Beef and Noodles using Granny's classic easy 5-ingredient recipe is quick and easy to make the Instant Pot, but can be made using the crockpot or stove top too.
This is the best easy dinner recipe you'll find with made with beef tips or stew meat smothered in a creamy mushroom gravy served over noodles. It is a great option for a busy weeknight dinner as well as a meal that your entire family will love!
Why this recipe works:
- Simple ingredients: All you need to make this recipe is stew meat or beef tips, your favorite Cream of Mushroom soup, onion dip mix, beef broth, and noodles. Also, a bit of olive oil for searing the meat.
- Ultimate comfort food: Sometimes we all just crave something that tastes really good and reminds us of our childhood. This recipe is not only delicious and satisfying, but it tastes just like what my grandma used to make for us.
- Choose your cooking method: My preference is to make this recipe in the Instant Pot, but I also detail below how to make it on the stove or in a slow cooker.
How to make Beef and Noodles in the Instant Pot:
Full ingredient list and detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.
- Sear meat: Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot using sauté mode. When hot, add the meat and sear.
- Add liquids: Add cream of mushroom soup, onion dip mix, and beef broth. Stir to combine.
- Pressure cook: Secure lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release.
- Boil noodles: While meat is cooking, cook pasta in salted boiling water. Drain and set aside. To serve, either stir noodles into beef gravy, or spoon beef and gravy on top of warm noodles.
Other methods to make this recipe:
Not everyone has an Instant Pot, and this is such an easy recipe to make on the stove or in the slow cooker.
How to make beef and noodles in the crockpot:
- Sear meat: Unless your crockpot has a sear function, you'll need to sear the beef on the stove.
- Add to crockpot: Transfer the browned stew meat to the slow cooker with the cream of mushroom soup, onion dip mix, and beef broth.
- Slow cook: Set it and forget it. I recommend cooking this recipe in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours which makes it the perfect meal to prepare in the morning and enjoy when you come home after work. Don't worry - the noodles only take a few minutes to make!
How to make beef and noodles on the stove top:
- Sear meat: Using a heavy bottom Dutch oven with a lid, brown the stew meat.
- Simmer: Add the cream of mushroom soup, onion dip mix, and beef broth. Stir to combine. Heat until it comes to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat as low as it goes to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook this for at least an hour, covered to maintain moisture, until the meat is tender. You can cook this recipe for up to 3-5 hours on the stove top as long as the heat is very low.
- Serve: Again, you'll need to boil the noodles separately just before serving.
Cooking tips for best results:
- Choosing the best ingredients:
- Cream of mushroom: I highly recommend Trader Joe's Portabella Cream of Mushroom soup. Every fall I buy enough to last all year because it's a seasonal item.
- Beef broth: I also highly recommend making your own roasted beef broth and storing it in the freezer in quart sized containers. I always have some on hand! Otherwise, your favorite store bought beef broth works fine.
- Beef: Stew meat works best for this recipe but any cut that says chuck (chuck roast, chuck shoulder, chuck eye-roast, etc.) will work as long as you cut them into bite sized pieces and remove most of the fat. Beef tips are another great option.
- Instant Pot burn notice: I've had many readers that tell me they get the burn notice when making my beef and noodles recipe. That has never happened to me, however this is easily preventable by increasing the amount of beef broth you use.
- Searing the meat: For the best flavor, it is important you properly sear the meat. That often means you'll need to sear the beef in small batches in order to keep the pan super hot and prevent crowding which would result in tough steamed meat, rather than meat with a nice browned sear.
- Freezing: This recipe can easily be frozen, so feel free to double or triple the recipe for future leftovers. Just make everything as written except for the noodles. Chill in the refrigerator and then freeze in an air tight container.
- Reheating: I recommend either reheating in a covered pot on the stove over low heat or in the microwave on 50% power in 1 minute increments.
What to serve with Beef and Noodles:
Although this is the ultimate comfort food dinner recipe, you need a healthy vegetable side dish to balance the meal. Here are some great recommendations.
If you’ve made this or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out. I love hearing from my readers!
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Classic Beef and Noodles
Beef and Noodles using Granny's classic easy 5-ingredient recipe made even quicker in the Instant Pot, but can be made using the crockpot or stove top too.
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Scale: servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound beef stew meat (cut into one inch pieces)
- 22 ounces cream of mushroom soup (two 11-ounce boxes from Trader Joe's recommended, see note below)
- 2 tablespoon onion dip mix
- 1 cup beef broth (more if needed, see instructions below)
- 8 ounces egg noodles
Instructions
Instant Pot directions:
- Add olive oil to pressure cooker pot and set to sauté function. Divide meat in half and brown the first half, turning only once. Remove from pot and set on plate. Brown second half of meat.
