Beef Tips and Gravy Recipe

beef tips with gravy with fork picking up beef

Tender beef simmered low and slow in a rich brown gravy with onions, garlic, and thyme. A classic Southern dinner that is made for rice or mashed potatoes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword beef tips, beef tips and gravy, beef tips recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 20

Total Time 2 35

Servings

Calories 294kcal

Author Tanya Harris

Ingredients

2 pounds beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 ¾ cups low-sodium beef broth divided
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dried thyme

Instructions

Pat the beef dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss the beef with the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and flour until every piece is lightly coated.
Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the beef in a single layer without crowding the pan, working in two batches if needed. Sear 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.
Add the diced onion to the oil and drippings in the pot along with 1 tablespoon of the beef broth. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Pour in the remaining beef broth, then add the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, and thyme. Stir to combine.
Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover tightly, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently about 2 hours, until the beef is fork tender and the gravy has thickened. Stir every 30 minutes so the bottom does not scorch, and add more beef broth if the liquid reduces too far. Taste and adjust salt before serving.

Notes

Beef Cut: Use chuck stew meat cut into 1-inch pieces. Avoid lean cuts like sirloin, which dry out during a 2-hour simmer.
Salt: Recipe is tested with kosher salt. If using table salt, start with half and adjust to taste at the end.
Liquid Level: If the gravy reduces too fast, stir in a splash of broth. If too thin, simmer uncovered for a few minutes.
Slow Cooker: Sear beef and onions on the stove first. Transfer to slow cooker with only 2 cups of broth and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours (or HIGH for ~4 hours).
Storage: Keeps up to 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Loosen with a splash of broth when reheating.

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