This post may contain affiliate links. Please check our disclosure policy.
Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon is a hearty French beef stew is bursting with flavors of bacon, red wine, mushrooms, and onions. Cooked in the pressure cooker means you can be enjoying the tastes of the French countryside in about an hour!
INSTANT POT BEEF BOURGUIGNON RECIPE
Beef, bacon, and wine! Oh my! My kids enjoy eating stews. Which I find strange because I did not grow up craving some of the culinary delights made popular by the legend herself, Julia Child. So, I am going to say that their stew enjoyment gene either comes from their mom’s side or my mother and skipped a generation…or was at least latent until I was much older than my boys.
I looked out the window the other day at a row of maple trees. Approximately two of the leaves on the middle tree had started to turn a little bit red. Do you know what that means? Yup, flannel is soon in my future, and time to knock out some stew recipes.
Before you start wagging your finger saying “But, House Hunk, kids should not be consuming wine!”, fear not, like most cooking, the alcohol cooks off immediately, leaving behind a robust medley of flavors. And, if you are looking at your wine selection wondering which bottle to sacrifice for such a noble cause, I went to Walmart and found a delightful bottle for a whopping $2.39. Guess what! It was the perfect wine for cooking! We’re all about saving money these days. Save the good stuff for when you need to go into “power down mode” after a taxing day parenting. On this day, kick back, relax, and let the Instant Pot do the work.
WHAT IS BEEF BOURGUIGNON?
Beef Bourguignon is a stew that originated in France. This dish has become extremely popular in France, particularly in Paris where it is a mainstay on pretty much every bistro menu.
WHAT DOES THIS INSTANT POT BEEF BOURGUIGNON TASTE LIKE?
This is a very hearty stew thanks to the bacon and red wine. Burgandy wine is usually used (though you can deviate if necessary) in this dish. Other than wine, bacon, and beef you will get some herbiness from the thyme as well as garlic pulling all the flavors together.
INSTANT POT BEEF BOURGUIGNON INGREDIENTS
- Beef stew meat – 2 pounds
- Bacon – 6 slices
- Yellow onion – 1, small to medium
- Cremini mushrooms – 12 oz
- Carrots – 2
- Garlic – 5 cloves
- Bay leaves (whole) – 4
- Dry red wine – 3/4 cup
- Tomato paste – 1 Tbsp
- Dried thyme – 1 teaspoon
- Xanthan gum – 1/2 teaspoon
- salt and pepper
HOW TO MAKE BEEF BOURGUIGNON IN A PRESSURE COOKER
This pressure cooker beef bourguignon recipe is very easy to cook using your Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Make sure you have all your prep work done ahead of time because the first couple of steps come pretty quickly and require your focus.
- Season beef with salt and pepper. You don’t want to just toss in a hunk of meat, it should be cut into small pieces.
- Turn your pressure cooker to the “Saute” mode. When the display indicates “Hot”, saute your bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Using bacon grease still in the pressure cooker, saute beef until browned. Transfer to a plate when cooked.
- Add garlic and onions and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and red wine. Using a wooden or plastic cooking spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck-on pieces of meat. Make sure tomato paste is has dissolved. Turn off “saute” mode.
- Return beef, 1/2 of the bacon, and add carrots and thyme to the cooker and stir all the ingredients together. Place bay leaves on top of the stew.
- Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on “High” for 40 minutes.
- When the cooking time has expired, carefully quick-release pressure using the cooker’s steam/pressure release valve.
- Uncover pressure cooker and turn back on the “Saute” mode.
- Remove all the bay leaves and evenly sprinkle xanthan gum on top. Saute and stir allowing stew to thicken for a couple of minutes.
- Once the stew has thickened to desired consistency, turn off the pressure cooker.
- Serve French beef stew in bowls, top with remaining bacon, and enjoy.
IS BEEF BOURGUIGNON CONSIDERED HEALTHY?
I mean, we could make excuses saying that the antioxidants in the red wine are good for your heart and that carrots are good for your eyesight. However, if you are trying to limit your sodium intake or red meat, then you might want to enjoy this on special occasions and not every afternoon and evening. Beef Bourguignon is low in net carbohydrates, so if you are adhering to a keto or similar low-carb meal plans, this recipe will fit nicely into your macronutrient allowance.
CAN YOU MAKE INSTANT POT BEEF BOURGUIGNON AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes! In my opinion, the longer these ingredients get to know each other, the better the result. This is a delicious soup. The leftovers for this easy beef bourguignon instant pot recipe are just as tasty.
CAN YOU FREEZE BEEF BOURGUIGNON?
You can freeze Beef Bourguignon. Just make sure you put the stew in an airtight container after it has completely cooled. I like to use sealable freezer bags since you can flatten them out and not take up too much space.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BEEF BOURGUIGNON?
I feel that stews pretty much speak for themselves. They don’t need much in terms of side dishes. However, if you are looking to dress it up a bit, you may want to consider:
- A loaf of French bread on the side (for sopping of course)
- French green beans
- Serve Beef Bourguignon over mashed potatoes
WHAT KITCHEN TOOLS DO I NEED TO MAKE INSTANT POT BEEF BOURGUIGNON?
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef stew meat cut into ¾ inch cubes
- 6 slices bacon diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 12 oz cremini mushrooms chopped
- 2 carrots sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 4 dried bay leaves whole
- ¾ cup dry red wine
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Season beef with salt and pepper.
- Turn your pressure cooker to the "Saute" mode. When the display indicates "Hot", saute your bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Using bacon grease still in the pressure cooker, saute beef until browned. Transfer to a plate when cooked.
- Add garlic and onions and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and red wine. Using a wooden or plastic cooking spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck-on pieces of meat. Make sure tomato paste is has dissolved. Turn off "saute" mode.
- Return beef, 1/2 of the bacon, and add carrots and thyme to the cooker and stir all the ingredients together. Place bay leaves on top of the stew.
- Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on "High" for 40 minutes.
- When the cooking time has expired, carefully quick-release pressure using the cooker's steam/pressure release valve.
- Uncover pressure cooker and turn back on the "Saute" mode.
- Remove all the bay leaves and evenly sprinkle xanthan gum on top. Saute and stir allowing stew to thicken for a couple of minutes.
- Once the stew has thickened to desired consistency, turn off the pressure cooker.
- Serve in bowls, top with remaining bacon, and enjoy.
Nutrition
