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Bordelaise Sauce Recipe

Name: Bordelaise Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 peeled small diced shallot; 12 to 15 peppercorns; 1 smashed garlic cloves; 1 cup dry red wine; 4 cups demi-glace; 1 sprig of fresh thyme; ½ bay leaf; 2 tablespoons bone marrow butter (regular butter is fine); coarse salt to taste

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Published December 18, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This classic Bordelaise Sauce recipe is a rich, red wine demi-glace reduction, bursting with deep, savory flavor, perfect for elevating any steak dish. I first learned to make it in the restaurant industry, and to this day, it remains one of my all-time favorite sauces for beef!

I’ve always believed that a good sauce can take any dish to the next level, and in my house, we take that very seriously. My wife? She loves sauce so much that sometimes I joke she enjoys a little meal with her sauce instead of the other way around! If you’re anything like her and love drizzling, dipping, and smothering your food in something delicious, you have to try my chimichurri sauce for a fresh, herby kick or my mornay sauce for a rich, cheesy finish.

Bordelaise

Bordelaise sauce is a classic French sauce of shallots, herbs, red wine, and demi-glace. It is cooked for a short time to infuse the flavors and then is strained and commonly served with roasted cuts of beef. Traditionally, this sauce is garnished with poached, minced bone marrow. While I didn’t go that route, I finished it with bone marrow butter, adding the same luxurious depth of flavor in a simpler way.

I can tell you firsthand, my Bordelaise sauce recipe is vibrant and packed with flavor, so just a little drizzle can elevate any dish. But if you really want to take it to the next level, do what we used to do in one of the restaurants I worked at, turn it into a mushroom bordelaise, trust me, it will impress anyone and make whatever you’re serving taste absolutely incredible.

History of Bordelaise

Bordelaise is named after the Bordeaux region, where it was invented in the 18th century. Although it is in Auguste Escoffier’s Le Guide Culinaire cookbook, the origins of actually creating it are unknown. It’s considered a smaller sauce from the mother sauce, Espagnole.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Demi-Glace – This is the classic sauce needed to make Bordelaise, but if I want to simplify it, I swap out the demi-glace for veal stock or my homemade beef stock. You must also thicken the sauce to get to the right consistency using a roux, or my homemade slurry.
Onion and Garlic – Traditionally, shallots are the go-to for this Bordelaise sauce recipe, but I’ve found that white, yellow, red, or sweet onions work just as well. For an extra layer of flavor, I also like to throw in a smashed whole garlic clove.
Wine – Any dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, merlot, or Shiraz is good. In addition, some early known recipes also call for white wine. With that being said, any dry white like chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc would work.
Butter – I always prefer unsalted butter to control the sodium content instead of the butter company.
Herbs – I like to use fresh thyme and half a bay leaf while the sauce simmers for extra depth. If I don’t have fresh thyme, ½ teaspoon of dried thyme works just fine. Sometimes, I even toss in a little parsley while it cooks to bring out more herbaceous flavor.
Seasonings – I use coarse salt and roughly cracked peppercorns to bring out the deep, savory flavors in this sauce.

How to Make a Bordelaise Sauce

Melt the Butter: I drop the butter into a medium-sized saucepot over medium heat, letting it slowly melt down.

Sauté the Aromatics: Once the butter melts, I toss in the shallot, garlic clove, and crushed peppercorns.

Build the Flavor: I sauté everything for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the shallots turn lightly golden and fragrant. If I have extra time, I turn the heat down to low and let them fully caramelize for 25 to 30 minutes, which makes the sauce even richer and more aromatic, totally worth it for that deep, complex flavor!

Reduce the Wine: I pour in the red wine and let it simmer down until reduced by 75%, leaving about ¼ cup of rich, concentrated flavor. As it reduces, the wine melds with the shallots, garlic, and peppercorns.

Build the Sauce: I stir in the demi-glace, thyme sprig, and bay leaf, letting the flavors meld together as it simmers. If I’m using beef stock instead, I pour in 4 cups of stock and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat, then whisk in ½ recipe of beurre manié to thicken. After that, I reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.

adding demi-glace and herbs to a pot of wine

Let It Simmer: I cook the sauce over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to concentrate and deepen into a rich, velvety finish.

Finish with Butter: I take the sauce off the heat and whisk in cold unsalted butter for a smooth, glossy finish. If I really want to take it up a notch, I use my bone marrow butter recipe.

Final Touch: I give the sauce a taste test and season it with salt as needed.

Strain for Smoothness: I pour the sauce through a chinois, fine mesh strainer, or cheesecloth to remove any solids, ensuring a silky, restaurant-quality texture.

Serve & Enjoy: I drizzle the rich, velvety sauce over my favorite steak or roasted meat and dig in!

Chef Tip + Notes

To make the best Bordelaise Sauce Recipe, I highly recommend never skipping the deglazing step, it’s a game-changer! Without it, you’ll miss out on all those deep, caramelized flavors from the browned bits stuck to the pan, which add incredible depth and richness to the sauce.

Simpler Option: If this sauce feels a bit complicated, I recommend trying my scaled-back version of beef gravy, it’s just as delicious but much easier to make!
One-Step Finish: Traditionally, Bordelaise is finished with butter and bone marrow, but I simplify things by using my bone marrow compound butter for the same rich, velvety texture.
No Browning Needed: If you’d rather skip browning the shallots, garlic, and peppercorns, simply add them to a pot with wine, reduce the heat to medium, and let them simmer down.
Thickening with Stock: If I’m only using beef stock, I reduce it down to about 1 cup, which naturally thickens the sauce without needing extra thickeners.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving this Bordelaise Sauce over a perfectly New York strip roast. It also pairs beautifully with my beef tenderloin roast , adding an amazing flavor that takes the dish to the next level.

As I mentioned in the intro, my wife loves pouring this sauce on just about everything, but her absolute favorite is drizzling it over my creamy mashed potatoes.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 3 days ahead. Keep cool until it’s ready to use.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze this for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the desired bordelaise to a small saucepot and heat over low heat until hot. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of stock or water to loosen it up.

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