These easy stovetop beef tips and gravy are the ultimate comfort food meal! Tender beef tips are cooked slowly in a rich brown gravy until they’re so tender that they almost fall apart. Serve them over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or parmesan garlic rice for your new favorite dinner!
Why I Love This Beef Tips Recipe
If you’re looking for a true comfort food style dinner, look no further than these tender beef tips in a rich, savory brown gravy. Slowly cooked on the stove top, these beef tips are guaranteed to be fork tender and full of flavor. And when we say tender, I mean it! The beef tips will fall apart on your fork, making each gravy covered bite even better than the last. As soon as the weather drops under 80°F outside, I get to excited to make this classic comfort meal. Here’s why:
- Comforting as can be: I like to serve these beef tips and gravy over some sour cream mashed potatoes for the ultimate satisfying dinner!
- So easy: You’ll just need about 10 minutes or so to prep the recipe. After that, you just have to let everything slowly cook to tender perfection.
- Hearty: Trust me, no one’s leaving the dinner table still hungry after a serving of this.
Make sure to check out our easy recipe for Instant Pot beef tips! It’s a more hands off style of recipe, letting the pressure cooker do most of the work.
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make beef tips with gravy. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Beef Tips: The meat needs to be room temp, so make sure you leave it out on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- Olive Oil: You can also use vegetable oil, canola oil or avocado oil in this recipe.
- Onion: Yellow onions have a natural sweetness to them which makes them ideal for this recipe. White onions also work in a pinch.
- Beef Better than Bouillon: Alternatively, you could use two beef bouillon cubes instead.
- Gravy Packets: Don’t worry! This gravy’s so dressed up, no one will ever know you used store bought dry gravy packets. It’s our little secret that adds even more flavor and is super easy. If you are worried about the amount of salt, you can use low sodium gravy packets.
How to Make Beef Tips and Gravy
This stovetop beef tips recipe is a true family favorite. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.
- Season. Season the beef tips with salt and pepper.
- Sear. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil to medium-high heat. Sear the seasoned beef tips on both sides. Make sure to allow the skillet with oil to get hot before adding the meat, this will ensure a good sear!
- Sauté. Reduce the heat to low, then add the onion and garlic. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened.
- Bring to a simmer. Add 1 cup of the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and beef bouillon, stirring till fully combine. Cover loosely with a lid.
- Cook until tender. Continue cooking the beef tips, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 hours. The longer the beef tips simmer, the more tender they become. You can add a little more beef broth, if needed.
- Make the gravy. Right before you are ready to serve, whisk to combine the gravy packets with the remaining 1 cup of low-sodium beef broth. Pour the gravy mixture into the skillet and stir to combine.
- Thicken the gravy. Raise heat to medium and bring the gravy to a simmer, cooking for about 2 to 4 minutes, until the gravy has thickened.
- Enjoy! Remove from heat and serve as desired over rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles.
Cook’s Tips & Variations
- Use a good cut of beef: I recommend using tenderloin or sirloin beef tips, if possible, for the most tender beef.
- Don’t rush it: This recipe takes time, but the results are worth the wait. If you turn up the temperature and try to cook the meat faster, it will turn out tough.
- Beef flavor: I like to boost the beef flavor by using a combination of Better than Bouillon (in beef flavor), low sodium beef broth and beef gravy packets.
- Lower sodium: If you are concerned about the amount of sodium in this recipe, you can cut it back by using no salt added beef broth, low sodium gravy packets and low sodium bouillon.
- Check your meat: Make sure to test how tender your beef tips are before adding the gravy. If they are not fork tender, add a little more beef broth and simmer the beef a little longer, until tender. Once you add the gravy, you don’t want to keep cooking the meat. The gravy will thicken and not be the correct texture.
What To Serve With Beef Tips And Gravy
Savory beef tips and gravy are commonly served over mashed potatoes, rice or egg noodles. There is no wrong way, just whichever you personally prefer! I find most people serve them however their mom served them growing up. If your mom served them over rice, you probably will love them best that way too! It’s all about that comfort feeling you get eating yummy food with good memories.
We personally love them best served over mashed potatoes with some kind of veggie on the side! Here are a few of our favorites vegetable dishes that would pair well:
Beef Tips And Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef tips, room temperature*
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups no-sodium beef broth, divided
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons beef better than bouillon, or 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 2 .87 oz reduced sodium brown gravy packets**
Instructions
- Season beef tips with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat olive oil to medium-high heat. Sear seasoned beef tips on both sides.
- Reduce heat to low, then add the onion and garlic. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until onion is tender.
- Add 1 cup beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and bouillon, stirring to combine. Cover loosely with lid.
