How to Make Gravy

Gravy is one of my favorite parts of any turkey or roast beef dinner.

This recipe is made with drippings, broth, and a sprinkle of savory seasonings to create a rich flavorful gravy from turkey, beef, or pork drippings.

gravy in a clear dish for How to Make Gravy

This homemade gravy can be made with chicken, turkey, or roast beef drippings.
It has a rich flavor and is easy to make while the meat rests.
Never lumpy, this gravy comes out velvety smooth and is perfect for pouring over mashed potatoes.

What You’ll Need For Homemade Gravy

Drippings: The drippings are separated into fat and broth. If you pour the drippings into a clear jar or gravy separator, you will see two layers. The top layer is fat, which is used for the roux, and the bottom layer is juices, which are added to the broth.

If you don’t have enough fat, you can add butter in place, and if you don’t have enough drippings, add broth in place.

Flour: All-purpose flour is combined with the fat from the drippings to make a roux and thicken the gravy.

Broth: The juices from the roasting pan are the liquid that makes the gravy. If you don’t have enough, you can add broth—boxed or canned broth works just fine in this recipe.

Seasonings: Poultry seasoning is my secret to a flavorful and savory gravy. You can also add fresh herbs like parsley, sage, and thyme. If adding fresh herbs, check your grocery store for a “poultry pack” with many herbs packaged together.

If you’ve roasted the meat in a metal roasting pan, cook the gravy right in the pan. Most metal roasting pans can be cooked right on the stovetop. Add broth and scrape up the flavorful brown bits (which is called fond) from the pan.

Variations

My mom always adds a can of sliced mushrooms to gravy, you can also add sauteed mushrooms or caramelized onions to homemade gravy.
A dash of Kitchen Bouquet or browning sauce will create a deeper, darker brown color and add a little flavor if you’d like.
A pat of garlic herb compound butter can be swirled in at step 6 if desired.

If you don’t have fat from your meat, you can still make delicious gravy! Replace the fat (or some of the fat) with butter. Of course, the flavor will be a bit different and more buttery, but still delicious.

If you don’t have drippings, it’s important to cook the flour until it is lightly browned for a deeper flavor. I like to add a pinch of dried rosemary and about ½ teaspoon of onion powder along with the poultry seasoning.

Here is an overview of how I make smooth delicious gravy, you can find the full recipe below.

Separate drippings: Transfer the drippings from the roasting pan to a clear jar or bowl (you can strain it through a sieve if needed). Discard the solids and let the drippings rest so the fat and juices separate. You will use both the fat and the drippings for this recipe.
Add the flour: Skim about ½ cup of fat from the drippings and add it to a saucepan with flour and seasonings. If you don’t have enough fat, add butter to make ½ cup. Stir until the flour begins to brown (this is the roux).
Add liquid: Add liquid, a little bit at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. It will be very thick at first, and then it will thin out.
Season: Add optional fresh herbs (recipe below). Let the gravy boil for a couple of minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

ingredients in a pot with a whisk for How to Make Gravy

gravy and seasonings in a pot before being mixed

Roux: A roux thickens sauces, soups, and gravies. In this recipe, I use equal parts flour and fat (butter or meat drippings). Brown the flour a little bit to add extra flavor.

Slurry: A gluten-free gravy can be made by replacing a roux with a slurry, which I make with equal parts cold water and cornstarch. Once the slurry is smooth, it’s poured into a hot liquid to thicken it.

Storing Homemade Gravy

Make ahead: Homemade gravy can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Reheat it on medium-low heat while whisking until it’s smooth and heated.
Fridge: Keep leftover gravy in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Whisk while reheating on the stovetop.
Freezer: Freeze in zippered bags for up to 4 weeks. Thaw overnight or in a saucepan on medium-low heat.

Gravy Goes Great With…

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How to Make Gravy

This recipe is a step by step guide on how to make gravy that is perfectly flavorful (and lump-free) every time!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

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Once your meat is cooked, transfer it to a plate to rest. Use the moisture from the drippings to scrape any brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pan. Strain the drippings through a fine sieve if desired.
Allow the drippings to rest for a few minutes so the fat and drippings separate. Spoon ½ cup of the fat into a medium saucepan, adding butter to make ½ cup if you don’t have enough fat.
Stir in the flour and poultry seasoning and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat, while stirring, until the flour begins to brown slightly.
Gradually add the liquid (drippings and/or broth), whisking until smooth after each addition. The mixture will be very thick at first and will gradually thin out; you may not need all of the broth.
Bring to a boil over medium heat while whisking, and let boil for 1 to 2 minutes.
Taste the gravy, and season with salt & pepper as needed. Stir in parsley or other fresh herbs and serve.

When spooning ½ cup of the fat into a saucepan, skim the remaining fat and set aside in case you want more.
If you do not have enough fat, add unsalted butter to make the total amount of fat 1/2 cup.
If you do not have enough juices/drippings from the meat, add additional broth (canned, boxed, or homemade).
Optional: ½ teaspoon onion powder or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder can be added to the flour when cooking in the fat. I love to add ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning to my gravy.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for 4 days in the refrigerator and 4 weeks in the freezer.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dip, Sauce, Side Dish

Cuisine American

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