You bought a tray labelled beef tips, followed a card, and the pot gave you meat that was either tough or dry. The gravy was fine. The beef was the part you had to chew, and you were left wondering what you did wrong.
So you searched how long to cook beef tips in a crockpot, and the cards disagreed. One said 6 hours, one said 8, one said 5 on HIGH, one said 10. None of them says why the same crockpot beef tips recipe has four answers.
If you want slow cooker beef tips that stay tender, the answer is the tray. Beef tips is a name for a cut of the butcher’s counter, not a roast, and the meat inside is one of three. Each one has its own hour.
Quick Answer: Which Beef Tips and How Many Hours
Quick answer: Use 2 lbs of chuck cut into 1 to 1½ inch cubes, cook it 8 to 10 hours on LOW or 4 to 5 hours on HIGH, and pull it when the pieces separate easily with a fork. Sirloin tips finish earlier and dry out if you leave them.
- Your meat: chuck cubes, stew meat or sirloin tips. Check the tray before you pick the hours.
- Your hours: 6 to 8 on LOW for sirloin tips and stew meat, 8 to 10 for chuck cubes.
- Your finish line: tender with a fork, confirmed by a probe thermometer in a larger cube.
- Your gravy: thicken it at the end with cornstarch and cold water.
Tenderness matters more than the clock. The tray decides which clock you are on.
Stew Meat vs Sirloin Tips vs Chuck Cubes
Can you use stew meat instead of a chuck roast? Yes, and that is what many cards mean by beef tips. The label covers sirloin tips, chuck roast cut into cubes, and standard beef stew meat.
Chuck cubes come from the shoulder. They carry connective tissue that needs a long cook to soften, and they are the forgiving choice for a slow cooker.
Stew meat is a mix of trim, often from chuck and round. Some pieces are tender and some are lean, so the tray cooks unevenly.
Sirloin tips are leaner. They taste like steak and finish sooner, but a long cook dries them out. Round steak cut small is the same story.
| Meat in the tray | What it is | What a long cook does |
|---|---|---|
| Chuck cubes | Shoulder, full of connective tissue | Melts into tender meat and a body in the gravy |
| Stew meat | Mixed trim from chuck and round | Uneven, some pieces tender and some tough |
| Sirloin tips | Leaner, steak-like | Tender early, dry if you keep going |
| Round steak, cubed | Lean, little collagen | Dries out in liquid |
For crockpot beef tips and noodles, or any beef tips crock pot dinner, the cut matters first. I read the tray label before I read the recipe. When it says only beef tips, I ask the butcher what is in it. You can do the same.
If you cannot tell, treat it as stew meat and start reading the meat with a probe earlier than the card says.
Pro tip: buy the chuck roast whole and cut it yourself. You choose the cube size, and you know what you are cooking.
The Hour Where Each Cut Splits
Every cut has an hour where it turns. Before it, the meat is tight. After it, a lean cut is dry and a fatty one is silky.
Chuck cubes turn late. Cards that use chuck run 8 to 10 hours on LOW, because the connective tissue needs that long to soften. Chuck and stew meat need prolonged cooking for exactly that reason.
Sirloin tips turn early. Cards that use sirloin run about 6 hours on LOW, and past that the pieces tighten and go dry.
| Meat | LOW | HIGH | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck cubes | 8 to 10 hours | 4 to 5 hours | Still tight before 8 hours on LOW |
| Stew meat | 6 to 8 hours | 3 to 4 hours | Lean pieces dry while others tenderise |
| Sirloin tips | About 6 hours | 3 to 4 hours | Tough or dry if you run the full 8 |
Cube size is the second variable, and you control it. Start checking earlier if the pieces are small, because a cube of 1 inch finishes sooner than one of 1½ inches. Cut the pieces the same size so they finish together.
You can read the hour with a probe thermometer. For chuck and stew meat the finish line is 195 to 205°F in a larger cube. Sirloin tips are done sooner, so you check them earlier and taste one.
What sits on my counter for beef tips
One thing earns the space, and it answers the question the cards leave open. Left off: a second gadget for stirring, because a spoon does it.
