The greatest comfort food! Slowly cooked in the Crock Pot or braised in a Dutch oven, these rich, flavorful, and tender beef tips and gravy are delicious over noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. A hearty meal that the whole family will love!
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If you’re looking for even more cozy beef recipes, don’t miss this Crock Pot beef stew, a Mississippi pot roast, these beef and noodles, and this classic beef chili recipe, too!
The beef tips and gravy were delicious. Crazy how simple the recipe is to taste so succulent. Thank you…it’s now one of our favourite recipes. The wine I HAD to buy to make this was a bonus also!
– Jackie
Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy
Some evenings we just need a simple, satisfying supper that we don’t have to fuss with. This quick and easy beef tips recipe only requires a few minutes of hands-on time in the morning, and then you can let it simmer in your Crock Pot all day long. When you walk in the door 8 hours later, you’ll be greeted by tender, flavorful beef tips and gravy to serve over a bowl of buttery mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice. Heck, you can even just offer a loaf of crusty bread on the side to soak up all of that extra gravy!
The Best Cut of Meat for this Beef Tips Recipe
This recipe calls for cubed beef stew meat, but you can use a variety of meat to make beef tips and gravy. I like the shortcut of store-bought cubed beef that’s usually labeled as “stew meat,” but you can also purchase beef and cube it on your own at home.
If you prefer to cut your meat at home rather than purchasing cubed stew meat, try using chuck roast, round steak, or brisket in this recipe. Since the recipe calls for a low, slow cooking time, you can get away with these tougher (more affordable) cuts that become tender after many hours in the Crock Pot. When grilling beef tips quickly over high heat, you need a more tender (and expensive) cut, such as tenderloin or sirloin tips
What to Know Before You Get Started
- Brown the meat. This is an extra step, but it’s worth the effort. The caramelized surface gives the beef extra flavor and locks in juices. The browned bits also add more flavor to the gravy.
- When the beef is done braising, it should be fall-apart tender. It’s important to cook the beef long enough to break down the tough connective tissue and fibers, so the end result is succulent, tender, and juicy beef tips. You can use the Crock Pot or the oven for this low-and-slow cooking method. If your meat is still tough at the end of cooking, continue cooking for a little bit longer.
- Use a dry red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Burgundy, or Cotes du Rhone. Nothing too sweet!
How to Cook Beef Tips
I’ll show you how to make these easy slow cooker beef tips, but you can also make beef tips in the oven. Pick whichever method works best for your kitchen. You’ll find both sets of instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Brown the seasoned beef in hot oil in a skillet or Dutch oven on the stove. Work in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Place the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in the slow cooker.
- Add the browned beef on top of the vegetables.
- Pour in the dry gravy mix, beef broth, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Cover the pot with a lid. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is tender. We love beef tips and mashed potatoes, but beef tips and noodles with brown gravy or beef tips over rice are also great options. Don’t forget to garnish with fresh parsley!
Serving Suggestions
Serve the slow cooker beef tips and gravy on top of sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, or alongside au gratin potatoes, twice baked potatoes, or Aunt Bee’s 3-ingredient easy potato casserole. Alternatively, try pairing the beef tips with egg noodles, a crusty loaf of no-knead bread, flaky biscuits, Jiffy corn casserole, or Southern cornbread.
For a lighter vegetable to round out the meal, I recommend a simple green salad with red wine vinegar salad dressing, house salad with candied pecans, a classic Caesar salad, Parmesan roasted cauliflower, Arkansas green beans, or sautéed asparagus.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Prepare the meat and gravy up to 3 days in advance. Let the meat cool in the sauce, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat over low heat.
- How to Store: Cooked beef tips and gravy will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: Warm the leftovers in a saucepan or skillet over low heat. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Beef Tips and Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 lbs. cubed beef stew meat
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (I like Baby Bella mushrooms, but white button mushrooms work well too)
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 (0.87 oz) packet brown gravy mix (such as McCormick)
- ¾ cup beef broth
- ¼ cup dry red wine (or substitute with extra beef broth)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- For serving: egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes; chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
SLOW COOKER METHOD
- Place the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in a slow cooker. Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add about half of the meat and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer browned beef to the slow cooker. Repeat with remaining meat, adding additional oil as needed. Transfer the remaining browned meat to the slow cooker.
