German Braised Beef and Spaetzle
If you like German cuisine, you’ll love this German braised beef recipe! It features tender beef tips slow-simmered in a sweet and tangy brown gravy with onions and mushrooms, and served over buttery German egg noodles (also known as “spaetzle”.) Ready in under 30-minutes.
Why this recipe works
- This recipe uses sirloin steak instead of the traditional cuts like stew meat or chuck roast. Sirloin is more tender and results in perfectly tender cubed beef bites
- Using a few “shortcut” ingredients reduces the cooking time so you can have dinner on the table in less than 30-minutes!
If you follow my recipes, you’ll know that I am not a big fan of packaged dry mixes and condensed soups. However, in this case, a few shortcut ingredients make this recipe a fast weeknight dinner for the whole family.
This is a spin-off on my Southern Beef Tips and Rice recipe. Sometimes, a girl just needs to mix-it-up:)
Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients for the German, or Bavarian beef tip recipe. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Sirloin – about 1.5 – 2 pounds of sirloin cut into 1″ inch cubes
- Butter- I use unsalted
- Olive oil
- Onion – I recommend a sweet yellow onion for German beef tips recipe
- Mushrooms – optional, but they add great texture and flavor to the beefy broth
- Garlic powder
- Brown gravy mix – I use McCormick Brown Gravy packet mix
- A1 Steak sauce – just a little of this gives the brown gravy a tangy flavor
- Noodles – you can use traditional Bavarian Egg Noodles (Spaetzle), wide egg noodles or rice
My neighbor is of German descent and she always uses A1 Steak Sauce in her pot roast to give it a tangy flavor. So, I decided to try a little in this recipe and it turned out perfect!
How to make it
- In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil; add diced onions and sliced mushrooms and cook on medium heat until onions are translucent; push the veggies to the side of the skillet
- Lightly season the beef tips with salt and pepper and add them to the skillet with the mushrooms and onions; cook the sirloin tips until they are no longer pink
- Add in the brown gravy mix, garlic powder, water and steak sauce; combine well; cover and simmer until the beef tips reach an internal temperature of at least 145°F
- Cook noodles according to package; drain and plate; spoon the beef tips and gravy over the noodles and enjoy!
Recipe tips
- For best results and a quick dinner, cut the sirloin steak into 1″ inch cubes; this ensures the beef tips cook evenly
- If you want a thinner gravy, add more water
- If your family loves gravy, use two packets of gravy mix
- I found traditional Bavarian Spaetzle noodles at World Market. If you can’t find Spaetzle, use extra wide egg noodles.
Serving suggestions
I like to serve German braised beef and spaetzle with a side of roasted broccoli or steamed asparagus. It also pairs well with a crisp green salad.
Storage and make ahead
The best way to make this in advance is to brown the sirloin beef tips in butter and oil, then store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. I recommend reheating in a microwave.
I hope you try this quick and easy German-style braised beef recipe!
German Braised Beef and Spaetzle
Ingredients
- 1½ – 2 pounds top sirloin steak
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
- 6-9 large mushrooms, sliced See recipe notes
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup water
- 1 package powdered brown gravy mix See recipe notes
- ¼ cup A1 Steak sauce
- 8 ounces dried Spaetzle noodles or egg noodles See recipe notes
- salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- fresh parsley (garnish); optional
Instructions
Prep
- Clean and slice mushrooms; dice onions; cut steak into 1" inch cubes; lightly season beef with salt and pepper; set all this asideFill a large stockpot with 6 quarts of water and bring to boil; add noodles and cook to package instructions1½ – 2 pounds top sirloin steak, ½ cup finely diced yellow onion, 6-9 large mushrooms, sliced, 8 ounces dried Spaetzle noodles or egg noodles
How to make it
- In a large stainless skillet on medium heat, add butter and oil; once butter is melted, add onions and mushrooms; stir and cook about 3 minutes until mushrooms are golden2 tablespoons butter, unsalted, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- In the same skillet, push the onions and mushrooms to the side; add the cubed beef and brown until it's no longer pink (about 3-4 minutes)(If your skillet isn't big enough, transfer the onions and mushrooms to a plate, brown the meat, then add the onions/mushrooms back into the skillet and resume recipe.)
- Add garlic powder, dry gravy mix, water and steak sauce; combine and cook uncovered 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally¼ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 cup water, 1 package powdered brown gravy mix, ¼ cup A1 Steak sauce
- Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 8-10 minutes or until beef is at least 145℉ degrees; season to taste with salt and peppersalt, to taste, ground black pepper, to taste, fresh parsley (garnish); optional
- Plate noodles in a shallow bowl and spoon the beefy onion mixture on top; finish with additional gravy and garnish with parsley (optional)
