Beef Tips with gravy is the ultimate comfort food for the cold weather season. The slow cooked beef is so tender and full of flavor. Served with from-scratch creamy mushroom gravy over rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles for a soul warming dinner recipe.
This is a meal the whole family will love! Fork tender beef tips, flavorful gravy made with sauteed mushrooms makes a hearty meal. This homemade beef tips recipe slow cooks on the stove top until you have tender chunks of beef and savory gravy.
Everything is made from scratch. No cream of mushroom soup, no onion soup mix, no brown gravy mix in this family favorite. The hardest part of this easy recipe is waiting for it to be done; the aroma in your kitchen is irresistible. Easy enough for busy nights and perfect for lazy cold weather weekend cooking.
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What are Beef Tips?
This dish popular in the U.S. Northeast is made from pieces of beef that can be braised or used for a stew. Several types of beef can be used. Tri tip, boneless short ribs or a sirloin cap are some of the options.
Since this recipe is being braised we chose Chuck Roast. It’s a flavorful piece of meat that becomes incredibly tender after cooking for a few hours. The cooking method is perfect to transform a tough piece of meat into mouth tender browned beef.
Chuck roast is a more affordable cut of beef especially since it will be slow cooked rather than prepared on its own. It’s a cut of beef found in Beef Stew, Beef Barbacoa and Pot Roast. These are all dishes in which the beef becomes tender with longer cooking.
Recipe Ingredients Notes
For the complete ingredient list and amounts, refer to the printable recipe card at the end of the post.
- Chuck Roast. This cut is rich with beefy flavor especially is it’s slow cooked or braised. It will have marbling (fat veins) which give more flavor.
- Large pieces of exterior fat can be removed before cooking.
- You can purchase it already cut into bite size cubes or ask the butcher to do it for you if you don’t want to cut it at home. Be sure to get chuck roast not stew meat (unless the stew meat IS chuck).
- Olive oil. Used to brown the beef.
- White Onion. Chopped and cooked with the beef after it browns and adds to the
- Garlic paste. Either garlic paste or finely minced garlic can be used. We recommend this over garlic powder for best flavor.
- Seasonings. Bay leaves, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, salt.
- Beef Stock. Stock or beef broth can be used. Choose low sodium.
- Baby Portabella Mushrooms. Portabella mushrooms have a beefy meaty flavor. They are very large however so we use baby portabellas sold in stores as ‘baby bella mushrooms’. They are usually available already sliced too which is a great time saver.
- Cornstarch. Used to thicken the sauce into a gravy at the end of cooking. This recipe does not use a gravy mix packet.
Mushroom Cleaning Tips
Do not wash or rinse mushrooms! It will make them soggy. Instead use a dampened paper towel to gently brush the top of the mushroom removing any dirt.
A mushroom brush can also be used. NOTE: a mushroom brush is a specific type of brush with very soft bristles so it will remove particle but not damage the soft mushroom. Do not use a regular vegetable brush which has stiffer bristles.
How to Make it – Step-by-Step
STEP 1. Brown the Beef and Onions
Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or stock pot over medium high heat.
Add the beef and brown on all sides (photo 1). Add the onions (photo 2) and cook until they begin to soften; 2-4 minutes.
Browning the meat seals in the moisture and gives it great flavor!
STEP 2. Add the rest of the ingredients
Add the bay leaves, garlic, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce and salt (photo 3) to the Dutch oven. Stir and cook until garlic becomes fragrant (a few minutes).
Add 1 1/2 cups of the beef stock and the mushrooms (photos 4 and 5). Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
STEP 3. Simmer
Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the beef is very tender (photo 6).
STEP 4. Make the delicious gravy
Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of beef stock with the cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture over the beef (photo 7).
Stir in and allow to simmer uncovered while the gravy thickens (aproximately 5-10 minutes). Stir often. (photo 8).
Remove from heat and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving (the gravy will continue to thicken as it cools).
STEP 5. Serve
Enjoy this delicious recipe over your favorite rice recipe, mashed potatoes, egg noodles, cauliflower rice, brown rice or whatever you love. It’s an easy meal the entire family will request again and again.
Variation
Substitute 1/2 cup of dry red wine for 1/2 cup of the beef stock. If you like the flavors of Beef Bourguinon adding some red wine will elevate the flavors to be similar.
Time Saving Tips
- Purchase the chuck roast cubed from the grocery store.
- Use garlic paste (no preparation needed from you).
- Buy already sliced Baby Bella mushrooms. Buy an 8-ounce container available at the grocery store which is exactly the amount you need!
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover beef tips and gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
It CAN be but isn’t necessarily. Stew meat can be from a number of cuts of beef OR a mix. Chuck Roast is a specific cut of beef from the shoulder area of the cow.
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Recipe
Beef Tips and Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds chuck roast cut into bite size pieces
- 1 white onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste or finely minced garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 8 ounces sliced baby portabella mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Optional: white rice for serving and fresh thyme for garnishing
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium size Dutch oven or stock pot. Add the beef. Brown the beef on all sides.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 pounds chuck roast
- Add the onion and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until the onions becomes soft.1 white onion
- Add the garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce and salt and stir and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant (a few minutes).2 teaspoons garlic paste or finely minced garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pour in 1 ½ cups of the beef stock and mushrooms. Stir to combine.2 cups low sodium beef broth, 8 ounces sliced baby portabella mushrooms
- Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let it simmer for 1 ½-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is very tender.
- Whisk the remaining ½ cup beef stock and cornstarch together. Pour it over the beef. Stir to mix in.3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Cook uncovered over low heat, stirring often until the gravy has thickened approximately 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes to thicken more before serving over white rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Garnish with fresh thyme.
Notes
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Time Saving Tips
- Purchase beef already cubed. Be sure to get Chuck Roast.
- Purchase sliced baby bella mushrooms.
Nutrition
Originally published: December 13, 2020
Kara says
Found a chuck roast in my freezer and wanted to try something different. Turned out delicious! I l serve it over mashed potatoes instead of rice and my whole family loved it!
Shar says
This tender beef tips recipe is a hit! It is super tender, scrumptious and bursting with flavors! The mushroom gravy is a hit too!
Nancy says
All of your recipes are “keepers”, including this one! I really appreciate how you include the measurements down in the recipe instructions, too.
Toni Dash says
Nancy! I’m delighted to see your comment (and to always know you are out there)! This recipe is perfect for the cold weather that’s rolling in here this weekend and I’d guess for you too? So glad you like the recipe ingredients in the recipe card. It makes it much easier. We are trying to update all recipes to include this.
Carol says
This is so true. I don’t know how I have not come across these wonderful recipes on Boulder Locavore sooner. However, since I have, I have been enjoying every single recipe and the newsletters. I have been cooking for many years and cooked professionally for over 20. When I look at how well the recipes are written and how comments are welcome and addressed, I know I have found a gem amongst the madness of the interntet recipes.
Dina and Bruce says
Made this for our son and wife when we were at their place, and they loved it! With a new baby in the house we made extra for the freezer! Yum!
Ashley says
This is one of my ideal meals. I loved having this over mashed potatoes! Delicious!
gunjan says
very well written recipe and tastes excellent.
Kristine says
Absolutely loved this recipe! Made a hearty, easy meal and that gravy – 10/10! Thank you!