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This Crockpot Steak and Gravy is one of my favorite slow cooker dinners for busy weeknights. It uses just 3 simple ingredients and turns out tender, savory, and so comforting every time. If you need an easy dinner that tastes like you worked way harder than you did, this recipe is a lifesaver.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This has become my go to recipe for cooking any meat that has been frozen and thawed too many times or muscle that was heavily used by the beef. It is very easy to prepare and ready at the end of a long work day. Thank you so much for sharing your secret with us.” – Amy
“Ten stars! Easy and delicious, with minimal ingredients…I love it! And I will definitely be making again and again. Everyone at the table gobbled it up. I served over mashed potatoes with a side of green beans. Delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!” – Lisa
“Delicious! Used the top sirloin sliced thinly. Did not make any changes to recipe but cooked on low 8 hours while at work. So tender and good! Will definitely be fixing again.” – Theresa
An Easy Recipe for Busy Days
I first made this 3 ingredient Crockpot Steak and Gravy years ago when my friend Rashona recommended it during a really busy season of life. I needed something easy that did not feel like a compromise, and this recipe absolutely delivered. I have made it countless times since, and it always comes out rich, tender, and full of flavor.
What I love most is how dependable it is. I can add everything to the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a house that smells amazing and dinner that is basically done. It is one of those recipes that makes me feel like I have dinner figured out, even on the busiest days.
🩷 Echo
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe works because it keeps things simple and focuses on what the slow cooker does best.
- Thinly sliced steak cooks up tender and soaks in all the savory gravy flavor.
- Brown gravy mix plus au jus mix creates a rich, beefy gravy without extra prep.
- Low and slow cooking gives the steak time to break down and become tender.
- Minimal ingredients means less measuring, less cleanup, and a very reliable result.
It is the kind of recipe that is perfect when you want comfort food without a lot of effort.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Top Sirloin Steak or Top Round (London Broil): These cuts of steak are perfect for this recipe because they become tender and juicy after slow-cooking. I watch for steak on weekly sales and buy extra to put in the freezer.
- Gravy mixes – brown gravy mix and au jus gravy mix combine to create a rich, savory gravy with lots of flavor.
- Water – helps dissolve the mixes and creates the cooking liquid that turns into gravy as it cooks.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Swap the au jus mix – if you cannot find au jus, use onion soup mix and the flavor is still delicious.
- Add vegetables – sliced onions, mushrooms, or bell peppers cook right in the crockpot and add extra flavor and texture.
- Fresh herbs for serving – chopped parsley or thyme adds a fresh finish.
- Thicker gravy option – stir in a cornstarch slurry near the end if you want a thicker gravy.
- Other beef cuts – flank steak, chuck steak, or stew meat can work well, especially when cooked low and slow.
How to Make Crockpot Steak and Gravy
- Slice the steak thinly against the grain and place it in the slow cooker. Add the gravy mixes by sprinkling the brown gravy mix and au jus mix over the steak.
- Pour in the water and stir gently so the mixes combine with the liquid. The gravy will look thin early and thicken as it cooks with the beef juices.
- Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours until the steak is very tender and the gravy is rich.
- Stir well before serving so the gravy coats the steak evenly. Serve hot over mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, or toast.
Recipe Tips
- Cook low and slow for the best texture. I highly recommend cooking this on low for at least 8 hours.
- Slice the steak thinly against the grain for the most tender results.
- Use a crockpot liner if you want easy cleanup.
- Buy steak on sale and freeze it for easy meal planning later. I do this often.
- Stir before serving because the gravy settles as it cooks.
- For a thicker gravy, add a slurry of cornstarch and cold water about 30 minutes before serving.
- Taste before adding extra salt because gravy packet brands can vary in saltiness. Use low sodium gravy packets if you are sensitive to salt.
- The leftover meat is great in soups! Cube steak, add tons of pepper, your favorite broth, and heat the crock pot cubed steak on the stove top. Enjoy your ingenious, protein packed meal!
- Servings: To serve 4-6 people, use 2 pounds of steak. To serve 6-8 people, use 3 pounds of steak.
- A 6 quart slow cooker works well for larger batches or doubling the recipe.
What to Serve with Crockpot Steak and Gravy
I love serving the thick, creamy steak and gravy over homemade mashed potatoes. It’s also delicious served over Instant Pot Rice. There are so many side dishes that work well with this easy steak recipe. Rice and potatoes are our go-to sides but it would also be delicious over pasta, thick toast. Try it with roasted broccoli or oven roasted green beans on the side for a well-rounded meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use a flank steak, chuck steak, or even stew meat. Tougher cuts offer maximum tenderness when cooked low and slow.
You can, but the meat will not be as tender. We highly recommend cooking it for at least 8 hours on low for best results.
It isn’t necessary, but if you would like to, searing in a large skillet on medium-high heat can increase the flavor of your cut of beef and increase the texture as well. Searing the meat before slow cooking also gives a beautiful and appetizing color.
If you want a thicker gravy, simply make a slurry with 2 tablespoons of cold water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Stir it into the crockpot steak and gravy 30 minutes before serving.
According to the USDA, it’s best not to use frozen meat in the crock pot. Thaw the frozen steak prior to using it in this recipe. This ensures even cooking and proper internal temperature.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make ahead – you can slice the steak ahead of time and store it in the fridge so it is ready to add to the slow cooker in the morning.
- Refrigerator – store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer – freeze cooled steak and gravy in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
- Reheat – warm on the stove over low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if the gravy has thickened too much.
More Crockpot Meals
The slow cooker saves the day more often than not! We have so many great Crockpot Meals. Here are a few more of our tried and true crockpot favorites:
Give this easy Crockpot Steak and Gravy a try — it’s the kind of recipe that makes you feel like a dinner hero with hardly any effort. Don’t forget to leave a review and let us know how it turned out! 💛
Crockpot Steak and Gravy
Video
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 pounds top sirloin steak or London broil, sliced thin
- 2 packets brown gravy mix
- 1 packet Au Jus mix
- 2 1/2 cups water
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in crockpot.
- Cook all day (8-10 hrs) on low, stirring occasionally.
- Serve over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
Equipment
- Crock Pot (Slow Cooker)
Notes
- Best results come from cooking on low for at least 8 hours.
- Slice steak thinly for more tender bites.
- Onion soup mix can replace au jus mix if needed.
- Add onions, mushrooms, or peppers for extra flavor.
- Use a cornstarch slurry near the end for thicker gravy.
- Thaw steak before slow cooking for best texture and even cooking.
- Crockpot liners make cleanup easy.
- A 6 quart slow cooker works well for larger batches or doubling the recipe.
- Cooking time may vary by slow cooker model, so cook until the steak is very tender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Just want to say this is an excellent easy dinner that you just let it cook an it does the rest. Mashed potatoes is my favorite with this. Just chuck the steak and gravy on top potatoes and it’s the Bomb!! Rice works also . Anyone ever marinate the meat before hand?Might not taste as good though
I don’t have 8 to 10 hours to cook this so can I cook on high for 4 to 6 hours. Will it cook the same?
The meat will not be as tender if you cook it on high. You can certainly try it but I can’t promise the texture will be right.
I cooked a 1 lb piece of top sirloin in 4 hours and it was fork tender with the texture being fine. I adjusted the number of gravy pkts accordingly.
So good! So glad I found this crockpot steak recipe! We are often have steak in our freezer and this is a great way to use it up! So tasty and something different!!
Ten stars! Easy and delicious, with minimal ingredients…I love it! I did not have au jus mix, but I did happen to have an envelope of Lipton golden onion soup mix…I might intentionally make it this way going forward! And I will definitely be making again and again. Everyone at the table gobbled it up. I served over mashed potatoes with a side of green beans. Delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Easy to put together and wonderful comfort food. 🙂
Delicious, made it with rice and mashed potatoes and both were excellent, but preferred mashed potatoes. Will make it again.
