Instant Pot Beef Tips With Gravy (using Onion Soup Mix)

This meal…oh my! Crowd pleaser, let me tell you!!! I love serving this bowl of deliciousness with creamy mashed potatoes, roasted carrots or over egg noodles or pasta like in this Pork Chops in Lemon Caper Sauce recipe. Even just serving these instant pot beef tips in a bowl with a bunch of The **BEST** Garlic Bread to soak up the delicious gravy is also heavenly! This recipe was written so there is PLENTY of delicious, flavorful gravy so garlic bread is never a bad idea!

So let’s cut the chit chat and get busy making this amazing dish!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• It’s super simple, using just a handful of ingredients.
• Deep rich flavors, but done in (way) less than an hour!
• It’s a crowd pleaser! You can easily double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

You’ll need the following ingredients to make delicious beef tips in the Instant Pot:

INGREDIENT NOTES

Beef Tips/Stew Meat: You can use either, however keep this in mind: “stew meat” (pre cut packages) will be slightly tougher than beef tips and have to cook a bit longer. Beef tips are what’s leftover after cutting the tenderloin–so they are super tender. They don’t need to cook quite as long.

I have used both stew meat and beef tips for this recipe and both are delicious, so don’t fret if you can’t find beef tips!

Red Wine: If you don’t want to use wine, just use more beef stock.

Dry Onion Soup Mix: This recipe calls for DRY onion soup mix (like Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix) and not condensed onion soup from the can/jar.

Seasoned Salt: I love the flavor of seasoned salt, but if you don’t have any, you can just season the meat with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 tsp garlic powder.

Beef Stock: Beef BROTH will work just fine, but I love the deep flavor of beef STOCK or bone broth, if you can find it!

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE: STEP BY STEP

Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!

Step 1: Season meat with seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then, toss with the flour until well-coated.

Step 2: With your Instant Pot on Sauté, heat oil, then brown meat (about 4 minute each side). Remove from pot and set aside.

Step 3: Deglaze pan with wine and add onions.

Step 4: Add the beef back into the pot, along with the beef stock, onion soup mix, Worcestershire and thyme. Stir to combine. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes for stew meat and 25 minutes for beef tips. Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release, then you can manually release after 10 minutes is up. Thicken with corn starch slurry, if needed.

RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS

• When searing the meat in the pressure cooker, spread it in an even layer (you MAY have to do this in batches depending on the size of your pressure cooker) and don’t touch the meat for about 3-4 minutes, THEN flip the meat. This will ensure a nice “crust” and help lock in all the flavor.
• When you add in your onions and wine to the Instant Pot, be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the meat with a wooden spoon. This is very important so you don’t get a burn warning when you go to pressure cook the rest of the dish!
• Do not get impatient and manually release the pressure before 10 minutes! This will lead to TOUGH MEAT! Been there, done that 🙂
• If you choose to thicken the gravy at the end, use COLD water or beef stock mixed with the cornstarch to ensure it doesn’t clump.

STORAGE & REHEATING

• This beef tips recipe will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, add to a medium pan and cook over medium heat until warm. You may need to add a splash of beef stock if the gravy is too thick.
• This recipe freezes up great! Cool completely, then store FLAT in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge (or on the counter), then add sauce to a medium pan and cook over medium heat until warm. You may need to add a splash of beef stock if the gravy is too thick.

ADDITIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS

• Beef Cuts: If you can’t find beef tips, you can substitute pre cut stew meat, you will just have to cook it a bit longer. OR if you want to buy a piece of meat and cut it yourself, keep this in mind: Chuck, brisket, rump roast and round cuts are generally tougher cuts of meat and need to cook a bit longer. Beef tips, top sirloin, ribeye, tenderloin, and flank cuts are tender and don’t need quite as long to cook. ANY of these cuts of beef will work beautifully in this dish, just be aware of cooking times.
• Wine: No worries if you don’t want to use wine in this recipe. you can deglaze with an equal amount of beef stock.
• Seasoned Salt: If you don’t have any on hand, you can just season the meat with 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp black pepper.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I avoid clumps when mixing my cornstarch with liquid to thicken this dish?

When making your corn starch “slurry” just be sure to use COLD water or beef stock. Using warm liquid may cause your mixture to clump.

Can you make this dish in the crockpot?

Absolutely! I would brown/sear the meat (per this recipe) in a separate pan before adding it to the crockpot to ensure it stays nice and juicy. Throw everything else in the crockpot and cook on low for 5-6 hours until meat is tender!

What cut of meat do I buy for this dish?

Beef TIPS are smaller pieces of meat that are typically leftover when the butcher cuts up larger cuts of tender beef–usually tenderloin or sirloin. They work great in this recipe!!

However, if you can’t find beef tips, you can substitute pre cut stew meat, you will just have to cook it a bit longer. If you want to buy a piece of meat and cut it yourself, keep this in mind: Chuck, brisket, rump roast and round cuts are generally tougher cuts of meat and need to cook a bit longer. Beef tips, top sirloin, ribeye, tenderloin, and flank cuts are tender and don’t need quite as long to cook. ANY of these cuts of beef will work beautifully in this dish!

Can I add carrots or veggies to this dish?

Yes, you can. However, personally, am not a fan of super-cooked veggies. Pressure cooking for this amount of time tends to give you soggy veggies, depending on which ones you use.

Carrots tend to hold up OK, and cutting them into larger chunks will prevent them from being too overcooked.