Easy Beef Daube Recipe | French Beef Stew

This Beef Daube, or French beef stew, is an elegant yet familiar dish that is oh so delicious! Make it quickly and easily in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker!

What Makes This French Beef Stew Recipe So Good?

If you're looking for a dish that can wow your friends and family but doesn't take a ton of effort, you've come to the right place. This Beef Daube recipe is a deliciously savory, warm, and comforting dish that's sure to please everyone in your family.

It has the delightful familiarity that you would expect from a beef stew along with the herby deliciousness you'd expect from a French dish. It's a filling dish that satisfies your hunger yet leaves you wanting more.

The best part of it all? It's so easy to make. With little to no prep time and a short cook time, you'll be enjoying this delicious French beef stew before you know it! This is one of those recipes that makes me love my Instant Pot even more, which is saying something considering how much I already love it.

What Is The Difference Between Beef Daube And Boeuf Bourguignon?

Beef Bourguignon is a French beef stew that typically uses higher grade beef than that of a Daube. It also traditionally uses a burgundy wine and is cooked faster than a Daube.

Daube typically uses tougher beef, as the longer cooking time allows the meat to become tender. It is traditionally cooked in a daubière, which is a terracotta pot, and is where it gets its namesake.

Thanks to our wonderful Instant Pot, we can get the same tender and delicious beef in a fraction of the time! This makes for a beef daube that doesn't take hours to make, and you know how much I love shorter cooking times!

Ingredients You'll Need

• 1 pound Beef Stew Meat- This is the hearty foundation of the stew meat recipe. Stew meat becomes tender and flavorful under pressure cooking, absorbing the aromatic broth and creating a rich, comforting stew.
• 3 tablespoons Butter- Butter adds richness and depth, helping to sauté the onions, garlic, and vegetables. It enhances the overall flavor and contributes to the silky texture of the finished stew.
• 1 Onion- Onions provide aromatic sweetness and form the flavorful base of the stew. They melt into the broth during pressure cooking, enhancing depth and complexity.
• 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic- Garlic adds bold, savory aroma and infuses the stew with classic Provençal flavor. It complements the herbs and vegetables beautifully.
• 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste- Tomato paste contributes concentrated tomato flavor, richness, and slight acidity. It also helps develop a deeper color and adds body to the sauce.
• 2 cups Baby New Potatoes- Potatoes add heartiness and absorb the flavorful broth. They contribute starch, which naturally thickens the stew and makes it more substantial.
• 2 large Carrots- Carrots bring sweetness, color, and tender bites that balance the savory beef and broth. They also help create a classic stew texture.
• 1.5 cups Mushrooms- Mushrooms add earthy richness and umami depth. They release moisture into the stew, enhancing the broth and complementing the beef.
• 1 cup Diced Tomatoes- These provide acidity, moisture, and subtle sweetness, helping balance the richness of the beef and butter. They also add texture to the stew base.
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence- This classic French blend (typically containing thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and lavender) adds floral, herbaceous notes that define beef daube’s traditional flavor.
• 1–2 teaspoons Salt- Seasons the stew and enhances all the savory elements. The amount can be adjusted based on taste and the saltiness of the broth.
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper- Adds gentle heat and depth. Black pepper rounds out the flavors and balances the richness.
• 1.5 cups Water- Provides the cooking liquid needed for pressure cooking. It mixes with the vegetables, beef juices, and seasonings to create a flavorful broth that intensifies during cooking.
• 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
  Cornstarch creates a smooth, glossy consistency in the stew when mixed with water. It thickens the broth into a silky, cohesive sauce.

How To Make Daube

NOTE: Though I give instructions for the Instant Pot, you can also cook this recipe in a slow cooker or a dutch oven. See the tips and tricks section for more details

1. Set the Instant Pot to saute and the garlic, onions and tomato paste and heat until tomato paste is roasted.

2. Once the tomato paste is roasted, add the tomatoes and use the liquid from them to deglaze the pan.

3. Then add the beef, salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence and mix well.

4. Add the potatoes, water, carrots, and mushroom, place the lid on the instant pot and set the pot to high pressure for 10 minutes.

