Southern Beef Tips and Rice

Beef tips and rice is Southern comfort food at its best! Tender bites of steak are smothered in a flavorful mushroom and onion brown gravy, and then served on a bed of white rice. Ready from start to finish in about 45 minutes!

Looking for even more cozy beef recipes? Try our wildly popular Dutch oven pot roast, a batch of our favorite Dutch oven beef stew, and this Southern meatloaf recipe, too!

Stew Beef and Beef Tips are Not Necessarily the Same

Beef tips are just steak that’s cut into bite-size pieces! Sometimes called “steak tips,” beef tips are the tender pieces cut from beef tenderloin or sirloin. These tender cuts have the best texture and flavor when cooked quickly on the stovetop (as shown here) or on the grill.

By contrast, stew beef usually contains tougher cuts of meat (such as a chuck roast or rump roast) which are better suited for a slow cooking process at a lower temperature. Use stew beef in recipes like beef stew, vegetable beef soup, beef barley soup, and beef burgundy. If you’re looking for a beef and gravy recipe that uses stew meat in the Crock Pot, this is the winner!

Serving Suggestions

In the South, tender beef tips and gravy are typically served on a bed of rice. If you prefer, mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuits, skillet cornbread, egg noodles, or a crusty loaf of bread are also great options for soaking up that delicious gravy!

Pair the easy beef tips and rice with any of these vegetable sides:

• Roasted Cabbage, Braised Cabbage with Apples and Bacon, or Fried Cabbage
• Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
• Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
• Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
• Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
• Southern Succotash
• Southern Collard Greens or Sweet and Spicy Collard Greens with Bacon
• Fried Okra or Okra and Tomatoes
• Broccoli and Cheese, Easy Broccoli Casserole, or Garlic Roasted Broccoli
• Roasted Root Vegetables with Balsamic
• Creamed Peas
• Southern Squash Casserole
• Buttery Ranch Crockpot Mushrooms
• Wedge Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, Kale Apple Salad with Bacon and Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing, House Salad with Candied Pecans, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

Recipe Variations

• If you don’t have sirloin steak, you can substitute with cubed porterhouse, New York strip, or filet mignon.
• For an alcohol-free option, omit the red wine and use extra beef broth to deglaze the pan.
• Don’t have Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce? These ingredients can be subbed for each other. For instance, omit the Worcestershire sauce and use two tablespoons of soy sauce instead.
• Add a splash of heavy cream or a pat of butter to the gravy at the very end.
• To serve a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half. The rest of the instructions remain the same.

Tips for the Best Beef Tips and Rice

• Use sirloin steak or another tender steak (such as porterhouse, New York strip, or tenderloin). Do not substitute with beef stew meat, which is a tougher cut that requires a much longer cooking time (like a slow cooker).
• Brown the meat. This is an extra step, but it’s worth the effort. The caramelized surface gives the beef extra flavor, while the browned bits and drippings in the pot add even more flavor to the gravy.
• When browning the meat, do not overcrowd the pot. Instead, work in batches so that the meat is spaced apart in a single layer. This will help to achieve that great sear on the meat, whereas a crowded pan will steam the meat.
• Do not simmer the meat in the gravy for too long, or it can become tough, chewy, or dry. Sirloin is already a tender, juicy cut, so it’s best when cooked quickly.
• Garnish the finished dish with chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or thyme. These add bright flavor and color to the beef tips and rice.

More Comfort Food Beef Recipes to Try

Beef Barley Soup

1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs

3 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Crock Pot Pot Roast with Cream of Mushroom Soup

8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Southern Beef Tips and Rice

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

Total: 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 370 kcal

Tender and juicy beef tips are smothered in a rich mushroom and onion gravy, and then served on a bed of hot cooked rice!

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 lbs. boneless top sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup red wine (or sub with extra beef broth)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup chopped white onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 (8 ounce) packages fresh baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ¼ cup cold water
• Hot cooked rice, to serve
• Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as fresh parsley or fresh thyme

Instructions

• Place cubed beef in a large bowl. Combine the flour, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the beef. Toss so that the beef is lightly coated on all sides.
  

BROWN THE BEEF

• Heat oil in a large skillet, braiser, or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the beef in batches so that it doesn’t overcrowd the pan (discard any excess flour left in the bowl). Brown the beef for about 1 minute per side, just until color develops on the outside; remove the meat to a large bowl or plate, reserving the drippings in the pot. Finish browning the remaining batches of meat.
  

MAKE THE GRAVY

• Add the red wine to the drippings in the pot. Let it simmer for a minute or two while you use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. These add great flavor to the gravy! Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter and onion. Cook until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic; cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a boil.
  
• In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch and cold water. Gradually add small amounts of the cornstarch slurry to the gravy, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens.
  

SIMMER THE BEEF IN THE GRAVY

• Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the beef (and any accumulated juices from the plate or bowl), cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked through. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
  

SERVE THE BEEF TIPS WITH RICE

• Serve the beef tips and gravy over hot cooked rice. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs, if desired.
  

Notes

• Use sirloin steak or another tender steak (such as porterhouse, New York strip, or tenderloin). Do not substitute with beef stew meat, which is a tougher cut that requires a much longer cooking time (like a slow cooker).
• Brown the meat. This is an extra step, but it’s worth the effort. The caramelized surface gives the beef extra flavor, while the browned bits and drippings in the pot add even more flavor to the gravy.
• When browning the meat, do not overcrowd the pot. Instead, work in batches so that the meat is spaced apart in a single layer. This will help to achieve that great sear on the meat, whereas a crowded pan will steam the meat.
• Do not simmer the meat in the gravy for too long, or it can become tough, chewy, or dry. Sirloin is already a tender, juicy cut, so it’s best when cooked quickly.
• Garnish the finished dish with chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or thyme. These add bright flavor and color to the beef tips and rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the beef and gravy (not including rice)Calories: 370kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 38gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 1073mgPotassium: 942mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 64IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 4mg

Keyword: beef tips and gravy, beef tips and rice, beef tips with rice, southern beef tips and rice

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Southern

Author: Blair Lonergan

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