Healthy Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy Stew is a slow cooker variation of the classic French dish Beef Bourguignon. Full of tender braised beef, hearty veggie, and smoky bacon, this hearty stew is cooked low and slow in a rich wine sauce for one tender, melt-in-your-mouth, comforting yet elegant dish.

a close up from 3/4 side angle of a black bowl with beef burgundy

Table of contents

I originally shared this recipe on October 14th, 2016. I have updated only some of the text below and added a video to share it with you again today. 

Why We Love This Recipe For Healthy Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy Stew

If you’re not familiar with Beef Burgundy, it’s a French beef stew full of classic stew elements. Stew, in its simplest form, is a dish full of tender beef, hearty veggies, and red wine. In the US we are used to beef stew being a simple comforting recipe, but in almost all beef burgundy recipes, these are the three common elements. 

Our easy recipe is simple to prepare, involving pan-searing the beef to lock in the juices, sauteeing the veggies, and then letting the slow cooker do the rest! When ready to enjoy, ladle it into a bowl and serve with a thick, crusty piece of French bread on the side – perfect for dipping and sopping up that delectably rich red wine broth. 

And if you love soups and French entrees as much as we do, be sure to check out our Soupe Au Pistou recipe for a simple French vegetarian soup recipe that’s ready in under an hour. 

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

Grass-Fed Beef Chuck

If possible, purchase organic grass-fed beef chuck. Beef that was fed a diet of grass is leaner and has more Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin E, and CLA which are all important for our overall health.

Since the stew will be cooking for a long period of time, use a cut that has a lot of marbling and connective tissue, such as chuck. Chuck has a lot of connective tissue which breaks down when slow-cooked. The connective tissue contains collagen and when broken down with the slow moist heat, it turns into gelatin. This gelatin melts into the meat and the broth and helps give the stew that beautiful silky texture and richness.

Vegetables: Onion, Mushrooms, Carrots, Celery

  • Onion: We recommend using a large, diced onion; feel free to use a sweet or white. 
  • Mushrooms: We recommend using white mushrooms, also known as white button mushrooms, or cremini as they are readily available in most grocery stores and have a very mild flavor. When purchasing, look for mushrooms that are smooth, firm, and dry. Avoid buying mushrooms that are slimy, soft, and have brown spots as they are already past their prime. And when ready to clean, just lightly brush them with a damp cloth to remove any visible dirt.
  • Carrots: If purchasing carrots that still have their tops, be sure to pick ones that have greens that look vibrant, not flimsy, wilted, or brown. If picking up a bag of carrots, avoid buying any that seem overly wet or dry on the inside. Do not use any carrots that have become soft or have visible rot. Peel and chop carrots to about the same size as the other vegetables. 
  • Celery: When purchasing a whole bunch of celery or just hearts, look for bright green leaves with no visible brown or yellow spots. Any browning or yellowing on the leaves indicates that the celery is older. Also, look for green, crisp stalks. Shriveled, yellowing, browning, or soft stalks should be passed as this celery is passed its prime.

Roma Tomato

A plum variety of tomato that has a denser flesh with less juice, Roma Tomatoes help thicken the rich wine sauce. When buying, look for tomatoes that have a consistent deep red color around the fruit, heavy for their size, with a strong sweet tomato smell.

Red Wine

Feel free to use any red Burgundy wine such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon. No matter which red you use, be sure to pick one that has enough tannins to counter the rich and tender meat.

Beef Broth

Beef broth adds a deep savory element to the rich sauce. Our favorite brand is Imagine Grass-Fed Beef Broth as we find the taste superior to other brands. However, feel free to use your favorite store-bought beef broth.

Maple Syrup

Pure dark maple syrup has a deep maple flavor with a subtly rich caramel undertone that is needed balance out the acidity of the broth.

If you are looking for a delicious pure robust maple syrup, my husband and I make our own small batch by hand maple syrup at our home in Vermont that would be the perfect ingredient for this dish!

Additional Ingredients

  • Avocado oil
  • Unsalted butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Dry thyme
  • Parsley
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Bacon

Step By Step Instructions To Make This Slow Cooker Stew

beef burgundy steps 1 and w

Step 1: Sear The Beef

Heat a little oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add the beef and cook until seared and browned on several sides and no longer pink on the outside. Once seared, transfer the beef to the insert of your slow cooker.

Step 2: Sauté The Vegetables

Using the same skillet, you seared the beef in, sauté the onion, mushrooms, and thyme in a drizzle of oil. Cook until the vegetables start to soften and brown, making sure to stir the veggies often.

beef burgundy steps 3 and 4

Step 3: Combine Ingredients In Slow Cooker

Transfer the vegetable mixture to the slow cooker. Then add the wine, carrots, celery, tomato, broth, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Give it all a good stir before covering and cooking on low.

Step 4: Stir In The Beurre Manie

In the last hour of cooking, mash the flour and butter together in a small dish until smooth. Stir the mixture into the stew until it dissolves, then cover and continue cooking until the timer goes off. Stir the bacon into the stew at the very end. Serve this healthy beef Bourguignon with a sprinkle of fresh, chopped parsley!

overhead view of beef burgundy

FAQs And Expert Tips

How do I store leftover beef bourguignon?

