This lamb bourguignon is a stove-top, slow-cooked lamb stew with tender pieces of succulent lamb braised in red wine and cognac. It is flavoured with carrots, onions, mushrooms, bacon and a Bouquet Garni.
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- What is bourguignon?
- What you’ll need for this recipe
- How to make lamb bourguignon
- What’s the best lamb cut for lamb bourguignon?
- Tips for slow-cooking lamb
- What’s the best wine to use for bourguignon?
- Bourguignon recipe adaptations
- Slow-Cooked Lamb Bourguignon Recipe
- Pin this lamb bourguignon recipe for later
- Other lamb recipes you might like
What is bourguignon?
Bourguignon is a French term for a dish prepared with wine or with a mushroom and onion garnish.
This recipe is my own adaptation of bourguignon de joues de boeuf, a traditional French beef cheeks recipe in which the meat is diced and marinated in herbs, red wine, and a splash of cognac before being slow-cooked for several hours. It goes really well with creamy mashed potatoes and a side of something green.
This recipe also has the bonus of making six portions. It can be made in advance and reheated, and the leftovers can be frozen.
This is hands down, one of the best lamb dishes I have ever created.
What you’ll need for this recipe
- 800 grams lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 750 ml red wine (Pinot Noir or Burgundy)
- 50 ml cognac* (optional)
- 10 juniper berries
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 4-5 small brown onions
- 2 large carrots
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 bouquet garni (or a handful of fresh thyme sprigs)
- 250 ml lamb stock
- 450 grams of baby button mushrooms
- 100 grams of smoked streaky bacon, sliced and fried until crispy to garnish
- spring onions & fresh parsley to garnish
Jump to the full, printable recipe.
How to make lamb bourguignon
- Trim any excess fat from the lamb (but not all of it; leave some for flavour) and place in a bowl with half the red wine, the cognac, juniper berries, and bay leaves. Leave to marinate for a few hours. Drain, reserving the marinade.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a large pan. Brown the lamb pieces and then add the onions and carrots. Cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the tomato puree and stir well.
- Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the reserved lamb marinade, the rest of the wine, the lamb stock, the mushrooms and the bouquet garni.
- Simmer on low heat, covered, for 2 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick.
What’s the best lamb cut for lamb bourguignon?
Lamb is a fattier meat than other red meats, so it lends itself really well to slow cooking for hours in stews like this. Boned and diced shoulder or leg are both well suited for lamb bourguignon, resulting in a meltingly tender dish.
Tips for slow-cooking lamb
- Brown the lamb before slow cooking. This caramelises the meat juices, improving the flavour of the meat.
- Simmer over very low heat so that the liquid bubbles gently around the meat. This keeps the moisture from evaporating too quickly and also prevents the fat from emulsifying, making the dish look too oily.
- Don’t trim away all the fat from the lamb before cooking; it adds to the dish’s flavour.
- Only season your dish sparingly at the start of cooking, as the flavour will ‘condense’ as the liquid evaporates. Season more towards the end of cooking.
What’s the best wine to use for bourguignon?
This dish is traditionally made with a good-quality Burgundy wine, but a Pinot Noir will also work.
Don’t scrimp on the wine – buy the best you can afford for this dish, and don’t be tempted to reduce the quantity of wine in the actual dish, either. It’s the wine that makes this dish so flavoursome.
Bourguignon recipe adaptations
- I’ve deliberately omitted garlic from this recipe as I didn’t want it to detract away from the rich wine flavour, but feel free to add in a few chopped cloves after you’ve browned the meat.
- Make this recipe gluten-free by substituting corn flour for the flour.
- Substitute 12 whole pearl onions for the brown onions. ( I would have used them in this recipe, but none were available in Shetland when I was making it!)
Recipe Difficulty Levels
Easy
Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Moderate
Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.
Challenging
Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.
Slow-Cooked Lamb Bourguignon Recipe
Ingredients
- 800 grams lamb leg or shoulder, cubed
- 750 ml red wine Pinot Noir or Burgundy
- 50 ml brandy optional
- 10 juniper berries
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 4 brown onions coarsely chopped
- 2 carrots coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 bouquet garni
- 250 ml lamb stock
- 450 grams baby button mushrooms
- Shetland sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 100 grams smoked streaky bacon to garnish
- spring onions to garnish
- fresh parsley to garnish
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Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from 800 grams lamb leg and cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Place the lamb into a bowl and pour over half the 750 ml red wine and all of the 50 ml brandy. Add 10 juniper berries and 3 bay leaves and leave to marinate in the fridge for several hours.
- Drain the marinade from the meat, reserving it for later.
- Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Brown the drained meat and then add 4 brown onions, coarsely chopped, and 2 carrots, coarsely chopped.
- Add 1 tbsp tomato puree and 1 tbsp plain flour; stirring for a few minutes until the meat and vegetables are coated and the mixture begins to thicken.
- Add the reserved marinade, the rest of the bottle of wine, 250 ml lamb stock and 450 grams baby button mushrooms.
- Add 1 bouquet garni, season lightly with Shetland sea salt and freshly ground black pepperand turn the heat down to low.
- Simmer, with the lid on, for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Meanwhile, cut 100 grams smoked streaky bacon into strips and fry until crispy.
- Serve the lamb bourguignon with the crispy bacon, chopped spring onions and fresh parsley.
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Thank you for this phenomenal recipe, Elizabeth. I used dried herbs and it still turned out amazing. The wine I had on hand was from Cotes du Rhone and the depth of flavour was sublime. 10 out of 10 I would make this again.
Oh I’m so glad to hear you have enjoyed my recipe! It’s one of my favourites, and it works well with both lamb and beef. Thank you for your wonderful feedback!
This recipe was fantastic and the instructions were great. Thank you for the great tips!
Aw thanks! I’m really glad you enjoyed my recipe! 😀
You can’t beat a comforting meal anytime!! Looks delicious..
Definitely! Especially if someone else is cooking it, or if it’s been batched cooked in advance so there’s no work that night to do, haha!
What a delicious looking dish. My husband wil love this!
Do let me know what you think of it if you make it! 🙂
Lovely flavours and very easy in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours. I used butterflied lamb leg that I diced and marinated only for about one hour (short of time in morning). I also reduced the wine (Australian shiraz, not an expensive one) to about 400ml (liquid doesn’t evaporate in slow cooker) and still reduced the casserole a bit at end. I added my quartered Swiss brown mushrooms about an hour before end – they were perfectly cooked and held shape – and served over penne pasta with lightly sauteed beans, snow peas and zucchini. Plaudits from my husband and tomorrow’s dinner will serve with crusty bread. Internet is wonderful for searching for dinner inspiration!
What a delicious recipe, and since it’s slow-cooked it’s going to make my home smell so good!
The smell of this recipe cooking is certainly one of its perks! 🙂
You can’t beat a comforting lamb stew – this looks amazing.
I’m inclined to agree! Glad you like the look of it 🙂
Oh my goodness, this recipe looks fantastic!! I would love to be having a glass of red and a bowl of this right now, yum. The mushroooms are a perfect pairing. Cheers!
It all works together rather well, I think, especially with a glass or two of wine!
What a special recipe, I’d love to make this for a romantic night in with a nice glass of vino. Thanks so much for sharing!
Do let me know what you think if/when you make it! 🙂