Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Vegetables

Need a new idea for a stress-free weeknight dinner? This slow cooker beef tips with vegetables in a tasty sweet and savory sauce is it! There's lots of flexibility to use up ingredients you have in the kitchen. It goes great with rice or noodles you desire for a satisfying dinner that's sure to be a hit.

This recipe sprung from my family's version of Beef and Broccoli as a way to use extra veggies we had in the fridge already.

This slow cooker beef tips and vegetables has all the flavor of beef and broccoli but features a variety of veggies rather than broccoli on its own. It's the sauce that makes this dish awesome and for us though the vegetables are part of the appeal as well.

You can make it with whatever cut of beef available giving you the option to use less expensive cuts or use what you have on hand. If you love this slow cooker steak recipe you might also enjoy this slow cooker sweet and sour beef roast.

Turn this dish into a complete meal with rice and these delicious homemade egg rolls.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Easy cleanup! All of the flavors come together perfectly in only one pot.
• Perfect for feeding a crowd. You will love how quickly this recipe comes together even when you need to feed a large group!
• Leftovers are great. The leftovers are just as tasty when reheated the next day. This makes it perfect for meal prepping in advance.

Ingredients

There are several ingredients that make up this recipe's wonderful flavor, but none of them are fancy. You'll find them all at your local grocery store.

• Beef: You can use flank steak, tenderloin, sirloin, or stewing beef. Just make sure to cut it into bite-sized strips or chunks. If you cut diagonally across the grain of the meat it's more tender.
• Aromatics: You will need onion and some fresh garlic to give the sauce its depth of flavor.
• Beef Broth: Adding the beef broth makes a rich broth for cooking the beet and veggies. You can also use vegetable broth, chicken broth, or bone broth instead.
• Sherry or oyster sauce: These add an earthy, salty element to the sauce. You could also use Hoisin sauce which adds a slightly different flavor.
• Soy sauce: Intensifies the flavor of the sauce.
• Cornstarch: This will help the sauce thicken up slightly. Other starches such as potato starch or arrowroot starch will work fine.
• Sesame Oil: Adds a more nuanced flavor than regular oils.
• Brown sugar or honey: Just a touch to add some sweetness. You can also use maple syrup but the flavor will be altered somewhat.
• Dried crushed red pepper flakes: Just a touch to add some heat. You could also add a teaspoon of jalapeno powder, smoked jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder to the sauce mixture instead.
• Rice or noodles: Both work great! If you're trying to decide which noodles you want to use check out our noodle guide for some helpful information.
• Green onions and sesame seeds: For a splash of color and flavor when serving.

What Vegetables Work Best?

You can use four to six cups of any vegetables. I generally use broccoli, mushrooms, onions, sugar snap peas, and peppers. Or sometimes, carrots and cauliflower too. I swap them in and out depending on what I have on hand or need to use up!

Other ideas include baby corn, zucchini slices, sweet potato cubes, potatoes, turnips, bok choy, snow peas, cabbage, bean sprouts, or any other favorite vegetables.

You can also use greens such as baby spinach or baby kale but I recommend stirring these in just before serving.

You'll find the complete list of ingredients along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Substitutions and Variations

• More complex flavors: Add a tablespoon of fish sauce and a tablespoon of rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter, or some balsamic vinegar to the pot while the beef cooks.
• Change up the meat: You can swap the beef for pork tenderloin or roast, lamb, skinless chicken breasts, skinless chicken thighs, or turkey.
• Add some nuts: Add some chopped cashews or peanuts over the top when serving.

How to Make Slow Cooker Beef and Vegetables

This is a slow cooker recipe, so it's incredibly easy to make. It only takes a few minutes of prep, and then the slow cooker does its thing.

The highlights are right here, but you'll find the exact instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.

1. Combine the garlic balsamic sauce ingredients.
2. Add the sliced beef, onions, and balsamic garlic sauce to your slow cooker and toss to combine. Cook on low for around 90 minutes.

3. Remove a half cup of liquid and combine it with the cornstarch.
4. Add this mixture back into the steak.

5. Stir to mix everything together.
6. Add your vegetables.

7. Cook on low until the veggies are tender and the sauce is thickened.
8. Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.

