Name: 3 Hour No Peek Beef Tips Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 7
Cuisine: American Comfort Food
Ingredients: Ingredients; For the Beef Tips; 2 pounds of beef stew meat or sirloin tips, chopped into 1.5-inch pieces (choose cuts with good marbling as fat helps tenderness); 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup (make sure it’s full-fat and not the "health requested" version); 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed French onion soup; 1 cup beef broth (try low-sodium broth for less salty broth); 1 packet (1 ounce) of dried onion soup mix (any brand, like Lipton or store brand works); 8 ounces of fresh mushrooms sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 2 cups; you can use baby bella or white button mushrooms); 1 medium yellow onion, diced into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1.5 cups); 3 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder); 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme); 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (adjust based on how salty your broths and soup mix are); 1 bay leaf (don’t skip this for more depth); 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional, for richness and color); 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional, for more depth); For Serving; Serve with mashed potatoes, egg noodles or white rice; (Optional, for garnish and color addition) Fresh curly parsley, chopped; Finishing with freshly cracked black pepper

The No Peek Beef Tips recipe gives you an ultimate hands-off comfort meal with no prepping needed.

Get fork-tender beef with a rich and savory gravy. You spend no time fussing, and you wind up with a fantastic meal that tastes like you slaved over a stove all day.

Ingredients

For the Beef Tips

2 pounds of beef stew meat or sirloin tips, chopped into 1.5-inch pieces (choose cuts with good marbling as fat helps tenderness)
1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup (make sure it’s full-fat and not the “health requested” version)
1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed French onion soup
1 cup beef broth (try low-sodium broth for less salty broth)
1 packet (1 ounce) of dried onion soup mix (any brand, like Lipton or store brand works)
8 ounces of fresh mushrooms sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 2 cups; you can use baby bella or white button mushrooms)
1 medium yellow onion, diced into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1.5 cups)
3 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (adjust based on how salty your broths and soup mix are)
1 bay leaf (don’t skip this for more depth)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional, for richness and color)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional, for more depth)

For Serving

Serve with mashed potatoes, egg noodles or white rice
(Optional, for garnish and color addition) Fresh curly parsley, chopped
Finishing with freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

Step 1

Prep and Preheat Equipment (5 minutes)

Adjust your oven rack to the lower-third position. This keeps your oven at a constant lower temperature to maintain the uniform heat.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

This low temperature setting is key to keeping the oven ‘low and slow’ to maintain the tenderness of the meat without drying it out.

Choose a large Dutch oven (at least 5 quarts) or a heavy, oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid.

Well marveled cast iron or enameled cast iron is well-suited for the pot since it retains heat well.

Be sure that the lid is heavy and will seal, trapping moisture in.

If you suspect your lid is ‘light’ or ‘loose’, you will want to use the aluminum foil trick I mention later.

Step 2:

Prepare Your Beef (5 minutes).

Beef chunks should be thoroughly dried using paper towels.

Moisture will be released from the beef even though you’re not browning the meat,

So removing excess moisture will help the beef retain the gravy’s taste better and prevent the sauce with not becoming overly diluted.

Look over the beef and pare down the larger pieces of hard fat and silver skin, the shiny white membrane,

Keep the marbled fat because that will help with the tenderness and juiciness of the meat.

Cut down pieces larger than 1.5 inches, so there’s uniformity, as uniform pieces will ensure uniform cooking, which results in tenderness for every bite.

Lightly seasoning the beef cubes with salt and pepper is critical, and will help with the flavoring that is meant to penetrate the meat for the long cooking duration.

Step 3:

Prepare Your Vegetables (7 minutes).

Slice your mushrooms evenly to about 1/4 inch for consistency, as they will cook at different rates, which will cause problems.

For bigger pieces, leave the whole mushrooms.

Dice your onions into pieces that are about 1/2 inch wide so that they are big enough not to dissolve during cooking

And small enough that they are evenly spread throughout the dish.

Lastly, your garlic needs to be minced as finely as possible.

Minced garlic will guarantee the flavor infuses into the gravy evenly.

If you own a garlic press, you should use it now.

Step 4:

Build Your Base Layer (3 minutes)

Directly into your Dutch oven, dump the cream of mushroom soup and remember: there is no need to add any water or milk to the soup, as the can will suggest.

