Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon

Hearty beef bourguignon with bacon and beef chuck cooked in an instant pot with potatoes, mushrooms, and carrots in rich wine-based gravy till the beef melts in your mouth.

One of the staples in French cuisine – boeuf bourguignon or beef burgundy, is a comfort food created by French people who know a thing or two about a good meal, I reckon. They could not make it basic, so it has red wine in the gravy. Of course.

It is decadent, saucy, meaty, has a rich flavor and oh, well – is made to be a centerpiece on a festive table.

And the aromas?!

The whole family will run down to the kitchen asking what is it that you’re making (true story). So if you want to make something different from classic pot roast, this is just the recipe for you.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic French recipe for a family dinner – absolutely delicious meaty meal.
• The whole process only takes 1 hour and 10 minutes (including pressure build-up and release).
• It is truly an easy beef bourguignon recipe because it takes much less time than slow cooking it, there is minimal prep work, and all of the ingredients are quite simple! The wine can be pricey so it is a good holiday meal.
• It is a perfect recipe to test your new Instant Pot and become obsessed.
• We won’t use the whole bottle so you can pour yourself a glass of amazing red wine while cooking. Sounds like an amazing weekend night plan.

Beef Bourguignon Vs Stew Vs Pot Roast

The original recipe of beef bourguignon uses slow-cooked meat, and sauce made of red wine with aromatics, seasoning, and carrots, onions, and mushrooms cooked with meat too.

The word bourguignon in French means from Burgundy and refers to the wine used in the recipe – it originally had to be from Burgundy.

Stew is usually thicker, and has potatoes but no wine in the gray, same as the Pot roast.

Ingredients Notes

• Meats: Bacon, diced, and Beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes. (beef stew meat, tender chunks of beef)
• Aromatics: diced large onion or pearl onions (fresh or frozen) and minced garlic.
• Veggies: baby carrots, or large carrots cut into 1-inch pieces, and baby potatoes, halved, and mushrooms. Regular button mushrooms or cremini.
• Olive oil to saute the mushrooms separately so we don’t overcook them in the instant pot.

For Gravy

• Dry red wine. It’s really good, ideally French wine. But in any case, not cooking wine.
• Beef broth or beef stock. Get low sodium to make the meal a bit healthier. Beef bouillon cubes also work!
• Tomato paste
• All-purpose flour (optional, for thickening, see the Variations sections for details). You can also use cornstarch as a gluten-free thickening agent.
• Worcestershire sauce. An interesting substitute can be some soy sauce mixed with fish sauce. A bit of Asian style.
• Herbs: 1 tsp dried thyme and a bay leaf. Dried herbs are easier and often cheaper to buy, but if you have fresh herbs, fresh thyme is so fragrant!
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

What Cut Of Meat Is Best For Beef Bourguignon Recipe?

Look for a piece of meat with good fatty marbling: connective tissue, collagen, and fats in such meat pieces will make rich and thick gravy once it breaks down.

Rump roast, beef chuck roast, shoulder, and shin cuts are best for a beef bourguignon recipe.

Stew meat or top sirloin can also work. Stew meat may need longer cooking time to become tender.

Beef cheeks also have lots of collagen to melt but they are often expensive.

What Is The Best Wine To Use For Beef Bourguignon?

Red wine from the Burgundy region of France is what the original beef bourguignon recipe calls for. You can use Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, and Gamay.

• More robust wines: Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir (from other regions will work too we are not that petty after all!).
• Light-bodied red wines: Merlot, Grenache, and Gamay.

Kitchen Equipment

• Instant pot (aka pressure cooker). Using an instant pot saves us clean-up time and cooking time. Modern instant pots have both pressure cooking and sauté functions so we can only use one pot to make the dish.
• Saucepan

How To Make Beef Bourguignon In An Instant Pot

This pressure cooker beef bourguignon recipe is very straightforward and is basically a process in which we cook every part: meat, veggies, sauce, and then combine it all together.

1: Cook The Bacon

1. Start by turning the Instant Pot to the sauté function and adding the bacon to the pot. Cook the bacon until it is crispy, stirring frequently.
2. Remove and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Set aside. Drain most of the grease into a heat-save container. Return the pot to the Instant Pot.

