French Beef Bourguignon in Instant Pot: With and without wine

Ingredients

	Beef chuck (around 2 lbs or 1 kg of beef chuck cut into medium-sized portions)
	6 strips of bacon sliced into small pieces, or lardons
	1 cup of sliced white or oyster mushrooms
	1 sliced carrot
	1 chopped celery stick
	Half a chopped onion
	(Optional) 4-6 small potatoes
	(Optional) 1 cup of spinach

Spices, herbs and flavoring ingredients:

	4 sprigs of parsley leaves
	4 sprigs of thyme
	1 bay leaf
	1 garlic clove
	Salt and pepper

Accents for the sauce:

	2 cups of beef stock
	2 tablespoons of regular or half-salted butter
	2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
	(Optional) 1/2 bottle of dry red wine *

* To cook without wine:

	2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
	1 cup tomato sauce (or 1/2 cup tomato paste)

How to make Beef bourguignon in the Instant pot

1. Sauté the garlic, beef, bacon, and butter in the Instant Pot using the Sauté function for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef begins to brown and the bacon releases its fat.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (except the flour) into the Instant pot, stirring to combine. Secure the lid and cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes.
3. Release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes once the cooking time is up, then carefully vent any remaining steam.
4. Make a slurry in a small bowl by mixing the flour with a tablespoon of water. Mix well so that there are no lumps allowed.
5. Add the slurry into the Instant pot and activate the Sauté function again for about 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to simmer and thicken to a rich, velvety consistency.
6. Let the beef bourguignon rest on the Keep Warm setting for 10 minutes to let the flavors settle and deepen.
7. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed before serving.

In the Old Country, you often couldn’t afford your ideal cut of beef. Young and succulent meats were rare and reserved for rich nobility. The solution? Slow cooking your meat in juices and wine to release the flavor in a beef stew, as we do for the French boeuf bourguignon. (Even if you don’t care to “waste” the wine!)

Fast forward to the 21st century, and that classic boeuf bourguignon has become a popular meat dish known around the world, and is simpler than ever. A quick beef stew in Instant Pot that the whole family will enjoy.

Shortcuts to the traditional recipe

The traditional beef bourguignon is a classic French dish that has been around for centuries. Along with the very similar Coq au Vin (chicken stew) both have been dated back to early Roman times.

Both dishes have always been a go-to for busy families looking to put a meal on the table. Toss everything along with some spices from the traditional French pantry in the slow cooker and wait. (There is also the very similar Carbonade Flamande that uses beer instead of wine.)

Over the years, there have been a few tried and true shortcuts established. The traditional french beef bourguignon recipe doesn’t include steamed potatoes in it, but as an aside. In the Instant pot, however, you can just toss it in, and the stew becomes even more flavorful.

I also actually prefer adding presliced frozen carrots and onions to the mix instead of the fresh ones. Because the cooking time is so long, the vegetables hold up better, instead of disintegrating. My recipe below includes chopping time, but if you can find the veggies frozen, I say go for it!

I also often toss in frozen spinach to increase the vegetable quotient. For a family meal, where you are trying to get the kids to eat, it works wonderfully.

The typical cut of meat that is used in boeuf bourguignon is not the tenderloin, but the more affordable beef chunk. I suppose you could use tenderloin if you really wanted, but it is rather more expensive and becomes overcooked in a bourguignon. The tenderloin is better reserved for a filet de boeuf on a frypan, that you can serve medium or rare.

In France, you can actually just go to your local boucherie (butcher) and ask for the type of meat for a “bourguignon”.

In addition, there are a lot of spices on the list, but in essence this is a French bouquet garni. You don’t need to have every single one, a French bouquet garni involves mixing and matching what you have.

☞ READ MORE: Classic French Recipes remade in the Instant Pot

Cooking Beef Stew without wine

Boeuf Bourguignon is traditionally from the region of Burgundy (Bourgogne) in France. So it stands to reason that they would want to combine the two delicacies that they are most famous for: Burgundy beef and Burgundy wine.

The slow cooking time is meant to assure that any alcohol has long been cooked off, and locally I see that French parents don’t hesitate to serve it to their kids. Nevertheless, for various reasons you may not want to cook with alcohol.

In this case, I would recommend adding about 1 cup of tomato sauce, or 1/2 cup of tomato paste if it is concentrated. In addition, add about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, for that extra little kick. You can also try a beef pot-au-feu which adds more vegetables, but no alcohol.

Similar recipes

• French cassoulet
• Beef pot au feu
• Carbonade flamande
• Roast beef with gravy
• Daube de boeuf provençale
• Lamb mijoté in Instant pot

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