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Beef Tips and Gravy have tender chunks of beef smothered in a rich beefy gravy, then served over mashed potatoes. It’s the ultimate comfort food meal.
Delicious Meat and Potatoes Comfort Food
When the craving strikes for hearty meat and potatoes comfort food, our Beef Tips and Gravy will fit the bill every time! This delicious entrée is served over mashed potatoes, but you could also serve these tips over noodles, rice, or simply with crusty bread on the side.
Our Beef Tips and Gravy has seared chunks of beef braised low and slow in the oven along with onions and garlic. The cooking liquid is a flavorful mix of beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and various herbs, spices, and seasonings.
Once the beef is tender, you’ll make a thick and luscious gravy from the pan liquid – and you’re ready to serve.
What’s the difference between Beef Tips and Steak Tips?
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- Beef Tips are typically made with “lesser” cuts of beef such as chuck. Chuck is from the shoulder and neck region of the animal, and you might find chuck roasts labeled as center cut chuck roast, chuck center roast, or pot roast. They are a very flavorful cut of beef that requires low and slow cooking to make it tender. There are some lines of fat in most chuck roasts and depending on the recipe, you’ll want to trim that away or render the fat down to make gravy.
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- Steak Tips, on the other hand, are usually from a “better” cut of beef such as sirloin or ribeye. Sirloin steaks are cut from the back region of the animal (the tougher muscle portion is removed), while ribeye is considered a primal cut from the rib region. Ribeye has more marbling than sirloin, but both are very flavorful and cook up quick and juicy. Steak Tips are sometimes marinated and grilled or simply pan-seared on the stove over high heat.
Why you’ll love Beef Tips and Gravy
- It’s perfectly satisfying and very delicious comfort food.
- This makes a great family dinner option when the weather is cold outside.
- Your oven does most of the work after just about thirty minutes of hands-on prep – and your kitchen is going to smell amazing while the beef tips cook!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Beef – Buy a chuck roast – a flavorful cut of beef that is also budget-friendly. Trim off the large pieces of fat then cut the beef into 2-inch pieces. Don’t be tempted to make this recipe with a more expensive cut such as ribeye or sirloin – if you have that on hand, make one of our steak tips recipes instead. Also avoid buying beef labeled as petite sirloin or ball tip. Those cuts will cook up tender like chuck, but they will be very dry once done. Also avoid buying packages labeled as “stew meat” – you’ll never know what cuts of beef were used to make up the package, plus you want to be able to cut the pieces a certain size for this recipe.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Unsalted Butter and Olive Oil
- Yellow Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- Red Wine – Any drinkable red wine you have on hand is fine such as pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, or merlot.
- Beef Broth or Stock – Boxed, canned or homemade beef broth or stock is fine. Low sodium broth/stock is best so you can season the recipe to suit your tastes.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Herbs and seasonings – Fresh thyme, fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, and bay leaves, as well as gravy seasoning/browning sauce such as Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master.
- Russet Potatoes – To make mashed potatoes for serving, if desired.
Special Tools Needed
- Cutting Board and Sharp Knife
- Large Bowl
- Various Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 5 to 6-quart Dutch Oven with Heat-Proof Lid
- Plate
- Butcher’s Twine
- Large Wooden Spoon
- Long-handled Tongs
- Large Strainer
- Whisk
- Medium Pot – To make the gravy.
- Large Pot – To make mashed potatoes.
How do I make Beef Tips and Gravy?
- Cut chuck roast into large 2-inch pieces.
- Toss beef pieces in seasoned flour.
- Sear beef in melted butter and olive oil then remove with tongs to a plate.
- Sauté onions and garlic, then deglaze the pan with wine.
- Add beef back into the pot along with stock, Worcestershire sauce and dried and fresh herbs.
- Cover and braise in oven until tender.
- Make a roux with butter and flour and strain juice from the pan into the roux, whisking to make smooth gravy. Thin with a little water if needed and darken with gravy color.
- Remove fresh herbs from the beef and discard, then pour gravy back over beef.
- While beef is cooking, cook potatoes, then mash for serving.
- Serve pieces of beef and spoon gravy over the mashed potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Beef Tips and Gravy ahead of time? Yes, this dish reheats nicely.
- Can I make Beef Tips and Gravy in a slow cooker? You probably can, but we think the flavor and texture are the best when this dish is braised in a Dutch oven.
- How do I store leftovers? Store refrigerated in a covered container for up to three days.
- How do I reheat leftovers? Heat it through on the stove or reheat individual portions in the microwave.
- Can I freeze? Yes, but the gravy may separate once thawed. You can try heating and whisking again but it may not be as good as freshly cooked.
You might like these other Beef Recipes:
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Beef Tips and Gravy
Beef Tips and Gravy have tender chunks of beef smothered in a rich beefy gravy, then served over mashed potatoes. It’s the ultimate comfort food meal.
Ingredients
4-pound boneless chuck roast
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons butter, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 quart low sodium beef stock or broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 large fresh thyme sprigs
6 large parsley stems with leaves
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon gravy browning and seasoning sauce (such as Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master)
If serving with Mashed Potatoes:
3 Russet potatoes, milk, butter, and seasonings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Cut chuck into 2-inch sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper.
- Toss the beef pieces in the flour mixture, shaking off excess but do not discard the excess flour.
- In a large Dutch oven that has an oven proof lid, melt two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Once the butter melts, start adding beef pieces but make sure they don’t touch each other. You will sear in three or four batches.
- Sear on all sides then remove to a platter. Add another tablespoon of butter and oil and sear another batch. Add another tablespoon of butter and the remaining oil and sear the remainder of the beef and remove with the rest of the beef. You will have four tablespoons of butter left that will be used later in the recipe.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the onions and cook for three minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute.
- Add wine to deglaze and cook for two minutes.
- Add the beef back in along with any juices from the platter along with the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Raise heat to bring the mixture to a boil.
- Using butchers’ twine, tie the thyme, parsley and bay leaves together and place on top of the beef.
- Set a lid on and place in the oven for two hours. Start checking for doneness at the two-hour mark. Ours took exactly two hours but ovens vary, and the quality of the beef may vary.
- While the beef is in the oven, prepare the mashed potatoes in a medium pot. Mash and place in a serving bowl that you can microwave once ready to serve.
- Use the same pan as you cooked the mashed potatoes and clean to use to make the roux.
- Add the remaining butter and melt over low heat then add the flour from earlier and whisk to make a roux. Cook this on low for about four minutes then remove from the heat.
- Once the beef is tender, reheat the roux and strain the liquid from the pot into the roux and whisk vigorously to make the gravy over medium heat. Thin down with a little water or stock if it is too thick. Add gravy color, taste for seasoning then pour the gravy back over the beef pieces.
- To serve, portion heated mashed potatoes into serving plates or bowl and ladle beef and gravy over each portion.
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This is my favorite cold weather recipe! It is really comfort food for me. I make a large batch and separate out the meat chunks and freeze some of them and eat the rest with the gravy. Then when I want more, I defrost the meat cubes, make a gravy with beef broth and enjoy it all over again!
Great suggestion Wendy!