Slow Cooker Mushroom Beef Tips

This is the ultimate comfort food—tender, flavorful beef tips smothered in a rich, creamy mushroom sauce, all made effortlessly in your slow cooker. It’s perfect served over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Here is the recipe for Slow Cooker Mushroom Beef Tips.

Slow Cooker Mushroom Beef Tips

This recipe turns an economical cut of beef into a fork-tender, restaurant-quality meal. The slow cooker does all the work, creating a deeply savory sauce that’s absolutely delicious.

Yields: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 6-8 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef sirloin tips or stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (for browning)

• 1 lb cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

• 1 (1 oz) packet dry onion soup mix (like Lipton)

• 1 cup beef broth

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 bay leaves

For Thickening (Optional, at the end):

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons cold water

For Serving:

• Cooked egg noodles, white rice, or mashed potatoes

• Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Brown the Beef (Recommended but Optional):

   • Pat the beef tips dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.

   • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, sear the beef for 2-3 minutes per side until a deep brown crust forms. (Browning adds incredible flavor, but if you’re short on time, you can skip this step).

   • Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker.

2. Sauté the Vegetables (Optional but Flavorful):

   • In the same skillet, add the sliced mushrooms and chopped onion. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid and started to brown, and the onions are soft.

   • Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.

   • Transfer the mushroom mixture to the slow cooker.

3. Combine Everything in the Slow Cooker:

   • In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and dried thyme.

   • Pour the soup mixture over the beef and mushrooms in the slow cooker.

   • Add the bay leaves and stir everything to combine.

4. Slow Cook:

   • Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours. The beef should be fork-tender and easily shred apart.

5. Thicken the Sauce (Optional):

   • If you prefer a thicker gravy, about 30 minutes before serving, remove the bay leaves.

   • In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and cold water together until smooth to create a slurry.

   • Stir the slurry into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.

6. Serve:

   • Serve the beef tips and mushroom gravy generously over cooked egg noodles, fluffy rice, or creamy mashed potatoes.

   • Garnish with fresh chopped parsley for a pop of color and freshness.

Tips and Variations

• Make it from Scratch: For an even richer flavor, you can make a homemade cream of mushroom soup base instead of using the canned version. Sauté extra mushrooms, then whisk in butter, flour, and milk/cream to create a béchamel.

• Add a Splash of Something: For extra depth, add ½ cup of red wine to the skillet after browning the beef. Deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits, then pour it all into the slow cooker.

• Creamier Version: Stir in ½ cup of sour cream or heavy cream during the last 30 minutes of cooking for an extra-rich, creamy gravy.

• Different Meat: This recipe also works wonderfully with cubed chuck roast or even boneless short ribs.

Enjoy your comforting and delicious Slow Cooker Mushroom Beef Tips