A tried-and-true family recipe for stew beef or beef tips slow-cooked until tender with a rich gravy served over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- JUMP TO THE RECIPE
- SIX TIPS FOR MAKING IT THE BEST
- HOW TO SERVE STEWED BEEF WITH GRAVY
- MORE SLOW-COOKED COUNTRY FAVORITES
Stewed Beef is something I grew up eating. Nanny cooked it and Mama cooked it but I never ran into anyone else that knew what it was.
When I’d refer to "Stewed Beef" people would look at me funny and ask if I meant “Beef Stew”. So I just figured it was a family thing.
It makes the most amazing gravy which we always served over rice. This, with field peas or black-eyed peas, fresh sliced tomatoes, cat head biscuits and potato salad is on of my all-time favorite meals! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
When I posted a picture on the Facebook page and asked if anyone was familiar with it, the entire internet responded with a resounding, Duh, heifer, where you been??
Ah-haaaa... I call it something different than y'all. It looks like many MANY folks call this Beef Tips and some just Stew Beef (no "ed" at the end).
Whatever you call it, I'm just glad y'all love it as much as I do! I was starting to get concerned that the world did not know the goodness of slow-cooked beef with gravy!
ALL YOU NEED TO MAKE STEWED BEEF TIPS WITH GRAVY
I hope you're not expecting anything fancy because this is pretty basic stuff. We are some Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix loving people in my family. It's never occurred to me to try to make it any other way because I think this recipe is perfect.
- Beef stew meat
- Beef broth
- Beefy Onion Soup Mix (such as Lipton)
- Worcestershire sauce
- Cornstarch
- Oil, water, salt & pepper
HOW TO COOK STEWED BEEF TIPS WITH GRAVY
Again, nothing fancy or complicated here BUT there is one thing you absolutely must do. Or maybe I should say, absolutely must NOT do but I wrote it into the recipe card and the notes and in the Tips section below.
- Season beef with salt and pepper then sear in a hot pan
- Deglaze pan with broth, beefy onion soup mix, worcestershire and water
- Add beef back to pan then cook low and slow
- Add a cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy
- That’s it!
SIX TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST STEWED BEEF TIPS
1 – Sear the meat over very hot heat in batches. If the pan isn't hot enough or is too crowded, the meat will just boil in its rendered juices which may make it tough.
2 – Bring the pot to a simmer slowly over low heat.
3 – DO NOT let the pot come to a full rolling boil. If the pot begins boiling hard even over the lowest heat setting, remove the lid to allow for a slower simmer.
4 – If you have time, the meat is even more tender and the gravy thicker if you can let everything rest, off the heat (30 minutes uncovered or 1 hour covered) before serving.
5 – If you can't find "stew meat" in the store or what you find doesn't look amazing, buy a chuck or rump roast then cut into 1-inch cubes. If you really want to win the blue ribbon, render the fat from any trimmings to use to sear the meat (major flavor points if you can!).
6 – You can substitute 2 beef bullion cubes and 1 teaspoon onion powder for the Beefy Onion Soup mix if needed.
HOW TO SERVE STEWED BEEF WITH GRAVY
- I know this may start a riot, but I think this is BEST over white rice.
- I also know y'all are going to eat it how you want to eat it and, depending on where you're from, that is likely over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
- I know a Canadian or two who will eat this over toast.
- 10-year old me would trade dessert for a second helping of this over a piece of white bread.
MORE SLOW-COOKED COUNTRY FAVORITES
BRAISED PORK & CABBAGE – Cabbage and fork-tender pork pieces cooked down in a light tomato broth with caramelized and crispy bits on top.
NANNY'S STICKY CHICKEN – An old-school Southern recipe for fall-off-the-bone tender chicken pieces braised low and slow in a cast iron skillet in a slightly sweet, tangy sauce.
SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS – Fork-tender pork chops smothered in gravy that thickens as the chops bake and tenderizes them low and slow in the oven.
Recipe for How to Stewed Beef (Beef Tips) with Gravy
Stewed Beef (Beef Tips) with Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt & pepper
- 1 14-oz. can beef broth
- 1 envelope beefy onion soup mix (such as Lipton)
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup water, divided
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Season stew meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a wide pan over high heat.
- Add half of the beef to the hot pan then sear for 2 minutes. Stir meat then continue cooking another 2-3 minutes to sear other sides of the meat. Remove from pan then repeat with the remaining pieces, removing all meat from the pan.
- Reduce heat to low then add beef broth, beefy onion soup mix, 1/2 cup water and worcestershire sauce. Stir to deglaze the pan.
