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Whether it's for the holidays or just Sunday dinner—I beg you to please not use those highly-processed store-bought packets of gravy mix to make your gravy! The ingredient list is full of refined additives you would not cook with at home, even including "corn syrup solids." No, thank you! Plus it's SO super easy to make your own homemade gravy from scratch!
What are the 3 Ingredients for Easy Homemade Gravy?
Seriously, you can make homemade gravy with only 3 ingredients! Once you have the main recipe down, you can swap ingredients out to make a delicious gravy for chicken, beef, potatoes, and biscuits … you get the idea! Here are the 3 ingredients:
1. Broth or Pan Drippings
You’ll need a cup of liquid to act as your gravy base. I like to use the pan drippings to avoid waste; just make sure you remove the fat before starting (save that for your roux). If you don’t have enough drippings, add stock until you have 1 cup total.
Any kind of stock will work for gravy but I like to use something complementary. For example, beef stock with gravy for beef, chicken stock for chicken or turkey, etc. If you want to make a vegetarian brown gravy, opt for vegetable stock instead.
2. Gravy Made with Flour
The flour helps thicken the gravy without changing the flavor. I use whole wheat flour in all my recipes, including homemade gravy. You may also be able to use gluten free flour (again, whole grain), but some brands work better than others. Check out this gluten-free gravy and this Brown Gravy too!
3. Cooking Fat or Butter
Reserve 1 tablespoon of skimmed fat to make your roux. If you’re not using pan drippings you can also use 1 tablespoon of butter instead.
Bonus: Seasoning for Tasty Gravy
I only season my homemade gravy with salt and pepper, and it's delicious! If you want to add more spices, avoid anything with large pieces (such as dried rosemary) to keep gravy smooth. Thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, paprika, and oregano all taste great.
How to Make Homemade Gravy from Scratch
Making gravy with pan drippings (from cooking your turkey, chicken, roast, etc.) results in the most flavor, but if you really want to make gravy quickly you can get it done in just two easy steps without pan drippings! The process is similar except you skip the first step and sub butter for cooking fat and broth/stock (store-bought or homemade chicken stock) for pan juices.
Here are the basic steps for each method, and you can check out the video and recipe below for detailed instructions.
With Pan Drippings
- Separate the pan drippings into cooking juices and fat.
- Combine the fat and flour to make a roux.
- Whisk in the cooking juices plus salt and pepper while reducing until thickened.
Without Pan Drippings
- Combine the butter and flour to make a roux.
- Whisk in your favorite stock (e.g. chicken, beef, or vegetable) plus seasonings and reduce.
What is the Basic Recipe for Gravy?
A basic gravy recipe can be made with: 1 tablespoon of fat or butter, 1 tablespoon of flour, and 1 cup of pan drippings or broth.
You can easily double or even quadruple this recipe to serve a crowd. It’s especially handy for making a large batch of turkey gravy at Thanksgiving! It may take longer to thicken though in larger quantitites.
How to Make Gravy Roux
A roux is a mixture of equal parts fat and flour. It’s used to thicken a variety of stews and sauces, including homemade gravy. For this recipe, you can either use some of the skimmed fat from your pan drippings or butter and whole wheat flour to make your gravy roux.
Here’s how to make a perfect roux for gravy every time:
- Don’t overheat your pan, medium-low heat is perfect.
- Cook for about 1-2 minutes while stirring, until darkened.
- Stir constantly and scrape the pan to avoid burnt flour.
- Break up lumps as you cook to avoid lumpy gravy.
- If your roux smells like burnt popcorn it’s overdone.
How to Make Homemade Gravy Video
Watch how I do it and then try it yourself ... I guarantee gravy will start showing up on your table for more than just Thanksgiving dinner.
Kitchen Tools I Used in the Video
How to Make Homemade Brown Gravy Lighter or Darker
Two things give homemade brown gravy its color: how long you cook the roux and what stock or drippings you use for a gravy base.
