Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon with One-Pour Red Wine Mixture Recipe
This Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon recipe offers a rich, tender, and flavorful French-inspired stew made easy with a one-pour wine mixture. Featuring succulent beef chuck cubes, earthy mushrooms, carrots, and a luscious red wine and tomato paste broth, this dish is perfect for a comforting meal without the fuss of traditional stovetop cooking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 to 9 hours on LOW or 4 to 5 hours on HIGH
- Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes to 9 hours 20 minutes (LOW setting) or 4 hours 20 minutes to 5 hours 20 minutes (HIGH setting)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Seasonings
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
One-Pour Wine Mixture
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine (such as Pinot Noir or Merlot)
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth (low-sodium preferred)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (from the divided salt above)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (from the divided pepper above)
Vegetables
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, halved or quartered
Thickening and Finishing
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional, for richness)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Season the Beef: Place the raw beef chuck cubes in a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Toss well to coat evenly and set aside while preparing the wine mixture.
- Prepare the One-Pour Wine Mixture: In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the dry red wine, beef broth, tomato paste, minced garlic, thyme, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until the tomato paste is fully dissolved. This mixture will infuse flavor throughout the dish.
- Arrange Vegetables: Spread the chopped onion, sliced carrots, and mushrooms evenly across the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, creating a flavorful vegetable bed.
- Add Beef to Slow Cooker: Place the seasoned beef cubes on top of the vegetable layer in a single layer as much as possible for even cooking.
- Pour Wine Mixture: Slowly drizzle the prepared wine and broth mixture evenly over the beef and vegetables, ensuring all pieces are moistened and nestled in the flavorful bath.
- Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours until the beef turns very tender and vegetables soften beautifully.
- Thicken the Sauce: About 20 minutes before serving, mix cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Stir this slurry into the slow cooker and add butter if desired for extra richness. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Adjust Seasoning and Serve: Taste the bourguignon and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle the stew into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley if using, and serve hot with your favorite sides.
Notes
- For deeper flavor, you can brown the beef cubes in olive oil on the stovetop before adding to the slow cooker, but this step is optional.
- Using low-sodium beef broth allows better control over saltiness in the final dish.
- This recipe pairs excellently with mashed potatoes, crusty bread, or buttered egg noodles.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and freeze nicely for up to 3 months.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, slightly increase the cornstarch in the slurry or simmer uncovered for longer during the final step.
Keywords: beef bourguignon, slow cooker beef stew, French beef stew, red wine beef stew, easy slow cooker recipes
