Homemade Brown Gravy is perfect with mashed potatoes, pot roast, pork chops, and chicken. This is an easy gravy recipe that is thick and rich with the best flavor from dried herbs.
I can’t imagine a plate of mashed potatoes without a generous ladle of brown gravy – the two are meant to go together! But gravy isn’t just for potatoes – it’s excellent with sliced turkey, chicken, and pork chops, too.
Making your own gravy can be tricky, so I’ve come up with a fool-proof recipe that works every time. It’s savory with a deep flavor and perfectly seasoned. It also has the best texture – not too thick and not too thin. It’s basically the best easy brown gravy recipe!
Fail-Proof Homemade Brown Gravy
Many old-fashioned recipes require drippings to make gravy, but sometimes you don’t have enough (or any) drippings to make it. So, my recipe uses beef stock – that way, you can make it whenever you want.
That said, you can use drippings, and I’m sharing tips if that’s how you want to make it!
This is an easy gravy recipe – no complicated ingredients or steps required.
Except for the butter, all of the ingredients are from the pantry. Keep them on hand, and you can make gravy whenever you want!
Ingredients
- Beef powder
- Beef broth
- Softened unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Dried thyme
- Dried sage
- Onion powder
- Dried rosemary
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Brown Gravy from Scratch
Combine the beef powder and stock in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it for 30 seconds and then stir. If the powder is not dissolved, cook it again for 30 seconds.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour, dried herbs, and onion powder and stir to combine. Cook the mixture for one minute.
Slowly add the broth while whisking continuously. Doing this slowly will prevent lumps from forming. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth and then bring it to a boil.
Once it’s boiling, lower the heat and simmer it for two minutes while whisking. Once it’s smooth and thickened, add the pepper.
Once it’s done cooking, add the salt.The amount you add will depend on the kind of beef powder and beef stock you use for this recipe. Some have higher or lower salt content, so that’s why you should wait until the end of the cooking time to add more. Just give the gravy a taste and add more salt if you think it needs it.
How do you make homemade brown gravy with drippings?
Yes, if you roast a turkey, pot roast, or another cut of beef, it’s easy to use the drippings to make gravy. Just pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a saucepan.
I like to skim the fat from the surface first and then just make the gravy following the recipe. Sometimes there are not enough drippings, so I add more beef stock to increase the liquid. If you use drippings, I would skip adding the beef powder.
What goes with brown gravy?
This gravy goes with so many things. It’s great with mashed potatoes and turkey. Spoon it over pork chops or serve it with homemade pot roast.
How long does gravy keep in the refrigerator?
It will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. It will thicken when it’s chilled, so just add some more beef stock to thin it when you warm it up. You can also freeze it for several months. You don’t have to wait until a holiday to make the most delicious homemade brown gravy. With this easy recipe, you can have it whenever you want a rich sauce to go with your favorite main dishes. Enjoy!
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Brown Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons beef powder
- 2 cups beef broth
- 4 tablespoons 1/2 cube unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a microwave safe bowl add beef powder to beef broth. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat until the beef powder has dissolved.
- In a sauce pan melt the butter over medium high heat. Mix in flour, sage, thyme, rosemary and onion powder. Cook for about a minute to cook the flour. Slowly add in the broth while whisking slowly until smooth. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook. Whisk until smooth and thick, 1-2 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Making your own Brown Gravy can be intimidating, but this recipe is fool proof! It’s thick, rich and super flavorful thanks to the dried herbs.
Mel is an IT guy turned blogger and is discovering his love of cooking and photography. If you ever have Fantasy Football questions, he's your guy.
What is beef powder?
It's granular beef bouillon. You can use 1-2 cubes of bouillon instead