Next Post
Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
When it’s cold and festive season is creeping in, I crave a slow, winey braise that makes the whole house smell incredible. This one leans holiday with pops of tart cranberries that melt into the sauce.
It’s rich, savory, and a little bright—special enough for company, simple enough for a Sunday. Most of the work happens in the pot while you set the table and light a candle.
This cranberry beef bourguignon is basically the best thing to hit my dinner table all month. It’s perfection with a side of buttery mashed potatoes, and I honestly just can’t think of a better December dinner.
Like classic beef bourguignon, this is meal is hearty, warming and the perfect stew for serving a crowd. I’ve had the idea to include cranberries for a while now, so I’m excited to finally bring the recipe to life on the site today! If you’re thinking cranberries and beef is a weird combo, think again, it’s actually the perfect pairing. The tart cranberries go really well with the beefy flavors in this dish and are balanced by the sweet red wine…not to mention, they add the perfect festive touch, which you all know I LOVE!
Anyway, let’s chat about this pretty little dinner I have here for you guys. If you’ve ever had beef bourguignon than you know it’s a truly a mouth-watering meal. It’s saucy, full of flavor (thanks to an entire bottle of wine – yes and entire bottle), and the beef is incredibly tender with the cranberries adding the perfect tart bite. As you can see, I served mine over a bed of mashed potatoes, but this would be equally great with egg noodles, or even served over garlic bead like Ina does it.
OKok, so let’s talk about the whole bottle of wine thing. I know, I know, it seems like so much wine, but you guys trust me, it works, and most of the alcohol burns off during cooking. The wine is really the flavor enhancer it here, it creates a sweet yet savory sauce and makes for the most perfectly tender beef. Not to mention, the sweetness balances out the tart cranberries. Be sure to use a dry red wine that you would enjoy drinking yourself, I used a Pinot Noir. All that said, I totally understand that some of you prefer not to cook with alcohol. If that’s that case, use an equal amount of beef broth in place of the wine. Or if you just wish to use a little less wine, try using one to two cups wine and then the rest beef broth. Either way, this dish will be delicious, but I personally love the flavor the wine adds.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat
-
Make-ahead: Braises improve overnight; cranberries mellow and meld into the sauce.
-
Fridge: Cool fully; store airtight 3–4 days. Rewarm gently until beef is hot and tender again—avoid a hard boil.
-
Freeze: Freeze sauce and beef together for up to a few months; thaw in the fridge and reheat slowly, adding a splash of stock if needed.
FAQ:
Can I use frozen cranberries?
Yes—add straight from frozen. Stir some in earlier to melt into the sauce and save a handful for the end so you still get juicy pops.
What if I don’t cook with wine?
Use extra beef stock and a small splash of balsamic for gentle acidity. Reduce until the sauce smells rich and not sharp.
How do I know the beef is done?
It should be fork-tender with connective tissue broken down, and the sauce should coat a spoon with a silky sheen.
Can I make this ahead for a holiday dinner?
Absolutely—braises are better the next day. Chill, skim any fat if you like, then rewarm gently and finish with fresh herbs for brightness.
Cranberry Beef Bourguignon.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 792 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 slices thick cut bacon chopped
- 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 small sweet onions thinly sliced
- 6 carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 cup cognac or brandy see note
- 1 (750ml) bottle (about 3 cups) dry red wine such as Pinot Noir (see note)
- 2 cups beef broth plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 leaves bay
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat renders and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a large plate.
- Dry the beef with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Now add the beef to the dutch oven and sear in batches until the beef is browned all over, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the beef to the plate with the bacon. Set Aside.
- To the dutch oven with the drippings, add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, then add the cognac and raise the heat to high. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Next, add the meat and all the juice on the plate back to the dutch oven. Add the wine, beef broth, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of cranberries. Cover with a tight fighting lid and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for 2 hours or until the meat is tender is shreds easily with a fork.
- Remove the pot from the oven and place over medium heat on the stove. Combine the 2 tablespoons butter and the flour until a smooth paste forms. Stir the paste into the stew. Add the remaining 1 cup cranberries and cook until the stew thickens just slightly.
- Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are just browned and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir the mushrooms into the stew and cook another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve over [mashed potatoes | https://fett-weg.today/crockpot-three-cheese-mashed-potatoes/], egg noodles or crusty bread.
ps. Happy Monday! Only one more full week of work until Christmas!
This post was originally published on December 12, 2016
Would one be able to make this dish without a Dutch oven?
Yes, do you have an oven safe pot? If so that will be great, if not, just transfer the dish to an oven save pan and cover it tightly. Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this and Merry Christmas!
