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Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy combines beef, bacon, fresh herbs, and vegetables that are braised in a red wine sauce. A simple yet elegant dinner for a special occasion, or easy enough to be served on a weeknight! With just 15 minutes of prep, it goes straight into the slow cooker or Instant Pot and becomes one of the kind of comforting slow cooker recipes I come back to again and again.
What is Beef Burgundy?
Channeling my inner Julia Childs here with another classic French dinner! Beef Burgundy is technically referred to as “Beef Bourguignon”. It has a robust flavor of red wine with tomatoes, fresh herbs, tender beef, and some veggies. All braised together for a few hours. What could be better?
I absolutely love Beef Burgundy this time of year. It’s perfect for a holiday dinner, but also just a perfect dinner for the winter. As a nutritionist, I love to make hearty stews in the colder months that are still loaded with veggies, flavor, and protein– but also pure comfort food. For an extra layer of flavor, I sometimes add mushrooms to recipes like this. They’re so good at soaking in the sauce and adding richness.
I’ve been making a variation from a cookbook I received as a wedding gift over 10 years ago, and that was adapted adapted from Julia Childs. A friend of mine recently asked me for my recipe, and I could not find the darn cookbook to save my life!! In the meantime, I told her I would work on the recipe. I wanted to try it out in my slow cooker, and see if I could make it even better.
There is now no other way to make this recipe. The beef was absolutely delicious. Perfectly tender and flavorful! My sweet friend follows a Gluten-Free diet, so I was even able to make this recipe Gluten-Free and Paleo. If you love hearty, protein-packed meals, you’ll love my collection of flavorful and hearty beef recipe. There’s something for every weeknight, slow cooker favorite, and cozy dinner!
How to make Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy:
Let’s gather up our ingredients:
- bacon
- sirloin steak
- white onion (+ optional pearl onions)
- garlic
- arrowroot starch
- beef broth
- Burgundy wine or high quality red wine
- tomato paste
- carrots
- mushrooms
- rosemary
- bay leafs
- coconut sugar or brown sugar
The directions:
- Begin by cooking the bacon on the stove, remove from heat but reserve the bacon fat.
- Use the bacon grease to saute and brown the beef along with the onions and garlic. This should only be about 4 minutes!
- Now transfer the beef, garlic, onion, and bacon to the pot. Mix the arrowroot starch with the beef broth, and pour over the beef. Now add in the wine, tomato paste, carrots, mushrooms, rosemary, bay leafs, and sugar.
- Cook on low for 6 hours.
- Remove the rosemary sprig and bay leaves.
Can I make this in the Instant Pot?
Of course! Here is what you will do for the Instant Pot:
- select the saute function and cook the bacon. Remove and reserve some of the bacon fat to cook the beef, onions, and garlic
- Toss in the carrots and mushrooms.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the beef broth with the arrowroot starch. Pour over the beef mixture and deglaze the pot.
- Add in the remaining ingredients: wine, tomato paste, sugar, rosemary and bay leaves. Secure the lid and select the meat/stew function (or you can also use high pressure) and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes.
- Use a natural release for at least 15 minutes, then release any remaining steam. Remove the lid.
This special meal is a fantastic option for Christmas Eve, Christmas, or New Year’s. And without having to stay in the kitchen for hours, let the slow cooker do the work for you!
Serving and Storing:
This beef stew-style recipe is pure comfort in a bowl, and it’s even better over something soft and cozy. I love piling it over creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or the slightly sweet, velvety Instant Pot Butternut Squash Mash.
Storing: You can store in the fridge for up to one week! This beef Burgundy also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months in an air tight container.
Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy
Ingredients
- 4 strips thick bacon
- 1.5 lbs sirloin steak, or stew beef cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1 medium size white onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 cups Burgundy wine or high quality red wine
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup chopped or sliced carrots
- 1 cup pearl onions*, (optional)
- 12 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 2 bay leafs
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by heating a up large skillet, add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove from pan leaving the bacon grease, set aside to cool, and chop into small pieces.
- Add beef, onion, and garlic to hot skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the beef is barely browned, and transfer to your slow cooker.
- Place arrowroot starch in a bowl with the beef broth and stir until combined. Add liquid to the slow cooker on top of the beef.
- Add wine, tomato paste, carrots, mushrooms, chopped bacon, rosemary, coconut sugar, and bay leafs to the beef mixture.
- Set slow cooker to low, and cook for 4-6 hours.
- Remove bay leaf and rosemary twig (leaves will have fallen into the beef mixture). Salt and Pepper to taste. Serve with sweet potato mash, rice, or as a hearty stew.
If I plan on doubling the meat and vegetables do I also need to double the rest of the ingredients as well? beef broth,wine, tomato paste etc.
I would add an extra 2 cups of broth, and about 1/2 tbsp of tomato paste. You don’t need to add anymore wine, unless you want to do 1 cup broth, 1 cup wine.
Hi! There is no sugar listed in the ingredient list, but it is listed in the directions and description. I am wondering what the amount of sugar should be. Thanks!
It’s in the recipe! It’s 2 tbsp coconut sugar. You can also do brown sugar in its place.
I made this in my Instant Pot and decided to cook for 20 minutes. I did a natural release. The meat came out perfectly, but the sauce is extremely watery so I am using the sauté function on my IP to try to reduce the sauce. I am not sure if you would have some suggestions for next time? Maybe reduce the liquid, or perhaps do a quick release?
I see two different times for the IP, 20 minutes and 40 minutes. Which do you suggest?
This looks delicious. Where in the recipe does it call for honey? How much?
Do you have a favorite brand of wine to use?
I have a few that I like to use in this recipe: a big Cabernet like Robert Mondavi Reserve or Justins. I have also used a Zinfandel and my favorite is Rombauer!
Cooking this in an instant pot. Should I use the instant pot slow cooker setting (on more / high) for 4 hours? Or just pressure cook it for 20 minutes? Quandry.
You can definitely do it in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes! Use a natural release