French Onion Beef Tips and Gravy

If you’re craving a hearty dinner with tender beef and plenty of rich gravy, this French Onion Beef Tips and Gravy is just the thing! It’s an easy crockpot meal that combines chuck roast, sliced onions, and a handful of flavorful ingredients. Spoon it over mashed potatoes or rice, and you have a comforting dinner that doesn’t require much hands-on work.

The only real prep is cutting the chuck roast into bite-sized pieces and slicing two onions. After that, everything goes straight into the crockpot. You don’t need to brown the meat or cook the onions first, which makes this a great recipe for days when you want to get dinner started and move on with your day.

As the beef cooks, the onions soften into the savory broth, and the chuck roast becomes tender. A packet of French onion soup mix and a can of French onion soup give the gravy plenty of onion flavor. Beef bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and thyme bring everything together, while a simple cornstarch slurry thickens the gravy at the end.

Ingredients

• 2–3 pounds chuck roast, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced into half moons

• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

• 1 packet French onion soup mix

• 1 can French onion soup

• 1½ cups beef broth

• 1½ tablespoons Better Than Bouillon beef base

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons water

• Cooked rice or mashed potatoes, for serving

Directions

1. Prepare the beef and onions.
   Cut the chuck roast into bite-sized pieces, trimming away any large, hard pieces of fat. Slice the yellow onions into thin half moons. Add the beef and onions to the crockpot.

2. Add the remaining ingredients.
   Add the garlic, French onion soup mix, canned French onion soup, beef broth, Better Than Bouillon beef base, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and thyme. Stir everything together to coat the beef and onions in the broth and seasonings.

3. Cook until tender.
   Cover and cook on high for 4–5 hours or low for 7–8 hours, until the beef is tender and easily pierced with a fork. If the meat still feels firm, allow additional cooking time before thickening the gravy. Chuck roast needs time to soften, so let the tenderness guide you.

4. Make the cornstarch slurry.
   Once the beef is tender, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir until completely smooth. Pour the slurry into the hot beef mixture and stir well to distribute it throughout the gravy.

5. Thicken the gravy.
   Cover and cook on high for about 10 minutes, or until the gravy is nice and thick. Depending on your crockpot, it may need a little longer. Stir before serving so the beef and onions are coated in the finished gravy.

6. Serve and enjoy.
   Spoon the beef tips, onions, and plenty of gravy over rice or mashed potatoes. This dish is salty, so leave the salt out of your rice or mashed potatoes to help balance the meal.

Tips for Serving and Storing

Mashed potatoes are especially good with this recipe because they give that rich onion gravy somewhere to settle. Rice is another easy option and makes a wonderful base for the tender beef. Whichever you choose, be sure to spoon some extra onions and gravy over each serving.

For a vegetable on the side, try roasted carrots, green beans, or a simple salad. Keep the seasoning on your sides light since the soup mix, canned soup, broth, and bouillon already bring plenty of salt to the beef mixture.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy within 3–4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water if the gravy has thickened too much. Store the rice or mashed potatoes separately so you can warm everything to the consistency you like. It’s a cozy dinner that makes a delicious lunch the next day, too!