Why You’ll Love This Recipe
When it comes to serving up hearty, satisfying comfort food, it doesn’t get much better than this! To say this meal is a family favorite would be a huge understatement. And it’s a favorite of mine to make because it’s so simple and easy to put together. Served over a generous pile of buttery mashed potatoes, it’s a cozy meal you’ll never get tired of.
- Perfect for Busy Days: Just a few simple steps and the slow cooker does the rest–and you get to come home to a ready-to-eat meal!
- Family-friendly & Comforting: This is a classic, hearty dish that perfect for cooler weather. It’s a meal everyone at the table will enjoy.
- Plenty of Serving Options: This dish is delicious over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles.
- Slow Cooker Convenience: Because it cooks all day in the slow cooker, the meat always comes out perfectly tender and delicious. In fact, I’d say this is one of my family’s favorite slow cooker meals.
After you preview the recipe card, be sure to look below for ingredient substitutions, recipe and storage tips, and suggestions for pairings and tasty variations!
Slow Cooker Beef Tips with Gravy
This simple slow cooker meal is total comfort food. Served with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes, it's the perfect meal for a chilly evening.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 505kcal
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pounds stew meat
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 package dry onion soup mix
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season 3 pounds stew meat with salt and pepper, then add to skillet (working in batches if necessary), and sauté until browned.
- Add stew meat to slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups beef broth, 1 package dry onion soup mix, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2-3 cloves garlic and 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Pour over beef.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until beef is tender. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 75g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 225mg | Sodium: 777mg
Keep scrolling for tips, ingredient substitutions, answers to frequently asked questions and more!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Cuts of Meat that Work Well: I love the convenience of pre-cut stew meat, but you can also use chuck roast or sirloin, cut into bite-sized pieces. Chuck roast is especially good for slow cooking.
- Make Your Own Onion Soup Mix: If you don’t have a packet of onion soup mix handy, just mix together 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Worcestershire Sauce Substitutes: Soy sauce or balsamic vinegar can be used in a pinch. Use slightly less of both as they both have a stronger flavor.
- Cornstarch Alternatives: If you prefer, you can use about 6 tablespoons of flour in place of the cornstarch. Be sure to whisk it well to avoid lumps.
Recipe Tips
- Brown the meat for the best flavor: Don’t skip this step! Searing the beef before slow cooking only takes a few minutes and adds so much flavor to the final dish.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet: Brown the beef in batches if needed. Overcrowding causes the meat to steam instead of sear.
- Opt for low-sodium broth (or make your own): The onion soup mix and Worcestershire sauce both add salt, so using low-sodium beef broth keeps things from becoming too salty.
- Gravy too thin? If the gravy is thinner than you’d like at the end, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Gradually stir it into the slow cooker and let it cook for another 15–20 minutes.
Storage & Reheating
Storage Tips
- Refrigerator: Let the dish cool, the store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Place in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. For easier thawing, store in individual portions.
Reheating
- Stovetop: Add to a saucepan and reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through. Add a splash of broth or water if the gravy is too thick.
- Microwave: Place a single serving in a microwave-safe dish, cover loosely, and heat on medium power in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between until hot.
- Slow Cooker: To reheat a larger batch (from the refrigerator), place in the slow cooker on low for 1–2 hours, or until heated through. If reheating from frozen, be sure to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first.
Variations & Fun Twists
- Mushroom Lovers: Stir in 1–2 cups of sliced mushrooms at the start for a more earthy flavor.
- Make it Creamy: Add 1/3 cup of sour cream or a splash of heavy cream right at the end of cooking.
- Other Serving Options: Instead of mashed potatoes or noodles, serve the beef tips over homemade biscuits, cauliflower mash, or even inside a crusty bread bowl for a fun presentation.
Pairings
We enjoy this dish with some simple vegetables, like carrots, corn or green beans. If I’m being honest, we kind of end up mixing it all together, like a pot pie or shepard’s pie–so good! These are some of our favorite sides to serve with this recipe.
8 comments
Jessica Werther
Love this recipe. I add broccoli toward the end. Then serve over egg noodles. Make sure you leave your meat out to room temperature before cooking and cut against the grain to ensure your meat is tender.
Sinna
What was the garlic for? I wasn’t mentioned on when you will use it. I would like to try it and maybe on high not low. I’ll let you knoq how it’ll turn out!
Melissa
I followed this recipe, it came out great! I added Some red bell peppers to the crock pot, then sautéed onions and added at the end. I had no problems, the meat came out super tender! It was great thank you!