Quick And Easy Gravy From Scratch - Inspired Taste

My homemade gravy recipe is easy to make from scratch and works with or without pan drippings. It’s delicious with turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes, or veggies.

This easy gravy recipe is my go-to for busy weeknights and holidays. It comes together in about 10 minutes and is incredibly versatile. You can serve it with almost anything! I especially love it poured over creamy mashed potatoes.

Make it with homemade broth, store-bought broth, or pan drippings. It works beautifully with chicken, beef, or pork, and you can easily make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth. This recipe is perfect for the holidays, but if you’re roasting a turkey for Thanksgiving, don’t miss my favorite turkey gravy recipe.

Key Ingredients

• Butter and Flour: These two are combined to make a roux, which thickens the broth into a smooth, velvety gravy. For gravy without butter, substitute chicken fat, lard, or the fat from pan drippings. For vegan gravy, use plant-based butter. For gluten-free gravy, use cornstarch instead. I’ve included tips for this in the recipe below.
• Stock or Pan Drippings: This is the base of the gravy. Use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth, or the drippings from roasted meats, like in our roasted chicken recipe. For homemade options, see our chicken stock, vegetable broth, or beef stock recipes.
• Herbs: Fresh herbs, such as sage, thyme, and rosemary, provide the best flavor, but dried herbs also work well. The recipe below includes amounts for both.
• Mushroom Powder (Optional): I’m a big fan of mushroom gravy, so I often add a little mushroom powder for rich, savory umami flavor. You can make your own or use store-bought. A few dashes of Worcestershire or fish sauce also add great depth.
• Cream (Optional): A splash of cream or half-and-half makes the gravy silky and rich, but it’s completely optional.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Gravy from Scratch

Tip 1: Make a roux for a thick, silky gravy. A roux is the secret to smooth, flavorful gravy. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, then whisk in an equal amount of flour. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, which cooks out the raw flour taste and adds a subtle, toasty flavor. (A great roux is the secret to our sausage gravy, too!)

Tip 2: Slowly whisk in warm stock or pan drippings. Warm liquid combines more easily with the roux and reduces clumps. Gradually whisk in the warm stock, broth, or pan drippings. As it heats and simmers, the mixture will thicken into a smooth, rich gravy. It only takes about a minute.

Tip 3: Taste and adjust the seasoning. Before serving, taste your gravy and adjust with salt and pepper. Add extras like fresh herbs, mushroom powder, or Worcestershire sauce for more depth. A splash of cream makes it extra silky. If it tastes flat, it likely needs a touch more salt or something with umami, like mushroom powder.

Tip 4: Use pan drippings for extra flavor. If you’ve roasted meat, use the drippings to make your gravy even more flavorful. Separate the fat from the liquid (a spoon or fat separator works well). Use the fat instead of butter for your roux, and the liquid as your broth.

If your roasting pan is stovetop-safe, make the gravy right in the pan to capture all those browned bits. Otherwise, a skillet works just as well.

Serving Suggestions

I love pouring this silky smooth gravy over our favorite roasted vegetables, roasted carrots, homemade mashed potatoes, creamy mashed sweet potatoes, or even low-carb mashed cauliflower.

It’s perfect served alongside pan-roasted chicken breasts, juicy pork chops, or pork tenderloin with apples. And in our home, roasted turkey is never complete without gravy. I always make it using the pan drippings from our whole roasted turkey or this garlic herb roasted turkey breast.

Quick and Easy Gravy

4.9 (19 reviews) 33 comments Save Pin Email Print

• PREP 5 mins
• COOK 5 mins
• TOTAL 10 mins

My homemade gravy recipe is quick, easy, and flavorful. If you’ve roasted chicken, turkey, or beef, use the drippings left in the pan (they make the gravy really flavorful and perfectly seasoned).

You can also make gravy from scratch without drippings. Use homemade or store-bought broth as your base. Just remember that store-bought stock is often under-seasoned, so adjust the salt and pepper at the end. For even more flavor, whisk in a bit of mushroom powder. It’s optional, but it adds a savory, rich flavor that makes the gravy taste incredible.

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, like poultry, beef, or vegetable, or use pan drippings, see tips below (709ml)

½ tablespoon chopped fresh herbs or ½ teaspoon dried herbs, try poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, or rosemary

½ teaspoon mushroom powder, optional

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).

Adam and Joanne's Tips

• Using pan drippings: Substitute some or all of the butter with the fat left in the pan from roasting. If there are juices in the pan, strain them and replace some (or all) of the stock with the juices. Pan drippings are well-seasoned, so always taste the gravy before adding extra salt or pepper. If you used a stovetop-safe pan, such as a Dutch oven or stainless steel roasting pan, make the gravy directly in the 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