How to Make Homemade Gravy (2024)

Some might argue that the gravy is the most important thing on the table, because somehow it ends up on everything on your plate. The simple steps in this tutorial will show you just how easy it is to make amazing homemade gravy from simple ingredients!

How to Make Homemade Gravy (1)

Basic gravy starts with a roux, which is a mixture of cooked butter and flour that will naturally thicken liquid. There’s a reason we’re not just tossing cornstarch in here- a butter and flour based roux provides one of the main flavor components. I recommend real butter here if you don’t have any dietary exceptions that prevent that. You could also use turkey fat here, but I prefer the flavor of the butter. If you’re making any sort of bacon-wrapped meat, bacon grease works beautifully as a gravy starter as well.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan and add 4 tablespoons all purpose flour. Use a whisk to combine it into a smooth mixture.

Stir/whisk it constantly as it bubbles. Here’s something to know about a roux: it should basically match the color of your finished product. So if you were making a white sauce, you could cook it for a couple of minutes until it looked creamy pale, like this:

How to Make Homemade Gravy (3)

Cook until deep caramel in color. But for beef or poultry gravy, you want to cook it longer, being careful not to burn it, until it’s a golden caramel color. Basically the color of gravy. It will smell amazing, almost like dessert.

How to Make Homemade Gravy (4)When your roux reaches that point, it’s time to whisk in your liquids. Here are some choices when it comes to liquids to use in gravy:

PAN DRIPPINGS

The pan drippings from your meat (turkey, roast, chicken, etc.) That’s where that fat separator comes in handy. I always taste my pan juices before adding them to the gravy. Depending on how you cooked your meat, the drippings may be incredibly salty. If that’s the case, take note, and maybe use a higher ratio of broth. If your finished gravy is too salty, there’s some trouble shooting tips at the end of this post. Sometimes you’ll have tons of pan drippings, other times close to none. Generally speaking, I make my gravy with broth, as explained below, and then at the very end I whisk in some pan drippings for extra flavor.

Broth/Stock

If you’re making poultry, use chicken stock, if you’re making beef gravy, use beef stock. There is always the homemade vs store-bought debate. Yes, homemade broth is delicious, but your gravy will still be delicious with store-bought broth. If you’d like to make your own broth, check out this tutorial. You could do that same thing, but instead of using a rotisserie chicken, roast some turkey wings with a diced carrots, onion, and celery and then use that to create a turkey broth. Honestly, I just use a good low-sodium store-bought broth and it works great.

When your butter/flour mixture is ready, start adding your liquid a very small amount at at a time and stir constantly. Don’t be scared when the mixture seizes; that’s natural. It will get very clumpy at first, which is why it’s important that you just keep whisking constantly. It’s also important that you only add a small amount of liquid at a time and don’t add more until you’ve whisked it in smooth. If you dump in all your liquid at once, it will most certainly be lumpy!

How to Make Homemade Gravy (5)

Avoid Lumps.
No one wants lumpy gravy. It shouldn’t be hard at all to whisk this smooth, but if for whatever reason, you’re having trouble here, and your gravy is full of clumps you can’t seem to get rid of- toss that stuff in the blender. Seriously. Be careful if it’s hot- and remove the stopper from the lid and cover it with a towel, but take the time to save your gravy from lumps.

Simmer Gravy to thicken.
Bring the gravy to a simmer and let it bubble away to thicken for about 5 minutes (this is a great time to drop in some fresh herbs if you’d like to). This is your basic recipe. From here, you can customize it. It’s nearly impossible to follow and exact recipe for gravy because everyone’s pan drippings will taste different. So from here, definitely season with salt and pepper first, if needed. Then taste it and see what it needs. I always, always add a splash of Worcestershire sauce. I like a little bit of acidity to balance out the flavors, a splash of red or white wine vinegar also works great. If you’re serving it with smoked meat, try a splash of liquid smoke in there. You can add chopped fresh herbs, and any other seasonings you like.

How to Make Homemade Gravy (6)Get the right consistency.
Everyone seems to have a desired consistency when it comes to gravy, too. If your gravy is too thin, you can thicken it with a little cornstarch slurry. (We don’t want to start with corn starch as our thickener, but it works great at the end to adjust). Too thick? Add more broth. Too salty (especially if you have extra salty pan drippings)? Try a squeeze of lemon juice or even a spoonful of sour cream. The sky is the limit; if you’ve got working taste buds, you can take it from here!


There is nothing like rich, buttery gravy over a creamy bed of potatoes.

How to Make Homemade Gravy (8)

And possibly my favorite thing is when everything on your plate ends up covered in it. It somehow totally works. If you need to make gravy for a crowd, guess what? It freezes great!

How to Make Stock and Freeze Gravy
What I did, just so I had a little extra for Thanksgiving day, is make a batch this week and pop it in the freezer. No one wants to roast a whole turkey for that purpose, but try taking some turkey drumbsticks, thighs, or breasts. Keep in mind you get the most juice with the dark meat of the thighs and drumsticks. Place them in a pan with 2 carrots and 3 ribs celery (both cut into about 3″ pieces) and 1-2 onions cut into wedges.

Drizzle all of that with a few tablespoons of olive oiland then season it all with salt and pepper and some fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage. Cover the pan and roast at 350 until the meat registers 165, removing the lid about halfway through. You’ll get a turkey dinner one night, and juices for a batch of gravy for the freezer!