Scrape out every last bit with a spatula.

Next, throw in the French onion soup and add the full cup of beef broth.

Toss in the entire packet of dry onion soup mix.

This is a key source of all that rich, oniony goodness, so don’t hold back.

If you are using the optional Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste, you may add them now.

The added tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce will improve the gravy to a rich color and will add a subtle sweetness that will help counterbalance the salt.

It will also help improve the flavor. Make sure the mixture is properly combined to a thick creamy gravy base.

This will help ensure you remove the lumps that are contained in the dry soup mix before it thickens.

Step 5:

Add Your Protein and spice (5 minutes)

Place all of the beef chunks into the Dutch oven and stir the pieces with your hands or a large spoon until all of the pieces become coated with the gravy mixture.

The gravy mixture must come into contact with all of the meat.

The flavorful liquid is vital because it forms the base of the sauce.

Add the sliced mushrooms, making sure that they are evenly distributed.

As the gravy cooks, the mushrooms with release moisture, which will help season the gravy.

Sprinkle the diced onions over the top. Add the minced garlic, and be sure to stir it into the liquid so it doesn’t burn.

Add the other seasonings by first sprinkling dried thyme and black pepper.

The bay leaf needs to be submerged so that it can release the flavor into the liquid.

This is the last stir that will evenly distribute all the seasoning and vegetables throughout the pot.

Step 6

Create the Perfect Seal (3 minutes)

This step is absolutely critical to the success of your no-peek beef tips.

Press the lid firmly onto your Dutch oven, making sure it’s seated properly all the way around. Give it a little wiggle; it should feel secure and snug.

For extra insurance (and I highly recommend this, especially if your lid is on the lighter side), tear off a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Place it directly over the top of the pot, pressing it down around the edges to create a rim.

Then place your lid on top of the foil.

This creates a double seal that traps every bit of steam and moisture inside, which is essential for tender beef and a rich gravy.

No steam escapes, which means no moisture loss and no temperature fluctuation.

Step 7

The Sacred No Peek Period (3 hours)

Carefully transfer your sealed Dutch oven to the preheated oven.

Use both hands and good oven mitts. It’s already heavy, and it’s about to get heavier. Set a timer for exactly 3 hours.

Now for the most critical instruction for the whole recipe: DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN. DO NOT LIFT THE LID. DO NOT PEEK.

No. Not for a second. Not for a “just check real quick.” I get it. I really do.

It’s super tempting when the smells start wafting in around the 90-minute mark.

But every single time you break that seal, you release precious steam and drop the temperature and time by 20-30 degrees.

On the other hand, the tender loving care you put into the dish may be wasted, and your beef will be tough.

Think of it this way: that sealed pot is creating its own little pressure cooking environment.

The steam that builds up will eventually escape, so everything will remain moist.

For the time with tough collagen in the beef, steam will convert it into gelatin, and the meat will be fork tender, while the gravy will be silky.

But you’ll be so tempted to lift the seal for a quick check.

Feel free to do anything else you want, other side dishes, set the table, or relax. That is the beauty of this recipe and the time.

Step 8:

The Big Reveal (5 minutes)

At the end of the 3 hours, put on your oven mitts and take the Dutch oven out of the oven.

Put it on a heat-safe surface like the turned-off stovetop or a trivet.

The pot, the lid, and all of the internal steam are very hot, so be very cautious.

Let the pot sit for 2 to 3 minutes covered. This helps the pot cool a bit, and the steam buildup lessens, so when you open it, you won’t be greeted by rushing steam.

If you used foil, remove it now.

Go slowly and carefully remove the lid, tilting it so the condensation and steam escape away from you.

The first thing you will experience is the smell, and it should be amazing.

The second thing you will notice is that the liquid has turned into a rich gravy. The beef has turned dark and tender.

Step 9

Check for Doneness and Adjust (5 minutes)

To start checking the beef for doneness, take a fork and insert it into one of the larger pieces of beef.

It should slide in effortlessly. Pull it out, and the beef should be tender enough to nearly fall apart when the fork is twisted.

If, for some reason, it is not fork-tender, do not get flustered. Simply put the lid back on, return the pot to the oven, and give it another 20-30 minutes.

Depending on the size of the cut, some pieces of beef or larger cuts may need as much as 3.5 hours in total.

