EASY homemade gravy made with 3 ingredients in under 10 minutes! Simple to make and perfect for beginners. You’ll never use store-bought gravy again!
Table of Contents
Flavorful Brown Gravy
Growing up, one of my favorite jobs was to help my grandma make the mashed potatoes and beef gravy with our Sunday pot roast. I loved being her little taste tester and telling her when we needed to add some more salt or pepper. Such great memories!
My grandma did make her brown gravy a little different (she created a slurry with flour and water then whisked into the broth), but I love the flavor that the butter in this recipe adds. It gives the gravy a richness and another layer of depth.
I think gravy is one of those things that sometimes intimidates people, but I promise it is a lot easier to make than you think! The key to making a good homemade gravy is creating a creamy roux before adding the liquids. The roux helps to thicken the consistency and give it that perfect gravy-like texture. It tastes amazing over meat, sides, and even dipped in a homemade dinner roll or biscuit. Seriously so delicious!
3 Simple Ingredients
Simple to make and perfect for beginners, you’ll never use store-bought gravy again!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter. That way I can control the amount of salt used and my gravy isn’t overly salty.
- Flour: This helps thicken the gravy. Flour is my first choice, although corn starch also works great.
- Pan drippings: Use the pan drippings (every last bit) from cooking your meat.
How to Make a Roux
Making a roux (or slurry) for homemade gravy is very simple. Just follow these steps below.
- Melt about 3 Tablespoons of butter over medium-heat in a large saucepan. Allow to start to bubble.
- Whisk in 3 Tablespoons of flour and continue whisking until it has thickened and formed a paste.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Wait to add any seasonings until after the broth has been added.
How to Make Homemade Gravy
Scroll down for the printable homemade gravy recipe.
- Make the roux. Use the following steps above to make your roux.
- Whisk in broth. Then slowly whisk in the broth from the meat. Alternate whisking and adding liquid until you reach the consistency you like. If you don’t have enough liquid from your meat, add in canned broth.
- Let simmer, then season. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper (or additional seasonings), to taste. Add a dash or two of Worcestershire if desired.
Tips for the Best Gravy
- Strain the drippings in a mesh strainer to remove any excess fat.
- If you don’t have 3 cups of drippings, pour in some beef or chicken broth to compensate.
- Whisk, whisk, whisk! You’ll basically be whisking the entire time until the consistency is just right.
- Keep an eye on the heat when making your gravy. The mixture can easily burn if the pan gets too hot.
- I used pot roast pan drippings to make a brown gravy, but you can also use pan drippings from a roasted turkey or roasted chicken. Just add in chicken broth for poultry drippings or beef broth for beef drippings.
Recipe FAQs
Really any type of meat you roast will make a wonderful gravy, including chicken, turkey, rack of lamb, prime rib, etc.
You sure can! Simply use cornstarch in place of the flour and you should be good to go.
Everything! Ok, maybe not everything, but I pour it over creamy mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, oven roasted turkey, and even parker house rolls.
I love this gravy as-is, but you can definitely tailor it a bit to your taste. Try adding herbs (like rosemary, thyme, or sage) or seasonings (like poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, or Italian seasoning) to give it a little extra oomph.
Storing + Freezing
Storage: This gravy will keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
Freeze: Because this is not a cream-based gravy, you can absolutely freeze it for up to 3 months without it separating. Freeze in individual portions and only thaw what you need!
More Delicious Comfort Foods
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Easy Homemade Gravy
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups pan drippings (can subsidize with chicken broth)
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornstarch
Optional seasonings: Salt & Pepper, Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Pour the meat drippings, getting every last drop and loosening any browned bits, from the roasting pan into a fat separator, or through a fine-mesh sieve. If you don't have 2 to 3 cups, add chicken or beef stock until you do.
- Make the roux. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Whisk in flour until thickened and formed a paste. Cook 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy, but not browned. Wait to add any seasonings until after the broth has been added.
- Slowly whisk in the meat drippings. Alternate whisking and adding liquid until you reach the consistency you like. Bring to a light simmer. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until it has thickened. If you'd like a thicker gravy, add less liquid. Add more liquid for a thinner gravy.
- Season with salt and pepper (or additional seasonings), to taste. Add 1 to 2 dashes Worcestershire, if desired. Pour into a gravy boat. Serve warm over meat and mashed potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Enjoy!
You had me at 3 ingredients and 10 minutes! Such an easy recipe that is perfect for the busy holidays!
I love the idea of butter in the gravy! I haven’t tried that before. Can’t wait to test it!
This gravy recipe was so delicious! Loved this one.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I think I will finally make my own gravy this Christmas and this looks really easy. Thanks!