Slow Cooker Mocha Beef Tips and Mushrooms

Break out your slow cooker and get ready to enjoy the BEST comfort food to cross your table this season! These Slow Cooker Mocha Beef Tips and Mushrooms are so good itll make you want to lick your plate clean!

This post is being sponsored by my friends at Rodelle Inc. to showcase two of my FAVORITE products from them Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa Powder, Dutch Processed (which is my all-time FAVORITE cocoa). As always, all opinions my own. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands I trust and believe in.

This recipe is one Ive been making for at least 20 years or so. I can remember it so vividly creating this recipe. You see I was living on my own and one of my best friends decided to spend a long weekend with me as he wanted to bake Christmas cookies. Now what that meant was he was going to eat so much cookie dough that he made himself sick and then gained 8 pounds in 3 days because he ate so many cookies (and dough). Since Im not a coffee drinker, his job was to bring his favorite coffee. I had basic coffee but not the fancy-schmancy stuff he liked.

Coffee and Cocoa with beef is an amazing marriage of flavors!

With my friend staying with me coffee was abundant in the pot. My making, 6 cups at a time for one person isnt wise. So I had to find some way to use it up. It was about 9 am and we were making double chocolate chunk cookies and my smell of fresh coffee wafted in the air when I realized that I hadnt figured out what to make for dinner. A quick look in the fridge and I spied a gorgeous package of chuck roast beef tips. Into the crockpot went the beef and on a whim, since I knew I had too much coffee made, I decided to add some of that and cocoa to it.

You already know that cocoa is one of my secret ingredients in chili so I figured why not add it to beef tips. What transpired honestly set the precedence to how I make beef tips (and many beef recipes) to this day!

Coffees effects on beef

Coffee is acidic. The acidic notes pair well with the savory tones of beef. It also helps tenderize the meat. When combined it helps boost the flavors of the meat.

Now if youre like me and hate actual coffee as a drink, dont worry as you do not taste it in recipes. Instead, youll get such a flavor-packed dish that you will fall in love with!

Adding Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa to beef

As a chef, Im particular about the brands I use regardless if its commercially or personally. I use THE BEST ingredients I can that I trust. Rodelles line of products is truly superior and I know that when I use them in any dish that I will have the same, amazing result every time!

Adding this cocoa to the beef adds such a depth of flavor; a richness that makes the beef and sauce so well-rounded. And since coffee and chocolate are pretty much BFFs, its only befitting this is added to the recipe!

What kind of beef can I use?

I use boneless stew meat thats already cut up for me. You can also use chuck roast. You want meat that has some fat to it as its that fat that is going to help make the meat more tender as it slow cooks.

You could use cut-up round or rump roast but its not as flavorful as chuck roast and that it doesnt have as much connective tissue either. You see you want those tough cuts of beef; those parts of the cow that have more muscles. More muscles mean they are loaded with collagen-rich connective tissues. When cooked low and slow that connective tissue melts into the meat and releases gelatin.

Did you ever bite into a piece of meat that was so smooth and almost melted in your mouth? Like it had such a great mouthfeel? Thats from the result of cooking those tougher pieces of meat that are loaded with connective tissue for hours.

How to make Mocha Beef Tips & Mushrooms

I make this dish in my 4 quart Cast Aluminum Slow Cooker. You can use any other slow cooker but what I love about this one is that you can put the insert directly on the stovetop and sear the meat in it. Hello, not dirtying extra pans!

If you buy your meat already cubed, thatll save you time. I tend to buy this type of meat in bulk at Sams Club or Costco as its more cost-friendly and I can get several meals out of one package. But first, lets start with some prep work

1. You want to coat the meat in seasoned flour and then sear it. Make sure to not crowd the pan. Between batches, you may need to add a little more neutral oil to the bottom of your pan (or insert).
2. While the meat is searing, cut up the onions and mushrooms. I like my mushrooms to still have a body so I tend to only cut them in half. If they are ginormous then maybe in thirds.

3. To the beef stock whisk together the Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa Powder, Dutch Processed plus the coffee, salt, and pepper.

4. Once all of the beef is seared, its time for everything to go into your slow cooker insert.
5. First, deglaze your pan/insert to scrape up any burnt bits on the bottom. Dont discard them as those are bits of flavor bombs!
6. Next, start by adding all of the seared meat to the slow cooker insert, followed by the onions, mushrooms, bay leaf, and fresh thyme.

7. Pour the Coffee Cocoa mixture on top and place the lid. Cook for 7 hours on low (dont peek!).
8. When done, remove the lid and fish out the thyme stems and bay leaf. Now since my insert can go straight to the stovetop, I just put it over medium heat while I made my slurry. If you dont have an insert to do that, just use a slotted spoon and scoop out the meat and mushrooms. Add your slurry and, on the stovetop, cook for about 5-10 minutes. For the insert that cant go on the stovetop, place your slow cooker on high and, once you whisk in the slurry, return your meat and mushrooms to the pot. This can take 10-15 minutes to thicken.