For regular brown gravy, cook the roux until it reaches a medium brown color. If you’re having a tough time telling how done it is with whole wheat flour use your sense of smell: brown roux will smell like popcorn cooking. You can use any type of stock or pan drippings for brown gravy.
To make dark brown beef gravy, cook the roux even longer (but at a lower temperature) until it’s a dark color with a nutty aroma. Then use beef broth or beef juices to make your gravy.
Can You Freeze Homemade Gravy?
Yes! You can freeze it in air-tight storage containers or plastic zip-top bags, or in ice trays for easy portioning. For the best flavor and texture, use within 4-6 months.
Ways to Use Gravy
Pour your gravy over...
- Mashed potatoes (classic, or try my fancy Easy Duchess Potatoes Recipe).
- Fluffy homemade biscuits and eggs for breakfast, with a side of fruit.
- The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot or a roasted chicken.
- A hot sandwich with leftover chicken.
- Rice or pasta.
- Shepherd's Pie or Chicken Pot Pie.
How to Make Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking fat (separated from roasting pan juices or slow cooker juices OR butter)
- 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup juices (from the roasting pan, fat removed. You can also use chicken broth.)
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Separate the cooking fat from the pan juices—a gravy / fat separator makes this job easy.
- Heat the cooking fat (or butter) over medium-low heat until melted. Carefully whisk in the flour to help avoid clumps. Cook until the mixture darkens in color, about 1 to 2 minutes. This step is called making a roux.
- Whisk in the pan juices (or broth/stock) and bring to a light boil. Cook while whisking occasionally until the gravy reduces and thickens. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm over meat or potatoes.
Video
Notes
- Homemade chicken stock (which is what we typically use) contains much less salt than store-bought broth. Whichever you use, remember to taste test as you add salt to your gravy.
- We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Barb says
I'm looking forward to trying this recipe for making gravy! I noticed that the amounts in the video do not match the amounts listed in the written recipe. In the video, Lisa mentions that she uses equal parts fat and flour (in the video, that is 1 Tbsp fat and 1 Tbsp flour). However, in the written recipe, it says to use 2 Tbsps fat and 1 Tbsp flour. Will you indicate which is the correct amount? Thank you!
100 Days Admin says
Sorry for the confusion. A Roux is usually 1:1. I have made it with the 2:1 and it still comes out fine. - Nicole
MICHELLE says
Very helpful. I just ordered a gravy/fat separator. Can't wait to make my own gravy and impressed the family. :)
100 Days Admin says
That's great! Let us know how it turns out. - Nicole
Jerry says
Simple and easy yet delicious, you belong on the Food Network you give such a professional presentation. Thank you for sharing.
NICOLE says
Never made homemade gravy before this recipe is excellent for more me thanks so much for sharing...
Kevin m says
Great instructions
Jodi says
Thank you SO much for this video! I refer back to it year after year and it always comes out perfectly!!!!
lee says
Just saw this and wanted to comment on my gravy. I rarely made gravy. My sons usually did and it was good. One TG, they weren't home & I had to make gravy for a dozen. Your base recipe is what i followed and made these changes - I finely minced a few cloves of garlic and sautéed in butter before adding more fat K& flour. I added ~ 1/2 cup chardonnay for some of the broth and a bit of rubbed sage. my Brother-in-law said it was the best d--- gravy he'd had.
Thanks for a great blog! Love it.
Allison says
That sounds delicious, Lee! I'm glad you shared your additional flavorings.
Irene says
I enjoy cooking grandmas respice and new. yummy.
CarmenO says
Just what I needed, a simple, good tasting gravy without a mile long list of ingredients. Thank you.
M. Bradford says
Hi, how did your stock come out dark. I made the gravy but it was white. Lol. Thank you.
Charlotte says
The final color will depend on how long you cook the roux (the initial butter/fat and flour step). The darker the roux, the darker your gravy.
Sherry k says
Recipe worked great, even for me, a notoriously horrible cook :) Thank you
Rebekah says
Could you do the same with beef broth/stock instead? Any thoughts?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
You can. ;)
Rebekah says
Turned out great :)
Laura says
Tried this today for the first time. Totally converted throwing all our packaged gravy away!