Store any leftover beef burgundy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can this stew be frozen?

This stew is a wonderful freezer-friendly meal! First, allow the stew to cool completely. Once cooled, place in freezer safe Ziplock bags, placing them flat in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready to enjoy, allow the frozen beef burgundy to thaw overnight in the fridge. To reheat, place the beef stew in a slow cooker and warm on a low setting for 4 hours or until warmed through.

Can this dish be made ahead?

This dish can be prepped one day in advance through step 3 and stored in the fridge overnight. When ready to cook, continue with step 4, adding 30 minutes to the total initial cooking time before stirring in the butter-flour mixture.

Are beef burgundy and beef bourguignon the same thing?

Yes, beef burgundy and beef bourguignon are the same thing. The dish is named after the French region, Burgundy (in English) or Bourgogne (in French) that’s famous for its wine.

The Burgundy region makes amazing red and white wines, both of which are referred to as Burgundy, or in French Bourguignon. The red wines are made from Pinot Noir, whereas the white wines are mainly made from Chardonnay. However, the star of this dish is the wine that the meat is slow cooked in so be sure to use a high-quality red wine when preparing this dish.

What is the difference between beef stew and beef burgundy?

Beef Burgundy, known in France as Beef Bourguignon, is actually a type of beef stew made with earthy mushrooms, smoky bacon, and red wine. It’s important to note that not all beef stews have those elements, and in the US a stew is a simpler recipe, but in almost all beef burgundy recipes, these are three common ingredients.

What Does The Beurre Manie Do In This Healthy Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy Recipe?

Beurre manie is a mixture of softened room temperature butter and flour that’s whisked into a sauce or stew to thicken it as it simmers. The butter and flour mixture gives the red wine sauce a velvety mouthfeel that is true beef Bourguignon. We have also used this technique in our Chicken and Wild Rice Soup and it makes all the difference!

Additional Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes To Try

  1. Prep this Slow Cooker Chicken Gumbo before work and come home to one comforting family-friendly meal that will quickly become an all-time favorite!
  2. The unexpected flavors in this Slow Cooker Chinese 5 Spice Beef Stew are a great change of pace!
  3. Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is one of the few times when I don’t pre-sear the meat and it came out great anyway!
  4. If you’re feeling adventurous then you should try our Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Short Ribs with Shiitake Mushrooms. With only 15 minutes of prep, the beef is cooked for 6 hours and becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender with a touch of heat and a little bit of sweet!
  5. We been loving this Slow Cooker Beef with Pasta and Porcini Mushrooms since 2008! This comfort food recipe is cooked low and slow in the Crockpot for one easy and delicious weeknight dinner!
  6. Kid-friendly, Slow Cooker Pulled Beef with a maple chipotle barbecue sauce is a delicious weeknight dinner that only requires 15-minutes of hands-on prep. Serve on top of your favorite buns with a side of creamy coleslaw for an easy, yummy meal.
Side view of a bowl of Beef Burgundy and a slow cooker with a bottle of red wine

Thanks so much for reading. If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my free weekly email newsletter for healthy recipes delivered right to your inbox. Or follow me on Instagram. If you make these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It is very appreciated. Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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beef burgundy from overhead

Healthy Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy Stew

★★★★★

4.8 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 5 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Description

This Beef Burgundy recipe (also known as Beef Bourguignon) features Slow Cooked beef chuck, mushrooms and bacon in a velvety and rich red wine sauce!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons avocado oil or organic canola oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 pounds grass fed beef chuck, cut into large bite sized chunks
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 8-ounce container white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dry thyme
  • 1 ½ cups red wine, such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir
  • 2 carrots chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 Roma tomato, chopped
  • 1 ½ cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons dark pure maple syrup or brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
  • 4 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • ½ cup chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring once or twice, until seared and browned on several sides, and no longer pink on the outside, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the beef to the insert of a slow cooker.
  2. Return the skillet to medium heat, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and add onion, mushrooms and thyme. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables are starting to soften and brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the slow cooker. Add wine, carrots, celery, tomato, broth, maple syrup, salt and pepper and stir. Cover and set timer for 5 hours on low.
  4. When timer has 1 hour left, mash flour and butter together in a small dish until smooth. Stir flour and butter mixture into the stew until it dissolves, cover and continue cooking until the timer goes off. Stir the bacon into the stew. Serve the stew topped with parsley.

Notes

Tip: Make sure the beef is not wet from the packaging. Pat dry with a clean paper towel before searing.

To make ahead: Prepare through step 3 and refrigerate overnight. Continue with step 4, adding 30 minutes to total initial cooking time before stirring in the butter and flour mixture.

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 hours
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: French

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 1/3 cups
  • Calories: 264
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Sodium: 780 mg
  • Fat: 15 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 14 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 10 g

Keywords: Healthy Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy, Healthy Slow Cooker Beef Recipes, Healthy Beef Bourguignon, Healthy crockpot beef recipes, slow cooker beef burgundy

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