Another helpful tool: Fat Separator

If I were Oprah-rich, I would buy one of these fat separators for each and every one of you right this second. This is one of my most favorite kitchen gadgets. They’re not very expensive, and I love OXO’s because it’s made from sturdy plastic (as opposed to breakable glass, like some of the competitors.) This isn’t an ad, I just really recommend these. Are you wondering what exactly it’s for? When you cook meat, like a big roast, or a turkey, for example, you’re left with a pan full of delicious juices, mixed with a layer of greasy (yet delicious) fat. You need to get rid of that fat in order to get to the juices (a main ingredient in gravy). You can skim it off, but this makes it so much easier.

There’s a large hole strainer on top to strain out any big chunks. All you do is pour all of the juices and fat in there together. Just quickly empty out that pan.

Fat will naturally rise to the top as it settles. If you do this with a normal measuring glass, when you start to pour, you’re pouring the fat. Notice on the fat separator, the spout connects at the bottom, so you just pour out the flavorful juices and can easily stop when you get to the fat. I seriously use this thing all the time, and you might want to pick one up before Thanksgiving- it will come in handy!

How To: Make Homemade Gravy

5 from 2 votes

How to make perfect gravy every time!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

ServingsServings2 -4 cups gravy

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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons real butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 -3 cups liquid: combination of pan drippings and broth; see note below
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Additional flavor agents: fresh herbs seasonings, vinegar, Worcestershire, etc.

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add flour and whisk constantly until mixture is golden caramel color and smells fragrant (3-5 minutes). Slowly whisk in liquids, while whisking, until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened and bubbly, 5 minutes or longer.

  • Taste, and then season with salt and pepper to taste, and add any other flavorings like fresh herbs, or vinegar. A small splash of Worcestershire is recommended (1-2 teaspoons should do it).

see troubleshooting tips below

Notes

Notes on Liquid:

Technically, with the proportions of roux here, this can thicken 4 cups of liquid. That’s a little too thin for me, and I like the flavor of the roux more concentrated, so I keep my liquid to 2-3 cups. You can always thicken more after if necessary.

troubleshooting

Too thin? Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water. Mix until smooth and add to simmering gravy. Let simmer a few minutes to thicken, and repeat if necessary until desired consistency is reached.

Too thick? Add more broth.

Too salty? Try a splash of cream, lemon juice, or even sour cream. You can also make more roux, and use only broth in the second batch to dilute.

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: Comfort Food

Keyword: homemade Gravy

Author: Sara Wells

Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!

How to Make Homemade Gravy (2024)

FAQs

Is gravy made from flour and water? ›

(You can also start with a slurry of flour and water—equal amounts flour and cold water whisked together—if you want.) Whisk the gravy while slowly adding liquid: Slowly add stock, water, milk, cream, or a combination to the pan, whisking vigorously to dissolve the flour into liquid.

What is the formula for gravy? ›

(The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.) You can add other flavors to the mixture, swap out the stock for another liquid, or use cornstarch rather than flour to thicken your gravy.

Is gravy made from milk and flour? ›

In a matter of minutes, you can whip up white gravy in a saucepan for the perfect creamy, savory topping for your favorite dishes. This basic sauce is prepared with ingredients you likely already have on hand: butter, flour, milk, salt, and pepper.

What is traditional gravy made of? ›

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.

How to make gravy thick with flour? ›

Use two tablespoons flour mixed with ¼ cup cold water for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix in the water to prevent lumps. After stirring the combined flour and water into the sauce, cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Heat one minute more to cook the flour thoroughly.

Is gravy better with flour or cornstarch? ›

Flour also gives the gravy a traditional opaque look, she adds, whereas cornstarch will make the gravy shiny and clear. It's also important to consider whether you'll be reheating your gravy, as flour-thickened gravy is much better for reheating.

What thickener is best for gravy? ›

Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with one cup of cold water, whisking the mixture together until the cornstarch granules dissolve. Stir this mixture into your gravy on low heat. You can use arrowroot powder, tapioca flour, or potato starch as a thickener if you don't have cornstarch.

Is plain flour OK for gravy? ›

Sprinkle 3 tbsp plain flour into the tin and mix until well blended. Continue cooking, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes allowing the flour to cook through to make a 'roux' (a thickening base for your gravy).

What is the best substitute for flour in gravy? ›

Cornstarch and potato starch are the best options for gravy. Avoid arrowroot and tapioca starches because they can get "stringy" and look artificial in gravy. Cornstarch gravy is more translucent than flour based sauces. Potato starch gravy is more opaque than cornstarch, but less opaque than flour.

Can I substitute milk or water for gravy? ›

Yes, you can use water to make white gravy. Substitute the milk an equal amount of water, chicken stock, beef stock, or vegetable stock. Then, bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.

What makes it a gravy and not a sauce? ›

Gravy is a sauce, but one that is specifically made from meat juices. Gravies are usually combined with some form of liquid, like chicken broth, milk, wine, or beef broth, before being introduced to a thickening agent like flour or cornstarch.

Why does gravy form a skin? ›

There's a subset called emulsions: emulsion paint, custard, milk, gravy. They've got little bits of fat suspended in water that never actually settle out, and if you heat them up, some of the water near the top evaporates making the top fattier which contributes to the skin.

What is the chemistry behind gravy? ›

Starch is essential for thickening gravy. Starch is a long chain of sugar molecules stuck together that form grains in our food. Starch grains absorb water and turn into a jelly type substance and makes water more viscous or makes gravy thicker.

Why does flour make gravy? ›

Short answer: Because flour has a lot of starch in it, and starch acts as a thickener. You can use any starchy ingredient, ex. corn starch is commonly used. In Italy they actually use some of the pasta water to thicken pasta sauces because it has so much starch in it.

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