hearty with loads of flavor!
What You Need To Make Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
A few extra steps are involved in making this stew, but I promise it is worth it. Once you cook the bacon and pan-sear the meat, you throw it all into the crockpot and let it do its thing. This meal is truly the best-flavored stew that I have ever had. I know that your family will love slow-cooker beef bourguignon just as much as we did!
- Bacon: Cook it up and chop it for the recipe.
- Beef Chuck: Boneless beef chuck cooks up to be so tender and delicious.
- Red Cooking Wine: This will cook out slowly and is added for flavoring.
- Chicken broth: The chicken broth is added for flavor and helps to cook the meat and veggies.
- Tomato sauce: Ths is flavorful and soaks in the meat and vegetables.
- Soy sauce: The soy sauce has a rich and slightly sweet flavoring.
- Flour: You need flour to make this soup thick. You can use cornstarch instead if you are gluten-free.
- Garlic Cloves: Chop these up and add them for a pungent and a little spice flavoring.
- Thyme: Thyme brings an earthy flavor.
- Carrots: Slice these up into thicker pieces so that you get a taste with every bite!
- Baby Potatoes: Wash and prep your potatoes before adding them to your crockpot.
- Mushrooms: I love adding mushrooms to any slow-cooker meal!
- Parsley: This acts as a garnish and brings some delicious flavor and color to the mix.
How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
This stew starts off with cooking some bacon. But THEN you pan sear the meat in the bacon drippings. Pan searing is just that extra step to make the edges crisp and the inside tender. Plus it just seals in the flavor! Most good beef stews do have red wine in them. This really brings out the deep and rich flavor in the sauce. But rest assured, the alcohol does get cooked out. But I promise it is necessary in really bringing out this amazing flavor in the stew!
- Cook the meats: In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Put bacon in the slow cooker. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the skillet, and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.
- Whisk together sauces: Add the red wine to the skillet scraping down the brown bits on the side. Allow it to simmer and reduce and slowly add chicken broth, tomato sauce, and soy sauce. Slowly whisk in the flour. Add then add the sauce to the slow cooker.
- Add in remaining ingredients: Add garlic, thyme, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir and then cook on low until beef is tender for 8-10 hours or high for 6-Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with mashed potatoes if desired.
Variations On Making Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
This beef bourguignon is known to be decadent and one of the most flavorful stews. It is thick and hearty with rich flavors that continue to grow while cooking. Each ingredient is a key role in making this slow cooker beef bourguignon recipe the BEST. Make this ahead of time and have all the aroma lofting about in your home. Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon is a MUST make this winter season. It is comforting and warms you up on those cold nights.
Enjoy these tips for making this slow cooker beef bourguignon recipe even better!
- Cooking bacon: make sure to not over cook the bacon. The slow cooker will cook it a little more once it is added in.
- Brown the beef chuck: this will help ensure a crisp outer layer. This is a great way for the meat to cook perfectly in the soup.
- Red wine: leaving this out will be okay although it will leave out the most flavor and richness of this soup. I am not a wine drinker but this is a MUST for this to be cooked properly and to the fullest. The wine does cook out and will be safe for kids to eat.
- Mushrooms: I prefer crimini mushrooms. They have more flavor to them compared to the white button. Slicing or cutting in half is best.
- Onions: fresh onions are best. If you need to purchase frozen I recommend pearl onions, which are already pealed and have the most flavor.
- Chicken broth: beef broth will also work instead if you prefer.
- Garlic: if you don’t have garlic on hand, substitute the garlic for 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Bay leaves: add in bay leaves for more flavoring and intensity with this soup.
Frequently Asked Questions For Beef Bourguignon
Knowing how to make this slow cooker beef bourguignon even better is just what you need to make this the BEST EVER! I love the flavors that blend together and how well it cooks in the slow cooker. Impress your friends and family with this beautiful looking and tasting beef bourguignon recipe. It is one of a kind and tastes AMAZING with SO much flavor!
Here are a few frequently asked questions that will help you when making this beef bourguignon recipe.
- Can you make this on the stove or in the oven? Yes, this is made a few different ways. Try my BEST EVER Beef Bourguignon for a stove and oven recipe.
- What is the best meat to use for beef bourguignon? Beef stew meat is easiest or chuck is great if you cut it up. Brisket is also another great type of meat to use for beef bourguignon.
- Which red wine is best for beef bourguignon? I am not a wine drinker but I prefer a dark burgundy wine. Pinot Noir or Chianti are also great options. The wine does get cooked out and is safe for families to enjoy. I recommend if you drink the red wine then that is the type to add in the beef bourguignon.
- What is beef bourguignon traditionally served with? To make this a complete meal, add potatoes, noodles or even rice and a side salad. For a bread a hard baguette or dinner roll works well.
Storing Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
This tried and true slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon is so simple to make and has loads of flavor! This is even better made ahead of time or over the stove top. You can’t go wrong with this simple to make slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon.
- Making slow cooker beef bourguignon ahead of time: the great thing about making this beef bourguignon ahead of time gives the soup more flavoring the longer it sits. This does great made the night before and stored in the refrigerator. It will last in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. When ready to reheat add it to the slow cooker or stove top to warm through.
- Can you freeze slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon? Yes, you can! I like to freeze it in freezer bags or a sealing bag that locks in all the flavors. I freeze them laying down and take them out the night before I am wanting to serve it. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or you can defrost in the microwave if needed on low heat to warm through, stirring occasionally. It will freeze up to 3 months.
- Reheating slow cooker Beef Bourguignon: simply place the beef bourguignon in a slow cooker and reheat on low setting for 4 hours or until warmed through.
