Crockpot Beef Bourguignon Meatballs

Jump to Recipe

This post contains affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. You can view my affiliate disclosure here.

A classic dish made simple for busy families, tender beef bourguignon meatballs are simmered in a rich red wine sauce with thyme and bay leaf. Instant pot and crockpot instructions included.

It's been a few weeks since I've shared a new recipe on here, and you might be wondering what I've been doing.

In December, I decided to slow down a little bit and focus more on my family. For a while now, I've been struggling with the balance between content creation and family life. Since I have three children ages five and under, I feel that I need to put on my mom hat, so to speak, and focus on raising them even if it means I have to slow down on my blog and YouTube content. I'm definitely not going away though; don't worry, I will be on here as much as I am able to.

Even though life is a little busy right now, I have been taking some time to refine my culinary skills. I was spending so much time before generating recipes that I haven't been venturing as much outside of my comfort zone. So I've made it my mission to try out new recipes, and learn more about cooking and baking techniques.

Recently, I came across a video of Julia Child making beef bourguignon (or beef burgundy), which is a French beef stew. Honestly, if you haven't watched her cook before, you should because you'll learn a lot. But also, it will give you inspiration when you are feeling a little stuck on what to make for dinner.

If you like pot roasts and stews then you'll love beef bourguignon. Imagine tender and savory beef with the complexity of red wine. I like to serve beef bourguignon meatballs on top of a few dollops of buttery mashed potatoes and sprinkled with fresh roasting herbs.

This recipe is suitable for the instant pot or crockpot (instructions for crockpot below) and makes an easy weeknight family dinner. You'll get classic French cuisine with minimal effort on your part. I prefer beef bourguignon meatballs over the traditional dish because the meatballs are less intimidating to prepare and my little ones simply love meatballs. Let me know if your littles love beef bourguignon meatballs too!

What You Will Need

1 tbsp butter salted or unsalted

8 oz cremini mushrooms thinly sliced

1 medium white onion diced

4 cloves garlic minced

1 ½ lbs ground beef

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp dried sage

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup beef bone broth

1 cup red wine (such as pinot noir)

2-3 tbsp tomato paste

6 pieces bacon (baked in oven until crispy and chopped into pieces)

3 medium carrots chopped

1 bay leaf

¼ cup arrowroot starch

½ cup water

fresh thyme (for garnish)

Instant Pot Instructions

Start by sautéing the butter, mushrooms, onion, and garlic until fragrant. The veggies do not have to be cooked completely.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Combine the ground beef, dried thyme, dried sage, garlic powder, and salt in a mixing bowl to combine. Roll the meat into meatballs using a little oil on your hands if needed. Meatballs should be about golf ball size.

Once the veggies are done, remove them from the pot and set aside. From there, you'll add your meatballs to the pot and brown on each side for 3-4 minutes.

Once the meat is browned, turn off the Instant Pot and remove the meatballs. Add the bone broth, wine, and tomato paste. Stir the sauce and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Put the veggies and meatballs back into the pot along with the bacon, carrots, and bay leaf.

Put the lid on the pot and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.

Once the pot is done cooking, open the lid and remove the bay leaf (you can discard this).

If you desire a thicker sauce, remove the meatballs and carrots from the pot and set the Instant Pot to sauté. In a small bowl, add the arrowroot starch to the half cup of water and stir to combine. Once the sauce is boiling, slowly pour in the arrowroot and water mixture while stirring until the sauce thickens (add more starch if needed).

Serve the stew on top of buttery mashed potatoes and finish each plate with a ladle or two of sauce and fresh thyme. Bon appetit!

Crockpot Instructions

On the stovetop, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the butter, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Sauté until fragrant. The veggies do not have to be cooked completely.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs. Combine the ground beef, dried thyme, dried sage, garlic powder, and salt in a mixing bowl to combine. Roll the meat into meatballs using a little oil on your hands if needed. Meatballs should be about golf ball size.

Once the veggies are done, remove them from the skillet and set aside. Add your meatballs to the skillet and brown on each side for 3-4 minutes.

Once the meat is browned, turn off the stove. In the crockpot, add the bone broth, wine, and tomato paste. Stir. Add the veggies and meatballs into the pot along with the bacon, carrots, and bay leaf. Put the lid on the pot and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Once the stew is done cooking, open the lid and remove the bay leaf (you can discard it).

If you desire a thicker sauce, remove the meatballs and carrots from the pot and turn the temperature up to high. In a small bowl, add the arrowroot starch to the half cup of water and stir to combine. Slowly pour in the arrowroot and water mixture into the pot while stirring until the sauce thickens (add more starch if needed).

Serve the stew on top of buttery mashed potatoes and finish each plate with a ladle or two of sauce and fresh thyme. Bon appetit!

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a star rating and a comment below. Share what you made and tag me on Instagram @keepingitholistic! For more scratch-made recipes and natural living tips, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on YouTube and Instagram!

📖 Recipe