Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy cooks up seasoned stew meat into a tender flavorful meal. The crock pot is perfect for transforming this budget-friendly cut of beef into a mouthwatering beef dish everyone will love. Made with just ten ingredients this crock pot recipe is a true winner to add to your busy weeknight meal rotation!
Jump to:
This dish is one of those classic comfort foods, I love serving my family. They all love the hearty, savory, and delicious flavors and I love how easy it is to make. Seriously, it cooks up tender chunks of slow-cooked stew meat in a rich, savory gravy that's "you will want to lick you plate" good!
Looking for more affordable beef crock pot recipes to serve your family? You've got to try these steak bites, Crock Pot Garlic Butter Steak Bites next or my slow cooker beef stew is always a crowd- pleaser!
Why You'll Love This Crock Pot Beef Tips Recipe
- Cooks Up the Beef to Melt In Your Mouth Consistency. While there are a few ways you can make beef tips, slow cooking is the best. Not only are you guaranteed great flavor and texture, but there's no need to hover over the stove checking and hoping it turns out right.
- Versatile Dish. Beef tips with the rich and savory gravy goes great with a variety of side dishes making the meal a little bit different each time
- Inexpensive Meal. If your grocery budget is already stretched to its limits, this recipe uses simple ingredients that you may already have on hand or can easily get at the grocery store. Even better, beef stew meat, known for being tough, is quite often one of the less expensive cuts of beef for cooking.
- All Occasion Dinner Dish. These beef tips and gravy are perfect for weeknights, lazy weekends, large gatherings, and potlucks, just to name a few.
Ingredients
- Beef Stew Meat: This meat is sold already cut into chunks and you can find it in the meat section of your grocery store. It tends to be a tougher cut of meat making it perfect for slow cooking.
- Dried Thyme and Fresh Garlic: The thyme brings a subtle earthy flavor while garlic adds fragrance and depth of flavor to the beef and sauce as it cooks. I prefer fresh minced garlic over dried but you can substitute with a scant teaspoon of garlic powder if you prefer.
- Dry Onion Soup Mix: This pre-packaged mix of dehydrated onions and spices makes an easy way to add more flavor and richness to the dish.
- Beef Broth: This liquid is more flavor than water and makes the base for the gravy enhancing the overall outcome of the dish.
- Ketchup: My secret to adding a subtle sweetness and tomato flavor to the gravy.
- Worcestershire Sauce: I love adding this for a richer umami flavor but it also brings a slight tanginess as well.
- Cornstarch: Needed for thickening the gravy.
Variations
- Gluten-Free: This dish is gluten-free friendly as long as you use a dry onion soup mix and a beef broth that's marked gluten-free!
- Spicy: If you like a bit of heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce to the crock pot before cooking the beef.
- Additional Flavors: Add a splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar to the sauce at the start of cooking.
- Add Some Veggies: Add some onions or carrots to the crock pot at the start of cooking while tender veggies such as mushrooms, green beans, and potatoes work best added halfway through the cooking time. You may need to add some extra broth when adding more vegetables.
How To Cook Beef Tips in a Slow Cooker
- Step 1: Prepare the stew meat. Remove the meat from the package and pat it dry with paper towels. Place it into the bottom of your 6-quart slow cooker.
- Step 2: Season the beef. Mix together the salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, onion soup, beef broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and cornstarch in a bowl with a whisk. Pour the mixture over the top of the beef tips.
- Step 3: Cover and cook. Add the lid to the top and cook the beef on LOW for 7-8 hours.
- Step 4: Remove and serve. Ladle the beef tips with gravy over some slow cooker rice, noodles, or crock pot mashed potatoes while hot. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Deeper Flavor: If you've got the time, you can sear the beef tips in a hot skillet with butter or olive oil for a few minutes before adding them to the crock pot. Just cook long enough to brown the sides.
