The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
The first time I made this, I almost skipped the gravy packets because I thought “why not just use cornstarch and call it a day.” Glad I didn’t. There’s something about the two packets working with the broth that gives you a sauce that actually coats the meat instead of just pooling under it.
This is a five-ingredient-plus-seasonings kind of dinner. Meat goes in raw, seasonings go in dry, lid goes on, and you don’t touch it again for eight hours. That’s the whole pitch.
Why This Works
Dry gravy mix, not prepared gravy, is the move here. If you mix the packets with water first like the box says, you’re diluting flavor before the beef even starts cooking — you end up thinning out something that needs eight hours to concentrate, not water down. Added dry, the starches in the gravy mix slowly thicken the broth as it simmers with the beef, and the flavor compounds instead of getting watered out from the start.
Cutting against the grain matters more than people think. I tested this once with meat cut with the grain instead of against it, and the texture was noticeably stringier — still tender, but chewier in a way that fights you a little. Against the grain, the muscle fibers are already short, so eight hours of low heat has less work to do breaking them down.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat
- 2 cups beef broth or beef stock
- 1 yellow or sweet onion, finely diced
- 2 packages (1 oz each) brown gravy mix
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the beef stew meat, beef broth, diced onion, both packages of gravy mix, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper to the slow cooker. Everything goes in raw and dry — no pre-mixing the gravy packets.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours. Don’t lift the lid to check on it every hour; every peek lets heat escape and adds cook time back onto the clock.
- Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles. Spoon extra gravy over the top — there’s plenty of it.
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 8 hours Total time: 8 hours 10 minutes Servings: 6
Tips
- If beef stew meat isn’t in the case that day, grab a chuck roast or round eye roast and cut it yourself into larger bite-sized chunks, against the grain. You’ll get better texture control than pre-cut stew meat anyway, since store-cut stew meat is often a mix of different cuts thrown together.
- Full-salt broth beats low-sodium here. The gravy mix already carries a lot of the seasoning load, and low-sodium broth on top of that can leave the final dish tasting flat no matter how much pepper you add.
- Buying the large container of gravy mix instead of packets? Use 6 tablespoons total — that’s the packet-equivalent amount, not a guess.
- Want it thicker without waiting longer? Crack the lid for the last 30 to 45 minutes and let some moisture cook off. Or stir in a slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon cold water, then let it cook a few more minutes. Repeat the slurry if it’s still thin.
Variations
Swapping the garlic cloves for 5 teaspoons of garlic paste or 2½ tablespoons of jarred minced garlic works fine — I’ve done it on busy weeks and can’t tell the difference in the final gravy. What I wouldn’t do is swap the beef broth for water plus bouillon and skip adjusting salt afterward; that version always turns out under-seasoned no matter how much pepper I throw at it, and by the time you notice it’s already been cooking for hours.
Make-Ahead
The beef itself holds up fine in the fridge for a few days and reheats well — the gravy actually thickens more overnight, if anything. What doesn’t work: fully assembling the raw slow cooker insert the night before and refrigerating it. Cold ceramic straight into a hot base can crack, and the extended cold-start time throws off the low-and-slow timing this recipe depends on. Prep and chop ahead, sure. Just don’t load the crock itself until cook day.
FAQ
Can I cook this on high instead of low?
Yes — 3 to 4 hours on HIGH instead of 7 to 8 on LOW. LOW is still the better choice if you have the time, since the slower heat breaks down the connective tissue in the stew meat more evenly and the beef comes out more tender.
Do I need to sear the beef first?
No. This recipe skips searing on purpose — everything goes in raw. You could sear it for extra browned flavor, but honestly the eight hours of cooking with the gravy mix and Worcestershire does most of that flavor-building work anyway, and I’d rather save the dishes.
Why is my gravy too thin?
Usually one of two things: the gravy mix wasn’t stirred in well at the start, or there’s extra liquid from the meat that diluted things. The cornstarch slurry fix above solves it fast, or crack the lid for the last stretch of cooking to let steam escape.
What cut of beef is best if I can’t find stew meat?
Chuck roast, cut against the grain into chunks yourself. Round eye roast works too, though I find it slightly leaner and a touch less forgiving if you’re not exact about cook time.
Closing Thoughts
This is the kind of dinner that’s better on a weeknight than a weekend — you want the eight-hour stretch to just happen in the background while you’re at work or running errands, not while you’re home watching it. I usually make a double batch of mashed potatoes when I make this, because the leftover gravy the next day is honestly better cold-weather lunch material than the beef itself.
Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy
These Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy feature tender chunks of beef cooked low and slow with onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and a rich brown gravy. Serve this easy comfort-food dinner over rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Assemble the Slow Cooker
- Add the beef stew meat, beef broth, finely diced onion, dry brown gravy mix, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper to the slow cooker.
- Stir until the gravy mix and seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the broth.
Slow Cook the Beef
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours, or until the beef is very tender.
- For a faster option, cook on HIGH for 3–4 hours. Cooking on LOW is recommended for the most tender beef.
Adjust the Gravy
- Stir the beef tips and gravy well. For a thicker sauce, remove the lid and allow some of the moisture to evaporate.
- For additional thickening, whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the slow cooker and cook for several minutes until thickened. Repeat with additional slurry if needed.
Serve
- Spoon the beef tips and gravy over cooked white rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles. Serve hot.
Notes
- Beef options: If packaged stew meat is unavailable, use chuck roast or eye of round roast cut against the grain into large bite-sized pieces.
- Broth options: Beef stock, beef bone broth, or beef bouillon mixed with water may replace the beef broth.
- Broth seasoning: Regular full-sodium broth provides the strongest flavor. Low-sodium broth may be used when a less salty result is preferred.
- Gravy mix: Add the gravy mix directly from the package without preparing it first. Use 6 tablespoons when measuring from a bulk container.
- Garlic substitutions: Replace the fresh garlic with 5 teaspoons garlic paste or 2 1/2 tablespoons jarred minced garlic.
- Cooking setting: LOW for 7–8 hours produces the most tender beef. The recipe may also be cooked on HIGH for 3–4 hours.
- Thicker gravy: Remove the lid near the end of cooking to allow moisture to evaporate, or stir in a cornstarch slurry.
- Salt: Broth and gravy mix can contain significant sodium, so taste the finished dish before adding any additional salt.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth if the gravy becomes too thick.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled beef tips and gravy in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
