This pressure cooker beef bourguignon has all the flavors is inspired by Julia Child's beef stew with red wine and has tender, fall apart beef chunks. Easy and fast because its made in an Instant Pot but with the same flavors!
We aren’t really big on surprises and are too lazy to plan them. So, on Valentine’s Day, we both sit together for a beautiful meal, and wine and usually talk about how far we’ve come.
We aren’t that big on Valentine’s Day either, but I still love the feeling of showing someone I love how much I care, and just taking a day to tell them that they are awesome.
This time it’s actually quite special because of all the changes that have happened in our life.  And so, we decided to celebrate each other and our new life by putting together a beautiful lunch out in the garden. This was truly special because it was naturally beautiful – without too much effort. We didn’t have a fancy table cloth, so we folded a white bedsheet, found mismatched table napkins that somehow seemed to go together, some handmade pottery, freshly cut flowers from the garden and a meal that was absolutely perfect!
I knew even before we planned this whole thing that I wanted to make a Beef Bourguignon. Something about a French recipe that has meat stewed in red wine just screams romance to me. Paired with mashed potatoes, sautéed beans and carrots and fresh strawberries made this meal so complete and perfect for our lunch together.
Beef Bourguignon or as the French call it boeuf bourguignon or beef burgundy is iconic, and my favorite version comes from Julia Child’s recipe. But I made some changes obviously. It’s usually a long process where beef cubes are slow cooked, and beef is stewed in red wine. Some recipes have a really long list of steps but I’m a lazy cook. I want the same flavors, but I want to cut down the effort, and I knew I wanted to make this as simple as possible so that you can attempt it at home without giving up mid-way!
So, I made my version in the pressure cooker. It starts the same way that every beef bourguignon does where beef cubes are seared on high heat. The bacon and veggies are quickly sautéed and then the pan drippings are deglazed with red wine. But after that, I load everything in the Instant Pot so that instead of 2-3 hours, this easy beef bourguignon recipe is ready in under an hour.
I used Big Banyan’s Shiraz for both cooking and serving the meal with. We actually had a choice between Big Banyan’s Merlot and Shiraz for serving, and either wines would work well in this recipe. You want to pick a wine that has a dry mouthfeel so that it doesn’t compete with the flavors of the dish. It’s also really important to pick a wine that you would drink while cooking because while most of the alcohol evaporates, the flavors remain. Which is why Big Banyan wines are so perfect!
Also pick a cut of beef that is sinewy and well marbled such as chuck, shoulder or shin. The fat adds flavor and gives this rich and luscious beef stew a gelatinous texture that’s hard to beat.
Also, a good pressure cooker beef bourguignon tastes best the next day which is perfect because you don’t actually have to do the work on the same day that you are planning a romantic meal. Just make it ahead, reheat and serve with roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes and even some grilled sourdough. It’s a meal that really says I love you!
More Stews For You:
- Comfort Food: Chicken Stew
- Slow Cooker Chipotle BBQ Pulled Pork
- Kerala Mutton Stew (Ishtu) with Coconut
- Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew (Pressure Cooker Recipe)
Pressure Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 kg Beef Chunks I used chuck
- 6 Bacon Strips cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon Garlic chopped
- 2 cups Pearl Onions peeled
- 2 cups Button Mushrooms halved
- 2 Carrots thickly sliced diagonally
- 2 cups Dry Red Wine
- 1 ½ cups Chicken / Beef Broth
- 1 tablespoon Dry Thyme
- 1 Bayleaf
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 tablespoons Corn Flour
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a pan, heat oil and butter and brown the beef on high heat in batches. It's important not to overcrowd the pan, and keep the heat really high so that the beef browns without cooking on the inside. Once all the beef is browned, set it aside.
- In the same pan, add bacon and cook it for 2-3 minutes till cooked, but not crispy. Remove the bacon and blot out half the fat with a paper towel. Add the garlic, pearl onions, mushrooms and carrots and cook on high heat for a minute or two while tossing them around in the pan. Turn on the saute function on the Instant pot and transfer the veggies to the IP.
- Keep the pan turned on and add half the wine. The wine will start bubbling along the edges. Use a spoon to scrape off the bits stuck to the bottom and simmer for five minutes.