- Add first batch of meat back to the pressure cooker along with any juices that may have accumulated on the plate. Add cream of mushroom soup, onion dip mix, and beef broth. Stir to mix. Note: if your Instant Pot gives you burn notices, you may want to increase the beef broth to 1 ½ to 2 cups to prevent that from happening.
- Close lid and set to high pressure for 15 minutes. When done, allow to release naturally.
- While meat is cooking, cook egg noodles in large pot of salted boiling water to al dente doneness, drain, and set aside.
- To serve, top egg noodles with beef and mushroom mixture or simply stir the noodles into the beef gravy mixture.
Stove top directions:
- Brown meat in heavy bottom pot over medium high heat using same procedure. Once all ingredients (not the egg noodles which will need to be cooked separately) have been added to pot, cover and allow to braise at a simmer for at least an hour.
Slow cooker directions:
- Brown meat in heavy bottom pot over medium high heat using same procedure. Transfer to slow cooker with remaining ingredients (not the egg noodles which will need to be cooked separately). Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Notes
- Choosing the best ingredients:
- Cream of mushroom: I highly recommend Trader Joe's Portabella Cream of Mushroom soup. Every fall I buy enough to last all year because it's a seasonal item. Pacific Foods makes a good version too. I find that Campbell's is thicker and may require thinning. You may need to add additional liquid to avoid the burn notice on the Instant Pot.
- Beef broth: I also highly recommend making your own roasted beef broth and storing it in the freezer in quart sized containers. I always have some on hand! Otherwise, your favorite store bought beef broth works fine.
- Beef: Stew meat works best for this recipe but any cut that says chuck (chuck roast, chuck shoulder, chuck eye-roast, etc.) will work as long as you cut them into bite sized pieces and remove most of the fat. Beef tips are another great option.
- Instant Pot burn notice: I've had many readers that tell me they get the burn notice when making my beef and noodles recipe. That has never happened to me, however this is easily preventable by increasing the amount of beef broth you use.
- Searing the meat: For the best flavor, it is important you properly sear the meat. That often means you'll need to sear the beef in small batches in order to keep the pan super hot and prevent crowding which would result in tough steamed meat, rather than meat with a nice browned sear.
- Freezing: This recipe can easily be frozen, so feel free to double or triple the recipe for future leftovers. Just make everything as written except for the noodles. Chill in the refrigerator and then freeze in an air tight container.
- Reheating: I recommend either reheating in a covered pot on the stove over low heat or in the microwave on 50% power in 1 minute increments.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1682mg | Potassium: 645mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 5mg
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This recipe was originally posted in October 2018 and has been updated with additional process photos, helpful information, and cooking tips. Don't worry - I didn't change the recipe!
Eric
Mine came out on the watery side... very thin. Did I do something wrong?
Krissy
Did you use condensed soup and add water? I'm wondering if less water is needed when doing it this way.
Cindy
Your recipe says 22 oz. of cream of mushroom soup, you say to add the recommended water so am I adding two cans 10.5 oz of mushroom soup and 2 cups of water?
Krissy
If you're using condensed soup that requires water, I would use one 10.5oz can and the same amount of water. That will be pretty close to the 22oz I use. Extra cream of mushroom won't hurt anything if you wanted to do both cans.
Jackie
If you using broth why use water if using campbell soup?
Krissy
I'm not sure I understand what you're asking.
Gary Boucher
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I did get the terrible burn notice but shut it down and scraped the pot and lessened the time. Turned out great. I used Reams frozen noodles and they worked fine.
Krystal
Made this in my dutch oven because I don’t have an instant pot. I seared the meat in batches, and then deglazed with beef stock. I then cooked the meat and stock in the oven on 325° for 5 hrs. When I tell you the meat melts in your mouth!!! Omg so good!
Ruthann
Hi Krystal,
I am making this tomorrow also in my dutch oven. You stated that you cooked it at 325 for 5 hrs. You didn't have any trouble with the gravy cooking out at that temp? I was thinking of cooking it at 250-275, as I do with my Beef Bourguignon.
I don't have an insta pot either. I still use my mom's old dutch oven. She's been gone 50 yrs, so I know it's old. 🙂
Thanks for your post. It helped.
Krystal
I had to add more stock a couple of times. Cooking it today and I think I’m going to set the oven at 275°.
Amanda
What could I use instead of the mushroom soup? Mushroom allergy here! Tia!
Krissy
You can try using anything creamy, from cream of chicken soup to sour cream.
Ayla
So I got the burn notice, scraped added 2 cups of broth, continued and did for 10 min. Came out soooo good. Thank you! Had to season a crap ton. Added Worcestershire sauce. Yum
Amanda
I need help!! Can I use the Campbell's cream of mushroom soup???
