Easy Crockpot Beef Tips & Gravy Recipe
My goal with easy recipes like this one for Crockpot Beef Tips & Gravy is to create a simple supper full of flavor without a lot of work involved.
This crock pot recipe uses only a handful of ingredients with little prep time. Slow cooking beef tips gives you a tender, tasty, and easy meal. The whole family enjoys this hearty meal.
I always heard about this dish called beef tips. My Dad loved Beef Tips & Rice, and my Mom would cook it for him from scratch, the old-fashioned way. She would batter the beef tips in flour, then brown them on all sides, then drain, then make the gravy, then add the beef tips back in and simmer forever. Yes, it is good, but it is also time-consuming, messy and she was tied to the kitchen. This easy recipe for beef tips in the Crockpot is just as good without all the fuss.
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Crockpot Beef Tips Ingredients
My basic recipe begins with only two ingredients: beef tips and beef gravy. My readers have lots of great optional ingredients, which I have added to this list.
- 2 Cans of Beef Gravy
- 2 lbs. Beef Tips
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Ingredients
- One packet of beefy onion soup mix or
- One packet of dry onion soup mix
- One can of drained, whole mushrooms
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All you need for this simple meal is one or two cans of beef gravy, depending on how many beef tips you plan to cook. We want the beef tips to be completely covered with gravy in the Crockpot, so I always use two cans. Plus, my fellas like plenty of gravy on their rice too.
Beef Tips
Your grocery store may offer a variety of cuts of meat. You can use beef tips, beef stew meat, or sirloin tips for this recipe. Slow cooking stew meat helps it become nice and tender.
Some of the pieces of meat are larger than others, so I cut them into smaller chunks if needed.
Instructions for Crockpot Beef Tips & Gravy
Printable recipe card below.
Step 1
Prepare your Crockpot by adding a disposable Crockpot liner for easy cleanup.
I use a smaller Crockpot like this one for this recipe.
Step 2
Season the beef tips with salt and pepper and then place them into the Crockpot. Sprinkle with one packet of Beefy Onion dry soup mix, if using. Pour the gravy over them and give it all a good stir.
Step 3
Turn the Crockpot on to low heat and cook for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. The beef tips will be fork-tender and delicious!
Step 4
Serve and enjoy!
What adds flavor to this beef tips recipe?
Your comments matter to me. I have had at least one person say they didn’t feel like the beef tips had any real flavor, so let’s talk about where the flavor comes from in this recipe. The beef gravy is the star of the show, complementing the beef tips. You will need to like beef gravy to enjoy its flavor.
Salt and Pepper, to taste, for this recipe. There is salt already added to both the beef gravy and the beefy soup mix. Sometimes a little more pepper may be in order if your crew likes a little ‘bite’ to the flavor.
Optional seasonings
Add any dry seasoning you like! I have added a packet of Au jus mix when I forgot to buy beef gravy. Sometimes I add the beefy onion soup mix suggested by a reader. Come back, tell me what you added! Everyone would like to know what you did differently, including me!
The canned beef gravy already has salt added so I skip the salt. If you prefer more salt, be sure to add some.
When cooking in the Crockpot, there is a moisture factor as the liquid does not evaporate. Condensation will tend to water down the gravy just a tad, but not too much.
Crockpot Beef Tips & Gravy
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. beef tips
- 2 13 oz. cans beef gravy 13 oz. ea.
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 packet dry beefy onion soup mix Optional
Instructions
- Prepare your Crockpot by adding a disposable liner for easy cleanup.
- Season the beef tips with salt and pepper and then place them into the Crockpot. Sprinkle with one packet of Beefy Onion dry soup mix, if using. Pour the gravy over them and give it all a good stir.
- Turn the Crockpot on to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. The beef tips will be fork-tender and delicious!
- Serve over a bed of rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
Slow cooker beef tips are the perfect comfort food meal. Serve this budget-friendly meal for weeknight dinner or special occasions.
What to serve with Beef Tips and Gravy
- Rice
- Egg Noodles
- Mashed Potatoes (here’s my Made from Scratch recipe)
Some folks would insist on having a pan of biscuits just because there is slow cooked beef in gravy involved. That will be good too!
Rice is a kitchen staple that helps stretch the grocery budget while being yummy and filling at the same time, especially with gravy on top. Don’t throw out the leftover rice, it’s perfectly good to reheat and serve again tomorrow. Keep scrolling past this recipe for a list of weeknight meal ideas using rice.
Storage
This delicious meal is good the next day too. Store any leftover beef tips in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to about three days.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave or a skillet on the stovetop.
Recipe FAQ
What can I use if I don’t have canned gravy? Use any of our readers’ suggestions, like beefy onion soup mix, dry onion soup mix, or a packet of Au Jus mix.
Can I double this recipe? Yes, you can. You might need to add more cook time.
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Rave reviews from readers
Lee Ann said; “My family loved this with a salad on the side. I used egg noodles instead of rice. It was a hit!”
Barbara said; “Love it! ❤️this is great 👍”
Tammy said; “I’m telling you this is amazing. We made it for the second time in two weeks. We LOVE it. This time we served it on toast. BANGIN!!”
Jessica said; “Just made this for dinner – added half of a chopped onion. Carrots & fresh baby bella mushrooms added the last 2.5 hrs of slow cooking. Turned out yummy, served w/mashed potatoes & my husband is still saying how good it is. Will be making again!”
Gillian said; “I added another can of gravy and some toasted French bread 🤤 so so good. Will make again”
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Updated 4/2/2025
Can you cook this on high for less time or will it not be tender?
Hi Ashley, I have never cooked this meal on high so I can’t honestly answer your question with good results. My thinking is the meat wouldn’t be as tender. However, we won’t know if we don’t try. Let me know how it goes for you. I’d like to know.
I used my old school pressure cooker to make this. Pressure cooked the beef in a cup of beef broth, the beefy onion packet along with onions & mushrooms for 30 min. After the pressure settled down, added the gravy, some soy sauce and boiled it for another 30 min. Served over rice with a dollop of sour cream. YUM~
I don’t think it will burn but it will dry out the meat most likely. Curious if you tried it though. I work 10-12 hour shifts so don’t get to use my crock pot on certain meals because of this.
I have never cooked it that long so I’m not sure. I do have a comment from someone who cooked on low for 7 hours and it was good.
I leave the house at 5:30am and don’t get home til 3pm, can this be on low for 10 hours or will it burn?
Carol, I have never cooked it for that long. Beef tips are such small pieces of meat, they don’t take long to cook. Not sure it would burn. The only thing I have ever burned in a Crockpot is a cake and that was really just the edges. I’m curious about that timing though. Let me know how it goes. Is it possible for you to go home on your lunch break and get it in the Crockpot at that time?
I made this tonight for dinner, the kids and my husband loved it! Super simple and it doesn’t lack any flavor if you season the beef before pouring the gravy over and turning on the slow cooker. Mine was set to low at 10:00am and was served at 5:30pm. It was super soft at 4:00. I used beef stew meat, it was super tender. Excellent recipe thank you for sharing, you definitely helped this momma out. I am saving this and it will be one of my regulars. I served with rice, bunch of veggies, pico de gallo and fresh salsa.
Olivia, your sides sound really good to go with this meal. So glad you liked it and this one is a keeper for sure. My guys love when I cook this and have no idea how easy it makes my day too. Thanks for letting me know how long yours cooked. Lots of folks want to know if they can cook on low for longer.
Can you add peppers and onions to this recipe? When would you when using a crockpot?
Although I have never tried it I think the answer is Yes and I would do it at the beginning but cut them into large pieces because they will shrink during cooking. Please let me know how it goes as others might like to know as well.
Where can I find a 13oz jar of gravy? I’ve found a 10.5oz can, 12, 18. Where is this elusive 13oz jar?
Hi Lucas. The gravy is pictured in the post. It’s Campbell’s in a can. It is sometimes hard to find in the grocery store but it is located with all of the canned gravy. It is linked underneath the recipe so you can take a closer look or order it from Amazon if you like.
I have made this many times… my family loves it. The beef is tender and flavorful. I always add sautéed onions and mushrooms. Serve it over mashed creamed cauliflower.
Hi!
Quick question instead of can gravy can I use the packet of gravy? Trying to use what I have at home.
Hi Denise, Great question! I have not tried it with the packet so I don’t really know. If you try it, please come back and let us know how it turns out! The canned gravy gives us the ‘liquid’ gravy for the rice we always serve the beef tips on. Have you seen this recipe, https://intelligentdomestications.com/2018/04/not-quite-mississippi-crockpot-roast.html for Not Quite Mississippi Crockpot Roast? It uses 2 packets and turns out with a juicy gravy so it might work with the beef tips too. Now I want to try it that way!
Can this be done in an Instant Pot?
Hi Niki, Thanks for stopping by. The Crockpot is my best friend in the kitchen and I have never made this in the Instant Pot. If you do it, let me know. I”d be interested to hear about it.
We also mix in Worcestershire sauce and A1 and then just salt and pepper to taste once dished onto plates. My husband prefers saltier dishes. Then I serve this with mashed potatoes and a veggie. He loves it.
Will this turn out well if the recipe is cut in half?
Hi Kate, I have never cut this particular recipe in half but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work. I would use 1 lb. of beef tips and 1 can of gravy. If you are using the dry onion soup mix, half a packet of that too. Store the other half of the packet in a resealable bag but if you do not have a use for the other half, toss it within 2 weeks.
Do I add the water the can of gravy calls for also ?
Hi Jackie. That is a good question. No, don’t add the water. The Crockpot creates condensation anyway so we don’t need the water.
Thank you
Using the onion soup mix adds enough salt to this dish no need for extra salt
The beef looks so tender and the gravy so rich!! What a delicious dish. Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party! Hope to see you next week too!
What else can you use if you don’t like onions or mushrooms?
LouAnn, add any vegetable your family enjoys in raw form which will cook at the same time as the meat.
Love simple recipes. I haven’t used my crock pot for any meal this season, so this may be the recipe to make use of it 🙂
Shirley,
I laughed when I read your comment on my lasagna post about how surprised you were to see I posted a recipe!! I was probably more surprised than anyone when I did post it because I do not pride myself on being a cook. I can cook but it is not something I enjoy but maybe when I retire and have more time that may change…. Thanks also for commenting on my post about blogging. I was amazed at all the comments and I do plan on doing a follow up post based on those comments. I understand why some people use ads as an income and would never begrudge them of that but it is the Bloggers who do it to be “Famous” or get more Freebies that seem to annoy everyone and I think there is a tasteful way to display ads. It is the “Glare in your face” ads that really seem to get under people’s skin! I hope you have a great weekend!!
Hugs,
Deb