You are going to love this beef tips and gravy recipe. It’s so easy to make, yet tastes heavenly. If I can give you one piece of advice to ensure this beef tip recipe comes out amazing is: buy good quality meat. You can use chuck roast, top and bottom round, tips, or steak. Stewing beef can be tough and requires a good amount of cooking time to tenderize, so be patient and the results will be great!
Ingredients you’ll need;
- Stew meat. You can buy cubed chuck, top or bottom round, tips, or steak
- Onion and garlic. The perfect aromatic pair that make any meal taste better
- Red wine gives the gravy an amazing flavor. The alcohol evaporates during the cooking process, so the benefit lies in the flavor it imparts.
- Beef broth is the base for the gravy
- Condensed French onion soup already has tons of flavor, so using it makes the gravy even better. It gives it that slow-cooked flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce provides umami flavor. It’s salty, a bit acidic, and a little sweet.
- Bay leaf and fresh thyme are herbs that are widely used in meat dishes and provide another layer of flavor.
- Cornstarch is used to thicken the gravy.
How to cook beef tips?
- Season the meat with salt and pepper. In a medium-sized dutch oven or pot, heat one tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat and brown the meat evenly on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining ½ tbsp of olive oil and cook the onions and garlic until translucent, about two minutes.
- Pour in the red wine and deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping all the bits and pieces stuck to it. Add the beef broth, French onion soup, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and thyme. Return the beef to the pot, cover it and simmer for about 2 hours or until the beef is tender.
- Make a slurry with ¼ cup water and cornstarch. Slowly stir it into the pot and continue cooking until the gravy thickens. Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
How do you tenderize beef tips?
By slow cooking them for at least 2 hours. Also, by adding red wine which is acidic, you aid in tenderizing the meat. Acid helps to tenderize meat, so if you really want to make sure the meat will be tender, marinate it in two tablespoons of vinegar for one hour prior to cooking it. Adding vinegar to the stew also helps if you don’t have time to marinate the beef.
What Cut of Beef is Used for Tips?
You can buy cubed chuck roast, Top or Bottom round, or even steak. I don’t recommend using expensive cuts of beef like tenderloin or top sirloin because these are best used as steaks. They have marbled fat that will just melt away into the gravy.
What to Serve with Beef Tips?
Potatoes! I have several mashed potato recipes that would be great with beef tips and gravy. My Loaded Mashed Potatoes Recipe is so good!
You can also try my Mashed Potato Cups Recipe to make the meal fun for the little ones. Also, look for my Loaded Mashed Potato Bites Recipe or Potatoes Romanoff if you feel a little adventurous and want to make the meal extra special.
Leftovers:
The great thing about this easy beef tip recipe is that you can either refrigerate or freeze any leftovers. They will keep for 4 days in the fridge and up to 4 months in the freezer. To reheat, you can either do it in the microwave or the stovetop.
Beef tips and gravy is the ultimate comfort food
The BEST Beef Tips and Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lbs stew meat
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup red wine
- 10 ½ oz beef broth
- 10 ½ can condensed French onion soup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Season the meat with salt and pepper. In a medium-sized dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and brown the meat evenly on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside
- Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and saute the onions and garlic until fragrant and translucent, about 1-2 mins
- Pour the wine in and deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom to remove all the brown bits and pieces stuck to it. Pour in the beef broth, French onion soup, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and thyme. Return the beef to the pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer (with the lid on) for 2 hours or until the beef is tender
- Once the cooking time is over, make a slurry with the water and cornstarch and add it to the pot. Continue cooking for about 5 more minutes or until the gravy has thickened. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with freshly chopped parsley on top.