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Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon is a French wine-braised beef stew with tender chuck, mushrooms, and pearl onions. You’ll brown the beef in bacon fat, simmer aromatics with red wine, then slow-cook until deeply flavorful and thick over carrots.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bacon
  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon Chop into small pieces.
Beef
  • 3 lb beef chuck Cut into 2-inch cubes.
Seasonings
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
Flour
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour Use to lightly coat the beef before browning.
Aromatics and tomato
  • 1 onion Dice.
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Wine and broth
  • 2 cup dry red wine
  • 1.5 cup beef broth
Vegetables and herbs
  • 4 carrots Slice thick.
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms Quarter.
  • 1 cup frozen pearl onions
Finishing fat
  • 2 tbsp butter For sautéing mushrooms and pearl onions at the end.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Brown the bacon and beef
  1. Cook the chopped thick-cut bacon in a cast iron skillet until crisp, then transfer the bacon to the slow cooker while leaving the bacon fat in the pan.
  2. Season the beef chuck cubes with salt and black pepper, then toss with all-purpose flour; brown the beef in batches in the bacon fat until well browned, and transfer to the slow cooker.
Build the wine base
  1. Cook the diced onion, minced garlic, and tomato paste in the skillet for 3 minutes.
  2. Pour in the dry red wine, simmer for 3 minutes while scraping the pan to loosen browned bits, then pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
Slow cook the bourguignon
  1. Add the beef broth, sliced carrots, dried thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.
Finish with mushrooms and pearl onions
  1. Sauté the cremini mushrooms and frozen pearl onions in butter until golden.
  2. Stir the sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions into the stew, then cook until the last 30 minutes.
  3. Remove the bay leaves and serve the stew over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Notes

For the best flavor, brown the beef in batches so the cubes sear instead of steaming. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. If you want a dairy-light option, use olive oil instead of butter for the final mushroom and pearl onion sauté (the stew will still be rich).