This Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon is a hearty, slow-simmered beef stew loaded with tender chunks of beef, earthy mushrooms, sweet carrots, pearl onions, and a deeply savory sauce — all without wine, making it family-friendly while still rich in flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

With melt-in-your-mouth beef and vegetables infused with aromatic herbs, this dish is the definition of cozy comfort food. The slow cooker does all the heavy lifting, giving you a luscious stew perfect for family dinners, meal prep, or a special weekend treat.

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon is traditionally a French countryside dish, known for its long, gentle braising that transforms tough cuts of beef into tender bites steeped in a velvety sauce. In this version, we replace the wine with a flavorful combination of beef broth and tomato paste, layered with aromatics for depth.

Cooking low and slow is the heart of this recipe. It allows the beef to break down and the vegetables to absorb the savory richness of the broth. The result is a stew that feels like it has been nurtured for hours, because it has.

By using lean chuck roast, we get the perfect balance of marbling for flavor and tenderness without excessive grease. Patting the meat dry before searing ensures a golden crust that locks in juices.

The addition of bacon is replaced here with smoky turkey bacon, giving the stew that familiar background savoriness without altering the integrity of the dish. The turkey bacon adds a subtle smokiness that deepens the overall flavor profile.

Fresh thyme, tied into a bundle, infuses the stew with an earthy fragrance. This technique allows you to remove the herbs easily before serving, keeping the texture smooth.

Mushrooms and pearl onions add complexity. The mushrooms soak up the broth like little sponges of flavor, while the pearl onions offer gentle sweetness in each bite.

The tomato paste is essential for body and richness. Cooking it briefly in the pan caramelizes its sugars, adding a deeper, almost jammy flavor to the base.

Because we’ve skipped the wine, we compensate with layers of seasoning — seared meat drippings, browned vegetables, and a slow reduction in the crock pot, which concentrates the flavors naturally.

The beauty of this dish lies in its make-ahead potential. In fact, many people find it tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld.

It’s also a flexible recipe. You can easily add potatoes directly into the stew for a one-pot meal, or serve it over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or crusty bread for a heartier plate.

Cooking it in the slow cooker keeps the process effortless. After a few minutes of stovetop prep, you simply let the slow cooker work its magic.

This is a stew that invites lingering at the table. It’s warm, deeply satisfying, and feels like home in a bowl.

Whether you serve it for a casual family dinner or a cozy gathering with friends, it’s bound to leave an impression.

Servings

6 servings

Time

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 6-8 hours (low) or 3-4 hours (high)
• Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes to 8 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 lbs lean chuck roast, cut into 1-2 inch cubes, patted dry
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 strips turkey bacon, diced
• 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
• 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup beef stock (plus more if needed)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 16 oz mushrooms (cremini or baby bella), halved
• 10 oz pearl onions
• Optional: 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water (for thickening)
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Season beef cubes generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Sear beef in batches until browned on all sides, 2-3 minutes per batch. Transfer to slow cooker.
3. Add turkey bacon to the same skillet and cook until slightly crispy, about 3 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.
4. In the same pan, sauté onions and garlic until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add beef stock to the skillet, scraping up browned bits. Pour mixture into the slow cooker.
6. Add carrots, mushrooms, pearl onions, and thyme bundle to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
7. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until beef is tender.
8. If a thicker sauce is desired, stir in the cornstarch mixture during the last 20 minutes of cooking.
9. Remove thyme bundle before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Tips

• For even richer flavor, sear mushrooms separately before adding to the slow cooker.
• Serve with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
• Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 4 days and freeze beautifully.