I know youre going to ask can you make this in the Instant Pot. The short answer is YES but the ingredient amounts and recipe instructions are so different thats better to have to write up different post for it. So stay tuned!

This Mocha Beef Tips & Mushrooms is the PERFECT cold-weather comfort food!

So hearty, so comforting! As you can see, the coloring of this is GORGEOUS! You can see that chocolate cocoa coloring so pronounced and the smell! Oh, folks, the smell of this is INCREDIBLE! That first time I made it I will NEVER forget his face. We had been baking ALL DAY and were exhausted. Flour on our face, icing in parts and sprinkles EVERYWHERE but honestly, it was the smell of this cooking all day that kept us going.

I took my shower first and, while my BFF was showering, I whipped up some mashed potatoes. I did a self-serve as I didnt want to do any more work than I needed to as I was exhausted. The man, who swore hed never eat again after making himself sick from eating so much cookie dough and cookies all day, ate 3 plates of this!

2 days later, the day he was going home, he asked me to make up another batch just so he could take it home. Yeah, I had a winner for sure!

Throughout the years Ive made this and its always a huge company favorite. I know Mr. Fantabulous RAVES over this every time I make it. Your family and friends will too!

Freezing Mocha Beef Tips and Mushrooms

This freezes beautifully! Even if you eat all of the beef tips, mushrooms and are only left with the gravy, save it! Just portion out the cooled food into freezer-safe containers and freeze for 3 months.

What to serve with Mocha Beef Tips and Mushrooms

• For me, mashed potatoes are my go-to for sure.
• Overtop egg noodles or wild grain rice would be amazing too!
• This would be amazing with my sophisticated spin on Green Bean Casserole with caramelized mushrooms!

How to reheat Mocha Beef Tips & Mushrooms

• Oven Remove the bowl from the fridge and place in an oven-safe dish. Cover tightly with foil and reheat at 350F for about 20-25 minutes or until heated through. For the last 5 minutes of reheating, remove the foil, stir and allow to reheat uncovered.
• Microwave Place portion into a microwave container, cover, and microwave in 1 minutes intervals until heated through. Note that it may not be as thick upon reheating in the microwave.

Leftovers Ideas what else you can make with mocha beef tips & mushrooms

For this dish? Good luck! HAHA! This is a dish where you and your guests will have 2 servings of but if you do have leftovers here are some of my favorite ways to serve them up in a new and delicious way. *note that the leftovers are already reheated through

• As a bowl in the bottom of a soup bowl add warmed mashed potatoes, to the middle ladle in some beef tips and mushrooms and ladle over some gravy. Serve with a buttered warm roll
• As a sandwich butter and pan-fry two thick slices of Texas toast until golden brown on one side. Flip the bread, add a slice of mozzarella/provolone to each piece of toast. On one slice of toast spread about 2-3 Tbl of warmed mashed potatoes and top with a few bits of mushrooms and beef tips. Top with the remaining slice of bread and continue panfrying like grilled cheese. Its like a grilled cheese but with the best beef tips EVER inside!
• Make as a pseudo-Shepherds Pie! In a large, deep dish baking dish add the beef tips and mushrooms with some gravy. Next, stir in some frozen peas and carrots. On top of that take 2 cups of prepared mashed potatoes mixed with 1 egg and 1/2 tsp of parsley. Mix and spread on top of the meat mixture. *make sure you have 1/2 of space on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, place pats of butter on top and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the broiler on high and broil just to get some coloring on the potatoes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• Muffin Cups Preheat the oven to the temperature on your muffin tube. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Flatten out each muffin to a 4-5 circle and place it into the muffin tin. To the bottom of the muffin, add a Tbl of warmed mashed potatoes, a tsp of frozen peas (or corn) and 1-2 Tbl of beef tips and mushrooms. Bake per the muffin tube instructions (~13-17 minutes). Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Carefully remove the muffins from the cups, garnish with a drizzle of gravy and serve.
• Cupcakes Preheat the oven to the temperature on your muffin tube. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Flatten out each muffin to a 4-5 circle and place it into the muffin tin. To the bottom of the muffin, a tsp of frozen peas (or corn) and 1-2 Tbl of beef tips and mushrooms. Bake per the muffin tube instructions (~13-17 minutes). Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Heat up 1 cup of creamy mashed potatoes that are thick enough to pipe-like frosting. Place the potatoes in a piping bag and pipe the top of the muffin-like you would a cupcake. Carefully remove the muffins from the cups, garnish with a drizzle of gravy and serve.

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