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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
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Make-ahead: Braises improve overnight; cranberries mellow and meld into the sauce.
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Fridge: Cool fully; store airtight 3–4 days. Rewarm gently until beef is hot and tender again—avoid a hard boil.
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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
Although it’s almost Spring, I just ran across this recipe today and want to make it in the next few days.
Question: can I make it with dried cranberries, and if so, would the amount of dried change?
Hey Lynn,
Unfortunately, dried cranberries aren’t the best choice for this recipe, I would see if you can find some frozen cranberries, those will work well for you! xT
How many synonyms are there for superb? Great, fantastic, delicious, “take me now lord I’ve been to the mountain top”? Nothing quite does it. You might could add a note to let the stew cool just a bit before serving, but otherwise this was perfection, a great holiday feast. My wife was skeptical about the cranberries until she tasted them. I used organic carrots and they were so delicious I may add more the next time, or maybe some parsnips. Also a bit of rutabaga mashed with the potatoes. Thanks so much for this!
Hey Joe,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Can you make this is the crockpot? what would you adjust?
Hey Denise,
Sure, I would cook on low for 6-8 hours. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this turns out well for you! xx
I have made this a few times and it is amazing. The cranberries are honestly the best part and now I put cranberries in almost every roast / beef stew dish I can! Amazing recipe T!
Can this recipe be done in the crockpot?
Hey Katelyn,
Happy Sunday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Sure, I would cook on low for 6-8 hours. xT
Can I make this ahead of time , earlier in the day, and simmer to keep warm? I don’t want the carrots to get all mushy
Hey Heidi,
Yes, that will work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
For 18 people, do I literally every ingredient? Can I use crock pot to keep warm?
Hi Trish,
Yes, you will want to double all of the ingredients and yes you can keep in a crockpot on warm. I hope this recipe turns out well for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
This is so good!! I adjusted to 3 servings to test it out, but with egg noodles it became more like 7 servings. Good to know! I saw you suggested your cheesy mash potatoes to go alongside it and was wondering your personal preference? The cranberry and cheese is intriguing, but also scares me! Ha! Thanks for your time and for sharing these recipes 🙂
Hey Miranda,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. I love the mashed potatoes with this recipe:) Happy Holidays!? xx
This had a lot going for it but something was definitely off—there was an unpleasant acidity to it. Before eating it on day I added a bit of brown sugar which helped, but only slightly. By the end of the meal we figured it out: the cranberries. I would make this again exactly as written but would completely leave the cranberries out ( or perhaps use only 1/2 the amount). I loved the idea of the cranberries, but they added nothing, and you couldn’t really even see them by the second day.
Hey Theresa,
So sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hello – I wanted to make as much of it as I could the day before – at what point should I stop and which step should I pick up again? Should I stop at Step 4 and put it in the fridge then back to the stove top for the rest? I am making for Christmas dinner! Thanks 🙂
Hey there,
Sure, that should work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This sounds amazing and I’d love to try it this holiday! I’m trying to keep my oven free for other dishes though…Would it work to do this entirely stove top, and just keep it at a low simmer for the time it would normally be in the oven? Thanks for your advice!!
Hi Jade,
Sure, I bet that would work well! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
My daughter came to visit and we chose to make this recipe without the cranberries only because we’d never made beef bourguignon before and wanted to try it without and it was MAGNIFICIENT! It was so hearty and filling and comforting! We wanted to bring 2021 in with a bang and it was an awesome start! We chose to have it just with some toasted French bread with gruyere cheese. We will make this many times in the future! Thank you!
Hey Leisa,
Thank you so very much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I made this for Christmas Dinner and was very, very disappointed. The wine and the cognac were a nice addition, but the dish was just “off” for some reason. I can’t pinpoint what was wrong, but it was anything but special. I’m going back to my standard beef stew recipe instead of this one. Bummer!!!!!
Hey there,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Is this recipe in any of your cookbooks? I’ve made it a couple of times and would love to have a physical version of it.
Hi Maddy! It is not in my cookbooks! All of the cookbook recipes are separate from the ones on the blog! xTieghan
This recipe sounds amazing! Would it be possible to do in an instantpot?
Hey Maia,
Yes, that should work well for you, I would do 40 minutes on high pressure. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hi Maia! Curious if you ended up making this in the InstantPot? If so, did it turn out? Tips?
Made this for a dinner party last night. Huge
Hit. Would definitely make it again. Very flavorful and the beef comes out super tender.
Thank you so much Kerry! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Just discovered your site. Everything looks amazing. Question, can you suggest how I can make this via instant pot? Thank you.
Hi Vann! I would recommend cooking on high pressure for 50 minutes, then slow release the steam. That will work great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Would this work with short ribs?
HI! I am sure short ribs will be delicious. Great idea!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan