There really isn’t anything much more comforting than slow cooked beef tips covered in rich, brown beef gravy. This is Southern diner fare at it’s best. Filling, full of hearty, bold flavor. And it’ just waiting for you to make it.
Beef tips and gravy originated as a way to use leftover bits of tough meat or the caps of a roast beef. It embodies the frugal nature of the South, where we never waste anything we can use. And just like our Southern white gravy, it tastes amazing.
Since this recipe is now purpose-made from scratch, we usually use stew meat or chuck. For this recipe I went with the latter. Just look at the marbling on this gorgeous 2.8 pound chuck roast.
First, we have to get rid of the bones. there are at least 2 on a chuck roast, but some have 3 like this one did.
Next we cut the thing into 1-inch strips.
Then those strips get cut into 1-inch cubes. (No. Do NOT trim off the fat. You need that!)
This chuck is so gorgeous that I just had to get a beauty shot.
Next, season the heck out of the beef and toss it in batches into a hot pan that has a little oil in it. we want to get each piece nice and brown on all sides. It really helps the flavor.
Almost done with the last batch of chuck. Note all the nicely browned bits on the bottom and sides of the pot. (The black bits are pepper. Don’t worry, I didn’t burn it.)
OK, it’s done. Everybody back in the pool. It’s time to turn this chuck into beef tips and gravy.
Add a cup or so of water or beef stock and drop the temperature down to a simmer and give everything a good stir. Cover, but leave the lid slightly ajar so that the stock can reduce. Cook for about 2 hours. Check often and add more stock if needed. In the end, there will be almost no liquid left in the pan.
when the beef is tender, remove it from the pan and set it aside. Pour out all the juices and drippings into a measuring cup.
This is the total amount of liquid and fat we had left over. We’re looking for 4 Tablespoons of fat and 2 cups of juices here, but don’t worry if you don’t have that much. In my case I got about 1 Tablespoon fat and 1/8 cup of concentrated beefy goodness out of the pan. This was more than enough to get some massive flavor out of the gravy. Especially since we’re going to add the beef tips back in at the end.
Skim the fat and add it to a nice, clean pot If you don’t have 4 Tablespoons worth, just add some vegetable oil to make up the difference. Add the flour and whisk constantly until everything is slightly golden and the flour smells nutty.
Pour in the juices. (If you don’t have 2 cups of liquid, just add beef stock until you’ve got 2 cups worth. It will be fine!) Give it a good whisk, and for a finishing touch, add a pat of butter right before you toss the beef back in. This adds a little extra richness to the gravy. It also gives it a beautiful sheen on the surface.
Almost there folks! Toss the beef into the gravy and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Then grab a big sloppy ladle of it and pour it all over whatever you’d like.
The classic choices are rice or egg noodles, but we prefer our beef tips over mashed potatoes. It’s the perfect pair!
On to the good stuff!
Beef Tips & Gravy
Succulent beef tips simmered in rich brown gravy are a decadent way to spend a great dinner around the table with your family.
Ingredients
- 2 to 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck or stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes (You'll need the fat, so don't trim it off!)
- Salt and pepper for seasoning beef
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, for browning beef
- 32 ounces beef stock or water
- 4 Tablespoons beef fat reserved from cooked beef (or reserved beef fat plus enough oil to equal 4 Tablespoons)
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups reserved meat juices (or reserved juices with enough beef stock to equal 2 cups)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter (Optional)
Instructions
- Cut beef into 1-inch pieces. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Brown beef in batches using a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat.
- Return beef to pan and add beef stock or water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and loosely cover. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until beef is tender.
- Remove beef from pan and set aside. Pour juices and fat into a measuring cup.
- Skim off 4 Tablespoons fat and reserve 2 cups juices. (Add additional vegetable oil or beef stock to make up the difference.)
- Heat beef fat and oil over medium high heat in a small saucepan. Add flour and stir occasionally until mixture is golden brown and smells nutty.
- Pour in 1/2 cup liquid and stir until smooth. Add remaining liquid and stir until combined.
- Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Stir in 1 Tablespoon of butter if desired for a silky sheen.
- Add beef to gravy. Stir to combine and cook, covered over low heat for 20 minutes.
- Serve hot over mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles or toast points.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1198Total Fat: 64gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 440mgSodium: 1048mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 139g
Additions and substitutions (Or: What I could do differently):
Like most great Southern recipes, you have a world of options when creating your own version of beef tips in gravy. You can make it more savory by simply cooking some mushrooms with the beef and adding them in. (Trust me, it’s amazing.) You can add sautéed onions, a little cayenne pepper, or just about anything else that goes well with beef and brown gravy.
Be creative! Make this dish your own. You’ll be glad you did.
