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This Instant Pot beef tips and gravy recipe features tender pieces of beef with a flavorful savory gravy. It’s homestyle dinner at its finest, but in a fraction of the time!
If you love using your Instant Pot but need some new ideas, try this recipe for beef tips with gravy! It’s a home-cooked comfort-food meal that tastes like it slow-cooked all day, but is quick and easy enough for weeknight dinners.
Are Beef Tips the Same as Steak Tips?
Beef tips and steak tips are both bite-sized cubes and pieces of beef, but they aren’t exactly the same thing. However, there is some debate as well as some overlap, and things can get a little confusing!
Steak tips (which are generally thought of as a regional New England dish) are usually cut from the sirloin (or possibly the tenderloin, but they’re mainly expected to be sirloin). Sirloin is a tender cut, which means it’s quick-cooking and does well over high heat. This is why steak tips are great for cooking on the stovetop or making into kebabs and grilling!
On the other hand, beef tips are not expected to be sirloin. Beef tips can also be cut from parts of the round, flank steak, and flap meat, to name a few.
When you buy meat that’s labeled “beef tips”, it’s helpful to know which cut it is, so you know how to cook it properly. Some of these cuts are a lot more tender than others, and can be quickly cooked over high heat. Tougher cuts are also fine for beef tips, but they benefit from a marinade or low-and-slow cooking process.
You can read more about steak tips and beef tips on Butcher Box and The Main Course Market.
Ingredients for Beef Tips and Gravy
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Olive oil – we use a combination of oil and butter to sear the steak in the Instant Pot using the sauté function
- Butter – for rich flavor
- Beef tips – if you can’t find beef tips, you can use a 2-pound chuck roast and cut it into 1 1/2-inch cubes or 2 pounds of beef stew meat
- Steak seasoning – I use Montreal steak seasoning, but you can use any steak seasoning you like (if your seasoning doesn’t have salt, add 1 teaspoon salt)
- Onion and garlic – for savory depth of flavor
- Beef broth – or beef stock (or you can use water in a pinch)
- Worcestershire sauce – this savory condiment adds depth and complexity, and enhances the flavor of beef
- Tamari sauce – I use tamari sauce to keep this gluten free; you can also use coconut aminos (or soy sauce if keeping this gluten free isn’t a concern)
- Cornstarch – dissolve the cornstarch in cold water to form a slurry that will thicken the gravy; we add this at the end and heat the sauce using the Instant Pot’s sauté function
- Fresh rosemary and thyme – we add these fresh herbs at the end to brighten the flavor of the gravy
How to Make Beef Tips with Gravy in the Instant Pot
Cook the Beef Until Tender
- Add the oil and butter to the Instant Pot and press “Sauté”. Once hot, add the chuck roast in an even layer across the bottom, and sprinkle on the steak seasoning. Cook until seared, about 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through (you might need to do this step in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding).
- Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and tamari sauce.
- Press “Cancel” to stop the “Sauté” function. Cover the pot, make sure it’s set to “sealing”, and cook on “Manual, High Pressure” for 35 minutes. Once it’s done, carefully release the pressure and open the lid.
Make the Gravy Right in the Instant Pot
- Turn on the “Sauté” function and stir in the cornstarch slurry.
- Stir in the rosemary, and thyme. Continue cooking until the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Storage
You can store leftover beef tips and gravy covered in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
This recipe is great for meal prep! To meal prep this dish, I like to use glass meal prep containers with 3 compartments. I put the beef and gravy in one part and two side dishes in the other compartments (usually rice, egg noodles, and mashed potatoes in another compartment, and broccoli, green beans, or peas in the third compartment).
You can store these meals in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months. After freezing, thaw it overnight or just defrost it in the microwave if you forget to take it out ahead of time!
Beef Tips FAQs
Are Beef Tips the Same as Stew Meat?
Stew meat typically comes from tougher cuts of meat with a lot of connective tissue. These cuts commonly include the round (which is the rump and back leg) and the chuck (from the shoulder area).
Scraps from cutting those larger roasts are cut into bite-sized cubes or pieces, and sold labeled as stew meat. This is why stew meat is well-suited for longer cooking periods where the meat is partially submerged in liquid, such as braising, slow cooking, or pressure cooking. The connective tissue breaks down and the meat becomes tender enough to melt in your mouth.
You can read more about beef cuts on Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner and Certified Angus Beef. And here are recipe ideas for what to make with stew meat besides stew!
In this recipe for beef tips, you can use stew meat, chuck roast, or another tougher cut of meat because we cook it in a pressure cooker so it comes out fork-tender and flavorful.
How Do You Make Tough Beef Tips Tender?
The best way to make tough beef tips tender is to treat it like you would another tough cut of meat: either marinade it or cook it low and slow with liquid.
Here, we go with the low-and-slow method, but make it weeknight-friendly by using the Instant Pot.
What Goes Well with Beef Tips?
This main course pairs well with a ton of different side dishes! Here are a few ideas:
- Steamed rice
- Egg noodles
- Mashed potatoes
- Green vegetable, such as broccoli, green beans, or asparagus
More Instant Pot Beef Recipes to Make
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Instant Pot Beef Tips and Gravy Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds chuck roast cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (or beef tips or stew meat)
- 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
- 2 cups diced yellow onion
- 5 large cloves garlic crushed
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tamari sauce or soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons cold water to form a slurry
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
Optional Serving Suggestions:
- Steamed rice
- Egg noodles
- Mashed potatoes
- Green vegetable such as broccoli, green beans, or asparagus
Instructions
- Add the oil and butter to the Instant Pot and press “Sauté”. Once hot, add the chuck roast in an even layer across the bottom, and sprinkle on the steak seasoning. Cook until seared, about 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through (you might need to do this step in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding).
- Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and tamari sauce.
- Press “Cancel” to stop the “Sauté” function. Cover the pot, make sure it’s set to “sealing”, and cook on “Manual, High Pressure” for 35 minutes. Once it’s done, carefully release the pressure and open the lid.
- Turn on the “Sauté” function and stir in the cornstarch slurry, rosemary, and thyme. Continue cooking until the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Serve.
Notes
- Nutrition Information: The nutritional information for this recipe was calculated without the optional serving suggestions.
- Storage: You can store leftover beef tips and gravy covered in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Meal Prep: This recipe is great for meal prep! To meal prep this dish, I like to use glass meal prep containers with 3 compartments. I put the beef and gravy in one part and two side dishes in the other compartments (usually rice, egg noodles, and mashed potatoes in another compartment, and broccoli, green beans, or peas in the third compartment). You can store these meals in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months. After freezing, thaw it overnight or just defrost it in the microwave if you forget to take it out ahead of time!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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