- Add the wine from the pan, beef, remaining wine, broth, thyme, bayleaf, tomato paste, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot. Turn the vent to sealing and lock the lid in place. Pressure cook on Manual for 40 minutes. Once the stew is cooked, release the pressure manually. In a bowl whisk together cornflour and ¼ cup water. Turn on the saute function and stir in the cornflour mixture. Simmer for 5-7 minutes till the stew thickens. Stir in the bacon and serve this pressure cooker beef bourguignon over mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Cut of Beef: Its best to use sinewy beef that is well marbled like chuck, shoulder or shin. The marbling adds flavour and produces a naturally gelatinous stew because it's rich in connective tissue.
- Size of Beef Chunks:Â I like to cut the chunks into 1.5 inch size because anything smaller shrinks a bit once its cooked and this size keeps the beef juicier.
- Carrots: Carrots are really optional in the recipe but I love the flavour and you can mash the carrots into the stew as you eat which is just plain delicious!
- Choose the right wine: Never cook with wine that's labelled 'cooking wine' for this pressure cooker beef bourguignon (actually anything) because its much sweeter and really tastes bad. I would recommend a dry red wine like merlot or shiraz or even a burgundy which is what is used originally in the stew. Don't ever cook with wine that you wouldn't normally drink because as the wine cooks down, the flavors come out.
Nutrition
Thanks to our friends at Big Banyan for sponsoring this recipe, and serving up some delicious wine!
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Mark Deguara says
Lovely recipe. I added capsicums/bell peppers and a little bit of msg… lol took it to the moon
Richa says
YUM! Glad you liked it Mark
Derick Mullen says
Hi when pressure cooking is it at a high setting or normal setting
Richa says
Pressure cook it on high
Jennifer says
Hi,
Your beef Bourguignon seam sooo delicious. I just have a little question. What is the size of the pressure cooker you used? Is my 6 quart will be ok for it?
Thank you! 🙂
PS: sorry for my english, it’s not my native language.
Richa says
Hey hey! I have a 6 quart so that works well for this recipe
Mrs. R. says
Can't wait to try this...quick question! What is "cornflour" - is that corn starch or corn meal? I'm guessing cornstarch, but want to make sure! THANKS!
Richa says
Hey! Its cornstarch
Vessa says
Switch Steps 1 and 2. Fry your bacon first, then brown your beef in the drippings for maximum flavor.
Richa says
Great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Chantelle says
This was amazingly delicious!10/10!!
Richa says
Wohooo! Thanks Chantelle!
Robin says
Would you recommend using a pot roast and just cutting it into small pieces?
Richa says
Sure! You can do that too
Kristy says
I had home made beef broth that had to be used so this recipe got my attention! My beef was just off cuts so weren’t big chunks so I cut the time down, I also didn’t brown them, just threw them in the pot last after lightly browning bacon, onion ect. Didn’t take bacon back out left it in the pot with everything else and it is now my favourite one pot wonder!!! Even miss 8 is enjoying it......oh and I served it on sweet potato to keep it abit healthier. Thank you for this recipe 🙂
Richa says
Thanks! So glad you liked it!
S says
This is an incredible recipe! Thank you so much! What a delicious dinner and so easy to make!
Richa says
So glad you liked it!
PJ says
Thankfully I noticed the large amount of dried thyme listed in the ingredients and used half as much. Still too much for our taste. Next time, only a teaspoon. Otherwise, the recipe worked.
Linda Lylick says
Incredibly flavorful, with a rich and zesty sauce! It was so good, I had to go back for seconds! It was easy to make and the beef was the perfect tenderness. Will make this again for sure, thanks MFS!!
Richa says
Thanks so much for the feedback Linda! Really glad you liked it
CK says
Just made this. Excellence. Thanks
Richa says
Yay! Thanks for leaving your feedback here.
Nidhi says
Hi! Can this recipe be made using a regular pressure cooker?
Richa says
Absolutely! I would cook this for 45-50 minutes in a regular stovetop pressure cooker (approx 8 whistles)
Glenn says
Hi Richa - with the regular stovetop pressure cooker, what would be the heat settings/instructions?
Richa says
Hey Glenn, pressure cook on high for approx 30 minutes. You may need to cook for slightly longer if the beef is not tender yet