- Add seared meat back to the pan with the broth mixture, cover then cook for 1.5-2 hours. Do not let the pot reach a full rolling boil or the meat will get tough. If the pot starts to boil at lowest heat, remove lid and continue cooking.
- Add cornstarch to a small bowl then whisk in remaining 1/2 cup of water until smooth. Stir cornstarch liquid into broth, cover, then continue cooking for 10 minutes or until broth has thickened into a gravy. Serve over white rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
Notes
- Use stew meat or make your own from a beef roast (chuck or rump are my favorites), cutting the meat into 1-inch pieces.
- If you can plan for it, allowing the stewed beef to rest in the pot for 30-45 minutes will make it extra tender.
- Any questions are likely answered in the post above.
- Recipe updated March 2024 to include worcestershire and 1 additional tablespoon of cornstarch. I like the tiny touch of acidic flavor the worcestershire brings. I'd always eyeballed the cornstarch but the past few times I measured to see exactly how much I used and it's closer to 3 tablespoons.
Looks yummy!!
ReplyDeleteI know this is a waaaay late response but I tried the recipe today, no substitutes, it came out tender & delicious.😋 Plain white rice balances out the saltiness of the meat.
DeleteI've never made Beef Tips before, but this sounded super easy so I made it tonight for dinner. Oh my! It was so delicious! This will be a regular meal in our dinner rotation. I loved everything about this! My hubby loved it, also. Thanks for the awesome easy dinner idea!
DeleteDelicious! Meat was tender and juicy. My husband loved it so much he finished it all off. I followed the recipe as written, but the gravy did not completely thicken. Not sure what I did wrong, but it was wonderful over egg noodles. Will certainly be doing this again. Thanks for the great dinner.
DeleteIn southern Louisiana we call it Stew meat and rice. It's cooked down with sautéed onions and bell peppers. We some times add potatoes to it as well. I use Brown gravy mix instead of the onion soup mix. Delish! :)
DeleteWe always called this dish as shown in picture Stew Beef and if we added veggies it was then called beef stew in North Carolina.
DeleteMaking tonight and it smells amazing so far!!!!
DeleteMade it tonight, added baby carrots while cooking penne pasta . ÐelisH
DeleteOh yes, my family makes stewed beef also! And it is served over rice in my house too. But we make it with the beef, onion, salt, pepper and water, no beef broth or onion soup mix. And we don't thicken it. As a child, I really didn't care for rice so I always ate it on white bread and that's still how I prefer it at 47, LOL. There's something comforting about the simplicity of this dish - I'm putting it on my menu plan very soon!
ReplyDeleteI used to like to eat it that way, too. My grandmother called it a "cat meal". Great memories!
DeleteIn my neck of the woods, we call this marvelous concoction beef tips...it is seriously one of my favorite meals ever... ultimate comfort food... sometimes, I make it with couscous instead of rice.
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting, it just so happens I'm making this tonight and i have couscous on hand, so I'm going to try that.
Deletethis is on the stove cooking as we speak! : ) I just know it will be a winner, thanks for posting! Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite, too...I've had good luck making it in the pressure cooker for falling-apart goodness. About 30-40 minutes then serve over white rice (I agree; the only acceptable cushion for the beefiness). :)
ReplyDeleteI have fixed this twice and it is a huge hit! We eat it with rice, as well. Cannot imagine fixing anything else with it. :)
ReplyDeleteI like it with rice ..a restaurant near by will offer it with mashed potatoes.
DeleteYeah that’s the way I remember it on mashed potatoes.It’s awesome
DeleteI have always loved this dish. My grandma cooked this over mashed potatoes and biscuits. A wonderful comfort meal. Western N.C
DeleteI think I just found dinner tonight! We are having a spring cold snap and this sounds perfect! :)
ReplyDeleteMy mom also makes this minus the onion soup and stirs in a little sour cream at the end....(NOT the same as Stroganoff, btw) Delicious over Mashed taters.....
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteOOh, sour cream huh? That sounds perfect!
DeleteOh how I love homemade hearty meals like this one. Thanks so much for linking up at Weekend Potluck. I want this SOON!
ReplyDeletehow funny I make this for Sunday dinner yesterday and it was down right good. i serve it over whit rice and steam cabbage.
ReplyDeleteCould you use a crock-pot?
ReplyDeleteSure!
DeleteI'd love to hear how it turned out in the crock-pot. Perhaps I will give it a whirl and let you know. Thanks for making my mouth water :)
DeleteI have done this in a crock pot..meat is mushy..never again.
DeleteMade mine in instant pot on slow cooker and meat wasn't tender. Should I use a different cut of meat? My cubes came much smaller than yours too.
DeleteHaving it tonight and serving over no yolk noodles:)
ReplyDeleteHow did you.cook the noodles? Wih a cheese sauce or plain?
DeleteMade this in crockpot last night. It turned out wonderful. Didn't even thaw the frozen stew meat. Dumped it in frozen, sprinkled the onion soup mix and poured in the broth. Cooked on low for about 6 hours. Was very tender. Served over rice. Super easy supper after a busy day at work. Will make again soon. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteJust Finished Cooking This I Cut Up An Extra Onion And It Was Great!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if this needs to be covered while the meat is cooking on low? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteThis was so good! Thanks for the great recipe. I didn't have any beef stock so I used 14 oz of water and 1/2 tablespoon of Anne's Chicken base. I like a thicker sauce so I doubled the ingredients for the cornstarch slurry. I also saw another person added sour cream, so I tried that too and loved it. I will deff be cooking this again.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite dishes! Cute blog...I am a new follower! Patsy
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite comfort meal. As a child, my grandmother would cook this when she didn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. And like yourself, people look at me crazy when I say "stewed beef". If I had meant to say beef stew, I would have said beef stew! You want find any taters and carrots and this meal. Thanks for sharing your recipe!!! Michael in Georgia
ReplyDeleteMy mama made this in the pressure cooker but used sage to season. When it was falling apart tender she would add cubed potatoes and boil until potatoes were tender. Stew beef n potatoes. YUM!
ReplyDeletei took the broth and put it in the pan i used to brown the meat.swiched it around a little to get all those good tasting flavers left then i went on with the recipe it was really good thanks
ReplyDeleteI cooked juice I mean broth concoction in same pan as beef I mixed it all together lol I hate doing dishes. It tasted great
Deletegrew up on this and love it, Thanks for helping to bring back those childhood smells from mama's kitchen
ReplyDelete.
Don't ever remember my Mom making this (she wasn't a very good cook), but many local Southern restaurants serve "Beef Tips and rice" and I always go for it. I've finally perfected my own crock pot recipe (no pre-browning necessary). I flour the meat heavily, lots of onions on the bottom of the crock pot, add floured meat (and any remaining flour on top), more onions on top. Instead of beef broth, I use comsumme with a dash of ketchup to sweeten it a tad. Using all the flour, the consumme, and all the onions, this makes its own thickened sauce/gravy. Perfect over rice. I don't buy "beef tips" at the store (too pricey), but get a good roast on sale and cut it into chunks. This is a staple menu item at our house.
ReplyDeleteCould this be made with ground beef instead of roast or stew beef??
ReplyDeleteI did a Google Search for recipes on Stew Meat other than Stew and found your site. I am so glad I did. Loved this dish and will definitely make again. I am a huge fan and have already made three other recipes from your site and love every one of them
ReplyDeleteI was just wondering if you could omit onion soup( dislike immensely) then read another comment that said her grandmother did. Thxs!
ReplyDeleteMade it tonight...... So delicious thanks for the recipe...... Will definately use it again..... I used basmati rice
ReplyDeleteMy mother made this on Sundays with rice when I was a kid. It was always one of my favorite meals. Whenever I googled Stewed Beef it would always show Beef Stew recipes. Thank you so much for this recipe.
ReplyDeleteI am soooo happy to see someone had the same reactions I did when I asked people about stewed beef. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI am soooo happy to see someone had the same reactions I did when I asked people about stewed beef. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYour recipe looks amazing! I can't wait to try it. I'm going to go with another commenter and try this in a slow cooker. And serve it with brown rice.
ReplyDeleteI have a slow cooker meal with beef and pasta (http://doubletherecipe.com/2016/02/03/slow-cooker-beef-pasta/)
Thanks for sharing such a great post!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI added 2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce to the gravy base, seasoned the meat with a little bit of onion and garlic powder, and served over homemade potatoes. Oh, my, was this a hit! This is one of my husbands favorite meals now.
I was curious about adding worshissher sauce, glad to read you tried it and agreed
DeleteWe used to make this in the crock pot, but i didn't like onions. So instead i used one can cream of chicken soup, and one package of beef gravy mix. It's delicious!
ReplyDeleteCan you use chicken broth instead of beef broth?
ReplyDeleteI just made this for my family. It came out perfect and is delicious!
ReplyDeleteMaking this today and I can't wait. Fresh string beans and roasted carrots for sides...yum!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this recipe. I love this as a child and it's a hit w my kids too.
ReplyDeleteI added a bit of garlic and a good amount of fresh thyme. Delish!
ReplyDeleteI remember something similar called braised beef tips over rice. Mama sprinkled a little flour over beef and braised it quickly on top of stove, with just a bit of oil, then loaded the crock pot and let it cook several hours on high. What a wonderful memory you brought back with this recipe!