- Thicker Gravy. Mix some additional cornstarch with some cold water until smooth. Add it to the crock pot at the end of cooking and let it cook a bit longer to thicken up.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the seasoning mixture the night before to save some time the next day. Store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to start cooking.
- Cook on Low Heat: For the best results, you want to cook the meat slowly so that the tough connective tissue has time to breakdown. This dish works best cooked on low heat rather than trying to rush it on high.
- Even-Sized Beef Tips: Make sure the beef stew meat is cut into similar sized pieces so they all cook in the same amount of time.
Storage
- Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- Reheating: Warm up leftovers in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat until heated through. If the gravy thickens too much add a splash of beef broth or water to thin it out before reheating. This may also help prevent the beef from drying out. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave as well.
Serving Suggestions
The gravy for this dish works great served over rice, noodles, or potatoes. Some favorites in our house are egg noodles and mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes. These options all work great to soak up all the delicious gravy with the beef tips.
Add on a veggie to round out your meal such as roasted vegetables, corn on the cob, or a simple salad. If you prefer to keep it low-carb the beef tips are great over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodle.
For weekends, special occasions, or when you're entertaining guests, don't forget to add on something sweet like this easy apple crisp or crock pot peach cobbler.
Recipe FAQs
No, I don't recommend cooking on high. Cooking them on HIGH may result in tougher meat and a less flavorful gravy.
Yes, you can use a different type of beef. Chuck roast, sirloin, or even tenderloin will all work well, though the cooking time may vary depending on the cut of meat you use. Stew meat benefits from slow cooking in order to become tender. Most other cuts of beef will need less time to cook in order to tenderize.
You can make your own by with a combination of dried minced onion, beef bouillon, parsley flakes, celery seed, paprika, and black pepper.
Yes, you can! I recommend making this dish in a 6-quart crock pot which should give you plenty of room to double it. You can use the "2x" option in the recipe card to automatically calculate the ingredients you need. Just be sure to avoid over-filling the crock pot. You may also need to extend the cooking time slightly when cooking a double batch.
More Crock Pot Beef Recipes
I would love it if you would leave a 5 Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below. Then follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Share your favorite recipes or ask questions in my Facebook Group.
Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 lbs stew meat
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 3 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 1 (1 oz) package dry onion soup mix
- 2 cups beef broth
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Place stew meat in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, onion soup, beef broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and cornstarch to a medium bowl. Whisk together and pour over beef tips.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
- Serve over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes, and enjoy!
Notes
- Deeper Flavor: If you've got the time, you can sear the beef tips in a hot skillet with butter or olive oil for a few minutes before adding them to the slow cooker. Just cook long enough to brown the sides.
- Thicker Gravy. Mix some additional cornstarch with some cold water until smooth. Add it to the slow cooker at the end of cooking and let it cook a bit longer to thicken up.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the seasoning mixture the night before to save some time the next day. Store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to start cooking.
- Cook on Low Heat: For the best results, you want to cook the meat slowly so that the tough connective tissue has time to breakdown. This dish works best cooked on low heat rather than trying to rush it on high.
- Even-Sized Beef Tips: Make sure the beef stew meat is cut into similar sized pieces so they all cook in the same amount of time.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Pam says
Fixed this tonight & it turned out delicious. I cubed up petite sirloins that are always on sale. Will make again for guests.
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you liked it.
Nancy K says
Have made great beef tips on the stove for years. Made this a week ago, and it was a huge hit! Hubby requested it again, so it’s for dinner tonight.
You combine easy, and delicious, and you have a winning combination.
Ryan Allen says
Thank you so much. I am so glad it was a win for your family.
Amber says
Wicked good recipe! I browned the meat a little before putting it in the crockpot, and used some broth and scraped off the bits on the bottom of the pan and poured that in with it. All the other recipes I've tried have been way too salty, this came out seasoned well!
Ryan Allen says
Browning the meat first was a smart move, and adding those pan bits is pure flavor magic. Glad this one finally hit the right seasoning without going overboard on the salt!
