Quick and Easy Gravy
My easy homemade gravy recipe is made completely from scratch. You can decide to make it with or without pan drippings and it works wonders on top of chicken, turkey, beef, or veggies! This easy gravy recipe is the one I use for busy weeknights and holidays! It’s quick and takes about 10 minutes to make. It’s really versatile, which means you can serve it with almost anything. I especially love it with these mashed potatoes. Use my recipe with homemade broth, store-bought broth, or pan drippings. It works well for meats, and you can easily adapt it to be vegetarian with veggie broth. This gravy is perfect for the holidays, but if you are roasting a turkey for Thanksgiving, I highly recommend looking at my favorite turkey gravy recipe. Key Ingredients Butter and Flour: We’ll combine these to make a roux, which thickens the broth into a velvety gravy. For gravy without butter, you can substitute fats like chicken fat or lard or use the fat from pan drippings. For a vegan gravy, use vegan butter. For gluten-free gravy, use cornstarch (tips are included in the recipe below). Stock or Pan Drippings: This is the foundation of our gravy. You can use poultry, beef, vegetable broth, or even the drippings from roasting meats like in this roasted chicken recipe. For homemade stock, see our chicken stock, vegetable broth, and this beef stock. Herbs: For the best gravy, I use fresh herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary, but dried herbs will work. My recipe below recommends amounts for both fresh and dried herbs. Mushroom Powder (Optional): I’m a big fan of mushroom gravy, so I always add a bit of powder. It adds a delicious savory, umami flavor, making the gravy taste more flavorful. You can make your own or buy it (here’s my homemade mushroom powder seasoning). A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce or fish sauce are also great for adding that umami flavor the gravy. Cream (Optional): A splash of cream or half and half makes the gravy extra creamy and silky, but it’s perfectly fine to leave it out. Butter and Flour: We’ll combine these to make a roux, which thickens the broth into a velvety gravy. For gravy without butter, you can substitute fats like chicken fat or lard or use the fat from pan drippings. For a vegan gravy, use vegan butter. For gluten-free gravy, use cornstarch (tips are included in the recipe below). Stock or Pan Drippings: This is the foundation of our gravy. You can use poultry, beef, vegetable broth, or even the drippings from roasting meats like in this roasted chicken recipe. For homemade stock, see our chicken stock, vegetable broth, and this beef stock. Herbs: For the best gravy, I use fresh herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary, but dried herbs will work. My recipe below recommends amounts for both fresh and dried herbs. Mushroom Powder (Optional): I’m a big fan of mushroom gravy, so I always add a bit of powder. It adds a delicious savory, umami flavor, making the gravy taste more flavorful. You can make your own or buy it (here’s my homemade mushroom powder seasoning). A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce or fish sauce are also great for adding that umami flavor the gravy. Cream (Optional): A splash of cream or half and half makes the gravy extra creamy and silky, but it’s perfectly fine to leave it out. Find the full recipe with measurements below. How to Make Gravy from Scratch If you’ve never made homemade gravy before, don’t worry! It’s a simple process that takes less than 10 minutes. Here are a few tips so that you can make it the best: Tip 1: Create a roux for a smooth gravy. A roux is the secret to a thick, silky gravy. It’s a simple paste made from fat and flour that acts as the thickener. To make it, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, then whisk in an equal amount of flour. Cook the mixture for a minute or two until it turns a light, golden color. This step is really important because it cooks out the raw flour taste and adds a toasty flavor to your gravy. A great roux is the secret to our sausage gravy, too! Tip 2: Use warm liquid when making gravy. Once your roux is ready, slowly whisk in warm stock, broth, or pan drippings. Using warm liquid helps it blend smoothly without clumping. As the mixture heats and simmers, it will begin to thicken. In about a minute, you’ll have a perfectly smooth homemade gravy. Tip 3: Don’t be afraid to season. Before serving, taste your gravy. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and feel free to add other ingredients like fresh herbs, mushroom powder, or Worcestershire sauce to improve the flavor. This is also the perfect time to add a splash of cream, if you’re using it. If the taste doesn’t make you smile, it needs a little more salt or something with an umami kick, like mushroom powder. Tip 4: Use pan drippings for extra flavor. If you’ve roasted meat (like with roasted chicken or roasted turkey), you can use the leftover pan drippings to make an even more flavorful gravy. I like to separate the fat from the liquid in the pan (a spoon or a fat separator works great – OXO has a good one). Use the fat in place of the butter for your roux and the liquid as your warm broth. If your roasting pan is stovetop-safe, you can even make the gravy right in the pan to capture all the delicious bits stuck to the bottom. Otherwise, a skillet works just as well. What to Serve with Gravy I love pouring this silky smooth gravy over our favorite roasted vegetables, these homemade mashed potatoes, these creamy mashed sweet potatoes, or over this low-carb mashed cauliflower. Serve alongside our pan roasted chicken breasts with thyme, juicy pork chops, and our pork tenderloin with apples. In our home, turkey is always served with gravy. I love making gravy using the pan drippings leftover from this whole roasted turkey or this roasted turkey breast. I love pouring this silky smooth gravy over our favorite roasted vegetables, these homemade mashed potatoes, these creamy mashed sweet potatoes, or over this low-carb mashed cauliflower. Serve alongside our pan roasted chicken breasts with thyme, juicy pork chops, and our