- Add the gravy mix, beef broth, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is tender. If the gravy is thinner than you would like at the end, just whisk in a cornstarch slurry to thicken. To do so, stir together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Add this slurry to the slow cooker and cook on HIGH heat until the gravy thickens. Gradually add more cornstarch slurry, as needed, until the gravy reaches your desired consistency.
- Serve with noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
OVEN METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 275°F. Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add about half of the meat and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove meat to a plate. Repeat with remaining meat, adding additional oil as needed.
- Return all of the browned meat to the Dutch oven. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, gravy mix, beef broth, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover the pot and bake for about 4 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Serve with noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- When the beef is done braising, it should be fall-apart tender. It’s important to cook the beef long enough to break down the tough connective tissue and fibers. If your meat is still tough at the end of cooking, continue simmering for a little bit longer.
- Use a dry red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Burgundy, or Cotes du Rhone. Nothing too sweet!
- I purchase “stew beef” that has already been cut into cubes for a shortcut. If you can’t find this prepared stew beef, you can dice chuck steak or brisket.
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- For a non-alcoholic option, replace the red wine with extra beef broth.
- I purchase “stew beef” that has already been cut into cubes for a shortcut. If you can’t find this prepared stew beef, you can dice chuck steak or brisket.
- Give the meat and delicious gravy even more flavor by adding fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary. A bay leaf would also be delicious.
- Add diced carrots or celery at the same time that you add the mushrooms and onions.
- Stir in a splash of cream at the end for a slightly creamy gravy.
More Beef Recipes to Try
Dutch Oven Beef Stew
2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
Beef Burgundy Recipe
2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Dutch Oven Pot Roast
3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in March, 2019. It was updated in December, 2024.
I will try this! I dislike stew meat / round steak, but I’m fortunate to have several supermarket chains that routinely have choice sirloin steak on sale. At most, it costs the same as stew meat or chuck roast (often it’s cheaper). I use it for recipes like this or beef stroganoff etc. Sirloin has more flavor than stew meat & unlike chuck roast, can be cooked quickly.
Let me know how that turns out, Sam! 🙂
Loved this delicious and easy to prepare comfort food recipe! I am shopping for a new slow cooker/crock pot and would like to know what brand and size you have that is shown in photo? Thank you!
Hi, PJ! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this meal! The slow cooker shown in the photos is made by All-Clad, it’s a 7-quart capacity, and I love it! I bought it from Williams-Sonoma years ago (here’s the link: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-gourmet-slow-cooker-with-all-in-one-browning/ ). It looks like it’s not currently available at Williams-Sonoma, but I believe this is the same one at Bed Bath and Beyond: https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/all-clad-gourmet-7-qt-slow-cooker-with-aluminum-insert-in-silver/5558921 I hope that helps!
Can the leftovers be frozen?
Yes, ma’am! 🙂
The beef tips and gravy were delicious. Crazy how simple the recipe is to taste so succulent. Thank you…it’s now one of our favourite recipes. The wine I HAD to buy to make this was a bonus also!
Thank You!
Hah! I’m glad to give you an excuse to buy wine! 🙂 Thanks, Jackie!
Easy and delicious I did add carrots to and celery to mine!
That sounds great, Debra! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave your feedback.
Blair, just a quick note to say thank you. I prepared our Beef Tips with Gravy over mashed potatoes for my wife tonight – she loved it and that’s all that matters. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
That’s so great to hear, Russell. Thank you so much for letting me know!
I’ve tried several of your recipes and they never disappoint! I frequent your site often for ideas. I made this for dinner for my wife and I and it was outstanding! She loved it. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Tom! This made our day. We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes and appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!
This is my favorite recipe to make using beef tips. The recipe is easy to make and forget! I had to leave the meat in the crockpot for an extended period once and it still was delicious! I make cauliflower mash to go with it which gives me “mashed potatoes” without the carbs! Delicious recipe!!!
Thank you! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe and appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback.