A fantastic tried and true recipe that’s been a family favorite for over a decade – Best-Ever Beef Tips & Gravy! Easy to make, so darn good. Rave Reviews!
Best-Ever Beef Tips & Gravy Recipe (Easy Prep)
Tender beef cooked in a deliciously rich brown gravy, served over rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles – a satisfying, filling meal the whole family will love. Simple to make comfort food that’s easy to adapt to your taste!
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Original Post Date: Aug 17, 2017. Post Updated May 23, 2023
What You Need to Make The Best Beef Tips & Gravy (Full Recipe at Bottom of Post)
- beef stew meat, cubed
- vegetable oil (or canola)
- onion, chopped
- water
- soy sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
- salt
- fresh ground pepper
- brown gravy mix packet (.75 ounce)
- water
- red wine (optional)
- mushrooms (optional)
*For less salt/ lower sodium, leave out the teaspoon of salt and use reduced sodium soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and brown gravy mix.
How to make Easy Beef Tips & Gravy
In a large skillet over medium-high to high heat, heat 3 tablespoons of oil then add the chopped onion and cook until they are translucent, stirring occasionally.
Next, add cubed beef to the oil and onions, browning the meat on all sides – it will take about a minute on each side. After browning the beef, add 2 cups of water, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Next add garlic powder, salt and pepper, stir well.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat, COVER and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Last, in a medium size bowl (I use my measuring cup), add the gravy mix and 1 cup water, mix well then pour over beef – stir until well blended. Increase heat, bringing to a boil while continuously stirring – it is ready when the sauce slightly thickens.
Serve over mashed potatoes, white rice or egg noodles with your favorite steamed vegetable and salad.
This awesome recipe was found on food.com and has been a go-to comfort food on cold, rainy and snowy days for years. What’s so great, it’s a cinch to adapt to your taste and so easy to make.
If I have red wine in the house, I will replace water with 1/4 to 1/3 cup, and pour the rest in a glass. 😀 Fresh garlic is best, but garlic powder works well too. Mushrooms are also a wonderful addition.
You can make Best-Ever Beef Tips& Gravy in the Slow Cooker – Try the slow cooker version!
Frequently Asked Questions
The beef tips and gravy can be served over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, rice, thick sliced toast.
Serve with your favorite vegetables – green veggies are wonderful, like broccoli, asparagus, green beans. Garden salad, bread, garlic bread and dinner rolls make great sides.
These beef tips are even better the next day. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave.
Yes! This recipe is great without red wine, but with it…so darn good. Highly recommend!
Want More Easy Beef Recipes Like This One?
Best-Ever Beef Tips & Gravy (Easy)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cubed
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup soy sauce (you can use reduced sodium)
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce (you can use reduced sodium)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or use fresh garlic)
- 1 teaspoon salt (omit to reduce sodium)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 packet brown gravy mix .75 ounce packet (you can use reduced sodium)
- 1 cup water
- Eggs Noodles, Rice or Mashed Potatoes (to serve with beef tips)
Optional
- ¼ – ⅓ cup red wine – Use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of wine, replacing an equal amount of water with wine (1/4 cup wine plus 1 3/4 cups water OR 1/3 cup wine with 1 2/3 cups water).
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (fresh or canned)
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high to high heat, heat 3 tablespoons of oil then add the chopped onion and cook until they are translucent, stirring occasionally.
- Next, add cubed beef to the oil and onions, browning the meat on all sides – it will take about a minute on each side. After browning the beef, add 2 cups of water, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Next add garlic powder, salt and pepper, stir well.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat, COVER and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Last, in a medium size bowl (I use my measuring cup), add the gravy mix and 1 cup water, mix well then pour over beef – stir until well blended. Increase heat, bringing to a boil while continuously stirring – it is ready when the sauce slightly thickens.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, white rice or egg noodles. Great with your favorite steamed vegetable and a side salad.
Notes
- 3 cups of water needed for this recipe. 2 cups are used in the beginning of the recipe – the last 1 cup is used with the brown gravy mix at the end.
- For less salt/ lower sodium, leave out the teaspoon of salt and use reduced sodium soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and brown gravy mix.
- Red wine is an awesome addition. I use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of wine – replacing an equal amount of water with wine (1/4 cup wine plus 1 3/4 cups water OR 1/3 cup wine with 1 2/3 cups water).
- Mushrooms are a great addition too.
- Make Best-Ever Beef Tips & Gravy in the Slow Cooker.
Vicki
This recipe is very easy and very tasty..I used the red wine in mind and then added sliced mushrooms also. When I served it it was over egg noodles and then added a dollop of sour cream. Very yummy
April
Fabulous recipe! I used Marsala wine since that’s all we had and it still came out really good. My pan kept losing all of its liquid as I simmered the meat (even though it had a lid on it), so I added a little beef broth whenever it ran out until the meat was done (2 hours for about a pound and a half of meat). In hindsight I think this added extra salt that was really unneeded, so next time I will dilute the broth by half and see how it turns out. I had added mushrooms and carrots at the beginning, but 2 hours is too long for them so I’ll probably add them halfway through next time and see how it goes. We ate this with sour cream mashed potatoes (Yukon golds with only sour cream and butter (no milk)–makes for thick mashed potatoes that I love). It was amazing!
Becca
My family has made this for years. Except that we use 3 cans of beef consommé’ instead of water and a gravy packet. We also put in 1/4 cup of red burgundy cooking wine. It is great comfort food!
Dianna Hibner
I made this this Best ever Beef tip recipe tonight for the second time. The first with noodles tonight with sour cream mashed potatoes. Very good recipe and the taste……..wonderful
Patricia A Merritt
I really appreciate the your low/no sodium recipes. They are really delicious so I save each one you post. I have very high blood pressure (even with medication) and I am not very good at creating my own low/no sodium recipes and sometimes my recipes really REALLY fail. It’s not just a matter of leaving out the salt. There must be some other magic where the salt is omitted, but you still get flavor. So, Thank you.
Bonna
Made this tonight. Used only one cup of water, 1/8th cup Aminos. Added no salt but used all other seasonings as listed. I didn’t have gravy mix so I used one can of cream of mushroom soup but added no additional liquid. The recipe was just right with salt balance and other flavors. Still had a lot of gravy but served over brown steamed rice it was really good.
Laura
Am I supposed to drain before pouring the gravy on ? Sauce is extremely watery
Michael Thornton
I drained probably 2/3 of the water before adding the gravy mixture. It came out really good.. I tasted the water before draining and it was really salty but by draining most of it and adding the unsalted gravy mixture the final dish came out just right
Nancy
Good but way too salty. Use low salt soy sauce.
Robert
The soy sauce makes the recipe super salty.
Anna Chowaniec
Can you make tjis in a crock pot? What would you recommend for cooking time?
Crystal
I have made this several times. I always use wine as you stated. Everyone in my house loves it. I have the pickiest eaters and this is what they ask for. Thank you!!
MARY HAMILTON
WHAT BRAND BEEF GRAVY DO U US PLZ? tk u, MARY MOM OF CHEF
Kim
There is way too much water I. This recipe. I have made this recipe three times already and adjusted the recipe. I am getting ready to make it again.
JC
I’m wondering if I can use jarred savory beef gravy and still add the same ingredients along with, instead of a packet of gravy which I do not have. I hope you can respond quickly, I see sometimes daily life causes others to be delayed in responding, some as for over a month. Thank you though.
Shoni
If I wanted to make this in my crockpot would I put the gravy mix in as well or maybe just add for the last hour? Let me know your thoughts.
Adrienna
made this recipe for my family tonight and oh my goodness it is so good love it
Sandy
Best ever beef tips are amazing! This recipe is so simple and richly delicious. I have celiac so I made thick beef cornstarch gravy and added sliced mushrooms. Thank you!
Jenna
Do we think this is a freezable recipe? I am pregnant and due in 2 weeks and I’m feverishly trying to fill the freezer with some meals that I can just defrost for the hubby when I am too exhausted to cook once baby comes. Thanks!
Melissa
You just had a baby and you’re exhausted – Ask him what he’s making for you!!
Chrissy
This sounds delicious, but my family won’t eat anything with Worcestershire sauce. Is there any substitute that would work?
Lorr Lee
I made this with Elk!! Delicious!!
Sarah
I made this but wanted a crockpot version. So I followed the instructions for the oil, onions and browning of the meat. Than I poured the entire mixture into the crockpot. Added all remaining ingredients PLUS mushrooms and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Cooked on high for 4 hours.
Cooked egg noodles, put in baking dish and poured my crockpot mixture on top. Spread it out a little than evenly added another can of cream of mushroom soup ontop. Covered it with foil and baked it for about 10 min in over. YUMMY!!!! Thought Id share a crockpot version.
Christene
Unfortunately, I read the comments after I had already made this meal following all of the directions and even though the taste of it was delicious and the meat was moist, it was pretty much inedible due to the salt.
Will try this again with either less soy sauce and no additional salt or even low sodium soy sauce. and no additional salt.
Brian
Just a tip, whenever I’m cooking and the recipe calls for soy sauce, I always use the low sodium and won’t add any additional salt if it’s included in the recipe. You could always add salt to your dish if it needs it.
Mary Wesley
I use sodium free soy sauce every time a recipe calls for soy sauce. Of if salt and soy sauce are in a recipe omit salt if you don’t have sodium free. also I do not have the brown gravy pack. Not sure I’ll get a reply but maybe my comment will help others.
I have a package of Aujus seasoning and I’m going to make a “slurry” of cornstarch and hot water to thicken it and it should add the thickness needed. I’m also going to add a small can of cream of mushroom soup. I hope this helps other.
Siggy
I can’t open food.com because I’m in Germany. How can I get the recipes from you?
David
when I follow the link to Food.com there is a message *This site is not available in your country*
I´m from germany.