Brown Gravy Recipe
An easy brown gravy recipe makes mashed potatoes or rice even better, with or without drippings, in 15 minutes. The smooth, intense flavors from beef broth and butter are holiday must-haves. So learn the secret to a rich, velvety smooth sauce in these two easy ways.
I’ve never liked store-bought gravy, even the ones in glass jars, because they tend to be too salty. And if you want to read something terrifying, read the ingredient list. It’s up there on the scary scale of a class-B horror movie.
When I set out to create the best brown gravy recipe, I put serious thought into it. First, the texture has to be silky smooth, and second, it has to taste great. Have you ever had gravy that tasted more like wallpaper paste? Meh.
After tweaking and experimenting like a mad scientist, I finally came up with the perfect brown gravy. My family went wild, and it took about 15 minutes.
What Makes Easy Brown Gravy
The best gravy uses drippings. But we don’t always have that luxury, do we? This recipe uses them if you have them, but the world won’t end if you don’t.
Good gravy has three basic ingredients: fat, thickener, and flavorful liquid. The best fat is from the drippings, but not having them isn’t a deal breaker. My next favorite is butter and olive oil. The thickener is usually a roux or slurry.
Here are two fast, easy ways to make gravy, one with a roux and the other with a slurry.
Roux: After the fat absorbs the flour, slowly add the chosen flavorful liquid. Whisk constantly until thickened for an incredible gravy.
Slurry: Mix flour or cornstarch (gluten-free) with a tablespoon or two of cold liquid (usually water). Continue stirring while slowly adding the slurry to the hot liquid (usually broth). Mixing the flour with cold water keeps lumps from forming before the gravy finishes cooking.
How to Make Brown Gravy
The Easy Way
- Melt the butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. (Photos 1-2)
- Flavor – Add onion, minced garlic, thyme, and sauté until onions wilt. (Photos 3-4)
- Flour – Gently whisk the flour into the onion mixture to make a roux. Stir it for 2-3 minutes to remove any raw taste from the flour. (Photos 5-6)
- Add Liquid – Gradually add about a ¼ cup or more of stock and continue whisking until the mixture is thick and somewhat smooth. (Photos 7-8) Then add the remaining stock, bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, and continue cooking until it thickens. (Photos 9-10)
- Season – Add bouillon powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook for about a minute. (Photo 11-12)
- Adjust seasonings and thickness to taste. Thin thick gravy with 1-2 tablespoons of water.
- Serve hot with mashed potatoes, turkey, or chicken.
Note: Remember, gravy thickens as it cools down.
Super Easy Way
- Season – Pour beef broth into a medium saucepan; add onion, garlic powder, beef powder, and Worcestershire sauce. (Photo 1)
- Heat – Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to medium-low. (Photo 2)
- Make a Slurry – In a small bowl, whisk water and cornstarch until completely smooth. (Photo 3)
- Pour it slowly into the saucepans, stirring frequently until the gravy thickens. (Photo 4-6)
- Assemble – Season with salt and pepper, then add butter and mix. Adjust seasonings as needed to suit tastes. If the gravy is too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. (Photo 7)
- Serve hot with mashed potatoes and roast chicken or turkey. (Photo 8)
Tips & Tricks
- Oh no, lumpy gravy! Breathe, relax, pour the gravy into the blender, and whiz it until it’s smooth. An immersion blender will do the same job.
- Thin gravy! Mix a teaspoon or so of flour in a tablespoon of cold water until there are no lumps. Mix a little of the gravy in, kinda like tempering eggs. Continue mixing carefully, then stir your slurry gradually into the gravy, stirring constantly until thickened.
- Making gravy with drippings. Meat drippings make gravy so much better. If cooking meat or chicken and you won’t be using the drippings, freeze them in a sealable bag. Add them to the broth, and the heat will melt them.
- An average serving of gravy is anywhere from a ¼-½ cup per person. I tend to go for the ½ cup because the thought of running out of food is more than I can handle.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Reduce stress by making gravy the day before. You can refrigerate it in an airtight container for a day or two. When ready to serve, warm it slowly in a small saucepan while whisking. The gravy may have thickened, so add a splash of broth if needed, and it will be fine.
Refrigerate leftover brown gravy in an airtight container for up to four days. You can also freeze it in sealable freezer bags for up to four months. A trick I use once in a while is to freeze the gravy in ice cube trays, then pop the frozen cubes out into a freezer bag. I use them instead of bouillon cubes in soups and stews.
What Loves Being Paired With Brown Gravy
The classic pairing is mashed potatoes, but meatloaf and spiced roast turkey are great mains to enjoy together. No-knead bread is another fabulous side to sop up the extra gravy.
More Awesome Sauce Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in November 2021 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Easy Brown Gravy (Two Ways)
Ingredients
Easy Brown Gravy (Method 1)
- ¼ cup (60g) butter
- 2 tablespoons (12g) minced onion
- 1 teaspoon (30g) minced garlic
- ½-1 teaspoon (1-2g) fresh thyme, minced
- 4 tablespoons (30g) all-purpose flour
- 4 cups (950ml) beef broth
- 1 teaspoon (3-4g) bouillon powder (Better than Bouillon, beef bouillon powder, or cubes)
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
- salt and black pepper to taste
Super Easy Brown Gravy (Method 2)
- 2 14.5-ounce can beef broth
- 2 teaspoons (7g) onion powder
- 2 teaspoons (9-10g) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (3-4g) bouillon powder (or 1-2 cubes)
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
- 3 tablespoons (24g) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Easy Brown Gravy (Method 1)
- Melt the butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Then add minced onion, minced garlic, and thyme, and sauté until the onion wilts.
- Gently whisk the flour into the onion mixture to make a roux. Stir the roux for 2-3 minutes to remove the flour's raw taste.
- Gradually add ¼ or more of the stock and continue whisking until the mixture is thick and somewhat smooth.
- Then, add the remaining stock, bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, and simmer until it thickens.
- Add bouillon powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook for about a minute.
- Adjust seasonings to taste and the gravy thickness to the desired consistency, either with water or cornstarch. But remember that gravy thickens as it cools.
Super Easy Brown Gravy (Method 2)
- Pour beef broth into a medium saucepan, and add onion, garlic, beef bouillon, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Heat it over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Make a slurry in a small bowl by whisking together the water and cornstarch until completely smooth.
- Slowly pour the slurry into the simmering broth while stirring. Continue stirring and simmering until it thickens.
- Season with salt and pepper, add butter, and stir well. Adjust seasonings to suit tastes. If the gravy is too thick, add water a spoonful at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Be mindful that gravy thickens as it cools.
Tips & Notes:
- Blitz lumpy gravy in a blender or smooth it out with an immersion blender.
- Thicken thin gravy by mixing a teaspoon or so of flour or cornstarch in a tablespoon of cold water until smooth. Mix a little of the gravy in, then slowly add it to the gravy, constantly stirring until it thickens.
- Replace the flour with cornstarch for gluten-free gravy.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the ingredients used in the recipe.
