Beef Tips and Gravy Crockpot Recipe

The greatest comfort food! Slowly cooked in the Crock Pot or braised in a Dutch oven, this rich, flavorful, and tender Beef Tips and Gravy recipe is an easy dinner for cozy nights. Serve the meat, mushrooms, and onions over noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes for a hearty meal that the whole family will love!

Crockpot 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!

What kind of meat is used for Beef Tips?

Are beef tips and stew meat the same? 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 or round steak 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.

Hands using a fork to eat crockpot beef tips and gravy with a side of mashed potatoes.

How do you cook beef tips so they are tender?

If you're using stew meat or another tough, affordable cut of beef, the key is to cook the meat slowly over low heat for a longer period of time. The tough connective tissue breaks down during the cooking process, so the end result is succulent, tender, and juicy beef tips. You can use the Crock Pot or a Dutch oven for this low-and-slow cooking method.

Browning chunks of beef stew meat in a Dutch oven.

Ingredients

This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you'll need for my easy beef tips and gravy. As always, specific measurements and complete step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

Vegetable oil: to brown the meat.
Beef tips: I purchase "stew beef" or "stew meat" that has already been cut into cubes for a shortcut. Stew meat is made from cuts of beef with lots of tough connective tissue, typically chuck (which comes from the front shoulder) or round (the rear muscle). When you slowly braise these tough cuts in a liquid, the connective tissue breaks down and becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender. That's why it's traditionally simmered in stock and turned into beef stew or pot roast. If you can't find this prepared stew beef, you can purchase a whole chuck and dice it into 1-2 inch cubes at home.
Mushrooms: I like sliced Baby Bella mushrooms, but you can use white button mushrooms, too.
Onion and garlic: add sweet and savory flavor to the dish.
Brown gravy mix: I like McCormick brand. This packet includes seasoning, as well as thickening agents (similar to cornstarch or flour). These ingredients help to make the thick, rich gravy in the slow cooker.
Beef broth: the liquid that braises the meat and thins the gravy.
Red wine: pick a dry red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, or pinot noir. For an alcohol-free dish, substitute additional beef broth for the red wine.
Worcestershire sauce: adds salty umami flavor, which pairs really well with the beef.

How to Make Beef Tips and Gravy

I'll show you how to make these easy crockpot beef tips, but the oven instructions are also included below. Pick whichever method works best for your kitchen.

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!

Overhead shot of a fork in a bowl of beef tips and gravy.

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 cheesy potato casserole. Alternatively, try pairing the meat and red wine sauce with egg noodles, a crusty loaf of bread, flaky biscuits or skillet cornbread.

For a lighter vegetable to round out the meal, I recommend a simple green salad with red wine vinaigrette, a classic Caesar salad, roasted root vegetables, Parmesan roasted cauliflower, or sautéed asparagus.

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.

Storage

Cooked beef tips and gravy will keep in an airtight container in therefrigerator for 3-4 days, or in thefreezer for up to 3 months.

Side shot of slow cooker beef tips and gravy over mashed potatoes on a dinner table with a glass of red wine and a loaf of bread.

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 carrotsor celery at the same time that you add the mushrooms and onions.

Tips for the Best Beef Tips and Gravy Recipe

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.
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!
Garnish with fresh parsley! It adds bright color and flavor to the dish.

Overhead shot of hands holding a bowl of beef tips and gravy over mashed potatoes.

More Beef Recipes to Try

Braised Beef with Red Wine and Tomatoes
Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs
Dutch Oven Pot Roast
Dutch Oven Beef Stew
Beef Ragu
Beef Burgundy {Beef Bourguignon}