This easy creamed chipped beef recipe is sure to become a family favorite. Whip up a batch in less than 15 minutes and enjoy a savory start to your day. It is the ultimate comfort meal, and I remember my mother making this for me as a child.
I fondly remember beef in a lightly seasoned smooth cream sauce served over toasted sourdough or European whole grain. If you like this kind of comfort food, try hamburger gravy, smothered chicken, and meatballs and gravy.
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. Did you enjoy this as a child? I remember this was one of those comfort meals my mother made for me often, and she eventually taught me how to make it.
It was not until I was an adult that I learned that this treat is most commonly called SOS gravy. I know what you are wondering. What does that acronym stand for? SOS stands for “shit on a shingle.” The shingle is the toast. Now, my catholic Mother never told me that. I am sure she did not want me running around using that word.
What is Creamed Chipped Beef?
Creamed Chipped Beef is a dish of chopped dried beef in a creamy, luscious, lightly seasoned white sauce. The cream sauce is usually a béchamel sauce made from flour, butter, and milk. It is served over toast, but it is equally delicious over eggs and potatoes.
Simple Ingredients
- Dried beef: I like to use Buddig, but Hormel and Armour also make dried beef.
- Butter: unsalted or salted, but keep there is a lot of salt in dried beef
- All-purpose flour: for making the roux
- Seasonings: freshly ground black pepper, a couple of ground cayenne pepper, and maybe a tad of salt
- Milk: whole or 2%
How to make Creamed Chipped Beef
It doesn’t get much easier than this. First, chop your beef into bite-size pieces and set aside. Next, melt your butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour. Continue cooking for about two to three minutes, whisking constantly. Sprinkle in the black pepper and cayenne pepper. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and creamy.
Add the chopped beef, simmer for three to five minutes, salting and peppering to taste. Serve over toasted bread, eggs, hash browns, or biscuits.
Preparation Tips
- Cook the butter-flour mixture (roux) for 2-3 minutes, which helps to cook off the raw flour taste.
- Slowly add your milk and whisk continuously until you have a smooth sauce.
- If the sauce gets too thick, add less than a quarter of a cup of milk at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- Season to taste with salt, seasoned salt, fresh ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and even a splash of Worcestershire Sauce.
- Creamed Chipped Beef is best served promptly. Nonetheless, it reheats pretty well.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is typically beef round, dried, cured with salt, and thinly sliced. You can use any dried beef; however, Buddig beef works perfectly for this recipe. It is available in most grocery stores and is not quite as salty or dry as some of the other brands of dried beef. You will find it with the other prepackaged luncheon meats. Hormel and Armour also make dried beef.
You can make this same gravy with ground beef, pork, turkey, and sausage. Cook the meat separately and add it to the cream sauce.
You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it on the stovetop over low heat or microwave at reduced power until warm.
Hopefully, my creamed-chipped beef will bring back wonderful memories or make new ones. The weekend is coming. You will have a little more time to make something fabulous for breakfast or lunch!
More Breakfast Recipes
Creamed Chipped Beef
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Buddig original beef see notes
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 pinches ground cayenne pepper
- 2 cups milk see notes
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the beef into bite-size pieces.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes; whisking constantly. Sprinkle in black pepper and cayenne pepper. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth and creamy.
- Add the chopped beef and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over toasted bread, eggs, hash browns, or biscuits.
Notes
- Cook the butter-flour mixture (roux) for 2-3 minutes, which helps to cook off the raw flour taste.
- Slowly add your milk and whisk continuously until you have a smooth sauce.
- If the sauce gets too thick, add less than a quarter of a cup of milk at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- Season to taste with salt, seasoned salt, fresh ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and even a splash of Worcestershire Sauce.
- Creamed Chipped Beef is best served promptly. Nonetheless, it reheats pretty well.
Nutrition
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Darrell Baker
I retired after 4 years spent at West Point plus 30 more in the Army. People used to joke about SOS but I love it, especially over biscuits or a couple of fried eggs with a generous sprinkling of black pepper. I crave this even now. I prefer the beef but an alternative is to crumble some patty sausage into the “white sauce”. Mild or medium smoked sausage is my preference with Jimmy Dean being my “go to” brand, I wouldn’t think the maple flavored would go well with this. Thanks for posting the recipe. Just looking at the pictures has me drooling for some SOS over hot buttermilk biscuits.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Darrell. I love it too! I like it with the beef also. Now you have me drooling!