When you say cover tightly with an oven-safe pot, do you mean a tight cover with aluminum foil? Or do you mean with a pot cover? I don’t have a dutch oven sadly, or a pan cover for my oven safe cookware, but would loveee to try this!! At the same time if aluminum foil is unlikely to work I don’t to risk wasting the roast. Any thoughts at all would be much appreciated!!
Hey Neli! Foil will work great. Just cover the pot with foil and cook as directed. Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love thi!
I just made this dish tonight. I forgot to take a picture but it turned out delicious. I even had enough to give to my neighbors to enjoy. Thank you for the recipe. My first stew too.
Awh yay I’m so happy you liked it! Thank you Grace!
Wow this looks amazing and I might just have to try this for our Christmas Eve dinner! If I wanted make it for just 2 people would you just cut the recipe in half? Anything I should take note of when doing this? Thanks again for sharing!
HI! Yes, cutting this in half will be fine. No need to adjust cooking time as this is the perfect meal to cook low and slow! Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love this! Happy Holidays! ?
Thanks so much for this recipe! Wondering if you can make it in advance and heat up? How many days? Freeze?
Hey Cindy! Yes, you can make in advance and keep for 3 day. Just warm on the stove when ready to eat. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Let me know if you have questions. Hop you love this and Happy Holidays! ?
Thank you so much for creating this amazing recipe! I made it yesterday, figuring it would be the perfect dish for the really cold temps we have here in NYC right now. I followed the recipe to the letter and made the crockpot mashed potatoes from your blog. It was the perfect pairing! We had the tree lit and Christmas music playing to add to the atmosphere. My husband and I loved it (there’s plenty for leftovers tonight and maybe tomorrow) and on the spur of the moment I ran into a friend that I invited for dinner. She doesn’t usually eat red meat, but she cleaned her plate 🙂 Unfortunately I was so busy cooking and eating that I forgot to take a pic 🙁
WOW!! Sounds amazing!! Seriously jealous of your night! Thanks so much Elaine!!
Well, this sounds great, but ‘beef bourguignon’ it ain’t. It’s just that, to bear the title, the dish needs to contain Burgundy wine, not just some nondescript ‘dry red wine’. You could call this Beef braised with Wine and Cranberries and I wouldn’t care.
So sorry you don’t agree with my title. Hope you can look past it and try it! Thanks!
The recipe does suggest using Pinot Noir, and red Burgundy wine is made from Pinot Noir grapes. 🙂
This looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it out! You have converted me to cranberry fan with your Cranberry Pot Roast, so I’m sure this will be just as delicious! As for cooking for a crowd, here in San Diego I love to cook these Chile Verde Enchiladas: http://carlsbadcravings.com/salsa-verde-honey-lime-pepper-jack-chicken-enchiladas/
Ah yay!! They add the perfect flavor! Hope you love it!! Those look AMAZING!
The addition of cranberries is genius, love this!
Thanks so much Matt!!
This looks absolutely delicious and so gorgeous!! Beef borguinon and pot roast are never terribly photogenic but with those cranberries, you sure changed that!! This looks so so lovely. I can’t wait to make it!
Ah thats so nice of you to say!! So happy you like it and the photos!! Thank you!
This looks absolutely to die for! I cannot wait to try this. And I totally trust you on the bottle of wine, although I usually like to sip on a little when I cook with wine.. haha
Haha!! Of course some for sipping!!
I hope you love it ,thanks so much!1
Hello Tieghan, I absolutely lovee the little twist with the cranberries you added to the beef bourguignon. Red wine, meat and cranberries pair well together. I was in Milan a few days ago and had a dish that i thought i might reinvent in some way for my Christmas dinner… It was a sirloin steak with coriander hazelnut pesto, apple chutney and a nice wine reduction. Yummm
So happy you think they pair well (:
Oh my gosh!! That sounds absolutely amazing!!
Literally the coziest dinner 🙂
Awh so happy you like it!! Thanks Jennifer!
This looks gorgeous! I’m really thinking of making this our christmas dinner 🙂 Do you serve the 3cheese mashed patatoes with it or ‘normal’ mashed patatoes?
HI! I served the 3 cheese mashed potatoes, my family loved them! 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions. Let me know if you have questions and have a Merry Christmas!
Never tried this, but this looks so delicious. I like mutton a lot so i am thinking will it still taste good if i change beef to mutton?
I am sure that will be great! Hope you love this! Thanks!
Perfect meal to sit, eat and talk. Elinor x
Thanks ELinor!!