When the beef becomes tender to the touch, use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the bay leaf. This is important.

Bay leaves are not meant to be eaten. Remove your bay leaf. It can be a choking hazard.

Finally, do a very gentle stir of the entire pot while taking care not to break the pieces of beef too much.

You still want them to be nice chunks, not shredded, although a few pieces collapsing is fine, as it will enrich the gravy.

Step 10:

Perfect Your Gravy

Assess and adjust your gravy one final time.

Spoon a taste and see how you like it and how you want it changed.

Do you think it needs more salt? More pepper? Perhaps a splash of Worcestershire sauce for some depth?

Season to your tastes as preference, this will concentrate even more after it sits.

How thick should gravy get? Your gravy should be thick latex to coat the spoon and still be pourable.

It should still be thin enough so that if it were poured, it would slowly pour out.

If it is too thick (oven too hot, or if there was too little liquid to start with), that is when you should start to add more thin.

Add your beef broth and see if your consistency improves after each 1/4 cup.

If you don’t let it rest for a minute, it will thin out too much.

Having thin gravy can happen occasionally with this recipe, but if the mushrooms release too much liquid, it can happen more often.

In this case, you can allow the pot to sit uncovered for a few minutes.

Most of the liquid will evaporate with the heat, and the gravy will thicken.

For a more hands-on approach, make a quick cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until there are no lumps and adding it to the gravy.

Once again, let it thicken in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 11:

Final Touches and Plating

Before serving, let the beef tips rest, uncovered, in the pot for about 5 minutes.

This will allow the gravy to thicken for the last time while the flavors meld together.

You will see the gravy lose some of its matte appearance, become glossier, and cling to the beef more tightly after resting.

While the beef rests, prepare your serving dishes.

Spoon a generous portion of mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice into shallow bowls or onto plates, creating a little well in the center if you can.

This gives the gravy somewhere to pool.

With a large serving spoon or ladle, scoop glorious gravy, the beef tips, mushrooms, and onions.

Place the beef on starch and make sure every serving has gravy. Don’t be shy here; the gravy is the best part.

If using fresh parsley, chop and sprinkle. It brightens the dish, balances the richness, and adds a restaurant-like touch.

A few cracks of fresh black pepper add flavor and look nice.

Serve everything immediately while piping hot.

Put the remaining beef tips in a serving bowl for a self-service second. Don’t forget to keep the bowl on the table.

Recipe Tips For Success

Pick the Right Cut: The best choice for this recipe is beef stew meat, as it is designed for slow cooking. Chuck roast, cut into cubes, is also great for this recipe. Skip the lean cuts, like sirloin steak, as those will dry out with long cooking times.
Soup Situation: The flavors and depth of the gravy come from mixing together cream of mushroom, French onion, and dry onion soup. If you do not have French onion soup, you can use another can of cream of mushroom soup, or try cream of celery soup instead.
Fresh vs. Canned Mushrooms: The fresh version will give the dish more texture and flavor, but, in a pinch, you can use a can of sliced (drained) mushrooms. It will still be good, but the flavor will be less rich.
Make it Thicker: If you like an extra-thick gravy, you can add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water in the last 15 minutes of cooking. It, along with the rest of the gravy, can be covered and allowed to cook a bit longer.
Don’t Skip the Seal: Keeping the moisture in the dish is essential for the recipe to come out as intended. If your lid is big, utilize the method of adding aluminum foil to properly seal the dish.
Resting time: You’ll want to let the beef tips rest for about 5 minutes after you’ve taken them out of the oven. This will allow the gravy to thicken and the flavors to settle.

Switching Ingredients for the Recipe

Different Proteins

This method is also used for pork shoulder and chicken thighs.

Just note that chicken will cook faster; check it at the 2-hour mark.

Soup Alternatives

You can also make your own condensed soup substitute using a roux-based sauce if you’d rather not use canned soup.

For a lighter variation, use cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom.

Add Vegetables

For a complete one-pot meal, you can add carrots, celery, and cubed potatoes at the start. 3 hours in the oven will cook them down perfectly.

Adding Wine

For added richness to the gravy and a deeper flavor, you can substitute 1/2 cup of the beef broth with dry red wine.

Liven It Up

For a little extra heat and depth, add a little red pepper flakes or a splash of Worcestershire sauce.

