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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
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
What is brown gravy?
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.
How do I reheat brown gravy?
Brown gravy will thicken as it sets and cools. You can reheat it on the stovetop or the microwave while stirring occasionally.
How do I prevent lumps in my gravy?
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!
Come find me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram! Share your recipes by tagging @drivemehungry. I love seeing your creations!
Thanks so much for stopping by! 🧡 -Jamie
More recipes:
- Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Loco Moco - Hawaiian Burger with Brown Gravy
- Creamy Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes with Chives
- Italian Meatballs - Tender and Juicy
Recipe
Easy Brown Gravy (no drippings)
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!
5 from 547 votes
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Prep Time 3 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 8 minutes mins
Course Sauces
Cuisine American
Servings 4
☑ 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
Makes about 3 cups of gravy.
- 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
Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 745mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 262IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was and give it a 5 star rating! Tag @drivemehungry to show off your creations! I love seeing your photos!
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Eileen
I made a meatloaf that didn’t turn out as good as I would have hoped so I was looking for an easy gravy recipe that I had hoped would make the meatloaf better. This was perfect. It was so good! I was wondering though, mine never got that brown color like yours, it basically stayed the same color as the roux. I cooked it as directed, and then cooked it a little more to see if it would turn that gorgeous brown, but it never did. I know it was done. I didn’t taste flour. Any suggestion on how to get that nice brown gravy color?
Reply
Collie
This was absolutely delicious! However, I tweaked it a little bit. I browned the flour first in a nonstick pan. And then once it was lightly browned, I added the butter until it melted, and it clumped together. Then I slowly added the beef broth and whisked it until it was Smooth. I added the powered garlic, the onion powder, and the bay leaf and it tastes amazing. Thank you for this recipe. I appreciate it.
Reply
Peggy B.
This is the first time posting a comment I believe. I am so ecstatic that this gravy is a home run. This is the first time I have made my own brown gravy in over 30 years. Years ago I would attempt to, but it would always turn out to be a dismal failure!!! So thank you again for sharing such an excellent recipe. Take care and stay safe!!Reply
Amy
This is such a great brown gravy! So easy and so flavorful! I love it!Reply
Ariana
Is there something I’m doing wrong that my gravy wasn’t as dark in color? I used beef broth instead of stock. I have a picky eater who will only eat dark gravy. Someone please help.
Reply
Peggy Dugas
Very good and quick gravy recipe. I made it as directed except I omitted the salt. I did add the bullion base and it definitely added flavor. This gravy was perfect with my homemade meatballs!!Reply
Gab
I'm never buying packaged gravy again!
Reply
Fla0ranges
This was such a quick and easy recipe to whip up with everything I already had on hand. It also had so much flavor too!!Reply
Susan Casal
Impressive! I can hardly believe how easy, how tasty, and how smooth that gravy came out! I can't stand gravy from a can or dry mix, so if I don't have drippings I just don't make gravy. We really wanted gravy for our meatloaf and mashed potatoes today though, so I found this recipe after searching. Wow! Thanks so much for figuring this out!
For part of my salt I used Applewood smoked salt, yum!Great gravy!
Reply
Cathy Brown
It is so good and so simple to make. I made it to go with meatloaf and my family loved it!Reply
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