5. Once the cooking time is done, allow the pot to natural pressure release for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure.

6. Set the pot to saute. Mix the tablespoon of cornstarch and water to create a slurry and add it to the pot.

7. Stir the pot and allow it to come to a boil in order the thicken the stew.

8. Serve and enjoy!

Watch A Video Tutorial

Tips And Tricks

Instant Pot Beef Daube is a rich, comforting French stew, and using the right techniques will help you develop deep flavors and perfectly tender textures in a fraction of the traditional cooking time.

• You can add wine at the end if you'd like. Traditionally people used wine in cooking not just for flavoring, but because it reduces the temperature of water boiling. In a pressure cooker, this happens automatically. Therefore you do not need the wine to allow the meat to cook at a simmer. You might, however, choose to add it for flavor. I recommend adding the wine at the end as it is not needed during the cooking cycle.
• You can do this with lamb as well. Use leg of lamb chopped into cubes.
• Similarly, you can use a chuck roast and cut into cubes.
• You can also make this in a slow cooker with exactly the same proportions of everything. You may need to add a little water at the end. This will likely take 7-8 hours on low and 4-5 hours on high.
• You can also cook this in a Dutch Oven at 350F for 2-3 hours until the meat is done.

Variations

Instant Pot Beef Daube is a wonderfully adaptable French stew, and with a few simple tweaks, you can customize the flavors, textures, and ingredients to suit your preferences or what you have on hand.

• Classic Red Wine Daube- Add 1 cup of red wine to the cooking liquid for a deeper, more traditional Provençal flavor. Reduce the water slightly to balance the liquid ratio.
• Beef Daube with Bacon- Sauté chopped bacon before browning the beef for smoky richness and added depth.
• Mediterranean-Style Daube- Add olives, capers, and a squeeze of lemon at the end for a bright, briny twist.

What To Eat With French Beef Stew

French beef stew is rich, comforting, and deeply flavorful, so pairing it with the right sides can round out the meal and complement its savory, slow-simmered goodness.

• Crusty French Bread- Perfect for soaking up every drop of the luscious broth.
• Mashed Potatoes- Creamy potatoes provide a soft, buttery base that pairs beautifully with tender beef and vegetables.
• Buttered Egg Noodles- A simple, classic side that allows the stew’s flavors to shine.
• Rice Pilaf- Lightly seasoned rice adds texture and balances the richness of the stew.

How Long Does It Last?

Beef daube lasts 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator when stored properly in an airtight container. Because this stew is rich and slow-simmered with aromatics, the flavors often deepen even more after a day, making leftovers especially delicious.

When reheating, warm it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened.

Can You Freeze It?

Yes, you can absolutely freeze beef daube, and it holds up exceptionally well due to its rich broth, tender vegetables, and hearty beef.

Allow the stew to cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, leaving a little space at the top for expansion. French Beef Stew freezes beautifully for up to 3 months without compromising flavor or texture.

When you're ready to enjoy it, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth or water if the sauce has thickened.

More French Recipes

• I love a good low carb chicken recipe, and this French Garlic Chicken is TO DIE FOR! It's super simple and absolutely delicious!
• This Shrimp and Asparagus Gribiche is a delicious meal with shrimp, fresh asparagus topped with a gribiche sauce. It's quick, easy and keto!
• This simple but very yummy Instant Pot Cherry Clafoutis uses frozen, defrosted cherries so that you can enjoy it any time of year.

My Pressure Cooker Beef Stew is another fantastic stew recipe. It's so delicious and comes together so quickly, that it would make a great weeknight dinner!

This Beef Daube recipe is the perfect stew dish for a cold fall or winter meal, and it's sure to become one of your favorite beef stew recipes! Make sure to share this recipe on Pinterest and Facebook so your friends and family can enjoy it too!