Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon is a savory comfort meal full of fall-apart tender beef chunks and veggies. If Ina Garten and Julia Child created a beef bourguignon together – this would be it!
I use my Instant Pot at least once a week! After this recipe be sure to make my NEW Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches (you will love them) and then try my ultra-popular Instant Pot Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots or Instant Pot Chicken and Potatoes.
Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon
You know how people buy treadmills and then joke that they are only there as decoration or as something to hold clothes on in your room? I am kind of starting to hear something similar about Instant Pots, which I can’t even believe. My Instant Pot is one of my favorite kitchen appliances and I almost can’t wait to try a new recipe in it. Even if it sits for more than a week, I start to look at it longingly and think up new recipes for the lonely little guy.
It might not sound very romantic but that’s how I came upon this recipe for Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon. Even though you might take one glance at the ingredients and the time (one whole hour? For an Instant Pot?) but it’s well worth all of it. Plus, a typical bourguignon recipe takes at four hours (FOUR!) from start to finish. There just aren’t many more shortcuts you can take or ingredients you can eliminate and still get this classic beef dish. Trust me, I’ve tried them all.
The other reason for this dish is that, while my whole family loves chicken, sometimes we just crave a nice cut of beef. I wanted something with a hearty depth of flavor, a really meaty, filling, comforting dish. I have made this in the past the classic way and it just takes too much time. So, here we are! I’m not sure what Julia Child would say about this recipe, but I feel as though she’d applaud its ability to be quick and just as delicious as the original.
What is Bourguignon?
Bourguignon refers to food that’s made the way the people of the region of Bourgogne, France, make it. Which, like all things you might associate with “burgundy” essentially means with red wine. Therefore “beef in the style of Burgundy” means beef that is braised in red wine, alongside other ingredients like mushrooms, onions, bacon, and potatoes.
The key to this dish though is the sauce, which is made with not only the wine, but the drippings from the bacon and beef, as well as the broth and flour, which create a roux or thickening agent to make the broth not so soupy and more easily mopped up with a big piece of crusty bread.
Side Dish Suggestions
With a hearty dish like beef buorguignon, almost anything goes. That said, here’s what I typically serve with my beef bourguignon:
- A thick slice of sourdough or country bread slathered in butter.
- Rolls — either homemade or frozen.
- Mashed potatoes, like this recipe for Slow Cooker Buttery Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes. That is, if you want to skip the potatoes in this recipe and also go crazy and use your slow cooker AND Instant Pot all in one day.
- Serve this dish over wide egg noodles.
Add a side salad, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, or another hearty veggie, such as Crispy Parmesan Green Beans.
Can I Freeze this Dish?
Yes, this beef bourguinon will freeze well once it’s made. You can keep it in an airtight container for up to three months. Be sure to label it and add the date that you made it. If you’re anything like me, your freezer is full of leftovers and meals for another day and you don’t want to lose track of how old something is.
What is the best meat for Beef Bourguignon?
Since this dish is really a beef stew at its core, what you want to get a cut that works well being cooked slow and low (ignore the fact that this is an Instant Pot dish for the moment). That being said, I like to use chuck beef, but the shoulder, shin, or any braising cut will work. If you’re not sure, ask the butcher at your grocery store meat counter or go to an actual butcher who specializes in knowing which cuts of meat work best for every kind of dish.
More Amazing Beef Recipes
- Instant Pot Ground Beef Pasta
- Roasted Garlic Butter Beef Tenderloin
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Beef Tips
- Slow Cooker Beef Roast
- Braised Beef Short Ribs
Did you make this Instant Pot Beef Bourguinon recipe? FANTASTIC! Please rate the recipe below!
Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 6 slices bacon - roughly chopped
- 3 pounds chuck beef - cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup red cooking wine - may sub chicken broth
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 1 beef boullion cube - crushed
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 large carrots - cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 white onion - chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme - chopped, or 3 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 pound baby potatoes
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms - sliced
- 1-2 teaspoons salt - or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Set instant pot to SAUTE. Drizzle with oil and sear bacon 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Add beef to pot and sear 3-4 minutes, using tongs to rotate periodically to brown all sides.
- Add red wine to the pot, scrape any brown bits off the bottom and sides of the pot and into the liquid. Simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes. Gradually add beef broth, tomato sauce, and boullion. Gradually whisk in flour.
- Stir in bacon, carrots, onions, garlic, thyme, potatoes, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cover and set to PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL (high pressure). Set to 45 minutes.
- Do a natural release for 10 minutes (do nothing, just allow to depressurize during this time) then switch valve to VENT and do a quick release. Once float valve drops, remove lid. Set to SAUTE again and allow to thicken for 5-10 minutes.
- Give it a good stir and taste before adding salt and pepper if needed and garnishing with chopped parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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Did everything step by step. As soon as my instant pot came to pressure, I got the burn notice. I stirred it, got the notice again. Tried setting it to low pressure, got it again. It’s kinda expensive to make, so I was not willing to give up. I was thinking, what would Julia Child do? In her English accent she said don’t give up!!! Set it on low saute and stir frequently. When the carrots and potatoes are fork tender, bon appetit!!!
Soup was waaaay too sweet. I’ve made similar recipes before so I’m not sure what happened 🙁
Tiffany, The same thing happened to me that happened to Deanna – it would give the Burn notice and stop cooking so I had to restart it 6 times, scrapping the bottom each time and stirring the meat around, to cook it. What causes that Burn error message? Why didn’t this happen to you? I was thinking maybe I shouldn’t have put the flour in it until after it was cooked. Thank you, Max
Hi Max, I’m sorry for the inconvenience. There could be a few things that caused the burn notice. First make sure that your steam release valve is sealed and placed on your instant pot properly. I would also check the lid and see if the sealing ring was placed on properly and evenly. You can also make sure no food has gotten stuck in the steam valve. Then make sure you’ve added the correct amount of liquid after you brown the meat, make sure it’s under the meat because you don’t want any food to get stuck on the bottom. After browning the meat you should deglaze the pot which should help the food from sticking to the bottom and getting to hot and causing the burn notice. I would also make sure all the brown bits are scraped off the bottom and sides of the pot. If this has all been done I would check to see if any food spilled on the heating element. In order to fix whatever the issue is, be sure to turn off and unplug your instant pot and allow it to cool. It has displayed the burn notice because it has gotten too hot. Be careful not to burn yourself. Hopefully these tips helps you avoid the burn notice in the future!
Loved this recipe so tender and full of flavor. Added a little extra liquid because a burn notice kept popping up but still came out plenty thick enough
I have made this before, and it is very good. Came here to comment that I don’t see cornstarch or Worcestershire mentioned in your ingredient list, but I do see it in the instructions.
Worcestershire sauce isn’t mentioned at all in this recipe. Can you tell me where you see it? Also the only time cornstarch is mentioned is in the slow cooker instructions and it’s for a cornstarch slurry which is normally 2 parts cold water 1 part cornstarch