Follow these easy, step-by-step, photo instructions for making our Beef Tips with Rice and Gravy Recipe. A longtime Southern favorite, Beef Tips with Rice and Gravy is just comfort food at its best. Mom and Pop restaurants throughout the South feature this on their menus and, now you can enjoy the same great flavors in your home kitchen. Quick and easy to prepare, we’ll show you how, step-by-step.
Beef Tips with Rice and Gravy Recipe:
Here’s a really simple recipe that just needs about an hour to slow simmer before its ready to serve. You can take advantage of some cheaper cuts of beef anytime you find them on sale and, whip up some great Southern comfort food that can be served with rice, mashed potatoes or even noodles. It’s your choice.
Stew beef works very well for this recipe or, you can use eye of round steak like we did. You can even go all out and make it with a finer cut like Ribeye steak. The really great part is, whatever you find on sale, can probably be used to make our Beef Tips. Buy it while its on sale, freeze it and have it ready for a quick and easy lunch, dinner or Sunday dinner. I think you’ll like it about any time of the day.
Around the south, just about all the local mom-and-pop style restaurants feature Beef Tips with Rice and Gravy on their menu. It’s an old diner favorite that is also usually one of the cheaper menu choices because it can take a somewhat tougher cut of beef, slow simmer it to make it tender and, then serve it up with a large portion of rice and gray to cut costs.
Its so versatile in that it tastes great when served over rice, over mashed potatoes or, even over noodles. I really think you’ll love it once you try it and I’ll look forward to hearing from you after you do. You can follow our step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions below or, skip on down to the bottom for our printable recipe. Ready to get started? Alright then… Let’s Get Cooking!
Beef Tips with Rice and Gravy: You’ll need these ingredients… and some rice of course.
I’m using this eye of round steak so I needed to cube it up first. You can use stew beef that is already cut into pieces if desired.
Use a medium size sauce pan to cook in. Place it on the stove, over medium heat and, add some cooking oil. I like to add a little extra flavor by using about a Tablespoon of bacon grease. It’s not required, olive oil or any other type of cooking oil or shortening will work just as well.
I even tossed in a Tablespoon of Butter. It’s optional of course.
Add the beef to the sauce pan.
Peel and slice the onion and, toss it in on top of the beef pieces.
Stir it around as it cooks, let the beef brown a bit and until the onions start becoming translucent.
Add the Beef Broth.
Bring the mixture to a good rolling boil.
Cover the pot, REDUCE THE HEAT down to a low simmer and let it slowly cook for about one hour. Now, lets make the rice.
Prepare the rice: After the meat has simmered for about an hour, go ahead and prepare the rice. You’ll need some good rice and a little salt.
You’ll find lots of different ways to prepare your rice. I’m using one of my favorites here. About any type of rice will work, just use what you have available. I like to rinse my rice first so here I’m adding one cup of rice into a small sauce pan.
Place the pot under cool running water and just let some water run into the pot. The rice usually stays on the bottom and I swish it around a little to help remove the dust particles and a lot of the starch that rice contains. Once the water starts to run clear, you’ll need to drain that water off.
Rinsing rice is a choice and not always necessary. It seems to keep your rice from being so sticky and clumping all together. Of course, Instant Rice or Boil-in-Bag types of rice are other choices that usually turn out pretty much perfect. Again, its all your choice.
Once the water starts to run clear, drain off the excess by just tilting the pot carefully and letting the water run out.
Now, add two cups of cool water back into the pot. You need about a 1cup rice, 1-1/2 cup water or, 1 cup rice and 2 cups water ratio. I added just a little over a cup and a half back into the pot.
Add the salt but, don’t stir it. Stirring the rice in the water will release more of the starches and that will just cause it to be sticky. Instead, gently swirl the pot a time or two and place it on the stove over Medium-High heat.
Leave the pot uncovered and bring the rice to a good rolling boil. Let it boil for about 2 minutes at a rolling boil and then reduce the heat.
REDUCE THE HEAT: Reduce the heat down to about Medium-Low and let the rice simmer. DO NOT STIR. We want to let it cook long enough for most of the water to be absorbed by the rice or evaporate out. This could take 5-10 minutes or so. Just keep a close watch on it.
Once most of the water has cooked out of the rice, you’ll start seeing little open pockets in the rice. Watch it closely, without stirring and, without letting all of the water boil away completely. You’ll need just a little of the water in the bottom so the rice doesn’t burn and stick. Burnt and sticky rice is NOT a problem you want to have. You can thank me later.
Now, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and remove it from the heat. It needs to sit for about 10 more minutes.
While the rice is resting, add about 2 Tablespoons of Corn Starch into a small cup or bowl. We’re going to thicken up our gravy.
Add about 3 Tablespoons of cold water.
Use a small whisk or fork and, mix it up well until it is all liquid.
Slowly add the cornstarch and water mixture into the pot with the beef. Add it slowly, stirring constantly. This mixture will thicken up the liquid in the beef and make a gravy. It just needs to cook a few minutes longer to thicken up properly. If its still too thin for you, make up about half a batch more of the cornstarch and water combination and add it into the beef.
After the rice sits for about 10 minutes, remove the lid.
Use a fork and gently lift the rice from the bottom of the pan. Gently lifting the rice will fluff it up and separate the grains. It’s now ready to serve.
You could even toss in a pat of butter for a little added flavor but… its optional.
Place a serving of Rice on each plate, top it with some of the Beef Tips and Gravy. Ummm… good.
If I have leftovers, I just mix it all together and store it in the refrigerator for later. This will keep your rice from drying out once it goes into the refrig. How easy was that? Enjoy!
