Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
This Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon recipe will transform tough chuck roast into tender, wine-braised perfection with a fraction of the work of the classic dish. Rich red wine sauce, bacon, and mushrooms create restaurant-quality French comfort food at home with minimal effort!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 6 ounces bacon roughly chopped
- 4-5 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into chubby 3 to 4-inch chunks.
- 1 large carrot sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 1 large white onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced (divided: 4 for the stew, 2 for the mushrooms)
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6 ounces small pearl onions
- 2 cups red wine Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Chianti
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 beef bouillon cube crushed
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped (divided)
- 1 pound mushrooms white or cremini, quartered
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Cook the bacon until crisp and browned, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Pat the beef very dry. Sear in batches in the bacon drippings until very well browned on all sides. Don't crowd the pan and don't rush this process. It's MAGIC. Work in batches as needed. Move the browned beef to the slow cooker with the bacon.
- In the same skillet, sauté the carrot and diced onion until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 4 cloves of the garlic for 30–60 seconds. Add the vegetables to the slow cooker and stir in the pearl onions if using.
- Pour the wine into the hot skillet and simmer rapidly for 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits.
- Pour the wine mixture into the slow cooker. Stir the corn starch into the beef stock. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, crushed bouillon, thyme, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours or High for 6-8 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
- About 15 minutes before serving, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 cloves garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until browned, 5–7 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir into the slow cooker.
- Remove the bay leaves. Skim any excess fat from the surface. If the sauce is thinner than you’d like, simmer uncovered on High for 10–15 minutes, or ladle some sauce into a saucepan and reduce on the stove. If it’s too thick, add a splash of stock. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon and is like a thin gravy.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper — it will need more salt, don't be stingy here! Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve hot over well-seasoned mashed potatoes. If you want to go all out, serve with fresh baguettes to sop up the sauce!
Notes
Slow Cooker Size: 6-quart
Pricey But Worth It: The chuck roast is fairly expensive but it's my favorite cut for this recipe. I consider this a "company" dish and I make it for special occasions, birthdays, and when friends are coming over. It's a treat and impressive and one of our top meals of all time.
No-Sear Shortcut: Gotcha — there is no option to not sear that beef! If you don't have time to sear it, skip the recipe all together until you do have the time.
Great for Making Ahead: You can make this ahead and it's even better the next day. Chill, remove solidified fat, and rewarm gently.
The Classic But Easier: This classic Julia Child recipe is amazing and I hope you make it and serve it to your family ASAP. It's amazing!
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 801kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 1046mg | Potassium: 1167mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1531IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 6mg
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