Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon

This Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon puts a modernized twist on the Julia Child classic. It’s quick and unfussy with the same amazing flavor!

Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon Made Easy

I recently took a DNA test and found out that I’m a whopping 45% from France! So I think more French cuisine needs to happen here.

And the infamous bœuf bourguignon seemed like a great place to start.

But simplified! Because that’s how I do.

One pot, 2 hours at most, and very little clean up. Still, somehow, a cozy and classy dinner that will impress everyone with its rich, savory gravy and melt-in-your-mouth beef.

What Is Beef Bourguignon?

Beef Bourguignon was first mentioned in cookbooks back in 1903, but many of us seem to associate the dish with Julia Child and her rendition of it in her famous cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Basically, it’s a beef stew braised in red wine—typically red Burgundy wine—and beef stock. It’s common to include bacon, pearl onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and fresh herbs with warmer notes, like thyme, rosemary, and sage.

What to Serve With Beef Bourguignon

• For me, there’s no way to eat beef bourguignon other than spooned over fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes.
• You could also serve it with a side of roasted potatoes and green beans.
• Another way some people tend to enjoy beef bourguignon is with egg noodles, like you would with beef stroganoff!

Ingredients

*Exact measurements in the recipe card below

• Butter. You could swap out butter for olive oil if you prefer, but I wouldn’t! Butter is part of the beautiful rich flavor in this dish.
• Bacon. Get nice thick butchers cut bacon if you can.
• Chuck beef. Boneless beef chuck roast is the best cut for beef bourguignon, thanks to its balance of fat and collagen. You’ll be treated to melt-in-your-mouth beef and, best of all, it’s a less expensive cut!
• Red wine. Traditionally, Red Burgundy is the top pick (which is why this dish is also often called Beef Burgundy). There are a ton of opinions out there when it comes to which red wine is best with stews—Pinot Noir if you want it lighter, Cabernet is you prefer rich and rustic, Merlot if you’re caught in the middle—but I say, choose a red you’ll also want to drink.
• Beef broth. Any kind of beef broth is fine. If you choose low sodium, be sure to taste test and add sea salt as needed. Controlling sodium is important, but you still want the flavor in this dish to POP.
• Beef broth base. Ah, my secret weapon! Better than Bouillon is my go-to. Just a heaping tsp of this stuff brings a whole other level of richness and flavor to beef dishes. (I even use it in my chicken marsala.)
• Marinara. You can use homemade or store bought.
• Tomato paste. Definitely get the tomato paste in a tube. Canned tomato paste doesn’t last as long, wastes product, and tastes a little tinny.
• All purpose flour. An easy pantry staple everyone has!
• Vegetables. We’re using carrots, baby bella mushrooms, and pearl onions.
• Garlic. No explanation needed; garlic belongs in everything!
• Fresh herbs. I use the pre-packaged poultry blend of sage, thyme, and rosemary. You could buy them individually, or just use two of them. There’s no real measured amount to use, just a small bouquet of these fresh herbs will do!
• Bay leaves. Optional, but I like to add them to any and all stews for a bit of extra depth in flavor.
• Sea salt + cracked pepper. Go as per the recipe, but always taste test as you cook.
• Fresh parsley. For garnish!

How to Make Beef Bourguignon

Activate the Sauté mode on the Instant Pot. Pop the butter into the pot and once melted, add the bacon, searing it until it’s cooked through. Transfer the bacon to a separate bowl with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

Season the beef with sea salt and cracked pepper, then transfer to the Instant Pot, about 3-4 chunks at a time (you don’t want to overcrowd the pot) and sear them for about 4 minutes. Use tongs to rotate the beef so you can brown all sides. When done, transfer the beef to a plate; repeat with the rest of the beef until done.

Add the pearl onions and mushrooms to the pot and simmer for about two minutes to lightly brown them, then add the garlic, and simmer for another 30 seconds.

Pour in the red wine and bring it to a low simmer and deglaze the pan by scraping the brown bits off the bottom and sides of the pot into the liquid. Keep simmering for another 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, add the beef broth, tomato paste, marinara, and beef base (I use Better than Bouillon; you could also use a bouillon cube if that’s what you have). Bring everything to a low simmer, then gradually sprinkle in the flour, whisking it until it dissolves.

Add the bacon back to the pot, then toss in the carrots. Nestle the beef into the pot, covering it with sauce, and then submerge the tied-up herbs and bay leaves into the liquid.

Cancel Sauté mode, secure the lid onto the Instant Pot, position the valve to SEAL, and cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes. (It could take about 15 minutes for the pot to come to pressure and seal).

When it’s done, let the pot naturally release for 15 minutes, then carefully move the valve to VENT for a quick release.

Remove the lid, then activate Sauté mode again. Let everything simmer for 5-10 minutes to thicken. I like my gravy pretty thick, so I usually stir in a slurry at this point (2 TBSP all purpose flour or cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water).

Give the sauce a taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve, garnished with freshly chopped parsley.

Recipe Tips

1. To make the pearl onions quick and easy to peel, pop them into a pot of water and bring them to a boil. Let them cook for 2 minutes, then drain them and dunk them into a bowl of ice water to cool for about a minute. Once cool enough to handle, pinch the stem with your fingers—the onions will loosen and slide right out.
2. You could also use a large sweet onions instead, cut into bite-sized wedges.
3. Traditionally, this recipe calls for Burgundy wine, but I like to use a Cabernet Sauvignon once in a while as well.
4. If you can’t find a pre-packaged “poultry blend” of herbs, simply bring together a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme. Tie the herb bouquet together with butcher’s twine before submerging it into the stew.

Have You Made This Recipe?

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Other Instant Pot Recipes to Try:

• Instant Pot Pork Ragu
• Sweet + Smoky Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
• Instant Pot Korean Pulled Pork
• Instant Pot Ground Turkey Tacos
• Simple Instant Pot Rice Pilaf