2: Cook The Beef

In the same pot, working in batches – sear the beef cubes until browned on all sides. Remove browned bits with a slotted spoon and set on the same plate with the bacon.

3: Make The Sauce

1. Leaving the grease in the pot, sauté the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. 
2. Add the red wine and deglaze the pot while the wine simmers. (you can do this by scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden cooking utensil)
3. Stir in the tomato paste, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer.

4: Add The Meat Back

1. Add back the browned beef and bacon as well as the prepared carrots and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cover and lock the lid of the instant pot to the sealing position. Cook on manual high for 35 minutes. Allow a natural release for 10 minutes before doing a quick release of the remaining pressure.
3. Manual is often a default high-pressure cooking mode.

5: Cook The Mushrooms

In a small saucepan, cook the mushrooms over medium heat with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil until softened. Add to the pot and stir.

What To Serve With Beef Bourguignon

Cooked and plated beef bourguignon can be garnished with chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (if you like it).

You can skip the potatoes in the recipe and serve this dish with buttery mashed potatoes. Any roasted veggies will work amazingly. The Asian-style side would be noodles.

A light side dish can be a simple green salad too.

If you have lots of sauce, make sure to serve some bread or garlic toast to dip and enjoy it.

Storage

Cool the beef bourguignon, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat with a splash of water or broth.

Substitutions & Variations 

• Thick stew-like sauce. Remove 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid from the pot. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Stir this flour mixture back into the pot and set the Instant Pot back to the sauté setting. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. You can also make a slurry-like mixture in a small bowl by adding a splash of water to the flour.
• Substitute red wine with broth if you need kid-friendly recipes.
• Try adding bay leaves, bacon grease, or baby bella mushrooms.

Expert Tips

• A trick to easily dice the bacon is to store it in the freezer for a few minutes before cooking.
• Do not discard the grease from bacon or beef – it will add a ton of flavor to the dish.
• If you have a steak-like cut of the meat you can first sear it to trap the moisture and then cut it. It will prevent the meat from drying out.
• Veggies should not be cooked longer than recommended otherwise they will become gummy and mushy.
• Do not forget to pat the beef dry before cooking.

Troubleshooting

I Don’t Have An Instant Pot, Can I Use A Slow Cooker?

Pressure cooking saves a lot of time, but if you’re making beef bourguignon in a slow cooker you should cook it for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

Why Is My Beef Tough In Instant Pot?

The gelatin in the meat tissue hasn’t broken down completely if the beef is undercooked and it will make it tough. Put the beef back in the instant pot and cook on manual for 10-15 minutes more.

Overcooking beef will make it tough to chew and dry.

Can You Put Red Wine In An Instant Pot?

Yes, cooking with red wine in an instant pot is safe and actually makes delicious gravy for beef bourguignon. In fact, you can use any cooking alcohol besides wine in an instant pot.

Is It Possible To Overcook Beef Bourguignon?

Yes, if you use a leaner cut of beef, the cooking time should be shorter as there is very little fat to render.

Once all the fat is rendered, the cooking process starts to dry the meat instead of melting fat and the overcooked beef becomes tough to chew and loses all the juices.

Why Is My Beef Bourguignon So Bitter?

Overcooking the wine base and skipping the sugar and acidic parts of the recipe will make beef bourguignon bitter. If your beef gravy is bitter, add sugar or more tomato paste.

Does Cooking Beef In A Pressure Cooker Make It Tender?

Yes, just like slow cooking, pressure cooker beef bourguignon is very juicy and tender but takes much less time. Both slow cookers and instant pots can tenderize even the toughest cuts of beef.

How Long Do You Pressure Cook Beef For?

Seared beef needs to be cooked on high pressure for 30-35 minutes in an instant pot to make it tender and juicy. If the beef is still tough and not all fat has melted, cook for another 10-20 minutes.

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If you love this cozy dinner recipe, you’re going to love these other comfort food dinners too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Great Dinner Ideas

Instant Pot Beef Stew

Sausage Tortellini Soup – Instant Pot

Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Instant Pot

Instant Pot Beef Recipes

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