pork tenderloin with apples. In our home, turkey is always served with gravy. I love making gravy using the pan drippings leftover from this whole roasted turkey or this roasted turkey breast. Quick and Easy Gravy PREP 5 mins COOK 5 mins TOTAL 10 mins PREP 5 mins COOK 5 mins TOTAL 10 mins My homemade gravy recipe is quick and easy. If you’ve roasted chicken, roasted turkey, or made a beef roast, use the drippings left in the roasting pan. They make the gravy extra flavorful and seasoned. You can also make gravy without drippings and use stock or broth as a substitute. Consider homemade chicken stock, chicken broth, beef stock, vegetable broth, or you can use store-bought! Store-bought stock is usually under-seasoned. Take care when seasoning with salt and pepper towards the end of the recipe. Finally, for more flavor, whisk in mushroom powder. This is optional but adds a deep, savory flavor. Makes 3 cups Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (58g) ¼ cup all-purpose flour (32g) 3 cups warm stock (poultry, beef, or vegetable) or use pan drippings, see tips below ½ teaspoon mushroom powder, optional ½ tablespoon chopped fresh herbs or ½ teaspoon dried herbs (try poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, or rosemary) 2 to 3 tablespoons cream, optional Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Directions 1Make the roux: In a wide skillet with sides, melt butter over medium-low heat. When melted and sizzling, whisk in the flour. Whisk until the flour and butter turn into a smooth paste and look medium blonde in color; about 1 minute. It smells toasty, like browned butter. 2Add the liquid: Pour in stock and whisk until smooth. Bring the gravy to a low simmer. As it simmers, it thickens and becomes glossy. 3Season: Whisk in the herbs and mushroom powder then cook at a low simmer for a minute or two. Remove from the heat then stir in half and half or cream (optional). Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and black pepper (we like a generous amount of pepper). 1Make the roux: In a wide skillet with sides, melt butter over medium-low heat. When melted and sizzling, whisk in the flour. Whisk until the flour and butter turn into a smooth paste and look medium blonde in color; about 1 minute. It smells toasty, like browned butter. 2Add the liquid: Pour in stock and whisk until smooth. Bring the gravy to a low simmer. As it simmers, it thickens and becomes glossy. 3Season: Whisk in the herbs and mushroom powder then cook at a low simmer for a minute or two. Remove from the heat then stir in half and half or cream (optional). Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and black pepper (we like a generous amount of pepper). Adam and Joanne's Tips Using pan drippings: Substitute some or all the butter with fat left in the pan from roasting. If juices are left in the pan, strain them, then swap all or some of the stock for the pan juices. Pan drippings and juices will be well-seasoned compared to the stock. When seasoning, taste the gravy first, then add more salt and pepper. If you used a stovetop safe pan such as a Dutch oven or stainless steel pan for roasting, there is no need for the skillet. Make the gravy directly in the roasting pan. Add more flavor: Depending on the stock used, you may need to add more flavor. A dash of Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, or even soy sauce can help deepen the flavor of sauces. Make ahead: Cool the gravy and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, reheat the gravy over low heat. If you have pan drippings, pour some of them into the gravy before serving. Make onion gravy: To add even more flavor and sweetness, chop half an onion and cook it in the butter until very soft and translucent (10 to 15 minutes). When the onion is ready, whisk in the flour and follow the recipe above. Vegan gravy: Use vegan butter or follow our method for gluten-free gravy shared below. Gluten-free gravy: Warm the broth in a skillet until a low simmer. Meanwhile, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Then, while whisking the simmering broth, slowly add the cornstarch mixture. Whisk until the gravy thickens, lower the heat, and then season with salt, pepper, and optional flavor enhancers like mushroom powder and herbs. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Using pan drippings: Substitute some or all the butter with fat left in the pan from roasting. If juices are left in the pan, strain them, then swap all or some of the stock for the pan juices. Pan drippings and juices will be well-seasoned compared to the stock. When seasoning, taste the gravy first, then add more salt and pepper. If you used a stovetop safe pan such as a Dutch oven or stainless steel pan for roasting, there is no need for the skillet. Make the gravy directly in the roasting pan. Add more flavor: Depending on the stock used, you may need to add more flavor. A dash of Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, or even soy sauce can help deepen the flavor of sauces. Make ahead: Cool the gravy and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, reheat the gravy over low heat. If you have pan drippings, pour some of them into the gravy before serving. Make onion gravy: To add even more flavor and sweetness, chop half an onion and cook it in the butter until very soft and translucent (10 to 15 minutes). When the onion is ready, whisk in the flour and follow the recipe above. Vegan gravy: Use vegan butter or follow our method for gluten-free gravy shared below. Gluten-free gravy: Warm the broth in a skillet until a low simmer. Meanwhile, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Then, while whisking the simmering broth, slowly add the cornstarch mixture. Whisk until the gravy thickens, lower the heat, and then season with salt, pepper, and optional flavor enhancers like mushroom powder and herbs. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size About 1/3 cup / Calories 76 / Protein 2 g / Carbohydrate 4 g / Dietary Fiber 0 g / Total Sugars 0 g / Total Fat 6 g / Saturated Fat 4 g / Cholesterol 15 mg / Sodium 285 mg AUTHOR: Adam Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us