Home » Dinner » Beef » Slow Cooker Beef Tips with Mushroom Gravy (and Instant Pot!)
Homemade beef tips with mushroom gravy — as always with NO canned soups! My beef tips are ridiculously tender and easy to make in your slow cooker or instant pot. Serve beef tips over cauliflower mash, mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice!
Today I’m bringing on another round of homemade comfort food, loaded into a bowl over a fluffy cloud of creamy mashed potatoes.
My homemade beef tips are a family favorite.
When things are going a hundred miles per hour over here on weeknights, I need to get dinner on the table without having to babysit it. So I make a round of beef tips with mushroom gravy and serve it over a bed of fluffy,garlicky mashed potatoesand somehow, with every bite the troubles of the day slowly dissipate.
Hubby is happy because it’s man-food and I’m elated because fewer dishes! Although to be fair, hubby does dinner dishes. So my happiness stems more from the fact that this recipe requires minimum prep but produces maximum flavor?
Yes; let’s go with that. That’s it.
Video for the Best Beef Tips
It always makes me laugh when I share an instant pot recipe. Immediately I’ll get messages asking how to make that recipe in the slow cooker or on the stove. And the reverse proves to be true when I make recipes in the slow cooker/stove top. So this one goes out to all of my slow cooker AND instant pot fanatics.
Let’s let our kitchen gadgets make us dinner.
The inspiration for today’s beef tips with mushroom gravy comes from a Mississippi pot roast. I love what happens to brown gravy after it’s been mingling with pepperoncini pepper — one problem. I like to avoid using store-bought gravy mixes as much as possible. So I’m making a from-scratch gravy mix using simple ingredients that you can find in your own pantry. All except one are a pantry staple in most households. So you can quickly put this meal together on the fly.
Ingredients for instant pot beef tips
- Butter:we’ll season the beef with flour, kosher salt, and black pepper before we sear the meat in the butter to help create a layer of fond in the bottom of the fish. This will help flavor the rest of the beef tips ingredients.
- Beef:For beef stews and beef tips, I prefer to use a well-trimmed chuck roast or round roast that’s cut into 1-inch cubes. Sometimes, I’ll purchase ‘beef stew meat’ from the grocery store, which saves the time of having to trim and cut the meat into cubes. It all depends on what the grocery store has to offer; either would work for this recipe. Essentially, and tougher cuts of meat that require a longer cooking time will work for this recipe.
- Flour:will help thicken the stew and create a crust on the beef when we sear it.
- Chopped onions:adds flavor to the dish.
- Mushrooms:gives the recipe a bit more bite. The umami present in mushrooms works beautifully with beef. We aren’t using a can of cream of mushroom soup. So this and the mushroom powder essentially make up for that.
- Seasonings:we’ll use garlic powder, sugar, onion powder, dried thyme, and mushroom powder. A lot of these ingredients are actually what is present in a store-bought dry onionsoup mix.
- Worcestershire sauce:bumps the umami in the dish.
- Pepperoncini peppers:adds a peppery acidity to the dish which helps cut through the richness of the beef and butter and gives you a satisfying flavor. Trust me, leftovers taste even better! The meat is melt-in-your-mouth delicious on day two!
- Beef broth or stock:is the liquid portion of the dish. The meat and veggies will cook in this.
- cornstarch:we’ll mix a few tablespoons of cornstarch with water to create a cornstarch slurry that will help thicken the gravy at the end. A thickening agent is usually present in brown gravy mix, but since we aren’t using a packet for this recipe, this does that for us!
Making easy crock pot beef tips (or instant pot)
- Start by getting in that free flavor.Season the meat with flour, salt, and black pepper. Heat the butter in the instant pot directly if you’re pressure cooking. If you’re using the slow cooker or crock pot, you’ll want to do this in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear the beef in batches and then remove to a plate. Add the onions and use a wooden spoon to scratch and pick up the fond layer that the beef left behind.
- Let it cook.Transfer the meat to a slow cooker at this point, and add all the ingredients except the cornstarch, and let the pressure cooker or slow cooker run.
- Make a slurry.Grab some of theliquid from the instant pot or slow cooker when it’s nearly done andwhiskittogetherwith thecornstarch(or you can also use water.) pour and stir this into thegravyand lettheslow cooker or instant pot simmer the beef tips a little longer until the gravy thickens.
- Serve this up – any way you like it!You can serve these beef tips over mashed potatoes (try my cheddar cheese variety) or you can use rice, mashed cauliflower or even egg noodles!