Links to other great beef tips recipes from around the web:
- Pressure Cooker Sirloin Tips in Gravy, from Pressure Cooking Today
- Slow Cooked Tri Tips & Gravy with Mashed Potatoes, from Lauren’s Latest
- Steak Tips with Mushroom Pepper Gravy, from Andrea Meyers
One last thing:
Thanks for stopping by. I truly love having you in the kitchen.
If you liked this beef tips recipe, please leave a comment below. I always appreciate hearing your opinions.
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This is comfort food at its finest! I definitely be making this one come September when the weather starts to cool down a bit here – if I can wait that long! Yum.
Even with the heat right now, I have been craving comfort food, and this is just the ticket! :)
What a great beef recipe! What delicious flavors!
Great recipe with friendly instruction .. love it. This is absolutely comfort food for anyone!
Yum. It’s 8 am and I want beef tips! We are having pork county ribs because that’s what the father’s here want for theit day. But you better believe this is on the menumber for next week!
The plan now is just as you posted. But its so hard for me to cook without onion, so that may slip in there :) and the Instant pot may be used. AFTER I Brown those cubes up. Thanks again!
Hi! How much flour do you use?
And what seasoning do you use on the beef?
Thanks!
Anne,
The amount of flour is 2 Tablespoons, as stated in the recipe. For seasoning, I just use salt and pepper, but feel free to use whatever your family likes!
I didn’t see anything about how much flour either.
Barbara,
2 Tablespoons flour. It’s listed in the recipe card. Hope you enjoy!
Add flour as needed for the thickness of gravy you want.
Excellent! I used a slow cooker after the initial browning and it came out great. I did add a couple more tablespoons of flour during the gravy stage, to offset the additional liquid from the onions and mushrooms I put in. Essentially, a little flour at a time, until desired thickness was achieved. Looking forward to a second helping.
What a wonderful experience! I tried this recipe tonight and was amazed at how much it reminded me of grandma’s! I think much of it was my going through each step and having flashbacks of her doing pretty much the same things (minus the frequent screen swipes on my tablet, LOL). Making the gravy from scratch was particularly nostalgic.
Now, I couldn’t remember the spices she used, so I played it safe and only used salt and pepper. I also didn’t use beef stock (my beef was a lean, very strong-flavored cut). The final meal was still very flavorful. I *did* remember her love for sautéed onions and garlic, so that and some mushrooms went in prior to simmering.
In all, that was awesome. Thank you, Jerry!
Tré,
So glad this recipe brought back memories for you! That’s why we do what we do here in our kitchen. And comments like these keep us going strong.
Keep cooking!
Even though it is humid af here in Massachusetts, my boyfriend insisted I make this tonight for dinner. Local chuck from a freshly slaughtered cow to boot. Serving over mashed reds. Thanks for the recipe!
Hope you both enjoyed it!
Thank you Jerry, I’ve got my browned stew meat simmering with red onion and garlic as I type. This isn’t just a southern comfort thing. This was one of my Polish/German father’s favorite meals and he grew up poor on the eastside of Milwaukee in the 30’s & 40’s. Same principle though: don’t waste anything! Another waste nothing favorite you may have a recipe for is ‘hearts & tarts’ (chicken hearts & gizzards pressure cooked until tender and makes a delicious gravy; also served over mashed potatoes. Yummy.
Iron Chef Pops,
Perhaps it’s just not a thing in the part of California I grew up in. we had mostly Italian and Midwestern influences, so it was just something I had never encountered until I was much older. Regardless, I attest to the fact that it is amazing, comforting, and incredibly satisfying.
If it brings back memories, that’s even better! I hope your father would approve of my version.
Also, I’ve never heard of Hearts & Tarts, but I’ll be looking it up as soon as I’m done here. Have a great day!
Found this recipe this morning and made it for dinner tonight. Delicious. Just delicious.
Dee,
So glad you liked it!
A little dried tarragon makes this dish over the top, also using beef consoumme instead of beef broth…well it turns it into do ethi g special!
Judy,
Thanks for the tips! I’ll have to give both those ideas a shot.
Thank you Jerry! I have never been able to make very good gravy before so I was worried to try this recipe. My husband loved it and wants this recipe once a week now. I like how easy it is too make and it taste so good!!
Paula,
So glad you and your family found a new favorite recipe! And now that you’ve got the basics of a brown gravy down, you can make so much more!
That’s my kind of meal!
It’s good stuff any way you look at it!
This was so delicious, Husband said keep it on file for special dinners, for sure! I just made it, but we are craving it again! It is so simple but tastes so amazing. I never knew this about stew meat! Thank you for the recipe.
Jessica,
It’s a great recipe for a cool Fall or winter night, and one I look forward to having all the time myself.
Am going to try your recipe for beef tips with onions and will let you know how it turns out
Oh my word! What a delicious recipe! We will make this again but double the recipe for leftovers. It was that good. Thank you for sharing.
Easy and got great reviews. The 2-year old asked for thirds! :-) Even my non-meat eater liked it.
Bev,
You can’t ask for more than that! Keep on cooking!