Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon made the way Julia Child makes it is the supreme way to make Boeuf Bourguignon – hands down, no question! This slow-cooker version though… is a close second, in my opinion! Searing the beef well first ensures that the meat becomes so very tender and together with the veggies and the savoury sauce, this dish is slow simmered to create a perfect and delicious dish that is company-worthy any time of the year. Adding veggies to a dish as opposed to boiling them separately, all the vitamins, minerals and nutritional benefits from the veggies remain! This is a meal in itself with the baby potatoes Serve with a piece of your favourite crusty or gluten-free bread to soak up all the delicious sauce!
Stewing beef works best in the slow cooker if you braise it first. The few minutes of time that it takes to get this dish in the slow cooker and then set it and forget it until dinner, is so well worth the effort!
As always, when you make this recipe, please post a photo of your slow cooker beef bourguignon goodness and tag my IG account or leave a comment with your thoughts!
Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook time: 5 hours on high, 8-9 hours on low / Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
4-5 Slices of Bacon - diced
3 Pounds Boneless Stewing Beef – trim off as much fat as possible and cut to 1-inch pieces
Sea Salt and Pepper – to taste
1 Cup Red Wine
2 Cups Veggie Bouillon
1/2 Cup Crushed or Strained Tomatoes (Passata)
1/4 Cup Tamari
2 Tablespoons Fresh Thyme leaves – chopped if large, or 1 teaspoon dried Thyme
1 teaspoon Dried Marjoram
¼ Cup Flour (Gluten free option – arrowroot flour, cornstarch, rice flour)
2 Cups Baby Carrots
1 Pound Baby Potatoes
1½ Cups Cremini Mushrooms – sliced
2 Bay Leaves
How It’s Made:
I like to season my slow cooker as I get the ingredients together. I turn on the slow cooker to the high or low setting depending on how long I have to let it cook (I prefer the slow simmering on low) and spray or brush some olive oil around the bottom and up the sides a little, then season with a few grindings of pepper and some garlic powder.
In a frying pan, on medium-high heat, cook the bacon until it is crispy. Put the crispy bacon into the slow cooker. Season the beef stew pieces with salt and pepper to your taste and add the beef to the skillet to sear it well on all sides – about 5 minutes. Once done, put the beef into the slow cooker.
Add the red wine to the skillet whisking gently to deglaze the pan and loosen all the bacon and beef bits. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer to reduce the red wine slightly (2 minutes max). Add the veggie bouillon, the crushed tomatoes and the tamari. Add the thyme and marjoram. Slowly whisk in the flour. Whisk gently until you have a smooth sauce, then add the sauce to the slow cooker.
Add the carrots, potatoes and mushrooms to the slow cooker. Add in the bay leaves. Stir the contents of the slow cooker to evenly distribute all the ingredients. Season with a few grindings of pepper (I do not add more salt here). Cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8-9 hours until the beef is tender. Serve!
Enjoy!
Variations
Add 1 medium finely sliced onion or a handful or pearl onions (frozen or fresh peeled) and/or 3 cloves sliced garlic to the slow cooker with the carrots, potatoes and mushrooms.
Add 1 cup trimmed fresh green beans.
Serve over mashed sweet, noodles or rice.
