Easy Brown Gravy Recipe (With or Without Drippings)- Alphafoodie (2024)

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Rich and flavorful, easy brown gravy made with beef or chicken stock (with or without drippings) and thickened with a flour roux – ready to enjoy in about 10 minutes for mashed potatoes, roast dinners, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!

For years, I clung to my tub of gravy granules, incorrectly assuming that making brown gravy from scratch would be a long, laborious process. I couldn’t have been more wrong, though, as this easy brown gravy recipe from scratch is not only super simple to prepare, but takes just 10 minutes and tastes so much better than packaged products!

You can even make this brown without drippings using chicken or beef broth, depending on what you plan to serve it with. Either way, this is the perfect fuss-free homemade brown gravy to serve on busy mid-week evenings and during the holidays!

Prefer a thinner beef sauce? Check out my au jus recipe (with or without drippings). Prefer something 100% meat free? Head on over to my easy vegan brown gravy or white gravy recipe.

What Is Brown Gravy

Gravy is a sauce made with stock and/or the juices (drippings) from cooked meat that run naturally during the process. That is popularly combined with several herbs and seasonings, then thickened with either flour roux or cornstarch, though traditionally the former.

Brown gravy, specifically, is a gravy made with the drippings (or stock) from roasted meat or poultry, like beef or chicken, and is often, though not always, cooked with onions.

For this recipe, however, I’ve stuck to the basics with a careful selection of several aromatic spices and dried herbs. They pair well with homemade chicken gravy or a beef gravy recipe. Perfect for enjoying over mashed potatoes, roasted meat, and veggies. You can even freeze the leftovers for another time!

What You Need for Brown Gravy

Get back to the basics with this aromatic, savory, delicious homemade brown gravy mix made with simple pantry ingredients and no dripping required (but optional, if preferred).

• Broth: For this brown gravy recipe, you can use store-bought or homemade chicken stock or beef stock (or a combination of the two). Liquid is best, but you can use stock tablets/pots in a pinch. I use low-sodium broth to control the sodium levels.
• For the roux: You’ll need unsalted butter and all-purpose flour (or an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend) in equal parts.
• Worcestershire sauce: This adds a tangy, umami-rich depth to the gravy.
• Seasonings: There are several spices needed to prepare chicken or beef gravy from broth, most of which are likely in your pantry already.
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Salt – add to taste as the stock may be salty enough already. Use low-sodium soy sauce for added umami flavor.
  • Black pepper
• Herbs: This beef or chicken gravy recipe uses a fairly typical combination of dried herbs for an aromatic sauce.
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Basil – dried sage would work well in its place.
• Drippings: (Optional) I’ve specifically written this recipe, so you have an option for delicious gravy when you don’t have pan drippings. However, if you’ve got a roast in the oven, feel free to use the drippings in place of some of the broth. The drippings are all the juices that accumulate in the pan when roasting meats like beef, chicken, turkey, pork, etc.

Making Brown Gravy With Roux Vs Corn Starch

Instead of flour roux, you could use naturally gluten-free cornstarch to thicken the gravy.

To do so, make a cornstarch slurry combining 1:1 starch and cold water (start with 1 Tbsp and add more if needed) into a smooth paste/liquid in a small bowl. Pour that into the pan at the end of the cooking process, increase to medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.

If using cornstarch, I highly recommend stirring a pat of cold butter into the sauce right at the end and stirring until it melts into the sauce. This will add extra richness you lose from omitting the butter in the roux.

How To Make Brown Gravy Without Drippings

First, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, being careful not to allow it to brown.

Then, add the flour, whisking well to ensure there are no lumps. Cook it for 2-3 minutes, until it browns, then reduce the heat to low.

Then, pour in the chicken stock (or beef stock) a small amount at a time, whisking constantly to ensure the roux remains smooth and lump-free. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly after each addition, then add more until you’ve used it all.

If you want to use the meat drippings, add them now in place of some of the broth, and stir well.

Next, add the Worcestershire sauce, whisking well. Then stir in the dried herbs and any salt if needed. Finally, add the garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper and whisk well (adjust the amounts to taste).

Allow the sauce to simmer for a few more minutes to thicken and reduce. Then remove the pot from the heat and enjoy!

Make Ahead Brown Gravy

Brown gravy recipes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days making it a great option for preparing ahead of time.

How Do I Reheat Brown Gravy

Use a microwave or stovetop, whisking well until smooth and heated through. You may need an extra splash of water or stock to bring it back to the correct consistency.

Can You Freeze Gravy

You can freeze the beef gravy/sauce in an airtight container, ice cube tray, or Ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. However, I recommend using it within 3-4 months for the best flavor.

What To Serve With Brown Gravy

This homemade brown gravy (whether you choose to make chicken gravy or beef gravy) is packed with flavor and super versatile, perfect for enjoying with a roast dinner, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and with:

• Roasted meat – swap out the broth based on the dish (i.e., chicken broth for roast chicken, beef broth gravy for roast beef, etc.).
• Over mashed potatoes – this is the best gravy for mashed potatoes. It’s like they’re made for one another!
• Roasted potatoes or baked potatoes.
• Cooked veggies (cauliflower and brocolli, carrots, asparagus, green beans, Brussels sprouts, etc.).
• Stuffed butternut squash.
• Over meatballs and meatloaf.
• With buttermilk biscuits and rolls.
• Use it in casseroles.
• With pies – including pastry pies (beef or chicken gravy), Shepherd’s pie (using homemade beef gravy recipes), etc.
• For poutine and to dip french fries.
• Mix it into mayonnaise to make a holiday spread.

FAQs and Troubleshooting

More Homemade Sauce Recipes

• Buffalo Wing Sauce Recipe
• Alabama White BBQ Sauce
• Quick and Easy Pizza Sauce
• Homemade White Gravy
• Vegan bechamel sauce (white sauce)
• Quick and No-Fail Hollandaise Sauce

If you try this easy homemade brown gravy recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!