FAQs about this recipe
Is stew meat and beef tips the same thing?
Basically, beef tips are any cut of meat cut into cubes. However, it is important to understand that when you’re pressure cooking or slow cooking meat, there are certain cuts of meat that work better than others. The tougher the meat, the longer it’ll take to cook; the more perfect it is for slow cooking/pressure cooking.
s it ok not to brown meat before slow cooking?
You can skip this step if you’d like, but know that searing the meat in batches in a pan creates a layer of fond in the bottom of the dish which is essentially ‘free flavor.’ By skipping this step, you do lose some of the flavor development.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Absolutely! My suggestion would be to swap the flour for a 1-1 gluten-free baking mix. The package will be marked, and it means that you can swap 1 part flour for 1 part of the baking mix. So for this recipe, you’ll need a total of 2 tablespoons of 1-1 GF baking mix.
How do you store leftover beef tips?
Leftover beef tips can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. I do find that this is one of those recipes that taste better on day two, so trust me, you’re gonna love the leftovers!
Yield: 8-10 servings
Slow Cooker Beef Tips with Mushroom Gravy (and Instant Pot!)
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Homemade beef tips with mushroom gravy — as always with NO canned soups! My beef tips are ridiculously tender and easy to make in your slow cooker or instant pot. Serve beef tips over cauliflower mash, mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 pounds chuck roast, trimmed+ cubed (or stew meat works too)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 onion, diced
- 8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, cut into thick slices
- 1 ½ teaspoon EACH: garlic powder AND sugar
- 1 teaspoon EACH: onion powder, dried thyme, AND mushroom powder
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large bay leaf
- ½ cup pepperoncini peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ - 2 cups low sodium beef stock (see directions)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with a few tablespoons of water)
Instructions
- SEAR: Season the beef with the flour, a big pinch of salt and pepper; mix well. Heat the butter in the instant pot on the sauté setting or a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When it melts sear the beef in batches to form a brown crust, remove to a plate, and continue searing the remaining beef. Add the onions and switch to a wooden spoon. Sauté them for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure no brown bits are left stuck on.
- SLOW COOKER: Place 2 cups of beef stock along with the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker (except the corn starch) and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-7 hours. 35 minutes before the cooking time is up, combine ½ cup of the liquid from the slow cooker and the cornstarch in a small bowl, whisk until smooth. Add to the slow cooker and allow for the food to cook for the remaining 30 minutes. If the gravy is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water to thin it to your desired consistency. If you still find your gravy is thin, add more cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon of water. Adjust salt and pepper to preference and serve over rice/mashed potatoes/cauliflower mash, etc.
- OR INSTANT POT: Place 1 ½ cups of beef stock along with the remaining ingredients in the instant pot (except the cornstarch) and select the meat/stew setting. Cook on manual high pressure for 35 minutes. Once the stew is cooked allow natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes. This gives the meat a chance to really soak up all those flavors. Click the ‘sauté’ setting. Dissolve the cornstarch with 2-3 tablespoons of water and add that to the instant pot once the liquid starts bubbling. Allow the sauce to thicken, about 1-2 minutes, stir to combine. If the gravy becomes too thick, you can add a couple more tablespoons of water to thin it to your desired consistency. Adjust salt and pepper to preference and serve over mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles.
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Beef Comfort Foods Dinner Fall Fall Favorites Instant Pot Slow Cooker beef stew beef stew meat beef tips brown gravy chuck roast egg noodles French onion beef tips instant pot instant pot beef tips mashed potatoes mushroom gravy pepperoncini peppers round steak sirloin steak slow cooker beef tips stew stew meat
originally published on Feb 18, 2019 (last updated Oct 26, 2023)
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81 comments on “Slow Cooker Beef Tips with Mushroom Gravy (and Instant Pot!)”
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Heather Hanks — Reply
I was looking for something new and easy to make in my slow cooker and this was it! It was very tasty and I served it over cauliflower mash. It took quite a bit of cornstarch to thicken the gravy, probably closer to 5 tablespoons. The meat was tender and I love anything with mushrooms.
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Barbara Karr — Reply
Usually your recipes are spot on. This one becomes a little confusing. Mushroom powder? When you live in Wisconsin likes I do, Trader Joe’s may as well be on Mars for all the help I get from it. From the recipe description the mushroom powder is important to achieve the taste needed to make this recipe a success. When I am blocked from recipes because of missing ingredients I tend to get a little testy. Your photos and your descriptions make this a desirable recipe. Your ingredients make it achievable for only a few. Please consider your ingredients when posting your next recipe. There are many, many recipes not available to me because of a lack of essential ingredients. Please keep this in mind when posting again.
