Description
Tender chuck roast beef tips slow-cooked with mushrooms, onions, garlic, Worcestershire, and beef broth, then finished with a thick homestyle brown gravy.
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
Instructions
1. Pat the beef dry and season it with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown half the beef in an uncrowded layer, allowing the first side to develop a dark crust before turning. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil and brown the remaining beef. Transfer it to the slow cooker.
4. Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and mushrooms and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
6. Pour about 1/2 cup of the beef broth into the skillet and scrape the bottom thoroughly to release the browned bits. Transfer the skillet mixture to the slow cooker.
7. Add the remaining beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and dried thyme. Stir gently.
8. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef is fork-tender. If the beef remains firm, continue cooking and check again after 30 minutes.
9. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until completely smooth. Stir the slurry gradually into the slow cooker.
10. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the gravy thickens enough to coat the beef and the back of a spoon.
11. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or rice.
Notes
Chuck roast is ideal for slow-cooked beef tips because its connective tissue becomes tender during prolonged cooking.
Cutting a whole chuck roast yourself gives more consistent pieces than many packages of precut stew meat.
Browning is optional for cooking the beef safely, but it develops additional flavor and provides browned skillet bits for the gravy.
If the beef is still tough at the end of the suggested cooking window, continue cooking in 30-minute increments until fork-tender.
Always mix cornstarch with cold water before adding it to hot gravy to reduce lumping.
For a creamy variation, turn off the slow cooker after thickening and stir in 1/4 cup sour cream.
Refrigerate leftovers with their gravy for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition information is estimated based on 8 servings and does not include mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, or other serving accompaniments.
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 6 hrs 20 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 1 1/4 cups
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g