Julia Child Beef Bourguignon Recipe

Julia Child Beef Bourguignon is tender beef braised low and slow in red Burgundy wine with bacon, pearl onions, and mushrooms. You might see it called Boeuf Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy. Same dish. Same magic.

This recipe comes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, pages 315-317. I’ve made it more times than I can count. The first time? Disaster. Second time? Better. Third time? My husband asked if we could have it every week. Julia said it best: “Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man.” She wasn’t exaggerating.

What is Beef Bourguignon? A French beef stew from the Burgundy region. Beef braised in red wine with bacon, pearl onions, and mushrooms. Takes 3 hours. Worth every minute.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The beef falls apart. Not in a sad, overcooked way. In a fork-tender, melt-on-your-tongue way.
• The sauce is ridiculous. Wine-rich, glossy, the kind you want to drink straight from the pot. (I’ve done it. No regrets.)
• It’s better the next day. Make it Saturday. Eat it Sunday. Thank me later.
• Impressive but forgiving. Looks like you slaved. Doesn’t require culinary school.
• It’s the original. Not a shortcut version. Julia’s actual recipe.

Let’s get into it.

Julia Child Beef Bourguignon Ingredients

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1, Pages 315-317. Feeds 6 hungry people.

For the Stew:

• 6 oz chunk of bacon (not pre-sliced – you need a slab)
• 1 Tb olive oil
• 3 lbs stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes (chuck roast is perfect)
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 Tb flour
• 3 cups red wine (Burgundy, Pinot Noir, whatever you’d actually drink)
• 2-3 cups beef stock
• 1 Tb tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• ½ tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled

For the Garnish:

• 18-24 pearl onions
• 1 lb mushrooms, quartered
• Butter for sautéing
• Parsley

Can’t find pearl onions? Frozen ones work. No judgment. No Burgundy? Any dry red wine you’d enjoy drinking. Fresh thyme? Use ½ tsp dried if that’s what you’ve got.

How To Make Julia Child Beef Bourguignon

1. Deal with the bacon. Cut it into lardons – little sticks about ¼-inch thick, 1½ inches long. Simmer them with the rind in water for 10 minutes. Sounds weird. Just do it. This removes excess salt so the bacon doesn’t take over.

2. Brown the bacon. Get your oven heating to 450°F. Cook the lardons in oil until they’re lightly browned. Maybe 3 minutes. Fish them out with a slotted spoon. Keep that fat. You need it.

3. Sear the beef. This is where people mess up. Dry your beef with paper towels. I mean really dry it. Wet meat steams. Steamed meat is gray and sad. Work in batches. Don’t crowd the pot. Get a good brown crust on all sides.

4. Cook the vegetables. Same pot, same fat. Throw in the carrot and onion. Let them soften and pick up some color. Dump out the extra fat when you’re done.

5. The flour trick. Put the beef and bacon back in. Toss everything with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over and toss again. Now here’s Julia’s genius move: stick the uncovered pot in your hot oven for 4 minutes. Toss it. Back in for 4 more minutes. This browns the flour and creates a beautiful crust on the meat.

6. Braise it. Turn the oven down to 325°F. Pour in the wine and enough stock to barely cover the meat. Add tomato paste, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and that bacon rind you saved. Bring it to a simmer on the stovetop. Cover. Slide it into the lower third of the oven.

Now wait. 2½ to 3 hours. Go do something else. Read a book. Take a nap. When a fork slides into the beef like butter, you’re done.

7. Meanwhile, prep your garnishes. Braise the pearl onions in stock until tender. Sauté the mushrooms in butter until golden. Set them aside.

8. Finish the sauce. Pour everything through a strainer into a saucepan. Put the meat back in the pot. Skim the fat off that liquid and simmer it until you’ve got about 2½ cups of sauce that coats a spoon. Taste it. Adjust the salt.

9. Bring it together. Add the onions and mushrooms to the beef. Pour that gorgeous sauce over everything. Simmer for a couple minutes. Done.

Tips From Someone Who’s Made This Too Many Times

• Dry. Your. Meat. I can’t stress this enough. Paper towels. Every surface.
• Don’t crowd the pan. Brown in batches or you’ll get steam, not sear.
• Drink good wine, cook with good wine. It doesn’t have to be expensive. $12-15 is plenty. But if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it.
• Low simmer, not a boil. Bubbles should barely break the surface. Boiling = tough meat.
• Make it ahead. Seriously. This stew is better on day two. The flavors meld overnight.

Short on Time?

• Instant Pot Version: Brown your bacon and beef using Sauté mode. Deglaze with wine (scrape up those browned bits). Add everything else. Pressure cook on High for 35-40 minutes. Natural release 10 minutes. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry at the end. Not the same as 3 hours in the oven. But pretty close. And you can eat by 7pm.
• Slow Cooker Version: Brown bacon and beef in a skillet first. Transfer to your Crock Pot. Cook on LOW for 8 hours. It’ll make more liquid than the oven method, so remove the lid the last hour and thicken with a flour slurry. Perfect for days when you want dinner waiting for you.

Julia’s Recipe vs. Ina Garten’s

People ask me about this all the time. Here’s the difference:

Julia cuts her beef in 2-inch cubes. Ina goes smaller, 1-inch. Julia braises for 2½-3 hours. Ina cooks just over an hour. Ina adds half a cup of Cognac and lights it on fire. (Julia’s version has no Cognac.) Ina thickens at the end with beurre manié. Julia uses flour at the beginning.

Which is better? Depends what you want. Julia’s is more traditional, more wine-forward. Ina’s is boozier and faster. I love both for different reasons.

Those Blogger Versions You’ve Seen

You might have stumbled on “Jan’s Beef Bourguignon” or similar adaptations. They usually skip the bacon blanching, add vegetables from the start, use frozen pearl onions. Easier? Sure. Same depth? Not quite. Julia’s method is fussier for a reason. But when you’re short on time, these shortcuts aren’t the worst thing.

Want to Watch Julia Make This?

She demonstrated Beef Bourguignon on The French Chef, Season 1, Episode 1. February 2, 1963. The very first episode of her show started with this dish. Find it on YouTube or PBS. Watch how she moves in the kitchen. You’ll learn more in 30 minutes than most cookbooks teach.

What to Serve Alongside

• Boiled potatoes. The classic. Soak up that sauce.
• Egg noodles. My personal go-to.
• Crusty bread. For mopping up every last drop.
• Buttered peas. If you need something green.

Pour the same kind of wine you cooked with. Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône. Something young and full-bodied.

Storing Leftovers (If There Are Any)

• Fridge: Up to 4 days. Honestly, it tastes better reheated.
• Freezer: Up to 3 months.
• Reheat: Gently. Low heat, covered, 15 minutes. Add a splash of stock if it’s thickened up.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (serves 6):

• Calories: 480 kcal
• Protein: 42g
• Fat: 24g
• Saturated Fat: 9g
• Carbs: 14g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 720mg
• Cholesterol: 155mg

Common Questions

Source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 by Julia Child, Pages 315-317

Bon appétit!

– Claire