Dish guides
What is bœuf bourguignon?
Bœuf bourguignon is a French stew of beef braised slowly in red wine with lardons (bacon), mushrooms, small onions and herbs until the meat falls apart in a dark, glossy sauce. It's a main course (plat) on bistro menus, usually served with boiled potatoes, mash or pasta.
- At a glance
- Bœuf bourguignon
- Beef braised in red wine with bacon, mushrooms and small onions.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like buhf boor-geen-YOHN · IPA /bœf buʁɡiɲɔ̃/
- Also written as
- boeuf bourguignon, beef bourguignon, bourguignon, bœuf à la bourguignonne, beef burgundy
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- stewing beef (such as chuck or shin)
- red wine, often Burgundy
- lardons (bacon)
- button mushrooms
- small onions
- carrots
- garlic
- bouquet garni (thyme, bay, parsley)
Often added
- flour to thicken the sauce
- beef stock
- butter
- a splash of brandy
- boiled potatoes, mash or fresh egg pasta on the side
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Sulphites | Typically contains |
| Gluten | Often contains |
| Dairy | Often contains |
| Celery | Sometimes contains |
| Eggs | Sometimes contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Fish | Rarely contains |
| Soy | Rarely contains |
| Sesame | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Pescatarian | No |
| Halal | No |
| Kosher | No |
| Gluten-free | Depends — The meat is often dusted with flour before browning and the sauce may be thickened with flour; ask whether yours is, and choose potatoes rather than pasta or bread. |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
What goes into it
Chunks of a tough, well-marbled cut such as chuck or shin are browned and then simmered for hours in red wine and stock with carrots, onions, garlic and a bouquet garni. Many cooks dust the meat with flour so the sauce thickens as it cooks. Towards the end, the classic garnish goes in: lardons, button mushrooms and small onions, each browned separately, often in butter.
The wine cooks for a long time, so most of the alcohol evaporates, but not all of it. The sauce keeps the wine's flavour and its sulphites. If you avoid alcohol for religious or health reasons, treat it as a wine dish.
Where it comes from
The name means "Burgundy-style beef", and Burgundy wine is the traditional choice. Yet the dish isn't especially old. It's first documented in 1867, and food historians doubt it began as a regional recipe from Burgundy. Through the 20th century it became a fixture of Parisian bistros, and later a symbol of French home cooking, helped by Julia Child's English-language cookbooks.
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Je vais prendre le bœuf bourguignon, s'il vous plaît. | I'll have the bœuf bourguignon, please. |
| C'est servi avec quoi ? | What does it come with? |
| Est-ce que la sauce contient de la farine ? | Is the sauce thickened with flour? |
Not to be confused with
- Coq au vin — The same idea with chicken (traditionally a rooster) braised in red wine.
- Daube provençale — A Provençal beef stew in wine, often with orange peel and olives, and usually without the mushroom-and-onion garnish.
- Carbonnade flamande — A Flemish beef stew made with beer instead of wine, sweetened with brown sugar or gingerbread.
Frequently asked questions
Does bœuf bourguignon contain alcohol?
Yes, it's braised in a good amount of red wine, sometimes with a splash of brandy. Long cooking evaporates much of the alcohol, but some usually remains, and the sauce is built on wine. If you avoid alcohol completely, or eat halal, choose another dish or ask whether the kitchen has a wine-free stew.
Is bœuf bourguignon gluten free?
Not reliably. Beef, wine, vegetables and bacon contain no gluten, but many cooks flour the meat before browning or thicken the sauce with flour, and it's often served with pasta or bread. Ask "Est-ce que la sauce contient de la farine ?" and order it with potatoes if the sauce is flour-free.
How do you pronounce bœuf bourguignon?
Say buhf boor-geen-YOHN: in IPA, [bœf buʁɡiɲɔ̃]. Bœuf sounds like "buhf" said with rounded lips. In bourguignon, the "gn" is like the "ny" in canyon, and the last syllable is nasal: let the "on" fade through your nose without pronouncing the n.
What's the difference between bœuf bourguignon and coq au vin?
Both are slow-cooked in red wine with lardons, mushrooms and small onions. Bœuf bourguignon uses beef, while coq au vin uses chicken, traditionally an older rooster that needs long cooking. The beef version is richer and darker; coq au vin is a little lighter and often cooks for less time.