More Delicious Slow Cooker Beef Recipes
- Slow Cooker Beef Tips
- Best Ever Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Barbacoa Beef
- Korean Beef
- Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
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Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Equipment
- Want to make this even easier? Here are a few products that I LOVE:
- Staub Cast Iron Skillet
- Instant Pot
- The Recipe Critic Whisk
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon finely chopped
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck cut to 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup red cooking wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons thyme finely chopped
- 5 medium Carrots sliced
- 1 pound baby potatoes I used tri color
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Put bacon in slow cooker. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the skillet and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.
- Add the red wine to the skillet scraping down the brown bits on the side. Allow it to simmer and reduce and slowly add chicken broth, and tomato sauce, and soy sauce. Slowly whisk in the flour. Add the sauce to the slow cooker.
- Add garlic, thyme, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir and cook on low until beef is tender for 8-10 hours or high for 6-Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with mashed potatoes if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have this in my slow cooker right now but instead of beef I used venison my husband killed earlier in the fall!!!!! I’m nervous about how it’s going to turn out but I figured why buy beef when we have venison in the freezer! I’ll comment back with the results
This recipe is delicious! Made it yesterday and warmed up today for family. Everyone agreed that it was soooo good! Definitely making this again in the future! I did add pearl onions as others had suggested and it was yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Hello! I’m trying to make large batches of cooked, freezer meals to thaw and heat on rushed nights. This dish looks gorgeous – my favourite type of food! If I cooked it and froze it straight away would it go soggy do you think? Will try anyway I guess just heard potatoes don’t freeze super well? Although Shepherds Pie does? Hmmmmm so confusing! Thanks for sharing!
Can you prepare all this the night before including searing the beef and then plug it into the slow cooker the next day?
I am surprised there are not onions in this recipe! Do you think it would be ok to add them?
I made this yesterday to rave reviews!! I only made two adjustments. First, I used actual red wine (an inexpensive “house” brand) instead of cooking wine. Secondly, 5 slices of bacon?? Come on. I used an entire 10 oz package. But that’s just a personal choice. Thanks so much for posting this one!
Peoples, if you’re making this, be sure to use whole, unpeeled baby potatoes as per the recipe. Diced or peeled potatoes will pretty much disintegrate because of the long cooking time. The unpeeled baby potatoes turn out soooooooo perfect in this recipe.
Hi there – we’ve just begun cooking for Christmas Eve and my wife is a bit concerned – the thyme smell is overpowering and unappealing, and she only used 1.5 tbsp instead of the 2 called for. We’re hoping it will blend in. We used dried, but noticed that some people used fresh. Alyssa, can you please specify which it’s supposed to be from your pov?
Also, I think everyone is right about the wine. Even though we’re not done, Bourguignon means Burgundy, so the ideal to use, at least in other recipes, is usually a burgundy wine. We’ll see. We’re using a Beaujolais Villages. OK, I’m being pretentious, so I’ll end there!
This recipe uses fresh thyme. When you use dried herbs instead of fresh, you have to cut down the amount by 2/3 because dried herbs are more concentrated. For each Tbsp of fresh, you would use one tsp of dried, so 2 tsps of dried thyme for this recipe. I hope it turned out ok!
Also, be careful and get whole dried thyme–not ground. I have messed up many a recipe before I realized that big difference! 🙂 Alyssa is right-and any time I don’t have fresh herbs on hand, use the general rule of thumb for: each tablespoon fresh = a teaspoon dried. Has never steered me wrong.
Would this recipe still fit in a large crock pot if I increased it (by 1.5)?
What do you mean by tomato sauce? Tomato paste, puréed tomatoes, or actual prepared tomato sauce like or pasta?
In the canned tomato sauce section, there is a canned tomato sauce.
This question has been asked a few times. In different countries, tomato sauce means different things and our supermarkets are laid out differently. Tomato Sauce to me is Ketchup, but I think you mean Passata or Tomato Puree? In our canned vegetable aisle where tomatoes are, that is all there is, canned veges. Then we have a pasta and tomato puree, paste aisle. What is in this sauce so we get it right.? Ketchup maybe too sweet or sharp.
The video says Worcester instead of soy. Which to use? Looks good. Making tomorrow on a snowy day in MN!!!
So sorry! There is an error in the video and you need to use soy sauce. 🙂
You list “cooking red wine” as an ingredient. I have always believed that one should only add a wine to food that they would also like to drink. There are a lot of great red wines out there for under $15, I recommend a nice Cabernet instead of a cooking wine. If you’re going to spend the time creating such a phenomal dish then add the best ingredients.
Thank you for your recommendation. Since I do not drink wine I am not so experienced in that department. Therefore I do just buy the Red Cooking Wine. 🙂
YES!!! Could not agree more. Cooking wine (red, white, or sherry) has so much added salt (as a preservative) it can throw your whole dish off. I used a $10.00 bottle of red “house” wine and it turned out awesome. I’m not a wine drinker either, but I’ll just find some other recipe to use the rest of this wine within the next week or so.
Great recipe, Alyssa. My family asks for it over and over.
Video says worcester sauce, recipe says soy sauce????
Yes there was an error in the video. It is supposed to be soy sauce. 🙂
Do you cut the beef into cubes before or after searing the meat?
Yes I do. There is a video tutorial above the recipe if you would like to see how it is done. 🙂
How long would you think this would take if I were to do it in the oven vs. the crock pot?
Someone commented earlier that they cooked it in a 200 degree oven for 10 hours and it turned out great. I’m assuming that it would need to be covered so all the liquid didn’t evaporate.
I have this in the slow cooker now! The sauce doesn’t cover everything in the pot, is this OK??? It covered the bacon and beef and I gave it a good stir after all the veggies went in to cost them. Thanks!