I’ve known about this classic French recipe for many years, but I never tried beef bourguignon until recently. It’s the classier, much tastier version of beef stew and one of my favorite new recipes. The recipe originally gets cooked in the oven and has a lot of alcohol, but I’ve changed both of those things.
Cook until crisp and set aside, keeping a little of the grease in the pan and discarding the rest:
6 oz. bacon, chopped
Brown in the bacon grease:
3 lbs. beef brisket or chuck, cut into chunks (not lean meat!)
Add both meats to the slow cooker with all of the following, stirring to combine:
1 lg. carrot, chopped
1 lg. onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. flour
In the same pot as before, simmer for 5 minutes until slightly reduced:
2 ½ c. grape juice (not frozen. It’s too sweet.)
½ c. red wine vinegar
Add the grape juice and vinegar mixture to the slow cooker with all of the following:
2 c. beef broth
2 T. tomato paste
pinch of thyme
2 t. dried parsley
2 bay leaves
Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6, or until the beef is tender and falling apart. In the last 5 minutes, saute for 5 minutes:
1 lb. mushrooms, quartered (I recommend baby bellas instead of white mushrooms. They have more flavor.)
2 T. butter
Add the mushrooms to the slow cooker. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Beef bourguignon is great on its own, but you can serve it with mashed potatoes, rice, noodles, or garlic bread.

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Beef Bourguignon (Slow Cooker, Alcohol-Free)
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 6 ounces bacon chopped, 1/2 package
- 3 pounds beef brisket or chuck chunks
- 1 carrot chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 1/2 cups grape juice not frozen
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- pinch thyme
- 2 teaspoons parsley dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound mushrooms quartered, baby bellas
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Cook the bacon until crisp. Drain and reserve some of the grease in the pan, enough to coat the bottom.6 ounces bacon
- Brown the beef on both sides. Add both meats to the slow cooker with the vegetables and flour.3 pounds beef brisket or chuck, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 6 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons flour
- In the same pan, simmer the grape juice and red wine vinegar for 5 minutes, until they slightly reduce.2 1/2 cups grape juice, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- Add the juice mixture to the slow cooker with the broth, tomato paste, and herbs. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6, or until the beef is tender.2 cups beef broth, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, pinch thyme, 2 teaspoons parsley, 2 bay leaves
- In the last 5 minutes of cooking, saute the mushrooms in butter. Add them to the slow cooker and season everything with salt and pepper. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, or garlic bread.1 pound mushrooms, 2 tablespoons butter