Jill says
Learned a new way to make gravy from Wolfgang Puck on a morning talk show last week. Tried it for Thanksgiving and it was awesome. You put a bunch of cut up sweet potatoes under your turkey when you roast it. After the turkey is done, you put the roasted sweet potatoes in a large sauce pan, then pour in a bunch of the broth. Take an immersion blender and blend it all up. Season with salt and pepper and you are done! The gravy was very good, very healthy, and very easy. It was a bit orange in color. I think you could use a mixture of white and sweet potatoes to tone done the color. Basically, the potatoes replace the flour as starch.
Mat says
Amazing recipe! Super simple and delicious!
Marguerite says
Can I substitute corn starch for flour to make gluten free gravy? How much cornstarch?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. I suggested above a gluten free flour blend. We've not subbed with cornstarch.
Julie says
Two of my children need to eat gf. Any idea if this would work with a grain-free flour?
Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Julie. You could use a gluten free blend or arrowroot powder. Arrowroot powder does not reheat well, however.
Ana Yevonishon says
Is it ok to freeze this gravy? Wanted to do it ahead of time before Thanksgiving. If not, how long does it keep refrigerated? Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. Sure, you can freeze the gravy.
Jennifer says
Thank you! Needed a good, real gravy recipe.
Delorenzo Robinson says
I love the video for the recipe it was very helpful
Sampie says
Thank you for this lovely recipe.
Kathryn Grace says
This is just how my mama taught me to make gravy, and it is SO easy! She, of course, used white flour, and does to this day.
Thank you for taking the time to make a video that shows just how easy this method is, and thank you for sharing your recipe. This isn't the first of yours I've posted as Recipe of the Day on a fledgling Facebook page I curate called Cooking with Whole Grains & Whole Foods, and I am fairly certain it won't be the last.
Your recipes are wonderful.
anna says
I made this gravy last night and it was really good. So glad I saw this recipe or we would have settled for a chemical laden gravy packet.
Patty says
I made this today for Thanksgiving and I now know how to make gravy. Will not buy the processed stuff ever again. My husband loved it. Bought your book, lots of great information! I'm using the "make really tasty food" method to get my husband to come unprocessed with me.
Thanks again,
Patty
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
Very useful video! I will be trying this recipe very soon!
A great caterer in Florida says
OMG, its really a easy & quick way to make this gravy. Thanks for this useful video...
Robyn realfoodwholelife.com says
My mom always used to make gravy this way. I'm always surprised how easy (and tasty) the real thing is. Thanks for sharing--love the video format!
Molly says
Thanks for the video! Will you do one making the roux for ma n cheese next!? I can't ever tell using whole wheat flour when it's brown but not burned!
Kristin says
A roux doesn't need to be brown for mac and cheese. Julia child says to cook it to Get rid of the floury taste. I use her white bechemel sauce from Mastering the Art of French cooking for Mac and cheese. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. When bubbly, whisk in 3 tablespoons white whole wheat flour and salt to taste. Continue to whisk for 2 minutes. I use the lowest heat where the mixture still froths. Remove pan from heat, whisk in 2 cups of hot milk. Return liquid to low heat and slowly add in one packed mounded cup of your favorite cheese (grate ahead of time), while staring in a figure eight pattern until it melts. Julia says any more cheese and the sauce will break. Season with white pepper. Meanwhile cook pasta (I use a 13 oz box of whole wheat pasta) undercook by 1 minute. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir to coat and cook the remaining minute. Enjoy!
Kristin says
Genius, I never thought to use a roux to make gravy. I always use my mother's method of mixing flour and water into a paste, then stirring it into the warm drippings and then boiling till thickened. What is the flour to liquid ratio? With my method, I can always add more flour water, not possible with a roux.
