Slow Cooker Beef Tips with Gravy

Name: Slow Cooker Beef Tips with Gravy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 420 min
Total time: 440 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 pounds top sirloin (cubed); 3 tablespoon vegetable oil (divided); 1 teaspoon seasoning salt (I use Lawry's, divided); fresh ground black pepper (to taste); 2 cups low-sodium beef broth; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon dry thyme; 1 cup diced onion; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 bay leaf; 3 tablespoons water; 2 tablespoons cornstarch

September 28, 2016 112 Comments

CP Slow Cooker CF Comfort Food

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A delicious way to prepare steak in the cold fall and winter months. Slow Cooker Beef Tips with Gravy is a satisfying, family-friendly meal. With a little help from your slow cooker you can have this delicious meal on your menu any night of the week.

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I thought my relationship with my slow cooker was pretty solid but as time goes by I’ve found myself falling even more deeply in love with this helpful appliance. I try to include one slow cooker meal in my menu planning each week and it always ends up to be such a lifesaver. I encourage you to try it, you won’t be sorry.

It’s been my aim to create a collection of slow cooker recipes that work through all the seasons of the year and include the cuts of meat I use the most. This recipe is my latest addition to this growing list of busy day meal ideas.

My Favorite Cut for Beef Tips

When I hit up Costco, a great big package of top sirloin almost always ends up in my shopping cart. We are steak lovers in this house and this cut is particularly lean and there are an endless variety of ways to prepare it. In the summer we most often pop it on the grill but with the colder months on the way, I wanted to share this fabulous slow cooker recipe that works beautifully with this cut.

There’s nothing quite as comforting to me as tender, slow cooked beef with gravy. This dish practically demands that it be served over mashed potatoes but white or brown rice or pasta of any kind would also work very well.

Cook up a quick vegetable side dish and dinner is served.

How to Make Beef Tips in the Slow Cooker

Start by searing the beef, in batches, in a heavy pan . Cast iron is always my first choice for this task. Season the steak with seasoning salt and fresh ground black pepper while it’s browning. Transfer the seared beef to your slow cooker.

Pour in a couple of cups of low-sodium beef broth, a good tablespoon of Worcestershire, and the sprinkle the beef with Italian seasoning and dry thyme. I actually prefer dry seasonings in this recipe since they are intensely flavorful and I always have them sitting right in my pantry.

Sprinkle a cup of diced onion and a good amount of minced garlic over the top and tuck a bay leaf down into the mixture. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours, or until the beef is fork tender. If you cook it too long, the beef will begin to fall apart. Now, there are worse things in life than beef so tender it is falling apart, however the hope is to end with nicely formed beef cubes that are melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Remember, slow cooker times are always approximate and vary with each model.

Combine a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch with an equal amount of water and add the slurry to the slow cooker, stirring it into the sauce. Let the mixture cook for an additional 5 or 10 minutes to thicken into a beautiful, luxurious gravy. Remove the bay leaf and you are ready to serve.

Spoon the beef and gravy over a mound of creamy mashed potatoes, white or brown rice, or buttered noodles.