Our melt-in-your-mouth Slow Cooker Beef Tips recipe brings you tender beef tips braised low and slow in an indulgent, savory gravy until every bite is dripping with flavor and comfort.
It’s the kind of slow cooker dinner that’ll make your neighbors “accidentally” stop by right around dinnertime.
The second that rich gravy hits the mashed potatoes, forks are up and manners are out the window.
Our Slow Cooker Beef Tips recipe is all about getting big, restaurant-style flavor out of simple ingredients, without hovering over a hot skillet all evening.
It turns humble cuts of beef into succulently tender bites, the kind that fall apart at the lightest touch and reward every hour they’ve spent in the pot.
And all it asks from you is a little time, a handful of pantry staples, and a place to plug in the slow cooker.
Our slow cooker beef tips and gravy recipe is a great way to use budget-friendly cuts of meat without sacrificing an ounce of flavor.
It’s a simple recipe with a serious payoff. It’s easy enough for busy weeknights and satisfying enough for special occasions.
Round out the plate with our Easy Mashed Potatoes, where the gravy settles into every creamy swirl. Our Almost No-Knead Artisan Bread is perfect for soaking up whatever the fork doesn’t catch. If you prefer something softer and cozier, go for our classic dinner rolls.
Ingredients For Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy
Let’s start by gathering the necessary ingredients to prepare our slow cooker beef tips recipe. Culinary professionals call this the mise en Place, which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Change Up the Recipe?
Absolutely. We made the dish with beef tenderloin tips, but you can easily use beef stew meat, sirloin tips, or a cut like top sirloin or beef chuck roast.
We used beef base to make the beef stock. But you can use premade beef broth, low-sodium beef broth, or chicken broth to make the recipe.
If you don’t have beef bouillon powder, you can swap in a brown gravy mix or even a gravy packet. Both will add that rich, savory flavor the recipe needs. A packet of dry onion soup will also make do in a pinch.
How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Tips
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make slow cooker beef tips in your home kitchen.
Heat your slow cooker to the sauté setting.
*If your slow cooker does not have a sauté setting, follow these steps using a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the browned beef to the slow cooker along with any juices.
- Remove the beef tips from their packaging and pat dry with a paper towel
- Add a little oil to the slow cooker, then add beef tips.
- Sear the beef tips, turning as needed to get all the sides, for 3-5 minutes. This helps lock in flavor for juicy beef tips that’ll hold up through slow cooking.
- Add the garlic to the pan and continue to cook on sauté for 1-2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Turn your slow cooker setting to low heat.
- Add the beef broth and soy sauce to the slow cooker, stirring until well combined.
- Add the dehydrated onions, beef bouillon powder, onion powder, salt, sugar, sweet paprika, celery salt, and black pepper to the slow cooker and mix until well combined.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 5-6 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Once cooked to fork-tender, use a slotted spoon to remove the beef tips and place them in a small bowl. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
- Turn the slow cooker back on to the sauté setting and heat until the gravy comes to a light boil.
- Press the softened butter into the flour, coating all sides, and incorporate as much flour as possible into the butter.
- Then, roll the beurre manie into a ball.
- Add the butter and flour mixture (beurre manie) to the sauce.
- Gently whisk it in, and continue to cook until the sauce thickens.
- Check the gravy to see if it has thickened to your preference. If needed, a cornstarch slurry (just a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a little water) can help tighten it up further.
- Add the beef tips back into the pan to reheat the meat.
If it’s not thick enough, cook for a little longer, or add more beurre manie to the gravy. If it’s too thick, add water or beef stock to thin it out.
When the smell of rich gravy and tender beef starts drifting through the house, don’t be surprised if the family shows up early with plates in hand. And after their first bite of our slow cooker beef tips, they’ll be lining up for seconds.
After cooling completely, store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Leftovers can also be frozen for up to two months, making this an easy recipe to double and save for busy nights.
Reheat on the stove over low heat, or in the microwave with a splash of broth to loosen the gravy.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. Sear the beef and mix the seasonings the night before, then store everything in an airtight container in the fridge. In the morning, dump it into the slow cooker and take the rest of the day off.
If your gravy doesn’t thicken enough by the end, it likely needs a bit more time to simmer with the lid off, or a quick cornstarch slurry. Just a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a little cold water will do the trick.
Yes, it lets out a lot of heat and slows everything down. Try to resist the urge to peek; slow cooker recipes do best when they’re left alone to work their magic.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy
Equipment
Ingredients
Beef Tips
- 1 ½ lbs beef tenderloin tips you can also use beef stew pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup dehydrated onions
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Gravy
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Remove the beef tips from their packaging and pat dry with a paper towel
- Heat your slow cooker to the sauté settinig.*If your slow cooker does not have a sauté setting, follow these steps using a cast-iron pan or sauté pan, then add the browned beef to the slow cooker along with any juices.
- Add olive oil to the slow cooker, then add beef tips.
- Sear the beef tips, turning as needed to get all the sides, for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the pan and continue to cook on sauté for 1-2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Turn your slow cooker setting to low.
- Add the beef broth and soy sauce to the slow cooker, stirring to combine.
- Add the dehydrated onions, beef bouillon powder, onion powder, salt, sugar, sweet paprika, celery salt, and black pepper to the slow cooker and mix until well combined.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
- When the cooking cycle has completed and the beef is fork-tender, remove the meat from the slow cooker using a slotted spoon and place it in a bowl. Loosely tent the bowl with aluminum foil.
- Turn the slow cooker back on to the sauté setting and heat until the gravy comes to a light boil.
- Press the softened butter into the flour, coating all sides, and incorporate as much flour as possible into the butter. Then, roll it into a ball.
- Add the butter and flour mixture (beurre manie) to the sauce and gently whisk together until the sauce thickens
- When the sauce has thickened, add the beef tips back into the pan to reheat the meat.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or rice.
Leave a Comment