ReplyDeleteDo i have to use cornstarch ?
ReplyDeleteYou can use flour
DeleteCan you use vegetable broth?
ReplyDeleteI made a dark roux first. Amazing. The flavor is deep and complex. TY for the recipe
ReplyDeleteI should have reviewed this recipe several years ago! This was the first South Your Mouth recipe I ever made, and I didn't pay too much attention to anything but the recipe ingredients. I saw "
ReplyDeleteSouth Your Mouth" and thought that was the name of the recipe! When I came back and read again I realized it was Stewed Beef. But what the heck, hubby and I still call it "South Your Mouth," and it is one of our very favorites of all time! I make it about once a month during the cold months. And our grown children like to come over whenever I fix it. YUMMMMM.
HA! That's awesome! I love it! Well, I'm glad y'all enjoy it!
DeleteThis is really good. Thank you for the awesome directions. I changed a few things to make it a little cleaner, but it still tastes great. I use avocado oil instead of vegetable oil. I use mushroom broth instead of beef broth. I also use organic dried onion soup mix from frontier. I use arrowroot powder in place of corn starch. I make this a couple times a month. I add peas to it as well!
ReplyDeleteHad some beef tips and had to try this. I ate this a lot growing up and never knew it was simple to make. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteStew beef and rice is my all-time favorite recipe that my grandmother cooked she was from Lumberton North Carolina and just like you nobody that I ran into in Detroit Michigan knew what stew beef and rice was! My grandmother would let me sit in the kitchen but would not tell me how to cook. When I was first married at 19 years old and got our first little studio apartment I decided that I was going to make stew beef and rice I called my grandmother and ask her how to make it she said just cooking meat in some water with enough to cover and then cook your rice. I would never cooked anything other than a microwave meal up until this point and maybe some box macaroni and cheese I put that stew peas in a pot of water without browning it let it boil for an hour then added rice it was a monstrosity! She cooked it for us the next day and had us over but still refused to show me how to cook it her reasoning was she knew I would always come over for dinner if she was the only one that can make it LOL she passed away and as I got older and learned the fundamentals of cooking I learned to make it for myself and it tastes just like my grandmother's I make it for my mom my sister and my sister's husband and my kids and they all love it. Just got back from a vacation in Charleston South Carolina where I bought some Carolina gold rice and I think that's going to kick it up a notch. The only difference in my recipe and yours I don't use the Lipton Onion Soup mix just beef bouillon salt and pepper maybe I should try it with the Lipton Onion Soup mix
ReplyDeleteAlso for anybody wondering there is absolutely no comparison when instant rice and regular rice do not use the instant rice for this recipe I did four years and when I ran out of Instagram from the store didn't have any it had to use bagged rice it made the stew beef and rice taste so much better
ReplyDeleteI was born in Southeastern Virginia and we call our beef stew (soup not tips) Stew Beef, not stewed beef! Vernacular is so interesting.
ReplyDeleteWell, this is what will be for dinner tomorrow. I actually have everything in my pantry, minus the beef. When does that ever happen?!? Lol
ReplyDeleteMaking it for my boyfriend..can't wait!
I love your preface. I was just searching for "stew beef" and everything that came up was "beef stew". I was thinking, surely I'm not the only person whose mother called it this. Can't wait to try it out tonight.
ReplyDeleteHave been eating something similar my whole life, my mum alwayscalled it gravy beef and rice and oh my gosh im addicted to it, so excited to try this version
ReplyDeleteI made this a couple of months ago. My family and I loved it. I am making it again tonight and everyone is really looking forward to it. The beef was soft. The flavor was delicious 😋
ReplyDeleteThank you for this, but a fair warning to anyone else, I cooked this exactly towards the instructions and the sauce was as thin as it can be. I had to add almost 3 times the corn starch recommended to get any results at all
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is among the best. I followed it exactly as suggested and the meal turned out great. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is amazing! I’m in university and stew beef is cheap and a good source of protein. In Canada’s -25C winter weather, this is an amazing warm and delicious comfort food! I cook it with white rice and broccoli or on egg noodles.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite dishes to make ,I do mine a little differently though. I brown the stew meet with a 1/4c.of flour salt&pepper garlic to taste and tad of olive oil. Then put it in a crock pot with a cup and half of beef broth, chopped onion and bell pepper a dash of Wostershire Sauce along with 1Bay leaf. Put on low let it cool slow & low we lived in Northeastern North Carolina for about 20 yrs and my friend taught me to make this. It's so good with a side of collards. ��
ReplyDeleteGrew up on Beef Stew and rice, also Beef vegetable stew.
