4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy

4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy (using Cubed Sirloin), The gravy is simply preposterous.
This beef tips and gravy in the slow cooker is a recipe that I reach to throughout the weeks that are more hectic, yet I would still like dinner to feel home cooked, but I lacked time (or energy) to go as far as a long list of ingredients. Beef tips and gravy is a typical Midwestern comfort food: small chunks of beef are cooked slowly and in low gravy, which is very rich and savory and is almost begging to be drizzled over a plate of mashed potatoes. Cubed sirloin makes it a bit thinner and faster to prepare, however, the slow cooker will not deny you the melt-in-your-mouth texture. It is that type of food that you scramble together in the morning forget about it when you are at work or taking children to practice, and then come home and stroll into a house that smells like you have been cooking all day.

4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy (using Cubed Sirloin)

Ingredients

cubed sirloin beef
- Quantity: 2-2 1/2 pounds (cut to 1-1 1/2 inch pieces)
- Notes: Cubed sirloin cooks faster and results in tender, bite-sized pieces that absorb the gravy beautifully. Cutting into uniform pieces helps even cooking and prevents some pieces from becoming tough while others finish early.
condensed cream of mushroom soup
- Quantity: 10.5-ounces (2 cans)
- Notes: Forms the creamy and savory gravy base. The condensed soup thickens naturally during slow cooking, eliminating the need for additional thickening agents in most cases. It also contributes a rich, umami flavor.
dry brown gravy mix
- Quantity: 1 (1-ounce) package
- Notes: Adds depth and seasoning to the gravy without requiring extra spices. The mix helps create the classic beef gravy flavor associated with Midwestern comfort dishes.
beef broth (low sodium, preferably)
- Quantity: 1 cup
- Notes: Adds moisture and enhances the beef flavor without making the gravy overly salty. Low-sodium broth allows for better control of final seasoning after cooking.
salt and black pepper, to taste, to add after cooking
- Quantity: to taste
- Notes: Seasoning after cooking allows you to adjust flavor precisely. The soup and gravy mix may already contain sufficient salt, so it is best to taste before adding extra.

Directions

Add the liquids and gravy base: In the slow cooker bowl, combine the condensed cream of mushroom soup, dry brown gravy mix and beef broth until they are smoothly blended and mostly smooth.
Add meat: Add the cubed sirloin to the slow cooker and stir lightly so that all the cubes in the gravy blend. Ensure that the beef is largely covered so that it cooks and remains tender.
Slow cook: And cover and cook on Low 6-7 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours, until the beef is extremely tender and the gravy is thickened. Slow cookers may differ, hence begin to look at tenderness at the earlier side of the time frame.
Seasoning: When the beef is cooked, have a taste of the gravy. Add salt and black pepper, only when necessary – between the soup and gravy mix, it could be already salty.
Serve: Carefully stir all the ingredients to ensure that the beef is well covered with the gravy. Heat on top of mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice, and spoon a lot of additional gravy on top.

Variations & Tips

Onion and garlic add: Have a few extra minutes in the morning then add 1 small sliced onion and 2-3 minced garlic livers to the bottom of the slow cooker then place the beef. It also gives a home cooked taste with no complexities.
The version of mushroom lovers: Add in 1-2 cups of sliced fresh mushrooms to the beef. They will boil down and absorb the gravy and make the dish seem special, without much hard work.
Extra-thick gravy: To make the gravy thick, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water and pour into the slow cooker within 20-30 minutes of cooking. Switch the slow cooker to HIGH and allow it to boil until it is thick.
Make-ahead: To buy yourself some time on a worknight, chop the sirloin the night before and put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You may simply blend the gravy ingredients in the slow cooker, add the beef and stir and go in the morning. The soup, gravy and broth can also be pre-mixed in a jar and then refrigerated ready for pouring when you are ready.
Freezer meal suggestion: Place the cubed sirloin and dry gravy mix into a freezer bag, and freeze flat. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before the cooking day, place in the slow cooker with the cream of mushroom soup and beef broth. This is good in filling your freezer during particularly busy weeks.
White swaps: To make it a little lighter, exchange one can of the cream of mushroom soup with the second can with one can of stock beef broth and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. The texture will be a little bit more light but without losing the saucy and comforting texture.