Bill says
Very, very, very tasty. Thanks for the recipe and I will be sharing with others.
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Lorna says
Made this last night for my son's and I, and we loved it! My youngest (28yrs old) wanted to know when I was going to make it again!!!
Ryan Allen says
That is awesome! I hope your son gets some more soon.
Kim says
Do you add water too the soup or put it in dry thank you
Ryan Allen says
No need to add water. Just add the soup mix in dry.
Melanie says
OMG Thia was so good. I'll definitely be making it again
Ryan Allen says
I am so happy to hear you really enjoyed it.
Nancy says
It just finished cooking.smells so good. I used a cut up 2 lb chuck toast. Turned out very tender. Cooked on high for 51/2 hours it was perfect. Don’t miss this one. Yum
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you enjoyed it. It is one of my families favorites.
Sarah says
If I want to add carrots do I add them at the beginning?
Ryan Allen says
If you are using fresh carrots I would add them at the beginning.
Bobbi says
The name says it all, the best beef tips and gravy. I've made a lot of beef tips in my life. This is by far the best. Thank you for the recipe.
Ryan Allen says
You are welcome! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Sandy says
This looks so good. I am making this for 12 people can I double the recipe in 2 crockpots? For a total of 4xs? Would anything need to change? Thank You!
Ryan Allen says
I would keep it as is. I have doubled the recipe several times and it comes out so good every time.
Jessica Barker says
I started this too late! If I cut the meat cubes in half, will 6 hours on low be long enough?
Ryan Allen says
The meat will be cooked through but still may be a little tough. I really starts to get tender the last 1-2 hours.
Sarah says
I made this one time before and it was amazing!!
Can it be one of those recipes that can all be mixed together and frozen to be cooked later?
Ryan Allen says
Yes, you can definitely make it ahead of time and freeze it.
Shannon says
can I double recipe
Ryan Allen says
Yes, this recipe can easily be doubled.
Shannon says
thank u
Eileen says
This recipe is great! Have used it several times and it always comes out amazing! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Ryan Allen says
You are welcome! It is one of my family's favorite recipes.
Kathy says
This dish was absolutely delicious, and so easy to make. I’m not a good cook. Well in fact I hate to cook so this recipe is perfect. My Husband is a very picky eater so it’s hard to find recipes that he likes but this one he loved So he gave it a 10. Made me happy.
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad that you enjoyed them.
Mary says
Delicious! And so easy to make!
Brenda Jones says
Just started this in my crockpot, it already smells delicious. A great recipe that includes several items I would never think to add on my own, I am really looking forward to dinner time. I’ll serve it with mashed potatoes, and added frozen peas to the crockpot to make sure we were getting our veggies.
Ryan Allen says
That sounds fantastic! I'm glad you're enjoying the recipe, and adding peas is a great idea. Enjoy your dinner!
Sandra says
Made this for dinner last night. It was amazing! So easy !!! I will be making this again.
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you enjoyed it and that it is going to be in your dinner rotation.
Lisa says
Made as directed except I used xanthan gum instead of cornstarch (1/2 tsp for every tbs) and it was phenomenal.
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you liked it and thanks for the great substitution.
Linda Abrams says
Is the garlic fresh bottled or dried?
Ryan Allen says
I would recommend using fresh minced garlic. But if you don't like to minced it you can used the bottle fresh garlic.
Tammy Klein says
Wow, this is SO good. I didn’t even have onion soup mix so google came to the rescue and I found a recipe to make my own. I cooked on low for about 6 hours. I only had around 1lb of stewing beef and it worked fine but next time I will definitely do more. Just had more gravy this time . The flavors are so good. Served it over pasta and mixed veggies on the side.
Ryan Allen says
So happy to hear that! Love that you made your own onion soup mix—way to improvise! Extra gravy over pasta sounds amazing.