- Continue cooking beef tips over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 hours, until fork tender. (The longer the beef tips simmer, the more tender they become. You can add a little more beef broth while cooking, if needed.)
- Right before you are ready to serve, whisk to combine the gravy packets with 1 cup of low-sodium beef broth. Pour gravy mixture into the skillet and stir to combine.
- Raise the heat to medium and bring the gravy to a simmer, cooking for about 2 to 4 minutes, until gravy has thickened.
- Taste your gravy to make sure it is well seasoned, then remove from heat and serve as desired (over rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles).
Notes
- Fridge: In an airtight container in the fridge, any leftovers you may have will stay fresh for up to 5 days. You can reheat your beef tips either in the microwave or back on the stovetop.
- Freezer: Want this recipe to stay fresh for even longer? Pop it into the freezer, where it’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge, before you reheat it, for best results.
Super easy! Love that it’s one pot. Added mushrooms to mine and served over mashed potato’s and corn. Husband loved it. I used unsalted beef broth due to the other comments and mine needed a little bit of salt so I added that at the end.
Super exc to make. I wondered if I left out Worcester sauce it would still work? What are your thoughts? Please let me know if you can help.
Hi Mary! Yes it will still work, Worcestershire sauce just helps to add a little more deeper flavor to the beef!
I’m going to use this recipe for a church meeting needing to serve 25. Do you think it would work increasing X4 and cooking in a nesco roaster or best to do in smaller batches and freezing? Looks wonderful!
Hi Mary! We are not familiar with cooking in a nesco roaster, but from what we see on google it looks similar to a large slow cooker but with higher heat options. In that case, you could definitely make these beef tips in it, but could also try our crockpot beef tips: https://easydinnerideas.com/crockpot-beef-tips/
I don’t know if my other comment came through, but I did make this the other day and it came out really salty but I think it was because I only had half the meat and I was supposed to cut the recipe in half and I had the meat in half. I had the onion in half. I had the garlic in half but then I forgot to put all the other ingredients in half and it came out very salty but I figured out that I believe it’s because I used half of the meat so I’m making more meat today and I’m gonna redo it with the leftover sauce. I think it will even it out because this taste very good. It just has a bite of salt, but that was my bad so we’re trying again. Thank you for the recipe.
Very yummy but mine came out a little salty …what did I do wrong ?could it be the gravy wasn’t low sodium
Hi Shana, we used no sodium beef broth and reduced sodium gravy packets. Next time make sure and grab the low sodium packets or try no sodium gravy packets you can always season with a little kosher salt.
Thank you for responding. I just saw my other comment. I’m trying to fix it today because I don’t wanna waste food. I’ll let you know and I was thinking it might be because of the low sodium. I just had the regular beef packet on hand. Thank you
Could I use one pack of Lipton onion soup mix in place of the corn starch?
Hi James! Lipton Onion Soup Mix does not thicken, the cornstarch is used to thicken the gravy. The onion soup mix will add more salt as well, so you would need to cut back on the salt in the rest of the recipe to balance it out. Hope this helps!
This was amazing. I cooked my beef tips for 3 hours and ate it over mashed potatoes.
I added some portabella mushrooms to the onion. A family hit.
I’ve always made Beef Tips and Gravy 40+ years. I was intrigued by this recipe and planned on making it for Christmas Day being it’s easy, it’s a favorite comfort food for everyone. I also made your Garlic Mashed Potatoes, along with lots of roasted veggies. This is probably the most delicious recipe I’ve ever made and will forever make this exact recipe. I’ve never really measured anything in my lifetime but I did stick to this recipe because I wanted to get it right. I also doubled it for 12, everyone LOVED IT! I cooked mushrooms on the side because not everyone likes mushrooms, it was so delicious all together. Thank you for sharing!
Love the recipe. I used the cornstarch method and turned out great. One question, I want to add mushrooms and not sure when I should add them.
So glad you liked it! Add the mushrooms right before you add the gravy. Mushrooms cook quickly so adding them when you are ready to make the gravy should be the perfect time.
I’m making your beef tips right now and the recipe it calls for beef better or beef cubs. I don’t have either of those. I do have plenty of beef broth. Should I use something in substitution or just have more beef broth
The beef bouillon adds extra beef flavor and salt, if you don’t have it, you can add a little more salt at the end, to taste!
Hello Ann, these beef stews are classics in a variety of european countries under different names : Boeuf Bourguinion in France, Vlaamse Carbonades in Belgium. A real taste addition in the sauce is adding either wine or dark beer and to thicken the sauce put slices of brown bread or ginger bread covered with mustard, and operate slowly, take your time
bon apetit
What cut of meat do you recommend?