TempPro TempSwif 1 Sec Meat Thermometer, 2 Pack
For the cook who keeps guessing whether the beef tips are done yet. Not for anyone happy to cook strictly by the hour and take the odd tough batch.
Reynolds Kitchens Slow Cooker Liners, Regular Size, Fits 3-8 Quarts, 6ct
For the cook who wants the pot to come out clean after eight hours of beef fat and tomato. Not for anyone who would rather soak the stoneware overnight and scrub it by hand.
Crock-Pot 7-Quart Manual Slow Cooker, Family Size
For the cook whose roast does not fit the 4-quart pot and comes out crowded and grey. Not for anyone cooking for two who never buys more than a pound of meat.
Crockpot Beef Tips and Gravy: The Recipe
This is the broth-based version, written for chuck cubes. It uses broth and seasonings, not canned soup, and it goes in the pot in 15 minutes.
I brown the beef when I have the time. You can skip it and still get tender meat. Read the steps once before you start.
6
servings15
minutes9
hoursChuck cut into 1 to 1 and a half inch cubes, browned, cooked 8 to 10 hours on LOW in broth and seasonings, and thickened with cornstarch at the end.
Ingredients
2 lb beef chuck roast, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water
Directions
- Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches, then transfer it to the crockpot.
- Add the onion, garlic, broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, thyme and bay leaf and stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, until the beef separates easily with a fork.
- Check a larger cube with a probe. It is ready at 195 to 205F.
- Remove the bay leaf, stir the cornstarch mixture again and stir it into the hot liquid.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for another 10 to 15 minutes, until thickened. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
Notes
- The probe reading in step 4 is the doneness test, and the hour count is only a guide.
Low or High: Why the Internet Says 5, 6, 8 and 10 Hours
The cards are not wrong. They cook different meat in different sizes. A recipe on sirloin at 6 hours LOW and a recipe on chuck at 8 hours LOW are both right for their tray.
Here is what the cards I compared say. One cooks 6 hours on LOW or 4 on HIGH. Another says 8 hours on LOW or 5 on HIGH. A third gives 6 to 8 on LOW and 4 to 6 on HIGH. A fourth runs 8 to 10 on LOW.
The gap comes from the meat and the size of the cube, and from the cooker. You can see it only if you know which tray you bought.
Is HIGH worth it? Some beef-tip recipes use HIGH for about 4 to 5 hours, but you should check for fork-tenderness before serving. LOW is more forgiving if you are not home when it finishes.
I read the meat with a probe at the low end of the range and add time if it needs it. You will waste fewer batches that way.
Sear It or Dump It
Do you have to brown the beef tips first? No. The dump version works, and it is the one you want on a weekday morning. A sear of 2 to 3 minutes per side adds a deeper flavour, and it is optional.
If you sear, do not crowd the skillet. Brown the beef in batches, because crowded beef steams instead of browning. You are browning the outside, not cooking it through.
I sear when I have ten minutes and skip it when I do not. The meat is tender either way, and the probe tells me when it is done in both cases.
Sirloin tips gain the most from a sear, because they have the least fat to build flavour on their own.
Thin Gravy, Fixed: Slurry, Packet, or Lid Off
How do you make the gravy thicker? Mix 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water, stir it into the hot liquid, and cook on HIGH for another 10 to 15 minutes. It thickens as it heats.
| Method | When | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Cornstarch and cold water | At the end, on HIGH | Thickens in 10 to 15 minutes |
| Gravy mix packets | At the start | Starch in the packet thickens the sauce as it sits |
| Lid off | Last stretch | Lets liquid evaporate, slower |
Packets thicken the gravy by themselves, and they are salty. If you use them, taste before you add salt.
I use the slurry because I control the salt, and I stir it again just before it goes in, because the starch settles. You should do the same.
Take the bay leaf out first. Then taste the gravy and add salt and pepper. A probe reading on the beef before you thicken tells you the meat is done and you are only fixing the sauce.
Broth, Onion Soup Mix, or Cream of Mushroom
What can you swap? The base recipe uses broth and seasonings. The packet version uses 1 cup of broth with 2 packets of brown gravy mix, 1 packet of dry onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder.
Cream of mushroom gives a creamier gravy, and it is a common version of crockpot beef tips with cream of mushroom. Whisk it into the broth before you pour.
