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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 Romanoffif 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 fridgeand 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
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.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 448Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 692mgCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 53g
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FAQs
For the meatiest, most tender beef tips and gravy, opt for boneless beef chuck. Boneless beef chuck roast is readily available, budget-friendly, and is the best cut for beef tips and gravy. Beef stew meat can also be substituted if the pieces are generously sized and well-marbled.
How do you thicken beef tips and gravy? ›
Add in the beef and bay leaf. To thicken the gravy, remove 1 cup of broth from the pan and place in a bowl. Add the cornstarch to the bowl and stir until smooth. Pour the broth-cornstarch mixture back into the pan and stir.
Do beef tips get more tender the longer they cook? ›
Like any tough piece of meat, beef tips will benefit from a long and low cooking session. The most important thing you need to know is, the longer it cooks, the more tender it becomes. While the meat simmers in the beef broth it will transform into delectably tender morsels.
How do you make tough beef tips tender? ›
I would suggest braising. Braising is the act of cooking food in a liquid to add flavor, moisten, and tenderize. It does usually require a longer cooking time, which works best for tougher cuts of meat.
What cut of meat do you use for beef tips? ›
Sirloin or Tenderloin cuts are best for making beef tips on the stove top as they don't require as much low and slow cooking to render down and tenderize. Tender Cuts of Meat: Sirloin, Flank, Ribeye, Tenderloin. Tougher Cuts of Meat: Chuck Roast, Rump Roast, Brisket. (Best suited for slow cooking.)
What are beef tips called at the grocery store? ›
Although its name suggests otherwise, this cut comes from the Round primal, and is found on the front end of the rear leg. Often fabricated into roasts, which are great when braised, but can also be cut into steaks or used for Ground Beef. Also known as Knuckle and formerly known as Round Tip.
Is beef gravy better with flour or cornstarch? ›
Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.
What can I add to beef gravy to make it taste better? ›
Soft, fragrant, sautéed vegetables lend a sweet, earthy, warm flavor to your store-bought gravy. Use any combination of onions, leeks, shallots, celery, carrots, and mushrooms cooked in butter, olive oil, or pan drippings. When the veggies are sufficiently sautéed, stir in your jarred gravy and simmer on low.
How do restaurants get their meat so tender? ›
There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts. “People go for either egg white or baking soda as they are both alkaline ingredients.
What happens if you boil beef too long? ›
Your beef will be tough if you don't cook it enough and it will be tough if you cook it too much. It's just science, take it from us! We recommend doing a taste test or two throughout the cooking process to gauge the progress.
Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook, skimming occasionally, until each cut of beef is fork-tender, at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours, depending on the cut and animal your beef is from.
What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat? ›
Whether hosting a holiday cookout, serving up some stir-fry or tackling game meats, baking soda is the go-to meat tenderizer to help make your steak, chicken or turkey silkier, juicier and yummier.
Why are my beef tips chewy? ›
Overcooking: One of the most common causes of a tough and chewy steak is overcooking. When a steak is cooked for too long, the muscle fibers can become tough and chewy, and the meat can become dry and flavorless. Low-quality meat: The quality of the meat can also play a role in the tenderness of a cooked steak.
How do you make beef tips less chewy? ›
Rest Your Steak: After cooking, let your steak rest for about 10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the steak, ensuring a juicy and tender bite. Reconsider Your Cut: If you consistently find one cut to be too chewy, try switching to a more tender cut next time.
What steak is best for tips? ›
True steak tips come from various muscles in the sirloin and round and cost about $5 per pound. After tasting 50 pounds of cheap steak tips, tasters had a clear favorite: a single muscle that butchers call flap meat and that is typically labeled “sirloin tips.” A whole piece of flap meat weighs about 2 1/2 pounds.
What is better gravy beef or chuck steak? ›
Go for the chuck
The most common beef used for stew is chuck steak, also known as gravy beef or braising steak. Beef chuck comes from the forequarter of the animal consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm. It is easy to find and it's affordable, making it a great choice for your stew.
What beef for stew vs steak tips? ›
They come from two distinct areas! Stew Meat often originates from the end cuts of the animal, more suited for braising and longer cooking times, while steak tips come from the middle meats, making them the perfect grilling option!
What cut of beef is New England steak tips? ›
Cut of Meat
Steak tips: Sirloin flap meat (also called bavette), located in the bottom sirloin near the flank.
