This easy brown gravy is made with beef stock and thickened with roux made of flour and butter! No drippings required and ready in under 10 minutes! The perfect gravy to serve during the holidays for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Brown gravy is a delicious sauce made from beef stock and thickened with roux, a flour and butter mixture. It's easier than you think to make gravy from scratch and tastes so much better than the packaged gravy powder!
This easy homemade brown gravy requires no drippings but instead is flavored with garlic powder, onion powder, and bay leaf for a savory sauce that's great on anything.
It's great to make for the holidays and to have on the table for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It goes great on turkey, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
- Beef stock or beef broth - Use a good quality beef stock or beef broth. Check the ingredients and avoid ones with any artificial ingredients or flavorings.
- Flour - Use all purpose flour.
- Butter - You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaf.
How to Make Brown Gravy
- Melt the butter in a large pan and add the flour. Stir continuously for about 2 minutes until a thick paste forms, called a roux.
- Add a bit of beef stock at a time and stir vigorously with the roux until it's smooth and lump free. Add the rest of the beef stock, onion powder, garlic powder, and bay leaf.
- Boil until thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Ways to Serve Brown Gravy
Serve this gravy with any of the following for a delicious meal!
- Pork chops
- Meatballs
- Meatloaf
- Poutine
- Loco Moco
- Mashed Potatoes
Brown gravy is a sauce traditionally made from drippings from roasted meat. It's served alongside meat as well as roasted vegetables. It can also be made from beef stock and thickened with a roux made of flour and butter.
Brown gravy will thicken as it sets and cools. You can reheat it on the stovetop or the microwave while stirring occasionally.
To prevent lumps, add a small amount of stock in slowly and stir vigorously with a whisk. Once smooth and lump free, add the remaining stock while continuously stirring.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please share, rate, or comment below. I'd love to hear from you!
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Thanks so much for stopping by! 🧡 -Jamie
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Recipe
Easy Brown Gravy (no drippings)
☑ Ingredients
- 3 cup beef broth - or beef stock
- 6 Tablespoons flour - see Note 1
- 3 ½ Tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon base - (optional); See Note 2
- bay leaf - (optional)
Instructions
- Make roux: Add butter and flour to a large pot and stir continuously until a roux is formed, about 2 minutes.3 ½ Tablespoons butter, 6 Tablespoons flour
- Add beef broth and spices: Slowly pour in half the beef broth while stirring vigorously with a whisk. This will help prevent lumps. Once smooth and lump-free, add the rest of the beef broth, onion powder, garlic powder, beef bouillon base (if using), and bay leaf (if using).3 cup beef broth, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon beef bouillon base
- Thicken: Let the gravy boil until thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!salt & pepper to taste
✎ Recipe Notes
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour. For thinner gravy, reduce the amount of flour by about a tablespoon.
- Beef bouillon base - For a richer, deeper flavor without drippings, use this beef bouillon base, which contains roasted beef and other flavorings to give it a more robust flavor. It does contain salt, so use it sparingly and taste the gravy before adding additional salt.
- Storage & leftovers - Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. The gravy will thicken as it cools. To reheat, use the stovetop or microwave, occasionally stirring for a smooth consistency.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
megane
How can something so simple have so much flavour. Such a great recipe.
Jamie
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Christine Souci
Omg this was the easiest gravy ever. I also found I could do the same recipe but rather than put in the beef bouillon I used mushroom broth and added fresh sliced mushrooms.
Jamie
Thanks Christine! I love how easy it is to make this gravy too. Great idea adding sliced mushrooms!
Faye
Hi Jamie!
I love to serve a nice rich gravy with steak, but have always resorted to using gravy granules as I thought you needed drippings to make gravy!
I was so excited to come across your recipe and it was an absolute success.
I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of adding some crushed green peppercorns to the gravy.
Simple, delicious and will make again!
Jamie
Thank you Faye! I'm so glad to hear that. I love the addition of crushed peppercorns.
Kathryn
This was the BEST brown gravy! It was so easy to make and full of flavor. Definitely a recipe to keep! Thanks so much!
Jamie
That's great to hear Kathryn! Thank you!
Irena
Love how easy this recipe was and with only a handful of ingredients. Tasted much cleaner than gravy with drippings.
Bill
Wow, simply awesome. Thankyou!
Veronika
Such a simple and easy-to-make gravy! Love that it doesn't require any drippings, it makes it so much easier to make at any time!
Linda
I am such a gravy fan on anything and everything and this brown gravy was over-the-top delicious! I made it for a chicken dinner I was serving with mashed potatoes because, after all, what are mashed potatoes without gravy, and it made the meal! Thanks for the easy recipe that I'll be making as often as I can.
Chenée
I love this easy gravy recipe! Especially since you don't need pan drippings -- perfect to whip up quickly!