Adele CHICKEN
My mother always browned the beef in the butter a little bit and then scattered the flour over it, cooked it a minute or two, and then added milk. This made a browner gravy and way more flavor. She also cut the beef in strips about 1/4 inch wide. I think we had it over fresh baking powder biscuits.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tips Adele!
Donna Sears
It was so funny to see this on the computer today because I actually made this last night and will be having it again tonight. I grew up with this as it was definitely a family favorite. As others have said the SOS has traditionally been hamburger in the cream sauce instead of the chipped beef. We ate both. My dad was a cook during WWI and that was when he started making it. Another thing he used to do and not only when times were tough, but he used salt pork to make the gravy and served it over mashed potatoes. This was called slop. Definitely not something to eat now! I’ve always made this dish by melting the butter, tossing in the dried beef, getting it nicely coated and then adding the flour, mix it up so the meat is coated and after a few minutes add the milk. One addition I make to this is to add peas. So yummy.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for sharing that. I appreciate it. I do love some creamed chipped beef!!
Robert
I have made this for years and the kids and grand kids love it. But I fry the beef first in the butter until nice and crispy. Then I add the flour and fry until flour is cooked (slightly brown). The amount of flour depends on amount of beef. I never measure. Then I add milk as needed until the sauce is the right consistency. I only add salt and pepper to taste. I have at times added a splash of gravy darkener for appearance.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the heads up Robert! It is a delicious meal!
Carol Fristoe
I grew up on this recipe only using tuna. It was called Tuna Gravy but was made the same way. I still make it from time to time!
Beth Pierce
Good times!1
Lynne C Seay
Oh does this ever bring back childhood memories! My family also added diced green peppers to the butter and flour at the beginning–delicious! Haven’t had any years due to the salt content–but I remember it being delicious. Always served ours over toast. Never heard it called SOS, just simply Creamed Chipped Beef!
Beth Pierce
Food can be so nostalgic. Diced green peppers would be so incredibly yummy. I am so doing this next time! Yes I have to watch my salt consumption too.
jon-h
Perhaps heresy to purists, but I add some dijon mustard to the cream sauce, plus chopped hard-boiled eggs and baby peas to the mix. My sons loved it, but some friends were confounded when they said they liked SOS.
Beth Pierce
Sounds delicious to me!
Crowbelly
Yes, our mother also made this when we were growing up. Dang tasty and filling, which was the goal when raising 5 kids on a budget.
Folks here are talking about SOAS… yes that was from WW2 but referred to this recipe made with ground beef and served on buttered toast. My mom called it “Shingle Meat”, while this recipe was called Chipped Beef on Toast.
Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome! Thanks for all the tips on SOS!
Pat Farren
I make cream dried beef. I use half milk and half heavy
cream to make it extra creamy. I also a little bit of nutmeg.
I like all SOS recipes but you have to use beef from
Refrigerators not the stuff in the jars on the shelves in stores.
Edie
My mom used to make this but as a casserole with peas and egg noodles. My absolute favorite and now I must make it!!!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Edie! Enjoy! I have had some readers tell me they had to add more milk to thin it out a little more.
annie
Well,
Just missed VA Day, but found in pantry today and will serve to my Vet. Tonight and will see if he notices the discrepancy ??
Beth Pierce
Sounds like a plan. What discrepancy is that?
Olga
This was a regular at our house growing up and today brings such joy to my husbands face when I say its for dinner. We always served ours with baked potato and LeSuer peas. I’ve had it over toast too. I love the salty meat and the rounding out of the roux and cream…its as if they were meant for each other. This recipe looks the same except we never added cayenne and probably more milk so not as thick.
Beth Pierce
I love food that brings back great memories! It really can take you back to a place and time. It is as close to time travel as it gets.
Jackie
I haven’t made this in years, and my mom made it for the family, too! We serve it over garlic toast! DELICIOUS!
Beth Pierce
Thanks! I just love it too! So yummy!
Dave
I make a dish like this using ground beef and mushroom soup on toast real easy and real good add a little onion to the beef while cooking it in pan
Beth Pierce
That sounds like something I would love! Delicious! I will have to try it!
Colleen
Thank you for the recipe. I lost mine and kind if had an idea what to use and how much. I searched Google but all the recipes said to use dried beef and we never used dried beef. I came upon yours and the recipe said Buddigs Beef and I was so happy because that’s what my family always used!
Beth Pierce
Glad I could help! I hope you enjoy it!
Jacque Hastert
This recipe brings back so many memories from my childhood. My grandma used to make this all the time. I can’t wait to give your recipe a try.