This instant pot beef bourguignon delivers the same wonderful, fork-tender meat and rich, red-wine flavored gravy as the classic French beef stew. But it’s easier and faster to make!
Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon is, of course, the beloved French stew made popular by Julia Child and more recently, Ina Garten. It’s the ultimate comfort food — a hearty stew made by slowly simmering bacon, beef, and vegetables in a red-wine sauce.
And while it’s a rustic dish, it has a richness and a depth of flavor that really elevates it. It’s perfect for serving at a dinner party or even for Christmas dinner.
Why Make Beef Bourguignon in an Instant Pot?
This version is a great option if you’re short on time. Yes, you’ll still need to brown your meat, which is the most labor-intensive part of making the stew. But you’ll be able to skip some of the other steps (like sautéeing the mushrooms).
And instead of simmering the stew for hours, this version cooks in about 40 minutes. And since food cooks faster in a pressure cooker, and very little moisture escapes during the process, the flavors will still be rich and developed.
Beef Stew Recipe Ingredients
So let’s get cooking! This tasty dish is made with some pretty simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Onions: You can use yellow onions or shallots in this recipe.
- Bacon: I used about 6 rashers of center cut applewood smoked bacon. You could also use pancetta or lardons.
- Beef: I prefer using chuck roast for this dish. And I usually ask the butcher to cut the roast into 2-inch pieces for me.
- Carrots: Don’t skimp on the carrots! Some beef bourguignon recipes call for using just 1 carrot. I used a full pound (about 5 medium carrots) in this dish.
- Mushrooms: I prefer to use crimini mushrooms in this recipe. Although they are actually this same type of mushroom as white button mushrooms, criminis are picked later in their growth cycle. This gives them a firmer texture and better flavor than the younger white mushrooms.
- Garlic: I used fresh, minced garlic.
- Pearl Onions: Don’t leave these out! You can buy prepared, frozen pearl onions in most grocery stores.
- Beef Stock: I recommend using high-quality, unsalted beef stock.
- Red Wine: Use a decent-quality dry red wine like pinot noir (burgundy) or cote du rhone.
- Tomato Paste: This helps to flavor and thicken the sauce.
- Herbs and Spices: This recipe calls for fresh parsley and thyme, as well as dried bay leaves. You’ll also need kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Flour and Butter: To finish the dish, you’ll need to add beurre manié (kneaded butter) to the stew. Like roux, this is made simply by combining butter and flour together in equal parts and then adding it to the sauce to thicken it.
Recipe Tips:
Here are a few things to help you make this dish.
- Instant Pots: If you’re looking for an Instant Pot, which is an electric pressure cooker, I use this 6 qt. one. Also, don’t be afraid of the pressure cooker exploding! Modern electric pressure cookers are quite safe. They will automatically turn off if the pressure or temperature ever rises too high.
- Get the Butcher to Cube Your Beef: Save time and effort by asking your butcher to cut your beef chuck roast into 2-inch cubes.
- Use Big Pieces of Carrots: To keep the carrots from getting mushy, make sure to cut them into larger pieces. I suggest 2-inches.
- Buy Frozen Pearl Onions: You can find these pre-prepped onions in the grocery store’s freezer section. Just bring them to room temperature before using.
- Use a Nice Wine: Since the wine plays a starring role in this stew’s sauce, make sure it’s tasty enough to drink.
- Make-Ahead and Storage: This stew can easily be made a day or two before you plan to serve it. Just let it cool to room temperature and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Serving Tips: Serve this beef stew by itself or over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles. And don’t forget the crusty bread and red wine!
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Easy Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon Recipe
- Total Time: 75 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This instant pot beef bourguignon delivers the same wonderful, fork-tender meat and rich, red-wine flavored gravy as the classic French beef stew. But it’s easier and faster to make!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chopped onions (about 1/2 medium-sized yellow onion)
- 6 strips center-cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 pounds beef chuck (cut into 2-inch pieces)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more, to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch slices (about 5 medium carrots)
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine (such as pinot noir or cote du rhone)
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock, unsalted if available
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs fresh parsley (plus extra for garnish)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 ounces crimini mushrooms, destemmed and quartered
- 1 cup pearl onions
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
Instructions
- Select the sauté function on your Instant Pot. Once the pot has warmed up, add the onions and bacon. You don’t need to add oil — the bacon has enough fat in it. Cook until the bacon is browned, stirring frequently. Remove the bacon and onions to a plate and set aside.
- While the bacon and onions are cooking, dry the beef cubes with paper towels and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Add them to the pot in a single layer and sear them until they are browned on all sides, about 3-5 minutes. You may have to do this in batches. Alternatively, you can also sear the beef in a skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop while the bacon and onions are cooking.
- Add the minced garlic to the beef and continue to cook for 1 minute longer. Then add the bacon and onions back to the pot along with the diced carrots, red wine, beef stock, tomato paste, and the herbs.
- Stir to combine and then continue to cook on the sauté setting for about 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits and residue.
- Cancel the sauté function, lock the lid in place, and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Select the manual pressure cook button (high pressure) and set the timer to 35 minutes. When the time is up, let the pressure come down naturally for about 10 minutes. Then (carefully!) turn the steam release valve to the venting position to release the remaining pressure.
- While the stew is cooking, combine the flour and butter in a small bowl and knead into a smooth ball. This is called beurre manie (kneaded butter). Set aside.
- When the stew is done cooking and venting, remove and discard the herbs. Select the sauté setting again, and add the mushrooms and pearl onions to the stew. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Then, stir in the butter and flour mixture and continue to cook while stirring until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- To serve, spoon the stew into individual bowls and garnish with a sprinkling of fresh parsley. You can also serve over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice. And don’t forget the red wine!
Notes
Make-Ahead and Storage: This stew can easily be made a day or two before you plan to serve it. Just let it cool to room temperature and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Pressure Cooker
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 369
- Sugar: 5.4 g
- Sodium: 469.3 mg
- Fat: 16.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Protein: 39.3 g
- Cholesterol: 116.7 mg
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