Super easy and incredibly tender these Instant Pot Beef Tips and gravy are cozy comfort food that your family will love! No pressure cooker? Don’t worry, I have slow cooker instructions for you too!
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Looking for another super easy recipe to add to your weeknight meal routine? Of course, you are!
Let me introduce you to this cozy and comforting bowl of Instant Pot Beef Tips – prepare to be a dinnertime hero in your house.
What cut of beef is used for beef tips?
In most cases, meat sold as “beef tips” is sliced sirloin or tenderloin. Whereas “stew meat” is generally a mixture that may be from various cuts (chuck, rump, top round, etc.) and are considered tougher cuts of meat. Those cuts are better used in Whole30 Beef Stew or Instant Pot Chuck Roast.
I used sirloin beef tips from Butcher Box in this recipe. You can also purchase your own sirloin/tenderloin and cut into bite-sized pieces. You can also use the same cuts for Air Fryer Steak Bites, Instant Pot Teriyaki Beef, and Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Beef Tips
This recipe is rocking:
- Beef tips
- Flavor squad – onion and garlic
- Liquids – beef and chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, and yellow mustard
- Spices – salt, pepper, smoked paprika, parsley, thyme, and Montreal Steak seasoning
- (optional) cornstarch and sour cream
If you need to keep things really simple or your spice cabinet is looking a little sparse at the moment, the smoked paprika, steak seasoning, and thyme are entirely optional. I do love the flavor they add but they aren’t essential. Oh, and you can make your prep even easier by learning how to freeze garlic and how to freeze onions.
How to Make Beef Tips
I’ll walk you through it with some tips and tricks and photos, and you’ll find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements and cooking times.
You’ll start by tossing the beef tips with all the dry spices in a medium mixing bowl.
Add the beef and chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chopped onions, and garlic to the Instant Pot. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to manual high pressure for 20 minutes.
After it has finished cooking, let it sit in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes, and then flip the steam release to remove the remaining pressure.
And now, we make the brown gravy! In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and some of the broth from the Instant Pot and whisk until smooth.
Add the cornstarch mixture back to the mixture in the Instant Pot and turn the Instant Pot to saute. Stir the beef tips and brown gravy for ~5 minutes or until the gravy has thickened.
What to Serve With Instant Pot Beef Tips
This dish is great over rice (I used Garlic Butter Rice) like Instant Pot Brown Jasmine Rice, Instant Pot Basmati Rice, Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, mashed potatoes (related: Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes or Creamy Whole30 Mashed Potatoes), or egg noodles.
To balance everything out, add a big side of veggies. Try Roasted Frozen Broccoli, Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli, Spicy Green Beans, Blistered Shishito Peppers, or Air Fryer Cauliflower.
How to Store and Reheat
Allow the beef tips to cool and store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. We love these Snapware glass spill-proof containers.
This dish reheats very well, especially with the gravy. Cook in the microwave for 90 seconds, or reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat for ~5 minutes.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If you’re pressed for time and perform a “quick release”, the meat will likely become tough. The quick-release option increases the temperature inside the Instant Pot to above boiling. As it can take ~12 minutes to depressurize the pot manually, you’re essentially boiling the meat for that time. Boiling = tough meat.
- If you add the sour cream, mix it with a bit of the hot gravy in a small bowl before adding it to the Instant Pot. This will keep it from curdling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beef tips are small, bite-sized pieces of beef that typically come from tenderloin or sirloin cuts. Think of them as similar to stew beef in size and tenderness.
If you like your gravy very thick, I’ve got you covered! This recipe for beef tips uses cornstarch to thicken the sauce into a gravy. You can 1) use more cornstarch or 2) cook the gravy longer. The gravy also thickens as it cools.
Adding the optional sour cream listed in the recipe will also thicken the gravy in addition to adding an overall creaminess to the pressure cooker beef tips.
Yes, you sure can, but with a few caveats. One, if you use lower-fat sour cream, the texture will become pretty grainy when thawed.
Two, even with full-fat sour cream, you might have a bit of a grainy texture upon thawing. When that happens, I give it a good stir while it reheats.
More Easy Dinners
- Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie
- Instant Pot Ham
- Instant Pot Asparagus Risotto
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken
- Air Fryer Meatballs
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Instant Pot Tortellini
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Paleo Beef and Broccoli
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Chicken Gyro Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving has 3 WW Freestyle Smart Points (does not include the rice and optional sour cream)
Instant Pot Beef Tips Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef tips
- 1 cup onion {diced}
- 2 cloves garlic {minced}
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper {ground}
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 1.5 cups beef stock
- 3/4 cup chicken stock {or additional beef stock}
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp yellow mustard {optional}
- 3 tbsp sour cream {optional}
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine meat, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, dried parsley and thyme, and steak seasoning. Toss to coat.2 lbs beef tips, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
- In your Instant Pot add: beef stock (and chicken stock if using), Worcestershire, mustard, onion and garlic.1 cup onion, 1.5 cups beef stock, 3/4 cup chicken stock, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the seasoned meat and lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>20 minutes.
- When it has finished cooking, allow the pressure cooker to sit for 10 minutes. Then, carefully flip the steam release handle to “venting” and allow any additional pressure to be released. Remove the lid.
Making the Gravy
- For the gravy: combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup broth from the instant pot in a small bowl (this creates a "slurry"). Whisk really well.3 tbsp cornstarch
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute and add the cornstarch slurry to the broth and gently stir it in.
- Stirring often, allow the mixture to cook for 5 minutes or until thickened to your preference.
- (optional): in a small bowl, stir in 3 tbsp of sour cream with a bit of the hot gravy and add to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine.3 tbsp sour cream
Notes
- Follow steps 1-2 above. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is fall apart tender.
- Remove 1 cup hot broth from the slow cooker and transfer it to a small saucepan.
- Combine 3 tbsp cornstarch and 1/4 cup of hot broth in a small bowl. Whisk into the saucepan and bring to a slow rolling boil. Stir constantly for ~2 minutes.
- Add to the slow cooker and cook on high for an additional 15 minutes.
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I made this last week and it was super fast, easy, and so good! I will definitely make it again!
Jo, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it so much! It’s a friend’s recipe that I adapted to the Instant Pot. I’ll make sure to share your kind words with her as well.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
I made this dish at my husband’s request. He is a beef tips (and noodles) lover, but he is also an HIGHLY PICKY eater. They got his seal of approval and a request to make them again soon. No problem, easy-peasy in the Instant Pot!
I’m so glad he enjoyed it, Terry! Winning over picky eaters is one of my favorite parts of this job. I’ll share your review with my friend. The base recipe is hers; I adapted it to the Instant Pot.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.