Dairy-Free

For a quick substitute, use a dairy-free cream soup or use a simple roux made with flour and beef broth, and thicken it with dairy-free butter.

Storing and Reheating

Leftover beef tips can be refrigerated for 4 days in an airtight container. Leftovers are even better because the flavors meld.

In the freezer

These beef tips freeze beautifully.

Cool to room temperature and pack into freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags for up to 3 months.

To thaw, place it in the fridge the night before you plan to serve.

To reheat

Place in a saucepan and warm gently over medium-low heat, stirring often, and adding a splash of beef broth if the gravy has thickened to your liking.

For the microwave, reheat in 1-minute increments, stirring between, to avoid tough beef.

Make-Ahead

Prepare this dish the night before by placing all the ingredients in your Dutch oven, covering it, and putting it in the fridge.

The next day, allow it to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes and follow the baking instructions.

The dish is starting cold, so you may need to add 15 to 20 minutes extra to the baking time.

Serving Suggestions For 3 Hour No Peek Beef Tips Recipe

These beef tips can go with many different sides, but here are some of the best combinations, in my opinion:

Classic Comfort: Creamy mashed potatoes are the traditional choice and for good reason—they soak up that gravy like nobody’s business. Add a simple green salad or steamed green beans on the side.
Noodle Heaven: Wide egg noodles tossed with butter and parsley are perfect for catching every drop of gravy. This is my kids’ favorite way to eat these beef tips.
Rice Bowl: Serve over white rice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option. The gravy makes any rice absolutely irresistible.
Bread Situation: Crusty French bread or homemade biscuits are essential for sopping up extra gravy. I’m talking non-negotiable here.
Vegetable Side Dishes: Finished meals can also be complemented with colorful and nutritious additions like roasted Brussels sprouts, honey-glazed carrots, or sautéed green beans.
Polenta or Grits: If you’re looking to try something different, serve these beef tips with creamy polenta or cheese grits; it is a heavenly combination.

Frequently Asked Questions For 3 Hour No Peek Beef Tips Recipe

Is it possible to prepare this using a slow cooker instead?

Just add all components to the slow cooker and set it to low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.

The consistency will be a little different than if it were done in the oven, but it will be just as good.

What happens if I continuously check the progress of the cooking?

Every time you remove the lid, you allow the steam to escape, which then drops the temperature inside the pot.

That steam is essential to keep the meat juicy and to tenderize the connective tissues.

It may also add 15-30 minutes to the cooking time, and the meat will be even tougher.

What if I don’t have Tender Beef after 3 hours of cooking?

It could simply be that the pieces of beef you are using are too big or your oven temperature is too low.

Just continue to cook in 30-minute increments and check for tenderness. It could be as long as 3.5 to 4 hours.

Conclusion

The best comfort food relies on simple techniques and not on constant check-ins.

Make this once, and it will be your go-to recipe for when you need a comforting meal that is reliable and leaves you plenty of time to focus on other things.

Yield: 7

3 Hour No Peek Beef Tips Recipe

The No Peek Beef Tips recipe gives you an ultimate hands-off comfort meal with no prepping needed.

Get fork-tender beef with a rich and savory gravy. You spend no time fussing, and you wind up with a fantastic meal that tastes like you slaved over a stove all day.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients
For the Beef Tips
2 pounds of beef stew meat or sirloin tips, chopped into 1.5-inch pieces (choose cuts with good marbling as fat helps tenderness)
1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup (make sure it’s full-fat and not the "health requested" version)
1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed French onion soup
1 cup beef broth (try low-sodium broth for less salty broth)
1 packet (1 ounce) of dried onion soup mix (any brand, like Lipton or store brand works)
8 ounces of fresh mushrooms sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 2 cups; you can use baby bella or white button mushrooms)
1 medium yellow onion, diced into 1/2 inch pieces (about 1.5 cups)
3 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (adjust based on how salty your broths and soup mix are)
1 bay leaf (don’t skip this for more depth)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional, for richness and color)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional, for more depth)
For Serving
Serve with mashed potatoes, egg noodles or white rice
(Optional, for garnish and color addition) Fresh curly parsley, chopped
Finishing with freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

Step 1

Prep and Preheat Equipment (5 minutes)

Adjust your oven rack to the lower-third position. This keeps your oven at a constant lower position to maintain the uniform heat.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

This low temperature setting is key to keeping the oven ‘low and slow’ to maintain the tenderness of the meat without drying it out.

