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
More recipes:
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.
Tristin
I made this gravy for our mashed potatoes and it was delish! Will be using this recipe for the holidays.
Gloria
I didn't see the measurements for this gravy. Can you help please.
Jamie
Hi Gloria, click on the "Jump to Recipe" button at the top of the page and it will take you directly there.
R.Charron
Simple and tasty. Added a little Madeira for a slightly different but equally tasty sauce.
Jamie
Great idea adding a bit of Madeira! I'll have to try that next time.
dorinda bradshaw
Delicious, easy, a keeper. Loved the ingredient measurements included with recipe directions!
Jamie
Thank you Dorinda, I'm glad you found that helpful!
Savita
Such an easy gravy recipe to follow, so handy for mashed potatoes. Loved the recipe.
MJ
I often make gravy from pan drippings from other dishes but needed one that I could make on its own, and am so glad I found this recipe! So easy to pull together, and so delicious. Thank you!
Julia M
Quick and Easy! Saved the day, cuz oopsie, I was out of brown gravy packs. Actually, now I will never need to buy gravy packs again.
Alex
I was looking for a gravy recipe that came together quickly - this one is perfect. And even better that it doesn't require drippings! I wanted a slightly thinner gravy, so took your advice to reduce the flour just slightly, and it worked perfectly. Delicious - thank you!
Jamie
Thank you! I'm so glad to hear that you loved it! 🙂
Adam
Perfect consistency! Made for a great loco Moco!
Roxana
Finally it is so nice to have a simple and easy to follow gravy recipe. It worked perfectly.
Jamie
That's so great to hear Roxana! Thanks for trying the recipe.
Anjali
This gravy really was so easy to make!! It tasted amazing over mashed potatoes!
Angela
Love that I can make a delicious gravy without drippings! Such an easy recipe too. Thanks for sharing!
Jamie
Thanks for sharing Angela! It's such a simple but flavorful gravy!
Vanessa
I needed a quick gravy to pour over some homemade poutine and this hit the spot. Really good.
Jacqueline Meldrum
It's always interesting to see how different people make gravy and this one sounds super straightforward.
Andrea
Love that this recipe uses no drippings. I needed a gravy in a pinch and this was the perfect one!
Jamie
Thanks Andrea, so happy to hear that!
Peter Vermilye
I was pleasantly surprised how fast and easy this was and great flavor. The only difference I found from mom's gravy was there were no lumps. 😋 Thank you.
Jamie
Thanks Peter! Adding the broth in slowly really helps with no lumps doesn't it? 🙂
Claudia Lamascolo
I love the ease of this recipe and it certainly came in handy for our meal delicious!
Jamie
Thanks for sharing Claudia! It's such an easy gravy since you don't need drippings. 🙂
Rachel
Love how quick this gravy was to make! So savory and delicious too!
Mandy Applegate
This was a delicious gravy - thank you!
Jayne
We are a big gravy family. I am always looking for a good new recipe. This gravy recipe is easy, delicious and now a family favorite.
Kristen
Pinned to make for a big family dinner next weekend! Thank you! 🙂