Krissy
You can, but if it's condensed and tells you to add water or milk, then be sure to do that.
Stephanie
I made this tonight in the instant pot and it was very good! I did deglaze my pot with the beef broth. This may help your readers who’ve had burn issues.
Ron D. (Omaha NE)
Haven’t had beef and noodles in YEARS.. Wife is not into gravies or pasta dishes.. I found this recipe yesterday.. Of course I told her about it and she made that icky face and replied “That sounds miserable “ .. Seared the meat in a cast iron skillet, followed the recipe for a slow cooker at 8pm last night.. got up at 4am for work and OMG, that meat was melt in your mouth delicious!! I will definitely be making this A-LOT!! Easy and delicious.. So happy I found it!!
Mary Ellen
This was super easy to make. The recipe is easy to follow and the Hubby and I really enjoyed the results. I will certainly be making this again in future.
Karwn
Your instructions regarding the mushroom soup is confusing. Trader Joe's Portabella Mushroom Soup IS a condensed soup also, so when you talk about a condensed soup (meaning Campbell's) your instructions make no sense.
Krissy
Oh my gosh. Wow. I feel really stupid right now. I'm being totally honest - I've never treated the Trader Joe's version like a condensed soup. Sure enough, I had to go look at the package and not only does it say condensed but the directions (that I never read) do say to mix with water to make soup. It's just so much more creamy than the Campbell's version I grew up with that I didn't think it was condensed. This is one of my more popular recipes too! I'm gonna go fix what I said in the recipe card. Thank you so much for pointing that out to me!
Michael Soto
Well, since I am "The" home cook since 1974, (my mother passed away and dad didn't live with us 6 kids), I was elected to be the cook. I have always taken a recipe and do my best to follow it, however, due to my experience, I usually make some adjustments. That doesn't me that they all work! LOL
To proceeded, I took the best of this recipe and made only a few modifications. First of all, it is WAY faster to sear your meat in a large cast-iron stove. You not only get the benefit of a quick sear, but you also reap the rewards by having enough room to caramelize some onions. So I used the stove to sear, and then went to the Instant pot to pressure cook. There was no need to pound my beef to a certain thickness, as the pressure-cooked beef could be cut at any size you wish, and still be tender. The only thing I added to the Instant pot was the beef broth and the beef. I did season my beef prior, and I am certain that when the pressure cooking cycle is over, I will be able to reap all the benefits of a very flavorful beef broth and some really tender meat. I DID NOT put my caramelized onions in the pressure cooker as they will go into the stovetop version of the wonderful recipe. Other than my own preparation procedures, the only thing I added was a little Worchestershire sauce, my preferred seasonings, and some caramelized onions. Oh ... I always butter my noodles just prior to serving. The funny part is that I am actually grilling some marinated pork chops as the main course! LOL Great recipe here folks, and you will love it!!!
Brooke
Can this be made with frozen meat?
Krissy
It can! Just takes longer and I think you get a better sear when the meat isn't frozen, but it will work.
Donna
Can someone please tell me what 'onion dip mix' is?? Are you talking about Lipton onion soup mix you can make dip out of??
Krissy
I used to buy onion dip mix at Trader Joe's but they don't carry that product anymore. Lipton onion soup mix would work equally well in this recipe. You can find onion dip mix (the kind you just mix with sour cream) at a lot of major grocery stores too.
Janet Kriz
This recipe is one of our favorites!! It comes together quickly and is consistantly delicious.
I do add saute'd sliced mushrooms to sprinkle on the top after it is plated.
They bump it up a notch.
Alessa
Tried to make this tonight and kept getting the burn notice 🙁 I added extra broth and I even poured everything out, washed my pot and then poured it all back in and just kept getting “burn” gah!! Finally on the 4th try it went through to pressure cook. Woo! Great recipe but I will definitely stick to my crock pot next time!
Krissy
I'm sorry about that! My version of Instant Pot doesn't even have a burn notice so I never have issues like that. Glad it eventually worked for you!
Sharon
To avoid the burn I took all the meat out of the pot after sautéing. I then canceled the sauté program and added some of the broth scraping the leftover beef fragments from the bottom with a wooden spoon. I then put the meat back in the pot, poured the remaining broth in the pot, sprinkled the onion soup mix over the meat, then added the mushroom soup just on top of the meat. DO NOT STIR. Continue with recipe as written. My addition to the recipe is 1 tablespoon of mustard and 1 tablespoon of ketchup. YUMMY
Caroline
I have found that the instant pot will keep cooking even if it gets the burn notice! Just keep an eye on the time and usually it comes out fine