Learn how to make Bordelaise sauce with this easy recipe. A classic French sauce that is tangy and flavorful. Perfect to drizzle on top of grilled steak or beef tenderloin.
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Interested in more sauce recipes? Try out my Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe, Bearnaise Sauce Recipe or Butter Roasted Tomato Sauce.
Bordelaise sauce is a classic French sauce, much like Bearnaise sauce, usually made with red wine and shallots. Traditionally, this sauce uses dry red wine from the Bordeaux region in Southwest France. Bordeaux tend to be some of the most expensive wines in the world, however, and can be subbed with cabernet sauvignon or merlot.
This tangy and savory sauce is perfection drizzled on top of sous vide ribeye steak, Traeger smoked steak or filet mignon. (Just a small portion goes a long way!) It is also an excellent addition to roasted or crispy smashed potatoes.
This particular recipe does not go the traditional route with bordelaise sauce – using veal or marrow. Preferring to use beef bone broth or stock instead. This makes the recipe not only quicker to make but it also does not lose any flavor.
What is needed for bordelaise sauce?
- Dry red wine – Here are my 13+ favorite red wines for cooking.
- Minced shallots
- Dried thyme
- Bay leaf
- Beef bone broth or stock
- Melted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and pepper
How to make bordelaise sauce:
To a small saucepan, add wine, shallots, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the mixture reduces by half, about 10 minutes.
Add the broth and bring to a boil again. Continue cooking until this mixture reduces by half, 15-20 minutes.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids. Return the strained sauce to the saucepan and heat over medium-low heat.
In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and flour until smooth. Add this mixture to the saucepan and whisk until thickened. Enjoy immediately.
Recipe notes:
- This recipe is non-traditional, since we are not using veal or demi glace.
- Sauce can be reheated over medium-low.
What to serve with bordelaise sauce:
- Sous Vide Ribeye Steak
- Air Fryer Filet Mignon
- Sous Vide Filet Mignon
- Garlic Butter Steak Bites Recipe
- Traeger Steak
What to serve with steak:
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze
- Glazed Carrots
- Roasted Miso Cauliflower
- Easy Arugula Salad
- MORE —> 50+ of the best sides for steak
Wine pairings for steak with bordelaise sauce:
- Bordeaux
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
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More homemade sauce recipes:
- MORE —> steak sauces
- Romesco Sauce
- Mustard Sauce for Steak
- Creamy Peppercorn Sauce
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Steak Diane
- Red Wine Sauce
- Chimichurri Sauce
- Bearnaise Sauce Recipe
Bordelaise Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry red wine
- ½ cup minced shallots ((1 large or 2 medium shallots))
- ¼ tsp dried thyme ((or ½ teaspoon fresh thyme) )
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups beef bone broth or stock
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To a small saucepan, add wine, shallots, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the mixture reduces by half, about 10 minutes.
- Add the broth and bring to a boil again. Continue cooking until this mixture reduces by half, 15-20 minutes.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids. Return the strained sauce to the saucepan and heat over medium-low heat.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and flour until smooth. Add this mixture to the saucepan and whisk until thickened. Enjoy immediately.
Nutrition
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Great colour and consistency! After the meal, we experimented with sugar and salt content. We concluded that the sauce needed more of both (likely dependent on the wine used in the recipe). Also prepped the sauce up to the point of adding the butter/flour mixture and then let it sit prior to thickening just prior to serving. This is the stage where I would add sugar/salt, if needed.
Loved it will now try the classic way with veal and demi glaze we live in england and love french recipes thank you for such a simple recipe but really tasty
Thank you Terry!
I used a can of consume and added enough water to make 2c. Didn’t add any salt and it came out delicious!
I pan seared my steak and removed the steak to slow cook in the oven and made the sauce in the same pan, you strain it anyway so I thought why not, fantastic
Using the fond from the meat makes it perfect, your salt situation is solved since all of the seasonings from the meat are in the pan.
I made a single portion of this to go with a piece of sirloin steak and it was perfect and delicious. It had a lovely gloss and consistency. Often reducing the quantity of a sauce does not work but this one beat the trend and was splendid. I will definitely repeat it.
Thank you so much Christine!