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Marzia — Reply
Hi Barbara, I’m glad you’re interested in making this recipe! I understand your concern about not having access to TJ’s mushroom powder. In the post I’ve also shared two other substitutes for those that may not have a TJ’s nearby. The BTB mushroom base and powdered porcini mushroom are both substitutes that most mainstream grocery stores carry. Here is a link if you’re interested in purchasing it online
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Becky — Reply
A recipe is really only a guide. If i had to follow a recipe 100% I would almost never be able to use recipes because my husband can’t eat onions or peppers. just use what you have available and make adjustments as you need to. I can’t wait to try this recipe it sounds amazing. I will omit the mushroom powder, onion and peppers, but it will still be amazing, I”m sure. thanks.
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Jenn — Reply
I’m in the same situation. I live in Montana. But I’ve made this recipe dozens of times. How? online shopping! That one bottle of mushroom powder from Amazon is still half full!
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Carri — Reply
Or just leave it out. It still worked well without it. Kinda reminds me of Mississippi pot roast
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Linda — Reply
I dehydrate mushrooms in my home dehydrator and then turn them into powder by using my Bullet blender or even my mortar and pestle. I try to have this powder on hand all the time because it adds so much richness when added to soups and stews. Just another option. I believe they have mushroom powder available on Amazon also.
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Anne — Reply
I’m signing up for your recipes. I’m excited that your recipes do not include canned soup. I can tell from your articles that you know what you’re talking about and I can learn from you!
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Joyce Wagner — Reply
I made this recipe in my Instant Pot tonight, and omigosh, it was fabulous!!! It has a little heat from the peppers, but we love it that way. The meat was indeed very tender, just as promised. We served it over buttered egg noodles…so good! I forgot to pick up the mushroom powder, so I left it out this time. But I will buy it for next time, because there WILL be a next time! Yum!
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Kristen — Reply
How long do I cook in the instant pot if I want to half the recipe? I’m only cooking for two of us.
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Marzia — Reply
The cooking time should remain the same. If you’re worried, you can cut back about 5 minutes, vent, test the meat, and then cook as necessary 🙂
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Jolene Todd — Reply
Making beef tips now. Had already started my recipe when I came across yours so it’s not fair for me to rate it. I am so excited to try mushroom powder! I don’t have it but just ordered some from Amazon and it’ll be here in a week (back ordered.) Don’t listen to that “testy” woman who said you should modify your recipes. She needs to learn how to modify her cooking to what she has on hand. Pfft. OH and I would SO put the peppers in it if it weren’t for my 7 year old grandson. He doesn’t do spicy but I’m working on that. In short I’m going to try this recipe soon WITH the peppers and mushroom powder! Happy cooking!
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Marzia — Reply
Hope you enjoy it to the fullest, Jolene!
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Molly — Reply
Made this in the Instant Pot and it was wonderful – tender and lots of flavor even without the mushroom powder/base (looked at three grocery stores without any luck). Thanks for a great recipe!
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Nellie — Reply
Just wondering if i could replace the beef stock with mushroom stock if i don’t have mushroom powder?
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Marzia — Reply
Yes, the mushroom stock should work well if you don’t have mushroom powder 🙂
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Yen L Reed — Reply
My new favorite recipe nad perfect for this time of the year!! I used chuck meat instead and added one cup of wine. And since I was out of beef stock I added one can of french onion soup. Love the umani-ness of the mushroom powder. Great call on that find!! Lots of ohhs and ahhs from the family so will def be making this again!
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Mary Cintron — Reply
This recipe is absolutely fabulous! For my husband to go for have seconds and say “this is fabulous” is unheard of in 45 years. So thank you so much! I will pass this along.
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Tania Peterson — Reply
Absolutely delicious and easy to make.
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Nikki — Reply
Seriously good! My husband can’t stop talking about this recipe. Truly our favorite instant pot recipe. Followed recipe exactly as written….except did not have mushroom powder. Next time I make I will find and use. The use ofpepperoncini is a must. Adds a depth of flavor that is hard to describe. Thanks for a great recipe!
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Emma — Reply
Is the mushroom powder you use this one from Trader Joe’s? Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend
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Marzia — Reply
Yup, that’s the one!
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Toni — Reply
Would you be able to add a basket with potatoes in it on top of the beef tips to make mashed potatoes? Would the cook time be the same?
