Name: Crockpot Beef Tips and Mushroom Gravy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 495 min
Total time: 525 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons oil; 2 tablespoons flour; 1.5 pounds beef tips (an inexpensive cut like beef stewng meat or chuck roast is perfect); salt & pepper; 1 yellow onion (choopped); 2 cloves garlic (sliced); 1 pound mushrooms (sliced); 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika; 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley; 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/3 cup red wine (OR beef stock); 3 cups beef stock; 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 1-2 teaspoons salt or less (depending on what kind of stock you’re using); Black pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon tablespoon cornstarch + cool water (or up to 4 tablespoons plus cool water, as needed)

Come home to the delicious aroma of a comfort food classic waiting for you in the slow cooker: This Crockpot Beef Tips and Mushroom Gravy is the perfect easy weeknight dinner!

three plates with crockpot beef tips and gravy over mashed potatoes

A Note from Nora

I can never get enough of comfort food recipes I can let cook in my slow cooker all day! My family loves it when I whip up things like my Crock Pot Beef Stew, my Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew or my Slow Cooker Chili.

This Crockpot Beef Tips and Mushroom Gravy is the perfect addition to my comfort food collection – it cooks in the slow cooker all day long for tender chunks of beef, flavorful mushrooms and a thick and luscious gravy.

close up photo of a plate with mashed potatoes and beef tips and gravy

How to Make Beef Tips and Gravy in the Crock Pot

Read on for the detailed step-by-step ingredients and instructions, or scroll down for tips and the printable recipe card.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours 15 minutes

Total Time 8 hours 45 minutes

Crockpot Beef Tips and Gravy Video Tutorial:

Ingredients for Beef Tips and Mushroom Gravy

Beef Tips and Gravy are made from exactly what the recipe name says: Hearty chunks of beef, delicious mushrooms and an easy homemade gravy.

You Need:

FOR THE MEAT

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons flour

1.5 pounds beef tips

salt & pepper

FOR THE GRAVY

1 yellow onion, choopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/3 cup red wine OR beef stock

3 cups beef stock

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1-2 teaspoons salt or less, depending on what kind of stock you’re using

Black pepper to taste

TO THICKEN
1 – 4 tablespoons cornstarch + cool water, as needed

Ingredient Swaps

you can skip the mushrooms if you don’t like them; the gravy will have less flavor but will still be delicious

you can use a packet of gravy mix in place of the herbs and spices called for in the recipe – you will need less cornstarch to thicken the gravy in the end

use chicken stock in place of the beef stock if you don’t have any on hand; the gravy will be a bit less rich and a little lighter in color but it still turns out really well

Equipment Needed to Make Beef Tips and Gravy in the Crock Pot

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You need the following equipment ready

a knife and chopping board
measuring cups and spoons
a large skillet
a wooden cooking spoon
a 5-8 quart slow cooker

PS for super easy clean up, use a slow cooker liner, too!*

And if you’re in the market for a new slow cooker? This one is a GREAT choice – and you can prime it in!:*

Steps

This beef tips and gravy dish is a comfort food classic you can easily make in the slow cooker.

1 – Brown the beef:

First, heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the beef (work in two batches if necessary), season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour.

Cook until browned, then remove from the skillet and transfer to a 5-8 quart slow cooker.

Note: Why add flour to the beef?

The flour helps the beef to brown nicely, and it will also help thicken the gravy as the beef cooks. If you prefer not to use it, you can skip the flour. For a thick gravy, you’ll need to add more cornstarch in the end.

2 – Brown the mushrooms:

Next, add the onion, garlic and mushrooms to the hot skillet.

Cook until starting to soften, about 4-5 minutes.

Season, then pour the wine (or extra beef broth), the beef broth and the Worcestershire sauce in the pan to deglaze. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, that’s pure flavor right there!

Bring to a boil, then check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed!

3 – Slow Cooker

Finally, carefully transfer the mushroom and broth mixture to the slow cooker.

Stir well, then cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.

4 – Thicken the gravy:

Once the cooking time is up, open the slow cooker and stir.

Stir in the cornstarch slurry, then simmer WITH THE LID OPEN for 5-10 minutes or until the gravy has thickened to your liking.

Note: What if your gravy doesn’t thicken?

Sometimes it’s hard to gauge how much cornstarch slurry you need to thicken the gravy (it depends on ho much juices your meat releases, how much your gravy thickened from the flour alone etc).

First, make sure you only use a couple of tablespoons of cool water to stir up your cornstarch slurry. Do not add the cornstarch dry to the gravy, or it will only clump up but not thicken your juices. If your gravy hasn’t thickened after 5-10 minutes, add more cornstarch slurry.

slow cooker with beef tips and mushroom gravy, with a wooden spoon in it

Nora’s Tips for the Perfect Crockpot Beef Tips and Mushroom Gravy:

Which beef cut to use for beef tips?

Since this is cooked in the slow cooker for a long time, there’s no need to use a prime cut.

On the contrary, it would be a shame to cook an expensive cut of meat for such a long time!

Simply use beef stew meat, it’s budget friendly and will be fork-tender from the slow and low cooking.

If you want to use a different cut, I recommend using a chuck roast you cut into pieces yourself.

Don’t skip browning the chunks of beef before adding them to the slow cooker.

Browning the beef before slow cooking it adds so much extra flavor!

It also helps give the beef chunks and nice color and caramelizes the meat. It’s absolutely worth the extra time and skillet to wash!

Can this dish be made ahead and frozen?

Ok so the internet is divided on this, but I’m a stickler when it comes to food hygiene and food safety when freezing/reheating. And I do not reheat mushrooms, ever.

You can make ahead and freeze this beef tips and gravy recipe if you skip the mushrooms.

To make ahead and eat later: Transfer the finished dish (cooker without mushrooms!) to a shallow container to cool quickly to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

To reheat, bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until piping hot all the way through. You can also reheat it in the microwave, just make sure to stir from time to time to make sure it reheats evenly.

To freeze: Transfer the finished dish (cooker without mushrooms!) to a shallow container to cool quickly to room temperature.

Then, transfer to a freezer bag or container, label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months) and place in the freezer.

To reheat, defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat as you would refrigerated beef tips as instructed above.

What to serve with beef tips and gravy:

SIDE DISH

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

DESSERT

Apple Fritters

Print the Recipe: