There are few dinners that are more comforting and delicious than beef that’s been slow-cooked until it falls apart at the touch of a fork. And if you add in a salty, savory mushroom gravy? Well, nothing else even has a chance of competing with that. That’s the ultimate comfort food meal right there, especially if you pair it with mashed potatoes. But a whole roast can be a little pricy and give you more food than you really need, so it doesn’t always make sense for your average dinner.

You know what does? Beef tips. They’re very economical but they’re also a tough cut that stands up well to slow-cooking so the end results are super tender, and here they’re simmered in an amazing beefy, mushroom sauce that relies on a few things you have in your pantry but no shortcut ingredients like canned soup or flavor packets. That means this tastes like true homemade comfort, and there’s nothing better.

We’ve got both pressure cooker and slow cooker instructions for you here and either method turns out falling apart, melt in your mouth beef. This slow cooker might edge out the pressure cooker in texture, but the Instant Pot will get this done for you a couple of hours sooner and you can sear your beef and cook down your onions right in your pressure cooker. There are pros and cons to weigh, but you’re going to love the result no matter which cooking method you choose.

While you technically can skip searing the beef, it really does add a flavor that you can’t capture just with slow cooking, so I highly recommend taking the time to do it. (Maillard reaction for the win!) Once the beef is browned and the onions are soft, the real cooking starts and that only involves dumping sliced mushrooms, a few spices and seasonings (thyme, rosemary, a bouillon cube), beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and pepperoncini into your cooking appliance of choice.

In the Instant Pot, this needs thirty-five minutes of cooking on high pressure. In the slow cooker, it needs about three hours on high or six hours on low. Either way, you end up with the most tender, succulent beef and a gravy so good that people will be begging you to make it again after just one bite.

Serves 4

15m prep time

45m cook time

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 lbs sirloin beef tips
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 white onion, diced
• 8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup sliced pepperoncinis
• 1 1/2 cups-2 cups beef stock
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste