Bourbon Gravy Mushroom Tenderloin Tips: 5-Ingredient Crockpot Dinner

This is the dinner that feels like a special occasion but is almost no work at all. Tender beef tenderloin tips simmer slowly in a rich, glossy bourbon-mushroom gravy, with just a handful of pantry ingredients and a slow cooker doing all the heavy lifting. By the end of the day, the meat is fork-tender, the gravy is deeply savory with a hint of bourbon sweetness, and all that’s left to do is spoon it over fluffy rice.

There are slow cooker recipes that require browning, deglazing, and a dozen steps, and then there are the ones you can dump in and forget. This bourbon gravy mushroom tenderloin tips recipe falls firmly into the second camp. With just five ingredients — beef, cream of mushroom soup, onions, bourbon gravy, and butter — you get a dinner that tastes like it simmered for hours on a restaurant stove.

The beef tenderloin tips stay remarkably tender, the gravy turns velvety and rich, and the mushrooms and onions soften into the sauce. Serve it over rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles for a meal that feels both comforting and elegant.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

The slow cooker is the secret to making lean beef tenderloin tips truly tender. Cooking them low and slow allows the connective tissue to break down without drying out the meat. The sealed environment traps steam, keeping the beef moist and infusing every bite with the flavors of the gravy and aromatics.

Because you never brown the meat first, the recipe stays truly dump-and-go, but the result is still deeply savory thanks to the concentrated flavors of the condensed soup and bourbon gravy.

The combination of cream of mushroom soup and bourbon gravy creates a sauce that is both creamy and complex. The soup adds body and a silky mouthfeel, while the bourbon gravy brings a subtle sweetness and a hint of smoke.

Butter stirred in at the start melts into the sauce, adding richness and helping to round out the flavors. The onions soften and almost melt into the gravy, releasing their natural sweetness. The result is a cohesive, glossy sauce that clings to every piece of beef.

Notes and substitutions

Beef tenderloin tips are the star here, but you can substitute sirloin tips or even chuck roast cut into chunks. Tenderloin is lean, so it cooks faster than tougher cuts; if you use chuck, plan on 6 to 8 hours on low.

The condensed cream of mushroom soup is essential for the creamy base — do not replace it with broth or the gravy will be thin. Choose a good-quality bourbon gravy from a jar; look for one with visible mushroom pieces for extra texture.

The butter is not optional — it adds the final richness that makes the sauce taste luxurious. You can use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt at the end if you prefer. For the rice, any long-grain white rice works; basmati or jasmine add a fragrant note. If you want to add more vegetables, sliced mushrooms or carrots can go in at the start, but the video does not show them, so this recipe keeps to the original five ingredients.

• beef tenderloin tips: beef sirloin tips or chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes; adjust cooking time if using chuck (cook 6-8 hours on low).
• bourbon mushroom gravy: Use 1 1/2 cups beef broth mixed with 2 tablespoons bourbon and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, plus 1 cup sliced mushrooms.
• condensed cream of mushroom soup: Use 1 1/2 cups heavy cream mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 cup sautéed mushrooms.
• salted butter: Unsalted butter plus 1/4 teaspoon salt, or 4 tablespoons olive oil.

Equipment

• 6-quart slow cooker
• Cutting board
• Chef's knife
• Measuring cups
• Wooden spoon
• Serving spoon