Hi Laura! Here’s some info from the post that I think will help:
“Tenderloin beef tips will produce the most tender beef bites, but sirloin beef tips are a close second! Stew meat will come in third for how tender it will become. Stew meat is usually made from a rump roast or chuck roast, both of which are a tougher cut of meat. They will work in this recipe as well, but may need a little more time cooking until they are fork tender.”
Made this for Christmas Day as I wanted an easy no fuss recipe. The cost of beef is way high now so the appeal was also there for a dinner that was affordable. For about $20 I made this for four of us. It was one of the best Christmas dinners I ever made according to my adult children. I served it over Buttermilk Mash Potatoes and Sauteed spinach with garlic. Thank you Novice Chef!
Yay! So glad you all enjoyed Beef Tips and Gravy, it is one of my favorites too! Merry Christmas Denice we miss you
Made this recipe last night for supper. My husband loved it. We will certainly make this again soon.
Just made this for my husbands supper with some mashed potatoes and it was delicious.
I’m not sure if I did something wrong .. I’m 2 hours in and my steak is SWIMMING still off the 1 cup broth. Is this normal? Do I drain it?
Hi Steven, don’t drain it, you can make a slurry if you have to much liquid. To make a slurry mix equal parts cornstarch with water, stir and slowly pour into the beef tips and gravy.
2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water add it into the pot, stir and wait a few minutes if you want the gravy thicker add a little more slurry until thickened to your liking.
This is THE BEST RECIPE EVER. We have made it 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Seriously a new family favorite. Thank you!!
This looks delicious. Can i cut up a chuck roast for this? TIA
Yes! It should work just fine!
There definitely has to be a error in this recipe! I was so excited to make this for the first time and was sooo disappointed. We could not eat it! What a waste of time and money! The salt intake for this dish is well over 7000, that is 3 days worth of you average salt intake in one serving. My husband did the math. You need to remove this recipe before you kill someone!! Extremely disappointed!
This recipe serves 6 people, one person does not eat the entire dish. If you are concerned with the amount of sodium in the recipe, you can use beef broth with no salt added, use less bouillon, swap the gravy packets for cornstarch (as we directed in the recipe post) and more. This is how we make this recipe, but no one is forcing you to make it.
So many of these ingredients come in a low-sodium form. Don’t add any table salt. Give this recipe another try. I made this for an evening football party and got rave reviews.
Recipes are a base for you to follow. Anyone that cooks would tweak the recipe according to their own tastes. There is no excuse to make rude comments On how someone else makes it. Common courtesy would tell you to simply move on. Don’t be mean! God Bless and have a great day.
We made this last night and it was the BEST! My mom used to make beef tips, she’s gone now, but this reminded me of her recipe growing up so much. I really loved it and so did my husband.
Isn’t 2 TBLS of better than bouillon equal to 6 cubes of bouillon?
Hi Vincent! No, 6 cubes would be too much. I would use 2 cubes of bouillon. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
If 6 cubes of bouillon = 2 TBS of Better than Bouillon and you say 6 cubes is to much. Why do your recipe still have people using the 2 TBS of Better than Bouillon in this recipe. You need to change the recipe. People are wasting their time and money on this!
No one is wasting their money. This is a very popular recipe on our site and people really enjoy it. From your multiple comments, it’s obviously not for you, and that’s ok. I recommend you exit out and go find a recipe you prefer!
Also, for the record, better than bouillon and bouillon cubes act very differently in recipes. While they have a calculator on their website for converting bouillon cubes to better than bouillon, it’s for making broth. Not for making Beef Tips and Gravy.
Yet you wasted even more time making comments. If you don’t like it, don’t make it and move on.
Will this work in the slow cooker instead of simmering for 2 hrs.? Sounds great
We have a crockpot version that works great in the crockpot! However, if you want to make this exact version, yes, you could move it over the to crockpot to let it cook longer.
Here is our crockpot version: https://easydinnerideas.com/crockpot-beef-tips/
Made it last night. Smelled amazing, but we found it incredibly salty. My husband has blood pressure issues, so I use low to no sodium everything. I didn’t season the meat with salt, I used italian seasoning instead and pepper.The only thing that I can think of was the boullion. I will try this again, and omit the boullion and just use the low sodium beef broth, low sodium Worcester and low sodium gravy packets.
I think you can use the corn starch too instead of the salty gravy mixes and make your own gravy with lower sodium beef broth instead of the gravy mixes .or use 1 gravy mix pack and corn starch slurry to substitute for the other one. Use lower sodium Mrs. Dash seasoning too instead of the bouillon.
Can you do this in the crock pot?
Yes! We have a crockpot version! Here it is: https://easydinnerideas.com/crockpot-beef-tips/