Beef Bourguignon (Slow Cooker) – Skinnytaste

Make this melt-in-your-mouth Beef Bourguignon in the slow cooker simmered low and slow with mushrooms and carrots for a cozy dinner idea.

Beef Bourguignon

If you’re looking for a comforting, elegant dish made in the slow cooker, you will love this timeless Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon. Traditional recipes often call for hours of oven-braising, but making beef bourguignon in the slow cooker simplifies the process. By cooking low and slow, you achieve melt-in-your-mouth beef and a rich, deeply flavored sauce with minimal hands-on time and effort. If you want more crock pot ideas, try my slow cooker beef stew and slow cooker beef ramen.

Why This Beef Bourguignon Recipe Stands Out

Many years ago, I learned how to make this French classic in a cooking class. The magic of making beef bourguignon in a slow cooker eliminates the fuss without compromising taste. The low, slow heat ensures tender meat and allows the flavors to meld beautifully. It’s a dish that impresses with little stress!

• Comforting yet Impressive: It’s rustic and sophisticated, making it the best dinner for a cold night or special occasion.
• Convenient: This easy slow cooker beef bourguignon means you can set it and forget it. Dinner will be ready and waiting after work or kids’ activities.
• Dietary Restrictions: Weight Watchers-friendly, gluten-free (if made with GF flour), high-protein, dairy-free

If you loved this healthy beef bourguignon recipe, don’t forget to share it with friends and leave a comment below. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook! Bon appétit!

What is Beef Bourguignon?

Beef bourguignon, also known as boeuf bourguignon, is a classic French dish featuring tender beef simmered in a robust red wine sauce with carrots, onions, mushrooms, and aromatic herbs. Originally a peasant dish, chefs like Julia Child have elevated this hearty recipe to culinary fame.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Red wine, bacon, garlic, and herbs create a complex, savory meal that will have you coming back for seconds. See exact measurements in the recipe card below.

• Bacon adds richness, and cooking the mushrooms in a little bacon fat gives the dish delicious flavor.
• Beef Stew Meat: The best cut of meat for beef bourguignon is boneless beef chuck roast. It’s inexpensive and tough, but when it’s cooked low and slow, the results are tender and juicy.
• All-Purpose Flour: Coat the beef in flour before browning it to help create a delicious crust.
• Seasoning: Onion powder, salt, black pepper
• Vegetables: Halve or quarter crimini mushrooms, depending on their size, and cut carrots into 1-inch pieces.
• Aromatics: Shallots and garlic
• Tomato Paste deepens the flavor with its concentrated richness rather than using tomato sauce.
• Wine: Use a wine you’d enjoy drinking since the dish will have tasting notes of the wine. Authentic French beef bourguignon typically uses Burgundy or Pinot Noir, but any dry red wine you like to drink works.
• Beef Broth: The meat cooks in broth, which prevents it from drying out.
• Herbs: Hearty herbs, like fresh thyme sprigs and rosemary, hold up well during the long cooking process.

How to Make Beef Bourguignon in the Slow Cooker

The first half of this recipe is cooked in a skillet on the stove, and yes, I promise it’s worth dirtying an extra pan! Browning the beef and veggies enhances their flavor. The printable instructions are below in the recipe card.

1. Cook the Bacon: Heat a skillet over medium bacon and cook the bacon until crisp. Transfer it to the slow cooker and remove all but a couple of teaspoons of bacon fat.
2. Brown the Beef: Toss the meat with flour and seasoning, then brown it on all sides in the skillet. Transfer beef to the crock pot.
3. Cook the Mushrooms in the bacon fat and sprinkle with salt. Once they begin to brown, add the shallots and garlic, followed by the tomato paste. Add the veggies to the slow cooker.
4. Slow Cook the Beef: Pour the red wine and broth into the crockpot and stir. Lay the fresh herbs and carrots on top. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 to 6 hours. Remove the herbs before serving and ladle into bowls.

Variations

• Add pearl onions to the slow cooker with the carrots.
• Try different herbs such as parsley or bay leaves.
• To make in the Instant Pot, brown the meat, bacon and vegetables as the recipe describes first then cook on high pressure for 35 to 40 minutes, until tender.

Pro Tips for Perfect Beef Bourguignon

• Veggie Variations: If you dislike mushrooms or want to make the meal heartier, add parsnips or potatoes. For the mushrooms, you can substitute white button mushrooms.
• Wine Matters: Wine is a major component in this recipe, so there isn’t really a substitute for it. If you don’t want to cook with alcohol, you can replace it with extra broth. However, the end result will taste differently.
• Gluten-Free Beef Bourguignon: Use a gluten-free flour, like Cup4Cup.
• Onions: Swap shallots for red onions.
• Onion Powder: Replace it with garlic powder.
• Herbs: If you only have 1 herb, that’s fine. Use all rosemary or all thyme.

What to Serve with Beef Bourguignon

• Eat the stew with a loaf of crusty bread like French bread or baguette to soak up the broth, or serve it over mashed potatoes or egg noodles to make it more filling.
• Vegetable side dishes, try them with green beans or roasted broccoli.

Storage

Beef bourguignon is excellent for meal prep since the leftovers reheat well.

• Refrigerate leftovers for 4 days.
• Freeze it in an airtight container for 3 months.
• Reheat: Remove from freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat on the stove or microwave.

FAQs

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