ReplyDeleteHello Mz Mandy,
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays.
First let me thank you for reviving a childhood favorite of mine. My mother made this meal. Sometimes she would coat the beef pieces with flour, and fry them, and then break them down with beef broth and cream of mushroom soup in the oven at 300°. Other time she would seasoned the beef pieces with garlic and onion powder, paprika, and black pepper. No salt. Then simmer with beef broth and onion and peppers. Sometimes served with potatoes, sometimes white rice.
I in turn have used this same recipe base and added sliced carrots and broccoli maybe a 1/2 hour before the end of the simmer time. Tender Beef & Broccoli!!. Thank Goodness for YOU.
Health & Prosperity Always.
W.Young
Boston, MA
I made this last night for my family because my oldest is home from college for a weekend. They all proclaimed it was the best beef I've ever made. And it is so stinkin' easy. Almost made me feel bad that something this easy outshone all the roasts an stews I've made over the year. But sho' was happy with how much they loved it. Putting the sear on the meat really amped up the flavor when the browning in the bottom of the pan lifted into the sauce. Excellent! Two thumbs up from this family of eight.
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting me know how much your family enjoys it! You just made my day!
DeleteMade this recipe for our Sunday dinner. Hubby said it was good. The meat was tender, and the gravy was very good. I used a shoulder roast cut up into chunks. I slow cooked it on the stove in my enameled Staub dutch oven on low for 3 1/2 hrs. A shoulder roast has a tendency to be a little on the tough side, but if Hubby said it was tender and good, it was good.
ReplyDeleteI've been making my cider beef stew with fluffy dumplings for 30 years. Last weekend I had the meat thawed, but no potatoes or carrots on hand so I googled and found your recipe. Not only is it super simple, but I knew from the ingredients that my family would like it just fine. I was wrong, they LOVED it! The only time I strayed from the recipe is in making the gravy. I'm not a fan of the texture cornstarch adds, so I have always used flour. I served it over egg noodles with a side of fire-roasted veggies and it was huge hit. My family already can't wait to try it over rice. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
ReplyDeleteThis was great, I put it over goat cheese polenta 😋
ReplyDeleteSmells delicious!! Have not tasted it yet. Used InstantPot.serving over rice...may add mushrooms
ReplyDeleteI’ve made this recipe as is several times and it is absolutely delicious. I serve it over egg noodles!
ReplyDeleteThis was absolutely phenomenal!
ReplyDeleteThis was delicious! I added green pepper and onion strips and served it over rice. Yum!
ReplyDeleteWhat if all I have are beef strips for stir fry?
ReplyDeleteGo for it!
DeleteI have this on the stove as we speak. I read the comments and saw the one about cream cheese and i have ½ a block left over in the fridge from a previous recipe and woooo! I'm going to pop that puppy in the pot at the end!
ReplyDeleteOkay, first off, this was a-MAZ-ing!! My kids (who normally barely eat one plate of food) were fighting over the last bits of meat (while hubby and I were happy with some of the leftover gravy over rice), and I’m already thinking I could easily double the amount of beef next time so there are leftovers for lunch the next day!
ReplyDeleteA couple of things…because some people commented on how salty the finished dish was, I skipped the step of salting the meat before I sautéed it. Also, because I use Better Than Bouillon (which can be salty) rather than already-made broth, I used a bit less than the recommended amount to make the broth. All of this is to say that when it was all done, it was a tad under-salted, which was perfect cuz it let me adjust to taste.
Also, I added a few dashes of thyme to the finished dish before serving for a little added dimension.
Definitely a keeper recipe!!
So delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteHello Mandy,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I am glad I ran across your recipe. It reminded me of my childhood. My mom made beef tips/w onion-mushroom gravy at least 2 times a month depending on what time of year it was (more often in colder months). I adapted you recipe based on what I had on-hand. The only thing I did different was to season the beef with garlic pepper and a few pinches (less than half a teaspoon) of sea salt and a little cornstarch. The rest of the recipe I followed as written. It's cooking now and I'll serve it with sour cream potatoes (hubby prefers potatoes over rice. I am a rice gal) and corn sort of like a potato bowl with fried onions on top. I am confident ot will be delicious.
Thank you for sharing this, yes my family also calls it beef tips, but we use stock instead of beef stock. But I do have a question. What are cat head biscuits?
ReplyDeleteThat's what we call biscuits that are hand-shaped (not cut with a biscuit cutter). When they cook they are more spread out, not as high and usually not perfectly round. I guess somebody, sometime, somewhere said they looked like cat heads and it stuck!
Delete