Flemish carbonnade beef stew served with fries and salad
    Photo: Jiel Beaumadier, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
    3 min read Planning Guide

    Belgian Carbonnade: Flemish Beef and Beer Stew

    Short answer

    Brown cubed beef chuck, cook sliced onions slowly until golden, then braise everything for 2½–3 hours in Belgian brown ale with a little brown sugar and vinegar, with a slice of mustard-spread bread on top that melts into the sauce.

    Quick guide

    Flemish beef and beer stew (carbonnade)

    3 h 25 min Easy 4 servings
    Servings
    Cook in

    You need

    • 1 kg beef chuck, cut in 4 cm (1½ in) cubes
    • 3 onions, sliced, and 2 tbsp butter
    • 2 tbsp plain flour
    • 500 ml Belgian brown ale (a Flemish brown or a dubbel)
    • 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp cider or red wine vinegar
    • 2 slices of bread spread with Dijon mustard, thyme and 2 bay leaves

    1. Brown the beef

      Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown it in batches in butter. Set aside.

    2. Golden onions

      In the same pot, cook the onions slowly until soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in the flour for 1 minute.

    3. Beer and bread

      Return the beef, pour in the beer, add the sugar, vinegar, thyme and bay. Lay the mustard bread on top, mustard side down.

    4. Simmer low and slow

      Lid on, lowest heat, about 2.5–3 h, stirring now and then, until the beef falls apart and the bread has melted into a thick, glossy sauce.

    5. Season and serve

      Stir, then balance with salt and a little more vinegar or sugar. Serve the Belgian way, with fries — or with mash.

    Plan it around your serving time →

    Carbonnade flamande (stoofvlees in Dutch) is Belgium's great winter stew: beef braised in dark beer until it falls apart, in a glossy, sweet-sour sauce. In Belgium it's served with fries.

    The Beer Is the Sauce

    Use a Belgian brown ale, such as a Flemish brown (oud bruin) or a dubbel. It should be malty and slightly sweet. Very hoppy beers like IPAs turn bitter over a long braise.

    The Mustard Bread Trick

    A slice of bread spread with mustard laid on top of the stew is the traditional thickener. It dissolves during the braise, thickens the sauce and adds a gentle mustard tang.

    Want to skip the guesswork?

    Sweet and Sour Balance

    A little brown sugar and a splash of vinegar balance the bitterness of the beer. Taste at the end and adjust. It should be rich, slightly sweet and slightly tangy.

    Plan Your Stew

    Answer a few quick questions and get a full step-by-step plan.

    4

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What beer is best for carbonnade?

    A Belgian brown ale: a Flemish brown (oud bruin) or a dubbel. Avoid very hoppy beers, which turn bitter in a long braise.

    What is carbonnade served with?

    In Belgium, with fries (and mayonnaise). Mashed potatoes or crusty bread work well too.

    How long does carbonnade take?

    About 3½ hours in total, most of it a gentle 2½–3 hour braise, until the beef falls apart.

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