Boeuf aux Carottes
Beef slow-braised with carrots and wine.
Ingredients
- 900 g Beef chuck
- 6 Carrot
- 2 Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 400 ml Red wine
- 400 ml Beef stock
- 3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Bay leaves (optional)
- 1 tsp Thyme (optional)
Method
- Cut the beef chuck into 4-5 cm cubes and pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Season the beef with half the salt and sear in two batches, about 4 minutes each, until deeply browned on all sides — don't crowd the pan or it will steam. Lift onto a plate.
- Chop the onion and smash and peel the garlic cloves.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic to the pan with the rendered fat and sweat 4 minutes until softened (don't brown).
- Peel the carrots and cut into 2 cm rounds.
- Return the beef to the pot. Add the carrots, wine, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and the remaining salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, scraping up any fond from the base.
- Cover and braise on lowest heat until the beef is meltingly tender, about 2 hours.
- Discard the bay leaves. Serve with bread or potatoes.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Boeuf aux Carottes
Boeuf aux carottes is French home cooking at its most unpretentious: a bistro braise of beef and carrots that predates and outlasts fashion. Chuck is seared deeply, the aromatics sweated in the rendered fat, and everything simmered slowly in red wine and stock with thyme and bay until the meat pulls apart and the carrots turn meltingly sweet. Where boeuf bourguignon leans on mushrooms, onions, and lardons, this dish keeps things pared back — the carrots are the co-star, absorbing the winey braising liquid and lending the whole pot their sweetness.
The appeal is the balance between the savory, wine-darkened beef and the almost candied softness of the carrots, all bound in a sauce that's rich but not fussy. Searing the beef in two batches without crowding the pan is the key move here, since crowding traps steam and robs you of the browned crust that gives the sauce its backbone. This is weeknight-friendly comfort food in France, ladled over boiled potatoes, buttered noodles, or with bread to mop the pot. Like most braises it improves overnight, so it's a smart dish to make ahead for a relaxed dinner.
Boeuf aux Carottes: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Boeuf aux Carottes?
A serving has about 775 calories — 45.1g protein, 18.6g carbs, 50.8g fat, 3.7g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 45.1g of protein, roughly 23% of its calories.
Is Boeuf aux Carottes gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Boeuf aux Carottes has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Boeuf aux Carottes take to make?
About 150 minutes start to finish, but only around 30 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Boeuf aux Carottes?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out bay leaves, thyme — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Boeuf aux Carottes make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.