This is Anthony Bourdain’s celebrated beef bourguignon a recipe that honors French tradition while remaining approachable for the home cook. It’s worth every moment of effort.
Beef bourguignon is the quintessential comfort food warm, deeply flavored, and soul-satisfying. While countless recipes and cooking methods exist for beef stew, this particular version comes from the legendary Anthony Bourdain, whose culinary wisdom shaped how many of us approach cooking.
When I discovered his recipe, I knew I had to make it. Bourdain had an extraordinary gift for understanding what makes food truly memorable, and this dish exemplifies his philosophy: respect tradition, use quality ingredients, and don’t be afraid of a little kitchen effort.
This recipe leans decidedly French rather than American in its technique and flavors. It does contain one specialty ingredient that may require a bit of hunting, though it’s optional. However, I strongly encourage you to seek it out it elevates this bourguignon from excellent to extraordinary.
Understanding the Ingredients
The Beef: Choose well-marbled chuck roast or beef chuck, cut into generous cubes. The marbling breaks down during the long braise, creating fork-tender meat bathed in rich sauce.
Red Wine: A good Burgundy (Bourgogne) is traditional, but any full-bodied red wine you’d enjoy drinking works beautifully. The wine’s acidity and tannins balance the richness while adding depth.
Bacon or Lardons: These provide smoky, savory notes and render flavorful fat that becomes the foundation for browning the beef.
Aromatics: Carrots, garlic, and bay leaves build layers of flavor that develop and deepen as the stew braises.
Fresh Herbs: Thyme and parsley bring brightness that cuts through the richness, while a bouquet garni infuses the braising liquid with subtle herbal complexity.
The Secret Ingredient: Demi-Glace
Here’s the optional but highly recommended ingredient: demi-glace. This concentrated stock adds restaurant-quality depth and a luxurious, glossy finish to the sauce.
There are shortcut methods to making demi-glace and various substitutions, but this is one instance where I say don’t bother making it buy it. If you live in a larger metro area, you’ll likely find it in the aisle where stocks and broths are shelved, or near browning sauces and gravies. It’s also readily available online and reasonably priced considering how much it enhances dishes.
Demi-glace is shelf-stable and has numerous culinary applications beyond this recipe, so it’s a worthwhile pantry addition. It adds a special something to this bourguignon that’s difficult to replicate. However, the stew will still taste wonderful even if you don’t use it Bourdain’s technique ensures that.
About Those Onions
No, it’s not a typo. This recipe uses four yes, four onions.
Here’s what happens: they all cook down during the long braise and actually help thicken the sauce naturally. It sounds like onion overload, I know, but the result is magical. The onions practically melt into the sauce, contributing body and a subtle sweetness that balances the wine’s acidity.
Even friends who typically avoid onions have loved this stew without detecting any overpowering onion flavor. The long cooking transforms them into something entirely different silky, sweet, and integral to the dish’s character.
The French Approach to Braising
What distinguishes this recipe is its adherence to classic French technique. Each step has purpose:
Browning the meat properly: This creates fond those caramelized bits stuck to the pan which becomes the flavor foundation.
Deglazing with wine: This lifts all that developed flavor from the pan bottom into the sauce.
Low and slow braising: Gentle heat over extended time breaks down tough collagen into gelatin, creating that luxurious, coating texture.
Finishing touches: Pearl onions and mushrooms added near the end maintain their texture and add visual appeal.
Why This Recipe Stands Out
Bourdain’s version respects the dish’s Burgundian origins while acknowledging modern home cooking realities. It doesn’t cut corners where technique matters, yet it remains achievable for passionate home cooks willing to invest time.
The layering of flavors from the bacon’s smokiness to the wine’s complexity, from the aromatic vegetables to the herbs creates a dish that tastes like it simmered in a French countryside kitchen for generations.
ANTHONY BOURDAINS BEEF BOURGUIGNON — centered, clean hero image
Serving Suggestions
Beef bourguignon deserves accompaniments that honor its richness:
Traditional pairings:
Buttery mashed potatoes for soaking up the sauce
Crusty French bread to capture every last drop
Egg noodles tossed with butter and parsley
Creamy polenta for a luxurious base
Vegetable sides:
Haricots verts (French green beans) with shallots
Roasted root vegetables
Simple butter lettuce salad with Dijon vinaigrette
Glazed carrots with fresh thyme
Wine pairing: Serve the same style of red wine you cooked with a Burgundy if you’re feeling traditional, or any full-bodied red that complements rich, savory flavors.
Make-Ahead and Storage
One of bourguignon’s greatest qualities is that it improves with time.
Advance preparation: Make this a day ahead the flavors deepen and marry overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of stock if the sauce has thickened too much.
Storage: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The beef stays tender and the sauce maintains its silky texture.
Freezing: This freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly. You may need to adjust the consistency with a bit of stock or wine.
Seasonal Variations
While traditional bourguignon is perfect as-is, you can embrace seasonal ingredients:
Fall and Winter: Add parsnips or turnips alongside the carrots for earthy sweetness.
Spring: Finish with fresh peas and baby carrots for color and brightness.
Herb variations: Experiment with fresh rosemary or a strip of orange zest in your bouquet garni for subtle complexity.
The Reward of Patience
Yes, beef bourguignon takes time. The preparation, the browning, the braising it’s not a weeknight shortcut meal. But that’s precisely what makes it special.
This is the kind of dish you make when cooking becomes meditation, when the kitchen fills with intoxicating aromas, and when the payoff that first forkful of wine-dark, tender beef justifies every minute spent.
Anthony Bourdain understood that some recipes are worth the effort, that rushing excellence never works, and that real comfort food often requires real commitment. This beef bourguignon embodies all of that wisdom.
This classic French stew delivers rich flavors using demi glace and burgundy beef. Perfect as a gourmet beef stew, this anthony bourdain beef bourguignon recipe is worth the effort for a comforting dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
2 lb boneless beef shoulder or chuck cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil divided
4 medium onions halved and thinly sliced
2 tbs all-purpose flour
1 cup red burgundy wine such as pinot noir
6 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 clove garlic
1 bouquet garni a tied bundle of herbs typically thyme bay and parsley
Water
Demi-glace optional
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Instructions
Thoroughly pat the meat dry with paper towels and generously season it with salt and pepper.
In a Dutch oven over high heat, heat half of the oil until shimmering. Working in several batches and without moving the meat much, sear the meat on all sides until well browned adding more oil as needed.
Once the meat is well browned, transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the onions and any remaining oil to the pot. Cook stirring from time to time until the onions have softened and turn golden about 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour on top and cook stirring occasionally until thickened 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the wine and using a wooden spoon stir scraping up all the browned bits fond off the bottom of the pot.
Once the wine starts to boil return the meat and its accumulated juices to the pot and add the carrots garlic and the bouquet garni.
Add 1 1/2 cups of water and about 2 tablespoons of demi-glace if you have it. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered until the meat is tender 2 to 2 1/2 hours skimming off any foam or oil that might accumulate on the surface.
Check on the stew every 15 to 20 minutes stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching or sticking.
Continue adding 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup water as needed up to 2 1/2 to 3 cups total to ensure there is enough liquid to cook down and concentrate. If the stew begins to stick reduce the heat to low.
When the stew is done discard the bouquet garni taste the stew and season with more salt if desired.
Sharing a handpicked collection of easy, healthy recipes made in our family kitchen. Rachel brings comforting classics, while Emily adds fresh, modern ideas together creating meals that are simple, flavorful, and family-friendly.