Do you find a two cup fat separator to be sufficient or do you wish you had a four cup version? I don't really want to store a four cup model, but wonder if 2 cups would be too small for many applications.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Kristine. Use a 1:1 fat to flour ratio depending on how many servings you are making. The basic for a roux gravy is 2T fat:2T flour:1cup liquid. The 2 cup separator should be adequate for most jobs...unless you are feeding a bunch all the time. :)
Kami says
I make homemade gravy this exact way a lot! Last week I did hamburgers cooked 1/2 way, removed them & made gravy same steps except I used beef broth...after the gravy thickened I covered the burgers with gravy and simmered for 45 min. Serve with mashed potatoes. Simply amazing winter comfort food. It's 1am & I want gravy-lol!
Chrissy says
Great post :) made a pan gravy tonight! Can I ask what kind of salt you use? I bought a Celtic gray salt recently upon someone's recommendation, and I've found I need to use more than I would like to for flavor. I'm not a big salter of food, so I was kind of disappointed... Thanks!!! :))
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Chrissy. This will answer your question: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/07/22/sodium-essential-salt/. ~Amy
Lorrona says
Thank you so very much I CAN NOT make gravy but your video made it completely make since. Now can you do a video for pepper gravy?
Colleen says
Hello! Thank you for this video!
Can you use stock that has been frozen & use the same process? After unthawing, of course :)
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Colleen. Yes, you can!
Candee Backus says
I have used cornstarch to make gravy for over 40 years, but with all the GMO corn out there, & not being able to find an organic cornstarch I am starting to experiment with other starches ( I don't particularly like the flour method) So far I have only tried organic tapioca starch & although it did thicken the gravy the texture was wrong... kind of "slimy"! Has anyone else tried any of the other "starches" out there?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Candee. I've used arrowroot powder. It works well but it can not be reheated. ~Amy
Candee Backus says
Thanks Amy, that is good to know. I think I will have to find something that can be reheated as there are only 2 of us & I have a hard time only making enough for 2, hence I usually freeze any leftovers to use another time, or use it as a soup base, which would mean that it would have to be reheated.
Lauren says
Now we just need a white gravy recipe. My husband's life is not complete without biscuits and gravy for breakfast every once in a while. :)
Monica says
Sausage gravy is just 3 ingredients plus salt/pepper. Brown a pound of breakfast sausage and drain most of the grease (leave 2 TBSP or so in the pan). Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/3 cup of flour over the sausage and stir (like the roux method but the sausage is in there too). Pour in 3-4 cups of milk, slowly and stirring as you pour. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer to thicken. Easy and delicious!!!
Lauren says
That is easy! Thank you! Whole wheat biscuits and sausage gravy, here we come :)
James says
Bless you Monica. I love sausage gravy on biscuits. Now all I have to do is learn how to make biscuits.
Taylea says
What type of pans do you use?
Leila says
Lisa uses all clad pots. See this post: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/12/09/real-food-tips-my-favorite-kitchen-tools-and-appliances/
Lisa says
Thanks Leila! :)
Julia Odom says
Hi...I really enjoy following your healthy cooking tips. Can you tell me which brand of pots/pans you use. I'm so worried about various metals and the unhealthy consequences of some of the nonstick items. Not sure where to turn or who to believe on this topic.
Thanks!
Julia
Leila says
Lisa uses all clad pots. See this post: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/12/09/real-food-tips-my-favorite-kitchen-tools-and-appliances/
Anne says
The trick with cornstarch is not to use it the same way as flour.
First disolve your cornstarch in cold liquid so you end up with a paste where all the cornstach is disolved.
Then add it to the boiling liquid.
You need quit a bit of cornstach as opposed to flour.
Kathy says
@Melanie, I use cornstarch at my house to make gravy, so yes it does work. As Lisa said, just add small amounts at a time.
Melanie says
Is it possible to make this with cornstarch or gluten free flour mixes?
Lisa says
Melanie - I have not tried it, but I do think it would work. Just start small when it comes to the amount you add - you can always add more. You don't want your "roux" to become one big clump with too much flour/starch.
Danielle says
My family has always made our gravy using cornstarch for the roux. Usually we add about a spoonful then add more if needed to thicken.