Whatever you choose, you do not need to cover the meat with liquid. Beef gives up water as it cooks, so you end with more than you put in.
Packets and canned soup bring salt, so you should skip extra salt until you have tasted the gravy at the end.
I keep the broth version for chuck and use the packet version when I am short on time. Either way, I read the beef with a probe at the end.
Over Noodles, Rice, or Mashed Potatoes
What sides go well with beef tips besides mashed potatoes? Serve them over buttered egg noodles, warm white rice or mashed potatoes, and pair them with steamed green beans or a crisp green salad.
- Mashed potatoes: the classic base, and they hold the gravy.
- Egg noodles: buttered, they soak up the sauce and cook in minutes.
- White rice: plain, so the gravy is the flavour.
- Green beans or a green salad: something crisp against the soft beef.
You can use the same pot for the side if you plan ahead. See easy crockpot dinners for sides that cook in the same cooker.
I serve the beef tips straight from the pot with a slotted spoon first, then the gravy on top, so the noodles do not go soggy.
Prep the Night Before, Freeze, and Reheat
How can you prep this the night before? Cut the beef and mix the broth, then keep them in separate containers in the fridge. In the morning you pour and press start.
| Where | How long | How |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge | 3 to 4 days | Meat and gravy together, sealed |
| Freezer | Up to 3 months | Flat in bags, with gravy, labelled |
| Reheat | Until 165°F | Low and covered, no boil |
You freeze it in flat bags in portions for two. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and see freezer meals for what else goes in the same day.
I check the middle with the probe when I reheat, so it is hot all the way through at 165°F without cooking again.
Crockpot Beef Tips FAQ
How long to cook beef tips in a slow cooker or crock pot?
8 to 10 hours on LOW for chuck cubes, 6 to 8 for stew meat and about 6 for sirloin tips. On HIGH it is 3 to 5 hours. This also answers how long it takes beef tips to cook in a crock pot.
Can you use stew meat instead of a chuck roast?
Yes. Stew meat is a mix of trim, so it cooks unevenly. Start checking earlier and read a larger piece with a probe.
What are beef tips?
A cut of the butcher’s counter, usually sirloin tips, chuck roast cut into cubes, or stew meat. They are not a roast.
How to make beef tips tender in a crock pot?
Give chuck and stew meat enough time for the connective tissue to soften. If your beef tips are tough, you probably need another hour, so check again.
Why are my beef tips dry?
You probably used a lean cut, like sirloin tips or round steak, and cooked it past its hour. Pull it earlier next time.
How to thicken beef tips in a crock pot?
Stir 3 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of cold water into the hot liquid and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes.
Do you have to sear beef tips before you slow cook them?
No. A sear of 2 to 3 minutes per side adds flavour, and the dump version still works.
Can you put beef in a slow cooker overnight?
Yes, on LOW, if the hours fit your cut. Chuck cubes at 8 to 10 hours suit an overnight cook, and sirloin tips would dry out.
What is the best way to make crockpot beef tips and gravy?
Use chuck cubes, broth and seasonings, cook on LOW and thicken at the end. For the best crockpot beef tips and noodles or rice, serve the gravy over buttered noodles or warm rice.
Can you slow cook beef tips in the oven, on the stove or in an Instant Pot?
Yes. In the oven or on the stove, keep the pot covered at low heat until the beef is tender. In an Instant Pot the cook is much shorter, so follow its own timing.
Can I make crockpot beef tips with cream of mushroom?
Yes. Whisk the soup into the broth before you pour it over the beef.
How long do crockpot beef tips keep?
3 to 4 days in the fridge in the gravy, or up to 3 months in the freezer. Reheat low and covered to 165°F.
More Slow-Cooker Beef Worth the Hours
Same cuts, same reading, different dish. If you came here from a board of crockpot beef recipes, these are worth reading next, and each one ends on a probe reading rather than a fork test.
- Crockpot roast
- Pot roast crock pot recipes
- Roast beef crock pot recipes
- Shredded beef tacos in the crockpot
- Crockpot beef stroganoff
- Short ribs in the slow cooker
- Italian beef sandwiches in the crockpot
- Easy crockpot dinners