Choose a large Dutch oven (at least 5 quarts) or a heavy, oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid.

Well marveled cast iron or enameled cast iron is well-suited for the pot since it retains heat well.

Be sure that the lid is heavy and will seal, trapping moisture in.

If you suspect your lid is ‘light’ or ‘loose’, you will want to use the aluminum foil trick I mention later.

Step 2:

Prepare Your Beef (5 minutes).

Beef chunks should be thoroughly dried using paper towels.

Moisture will be released from the beef even though you're not browning the meat,

So removing excess moisture will help the beef retain the gravy’s taste better and prevent the sauce with not becoming overly diluted.

Look over the beef and pare down the larger pieces of hard fat and silver skin, the shiny white membrane,

Keep the marbled fat because that will help with the tenderness and juiciness of the meat.

Cut down pieces larger than 1.5 inches, so there’s uniformity, as uniform pieces will ensure uniform cooking, which results in tenderness for every bite.

Lightly seasoning the beef cubes with salt and pepper is critical, and will help with the flavoring that is meant to penetrate the meat for the long cooking duration.

Step 3:

Prepare Your Vegetables (7 minutes).

Slice your mushrooms evenly to about 1/4 inch for consistency, as they will cook at different rates, which will cause problems.

For bigger pieces, leave the whole mushrooms.

Dice your onions into pieces that are about 1/2 inch wide so that they are big enough not to dissolve during cooking

And small enough that they are evenly spread throughout the dish.

Lastly, your garlic needs to be minced as finely as possible.

Minced garlic will guarantee the flavor infuses into the gravy evenly.

If you own a garlic press, you should use it now.

Step 4:

Build Your Base Layer (3 minutes)

Directly into your Dutch oven, dump the cream of mushroom soup and remember: there is no need to add any water or milk to the soup, as the can will suggest.

Scrape out every last bit with a spatula.

Next, throw in the French onion soup and add the full cup of beef broth.

Toss in the entire packet of dry onion soup mix.

This is a key source of all that rich, oniony goodness, so don’t hold back.

If you are using the optional Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste, you may add them now.

The added tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce will improve the gravy to a rich color and will add a subtle sweetness that will help counterbalance the salt.

It will also help improve the flavor. Make sure the mixture is properly combined to a thick creamy gravy base.

This will help ensure you remove the lumps that are contained in the dry soup mix before it thickens.

Step 5:

Add Your Protein and spice (5 minutes)

Place all of the beef chunks into the Dutch oven and stir the pieces with your hands or a large spoon until all of the pieces become coated with the gravy mixture.

The gravy mixture must come into contact with all of the meat.

The flavorful liquid is vital because it forms the base of the sauce.

Add the sliced mushrooms, making sure that they are evenly distributed.

As the gravy cooks, the mushrooms with release moisture, which will help season the gravy.

Sprinkle the diced onions over the top. Add the minced garlic, and be sure to stir it into the liquid so it doesn't burn.

Add the other seasonings by first sprinkling dried thyme and black pepper.

The bay leaf needs to be submerged so that it can release the flavor into the liquid.

This is the last stir that will evenly distribute all the seasoning and vegetables throughout the pot.

Step 6

Create the Perfect Seal (3 minutes)

This step is absolutely critical to the success of your no-peek beef tips.

Press the lid firmly onto your Dutch oven, making sure it's seated properly all the way around. Give it a little wiggle; it should feel secure and snug.

For extra insurance (and I highly recommend this, especially if your lid is on the lighter side), tear off a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Place it directly over the top of the pot, pressing it down around the edges to create a rim.

Then place your lid on top of the foil.

This creates a double seal that traps every bit of steam and moisture inside, which is essential for tender beef and a rich gravy.

No steam escapes, which means no moisture loss and no temperature fluctuation.

Step 7

The Sacred No Peek Period (3 hours)

Carefully transfer your sealed Dutch oven to the preheated oven.

Use both hands and good oven mitts. It's already heavy, and it's about to get heavier. Set a timer for exactly 3 hours.

Now for the most critical instruction for the whole recipe: DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN. DO NOT LIFT THE LID. DO NOT PEEK.