How to Make Gravy From Scratch (Easy!)

Learn how to make gravy from scratch with a basic roux! This easy, insanely flavorful and FOOLPROOF classic homemade brown gravy recipe is perfect for serving on any of your favorite main dishes and sides!

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The Heart and Soul of How to Make Gravy

Cuisine Inspiration: Comfort Food Heaven
Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop Simmering and Whisking
Dietary Info: Vegetarian Options Available
Key Flavor: Rich, Savory, and Buttery Goodness
Skill Level Required: Easy for All Levels

Sweet Highlights:

• Quick and Easy: This recipe is a no-fuss, straightforward path to gravy greatness.
• Flavor Packed: Each spoonful is a burst of rich and savory flavors that enhance any dish.
• Customizable: Feel free to play around with spices and add-ins to tailor it to your taste.
• Versatile: Perfect for mashed potatoes, biscuits, or any dish needing a touch of saucy love.
• Always a Hit: Expect this gravy to steal the show and leave your guests wanting more.

Gravy to the South is like a zebra to its stripes. You truly can’t have one without the other. Gravy is a sauce that is made from the juices of meats that run naturally during cooking and it’s thickened with either flour or cornstarch.

There are endless versions of gravy that come from all around the world but no one does like the South does. I couldn’t pinpoint where Southerners began their obsession but I know that it is alive and well. My household, as well as the one I grew up in, was no exception.

Gravy Ingredients

The key ingredients for the best brown gravy recipe are the following:

• Drippings or butter
• Flour
• Stock

To add butter or dippings to flour and cook until browned is to create a roux. The roux serves as the base for your homemade gravy, and the process cannot be skipped. Most people will only brown up to a certain point but if you continue to brown without burning, you will add a deeply rich color and even more flavor.

For the stock, definitely think about making a homemade chicken stock.  The recipe I linked to is useful for everything from my Aunt’s cornbread dressing to soups and stocks.

One of the beauties of a recipe like this one is that you can really customize it to fit your preferences. Your gravy can be made simple or dressed to the nines. Get creative!

Variations

• Infuse Your Gravy with Herbs

Adding rosemary, thyme or sage during the cooking process will infuse your gravy with a fresh, herby flavor. This is a great way to brighten up that same-old gravy. Strain out the gravy after cooking for a smoother texture.

• Use Different Kinds of Meat

Each different kind of meat offers varying levels of heaviness along with different flavors. Try out chicken, turkey or beef and pick your favorite.

• Give Your Gravy a Kick

Pour a little bourbon into your gravy to add a smoky, boozy flavor that will be a hit with every adult present. Add in a couple tablespoons (more if you’d like a stronger flavor) after you’ve browned the flour to cook out the alcohol. The result a gravy no one will forget.The opportunities to make this recipe your own are endless so take advantage. You might even just whip up a new classic.

Tips 

Gravy is notoriously easy to make because it requires such few ingredients and not very much time. It is also notorious for being able to coat an overcooked turkey or disguise gummy mashed potatoes. Believe it or not, it can even make brussel sprouts more bearable to eat.

But in order to work its magic Gravy has to be made perfectly. So here’s how you perfect it.

Taste Your Drippings

After brining, basting, and roasting, or any other method you’ve used to cook your meat, drippings can be burnt or salty. Just by giving them a taste before cooking your gravy will save you from a hot mess.

Whisk, Whisk It Good

Whisking thoroughly while adding the flour into the fat is essential. Add in your liquid very slowly and continue to whisk until the roux is completely incorporated and not lumpy. Just plan on doing a very intense wrist workout and you’ll avoid a lumpy gravy that someone could possibly and probably will choke on.

Keep Your Gravy Warm

Gravy has a nasty habit of thickening as it cools which creates a pudding like texture and even a few lumps. Remember all that wrist work we did to avoid lumps? Let’s not let that go to waste.

Transfer the brown gravy to a gravy boat or a thermos before serving. Heat it back up as needed.

I’ve officially given you all the gravy secrets I can without having some of my family come looking for me. Can’t give it all away can I? Well, maybe next year. For now, I hope you enjoy copious amounts of gravy this holiday season and maybe even share a bit with loved ones.

If you love Homemade Gravy, you will love other recipes like this where gravy is a major ingredient:

• Smothered Pork Chops Recipe
• Smothered Chicken
• Rice and Gravy
• Pot Roast
• Brown Gravy
• White Gravy
• Mississippi Pot Roast

How to Serve

Make sure you use this gravy on turkey, cornbread dressing, seafood dressing, mashed potatoes or just about anything else!