Beef Tips and Gravy

5 from 6 votes

Prepare these tender beef tips and gravy in the slow cooker or in the oven!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword 10 bean soup recipe, beef tips, beef tips and gravy, beef tips in oven, beef tips recipe, crock pot beef tips, crockpot beef tips and gravy

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 6

Total Time 6 20

Servings people

Calories 235kcal

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

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.

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.

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.