The perfect recipe with the greatest amount of ingredients (only 3) needed to get a quick meal planned.
If you have similar recipes that are just as simple, and delicious please share. This was fantastic. The hubby loves it.
Love this recipe, easy and had all the ingredients.
Can I cook this in the oven?
We haven’t tried it in the oven, so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it turns out if you try it!
This is a keeper! It was delicious and sooo easy to make! I had a little less than 1 lb. of a Petite Sirloin Steak, which I didn’t slice beforehand. I used 1 packet of Brown Gravy mix and 1 packet of Au Jus mix. Mixed with about 1 and 3/4 cup of water. LOVE onions, so I added 1 and 1/2 quartered onions to the crockpot. Cooked in slow cooker for 2 hrs. on high and then about 1 hr. on low. The meat fell apart and the onions cooked down to nothing. Gravy was perfect. Did not have to thicken. Had with mashed potatoes and cucumber, onion and tomato salad with Italian dressing. Yum!!!
I’ve been making this for around 10 years now from the RTA Cabinet Store that used to have recipes. So good and even better the 2nd day. I’ve found you can use just about every cut of beef making it to which is great when you come across a good deal at the grocery store. Chuck streak is what they had on sale at the time and it turned out fantastic.
Delicious and so easy beef and gravy dinner! Do you have a recipe to convert it to Instant pot useage?
We haven’t tested this out in an Instant Pot yet, but we might in the future!
Is there anyway you could give a recipe using items in my pantry besides prepackaged gravy and au jus powders? Those packets contain lots of additives like msg or sodium, etc. The concept of Slow cooker, gravey and steak sounds appealing.
We don’t have an au jus recipe from scratch, but I am sure there are a lot of ideas on Google!
I’m trying to find easy to make recipes that we can do once our child is born and this one was perfect! I served it with mashed potatoes and corn and my partner loved it! He said It reminded him of his childhood.
Needless to say, we will be adding this to our meal rotation.
Made this last night using those Petite Sirloin steaks (which I am NOT a fan of) that I bought because they were $1.97 a pound. I’ve made them before in various ways & marinades, stove top/grill or stir fry and always disappointed. BUT, then I ran across this way and it was DELICIOUS! I even had some of the gravy this morning over hashed browns. Seared the meat well & put in crock along with two carrots, one celery stalk and one onion, quartered. Nine hours later the meat was fork tender & bigger pieces would fall apart & the aroma was enticing. This is the only method for me from here on.
Made it his last night with mashed potatoes. Delicious! Husband has already asked for a repeat meal?
Would you put onions in with the rest of the ingredients at the beginning? I don’t necessarily want them to disintegrate.
Yes, I think adding some onions at the beginning would be yummy! I don’t think they will disintegrate.
I did not have an au jus mix so I used a beefy onion soup mix instead. This turned our great. I will keep this one. Everyone loved it.
That is so good to know! I’ve never tried it with a beefy onion soup mix. Thank you for sharing!
I used one 2 cup pack of brown gravy, a beefy onion soup mix, and an au jus mix. I only cooked for about 5 hours. We used thin cut New York Strip and then I cut it into strips before cooking. When
It was finished the gravy wasn’t as thick as I prefer so added a cornstarch and water mix. We served it over mashed potatoes. Turned our perfect!
Can this recipe be done on the stove?
We have not tried it on the stove, but let us know how it goes if you try it!
I have made this in a pot on the stove many times. I slice steak into strips, throw them in a pot with a little oil, toss in chopped onions, brown it a bit, and turned burner down. Put in 2 cups of water, put the lid on and let it simmer about 45 minutes. Then I add beef stock, spices and a bit of flour. When it thickens it’s ready to go. It’s always a hit at our table. We can’t use a lot of the mixes, so always try to figure out our home made recipes.
Great recipe but instead of waiting 8hrs in slow cooker you can pan sear steaks and toss them in an insta-pot and it will be ready in an hour tops.