Storage

• Leftovers: Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days or in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months
• Reheat: Place in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until heated through.
• Make Ahead: Make this up to 3 or 4 hours ahead of time and leave the slow cooker on "warm".

Tips

• Use thinly sliced beef so it cooks through in the slow cooker at the designated time.
• Taste the sauce mixture and adjust the flavors to your own tastes.
• Cut vegetables into similarly sized small pieces. This creates more balance in the dish but also allows the vegetables to cook at the same rate.
• Want a thicker sauce? Stir in a tablespoon (or two) of tomato paste with the cornstarch mixture.
• Serve with steamed jasmine rice, brown rice, another favorite rice dish, or noodles.

FAQ

Video How to Make Beef Tips in the Slow Cooker

More Slow Cooker Beef Recipes

If you're looking for more Dinner Recipes Using Beef Broth look no further. We have all our favorites in one place for you to check out if you're interested. You like Slow Cooker Beef Recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.

Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.

Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Vegetables

Karin and Ken

Need a new idea for a stress-free weeknight dinner? This slow cooker beef tips with vegetables in a tasty sweet and savory sauce is it! There's lots of flexibility to use up ingredients you have in the kitchen. It goes great with rice or noodles you desire for a satisfying dinner that's sure to be a hit.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Vegetable Cooking Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian Inspired

Servings 8

Calories 448 kcal

Equipment

• large slow cooker
• Measuring cups and spoons
• cutting board
• Sharp knife
• wooden spoon
• mixing bowl
• whisk
• Tongs
• saucepan
• colander

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 pounds beef, flank steak, tenderloin, sirloin, stewing beef, thinly sliced, ¼ - ½ inch thick, across the grain or diagonally
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 cup beef broth -
• ¾ cup soy sauce
• ¾ cup dry sherry or oyster sauce
• 2 tblsp sesame oil
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed or honey
• 3 tblsp garlic, minced
• 2 tblsp ginger, minced
• ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch
• ¼ teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
• ¼ teaspoon pepper, more or less to taste
• 1 tblsp dried crushed red pepper flakes, optional, more or less to taste
• 4 cups cooked rice or noodles of your choice
• green onions, thinly sliced or toasted sesame seeds optional for serving

Vegetables (up to 6 cups worth)

• 1 cup peppers, green, yellow or red, cored, sliced
• 2 cups mushrooms, fresh, sliced
• 2 cups broccoli, florets or cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 2 cups cauliflower, florets, cut into bite sized pieces optional
• 2 cups carrots, sliced optional

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Instructions

 

• Turn slow cooker on to low heat. 
• Add sliced beef and onions. 
• In a medium sized bowl whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, dry sherry or oyster sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Taste mixture and add salt and pepper accordingly. 
• Pour mixture over sliced beef and onions in your slow cooker. Gently toss to combine. 
• Cover and cook on low for 90 minutes or until meat is almost cooked. 
• Remove about ½ cup of liquid from your slow cooker and pour into a bowl. 
• Add cornstarch and stir until well blended. 
• Then return mixture to slow cooker and gently stir. Taste the mixture and decide if you think it needs more salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, sugar or honey.  Once you are satisfied with the taste move on to the next step.  
• Add remaining vegetables, between 4 and 6 cups worth, and turn slow cooker up to high for between 20 to 30 minutes. 
• In the meantime, prepare rice or noodle of your choice, according to package directions. 
• Check to make sure vegetables are tender enough and sauce has thickened. Serve beef and vegetable mixture on top. Add toasted sesame seeds and green onions if desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition may vary slightly based on the vegetables used and whether you choose rice or noodles.

Use thinly sliced beef so it cooks through in the slow cooker in the designated time.

Taste the sauce mixture and adjust the flavors to your own tastes.

Cut vegetables into similarly sized small pieces. This creates more balance in the dish but also allows the vegetables to cook at the same rate.

Want a thicker sauce? Stir in a tablespoon (or two) of tomato paste with the cornstarch mixture.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice, brown rice, another favorite rice dish, or noodles.

Nutrition

Calories: 448kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 32gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 1526mgPotassium: 906mgFiber: 4gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 3566IUVitamin C: 59mgCalcium: 102mgIron: 4mg

Keyword beef and broccoli, slow cooker beef and vegetables, slow cooker beef tips

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This post was originally published June 2020. It has been updated with new content and images.