Slow Cooker Beef Tips
46 Comments Sep 14, 2022
Updated Aug 22, 2025
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This slow cooker beef tips recipe is a comforting, slow-cooked dish featuring tender stew meat in a rich, flavorful gravy that’s perfect over rice or mashed potatoes.
Featured Comment
Made this for my family today. We loved the rich beefy taste. The beef was soft and moist. I served it over mashed potatoes with a side of mixed vegetables and yeast rolls. It was so good!
– Marissa
There’s nothing better than a comforting meal that tastes like grandma made it, and this slow cooker beef tips and gravy recipe is a total winner. A simple gravy is made with some shortcut ingredients, but other ingredients are added to make it taste homemade. This is one of my family’s favorite Sunday Dinners.
Add another beef-style recipe to your meal plan with my Slow Cooker Steak, Potatoes, and Corn, or garlic Crockpot Steak Bites recipes.
Key Ingredients
Stew Meat: These are the beef tips, slow-cooked to tender perfection and soaking up all the flavors of the rich gravy. I also use stew meat in my slow cooker beef and broccoli.
Butter: Used to brown the stew meat.
Gravy Mix: Provides a perfect base for the gravy
Other Gravy Mix ins: A blend of seasonings, dried onion, garlic, and salt. Then, Beef Stock and Worcestershire sauce add even more flavor, and cornstarch helps thicken up the beef tips.
Variations
- Mushrooms: Make a mushroom gravy by adding 2 cups of sliced mushrooms (or a small can).
- Wine: Add a 1/2 cup of red wine (in place of some of the beef broth) for added flavor. Burgundy or Merlot is a great choice.
- Make it Creamy: Add a dollop of sour cream before serving — this will make the dish taste similar to beef stroganoff.
- Meat Swap: Cubed beef chuck, round roast, or sirloin go great in this recipe. You may even enjoy trying it with venison.
How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Tips
- Sear the beef to lock in flavor before slow cooking.
- Whisk together a rich gravy base and pour it over the meat.
- Let the slow cooker do the work until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce is thick and savory.
How to Serve Beef Tips
- One of the most classic ways to serve crockpot beef tips is on a bed of mashed potatoes, smothered in the gravy.
- Another way to serve is on a bed of egg noodles. And if you’re family enjoys steamed white rice, this is another hearty serving option.
- Don’t forget a vegetable side, like steamed carrots, and broccoli. (try my honey garlic carrots recipe).
Slow Cooker Beef Tips
How to Video
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. salted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 lbs. stew beef, I used top round, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 2.5 cups beef stock
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- .87 oz. package brown gravy
- 2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Season the beef with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until lightly smoking, add the butter and stew beef. Brown the beef on all sides. (Do not cook beef all the way through, just brown the outside). About 3 Minutes.
- Add the browned beef to the slow cooker. In a large bowl, whisk together the beef stock, garlic, cornstarch, brown gravy packet, minced onion and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the beef and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
- Beef will be done when fork tender and the gravy has thickened.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or egg noodles. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Slow Cooker Beef Recipes
Slow Cooker Brisket and Crockpot Pot Roast are timeless, cozy dinners everyone loves.
My Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash and Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon bring deep, rich flavors perfect for slow cooking.
For family favorites, try Beef Noodle Casserole, Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles, or Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes for an easy, hearty meal.
Perfection!
Do you have to brown the meat? I dont have time.
I browned the meat once
The second time, I didn’t. Was very tender both times! I used some burgundy wine, also
No you do not
How many servings does this make? How much is a serving?
This serves about 6. I do not have measurements.
Made this for my family today. We loved the rich beefy taste. The beef was soft and moist. I served it over mashed potatoes with a side of mixed vegetables and yeast rolls. It was so good!
Holy Moly. This is going into the regular rotation. The beef was so fall apart tender. I ended up slow cooking it for 8 hours on low. SO good. Nice thick gravy too. And definitely do the mushrooms too!!!
Instead of instant gravy, can you mix Lipton onion soup mix and mushroom soup instead?
Lipton onion soup mix doesn’t get quick as thick, though I think the mushroom soup will help that. I think it would work fine.
If I only use 2 lbs, how long do I cook in the crockpot?
I would do 5 hours on low for tender meat.
Kids loved it. I added 24oz mushrooms (that I first further dehydrated in microwave for 3 min to cut down moisture) in with the meat. Then 10 min before serving, I added a small bag of frozen peas & carrots. The mushrooms still threw off a lot of moisture, so added 5 tbsp (mixed in a little water first) towards the of cooking time. Doubled all the spice amounts, but it was still a bit bland. Next time, I’ll use 2 gravy packets.
Made it tonight!
Everyone (even my picky eaters) loved it!
So easy, I halved the amount of meat (expensive) and used the same amount of gravy.
Plenty
For a family of four! Will make again!
Sorry 5 stars not four
I want to make this but I have a family of 7. Should I triple the recipe or just double it?
I think doubling it will be plenty.
Made this tonight with lamb loin chops and cherrywood smoked bacon instead. Added crimini mushrooms, fresh thyme, sage, and a bay leaf. Gonna do it on a bed of egg noodles, with a side salad, and freshly baked breadsticks. Still waiting, but it smells amazing! Thanks for this!