Jennifer Garner’s Favorite French Beef Stew Is the Most Comforting Meal You’ll Make This Winter

A few years ago, I got swept away in the Instant Pot and air fryer craze. I couldn’t believe I could make our family’s favorites, like chicken and dumplings, homemade fries, or Bolognese sauce, in a fraction of the usual time. Mesmerized by this newfound power, I soon forgot all about my Dutch oven, the former workhorse of my kitchen. That was until I stumbled upon Jennifer Garner’s Pretend Cooking Show on YouTube.

With 2.4 million views, the video of Jennifer preparing her family’s favorite holiday recipe for beef bourguignon (a French beef stew) quite literally sparked something in me—prompting me to dust off my Dutch oven and get back to cooking with fire and soul. Jennifer reveals that the recipe comes from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris cookbook.

Now, I don’t want you to think I was whisked away to a magical world where I suddenly had the time to cook all day while songbirds sang outside my window. Nope. The reality is, I still have two kids, a busy work schedule, and activities galore. However, this comforting recipe reminded me that old-fashioned home cooking has a place in the chaos.

How I Make Jennifer Garner’s Favorite Beef Bourguignon

You start by browning some diced bacon in the Dutch oven. Remove the bacon and cook cubed chuck beef, carrots, onions, and garlic in the bacon grease. Then you add cognac, broth, red wine, tomato paste, and thyme, and braise it all in the oven for just over an hour.

During this time, I usually help my kids with homework, put away laundry, or take them to swim lessons. When the oven timer goes off, it’s back to the stovetop, where the stew is thickened with butter and flour and finished with frozen pearl onions and a full pound of sautéed mushrooms. After a quick 15-minute simmer—the perfect amount of time to set the table and wash the dirty dishes in the sink—it’s time to serve.

Does it take longer than chicken tenders in my air fryer or an Instant Pot pot roast? Yes, but at the end of the day, I come out ahead. My family has a hearty and heartwarming meal to enjoy, and I am able to check everything off the ol’ to-do list while the beef bourguignon braises in the oven. What more could I ask for?

My Tips for Making Beef Bourguignon

Since I first made this recipe over a year ago, I’ve learned a few tricks that have not only made the recipe faster to prepare but also helped it taste even better.

• Mind the size of the beef: A two or three-pound beef roast cooked whole in a Dutch oven typically requires three hours or more to become tender. To keep the cook time close to an hour, cut the chuck roast into one-inch cubes as stated in the recipe. If larger, the cook time will increase, or you’ll have to settle for tough, chewy beef.
• Don’t crowd your Dutch oven: Space is the secret to a good sear, so only cook five or six pieces of beef at a time. This ensures the meat develops a dark, crispy crust on all sides, yielding a richer, more flavorful stew.
• Add more herbs: For more depth, I’ll often add a bay leaf or two, fresh rosemary, or sage to the pot. A sprinkle of fresh parsley before serving is a nice way to liven up the stew with color, too.
• Time management is key: Strategically overlapping tasks in the kitchen is my secret to making recipes like beef bourguignon during the workweek. Always read a recipe from start to finish before you begin, and look for windows of opportunity to multitask and find efficiencies. For example, chop your onions and carrots while searing the beef, and sauté the mushrooms while the oven finishes working its magic. These simple steps can dramatically reduce your time in the kitchen.

How I Serve Beef Bourguignon

’ll often serve this beef bourguignon as a stand-alone meal. However, when my schedule allows or when I feel like we need a little something extra (aka carbs), I’ll make a batch of mashed potatoes or a quick pot of buttered egg noodles to serve with the stew.

My family also adores bread. I’ll either snag a crusty loaf of artisan-style sourdough from the bakery section of our supermarket or make a batch of quick dinner rolls for dipping and dunking into that heavenly gravy.