Southern Rice and Gravy

5 from 6 votes

Juicy, tender, beef tips are cooked up for the best Southern comfort food meals, Rice and Gravy. It's great for busy weeknights.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: servings

Calories: 252kcal

Remove beef from fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. Pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
In large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add in half of the pieces of beef. Sear for about 1 minute, then turn on another side and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, getting deep brown color on the beef. Remove beef from pan and set aside.
Add ½ tablespoon oil to pan repeat with remaining beef tips.
Once the second batch is seared off, take it out of the pan and set aside with the rest of the beef, reduce heat to medium and add butter. Once it begins to foam, add onions, bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until almost tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook for an additional minute.
Sprinkle flour over vegetables. Using a wooden spoon, stir to make sure flour is fully hydrated and coating the vegetables.
Slowly pour in beef broth, about half cup at a time, scraping the bottom to release the brown bits and stirring constantly to keep the gravy smooth. Do not add broth all at once.
Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Add beef tips and any juices. Add Worcestershire sauce and reduce heat to a simmer, allowing beef to finish cooking and gravy to thicken, about 40-50 minutes.
Stir in parsley and serve over cooked rice.

Nutrition notes: Calculated on the beef and gravy only.

Be sure to check the full post above for serving suggestions, variations, storage information, and much more.

Don't Overcrowd the Pan. This way your beef cooks up quickly and gets a better sear on the outside. Overcrowding drops the heat too much and also doesn't allow each piece of beef contact with the pan.

Add the Broth Slowly. This way you keep your gravy smooth. As your adding it be sure to continue to stir almost constantly until you've finished adding all the broth.

Temperature is Key. Make sure your pan and oil are hot before you start cooking the beef tips. That way it will quickly sear and brown on the outside of the beef. However, when cooking the beef in the gravy you want to use a LOW temperature so the meat simmers slowly, tenderizing as it cooks.

Check the Seasonings Before Serving. All broths may be seasoned a bit differently so be sure to give things a taste and adjust as needed.

Avoid Using a Nonstick Pan. Yes, it's so much easier to clean but you want the little bits stuck to the pan because they will make for a more flavorful gravy. Later on as your cooking the gravy, be sure to use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those browned bits.