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Marzia — Reply
Hey there! I’ve never really done any multilevel cooking in the IP before, so not really sure about cooking times at all. Would love to know how it goes if you decide to give it a try though 🙂
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Joy Cline — Reply
I could not find mushoom powder at my grocery store so i bought a pkg of dried porcini mushrooms in the produce section ( a little pricy ) then i ground them in my mini food processor and made my own powder. It worked well.
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Alba — Reply
Amazing! I followed the recipe as described and my husband and I loved it. I would not have left out the pepperoncinis!! They add the perfect depth of flavor and the smell was amazing. Totally worth scouring the grocery store for them 🙂 Served this over some mashed potatoes and it was a delight.
Thanks for this non-box gravy recipe!5
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Marzia — Reply
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Alba! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
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Kim — Reply
I didn’t have mushroom powder (and didn’t substitute anything for it), yet it was still sooooo delicious! Just made it 3 nights ago and my husband already asked that I make it again this weekend. I was pleasantly surprised at the wonderful flavor of the gravy.. My tastebuds were dancing on my tongue! Thanks so much for sharing this post! Will be sure to check out your other recipes!
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Marzia — Reply
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Kim! Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
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Deb — Reply
i would like to make this for a group of 16 ladies for a week long girls get away. I prep everything ahead and then just plug in the slow cooker the day we need it. Have you ever prepared this ahead to the point of plugging it in?
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Marzia — Reply
Hey there! I haven’t tried prepping the recipe in advance. If it’s just the day before serving it, I think it should hold up just fine though!
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Dee — Reply
Absolutely has 5 star potential!! The only problem i found was a 1/2 cup of pepperoncini was just a tad too much. Kids won’t like the strong pepper taste. I had to use sour cream to try and cut some of the spiciness. I would dial it back to maybe a quarter cup, Otherwise it was a terrific dish over egg noodles. Melt in your mouth tender! Thanks so much.
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Tracy — Reply
First off I love your recipes!!!! I have a bunch of frozen tenderloin and boneless NY steaks, thoughts would either work? Also my hubs won’t do mushrooms, a texture thing…. (I will still add the mushroom powder ?) will the dish be lacking without or anything you suggest instead? Thank you
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Marzia — Reply
Thanks, Tracy! The tenderloin could work here! You can omit the mushrooms if you wish, but I would only thicken with half of the cornstarch slurry first, and add more as needed. I think you may need less as mushrooms release a lot of that liquid while pressure cooking. Hope that helps!
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Jane — Reply
Very easy and quick recipe ,much better than my usual one ,this is the one I shall be using from now on ,very moist and very tasty
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Marzia — Reply
So happy to hear it was enjoyed, Jane! Appreciate you taking the time to circle back and leave a comment!!
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dan wisniewski — Reply
Excellent! I’ve bookmarked your site – I’ll be back for more recipes. My wife & daughter loved it. It has now become a stained paper recipe up with my others. And while I had my doubts about the pepperoncini, it worked for us. Had to skip the mushroom powder ( nothing at my local Publix ) – but I’ll find it and include it next time.
Great taste!
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SemySweet — Reply
Fabulous recipe. I sauté onion after the beef, and prefer jalapeños to the pepperoncinis.
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Marzia — Reply
Sounds delicious! So happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
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Lisa — Reply
This was delicious!!! I make it in the instant pot and it turns out perfect! I love the kick the peppers give it! We serve it over spaetzel
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Kat — Reply
Great recipe!
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janet dancy — Reply
Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! A keeper recipe for my instant pot!
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Jodi F — Reply
So so so good! And easy! I did the instant pot version. It’s going on the favorites board! Kids and adults loved it!
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Dasha T — Reply
What happens if I added the cornstarch on accident into the slow cooker recipe?
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Dasha — Reply
I’m sorry I meant instant pot
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Robin — Reply
I can only find pepperoncini pickled peppers in my grocery stores. Is that would you should be using? It seems a bit off to me and has kept me from making this recipe.
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Marzia — Reply
Hi Robin! Yes, the pepperoncini peppers do come in pickling liquid, but we aren’t using the pickling brine in the beef tips. The gravy doesn’t predominantly taste of pepperoncini peppers; they mellow out with all the other seasonings. However, if you aren’t a fan of them, you may not enjoy this recipe.
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Robin — Reply
Thank you for the reply. I just wasn’t sure if it would taste like the pickling liquid even if it wasn’t being used. I am definitely going to try this now I have most of the ingredients at home already! Thank you again!
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