What is the secret to good gravy?

The most important foundation of any good gravy is the homemade roux. A roux is made up of flour and fat (in this case butter), cooked together, and used to thicken sauces and gravies. What is this? One of the most important keys to the best gravy is to cook the roux until golden in color .

How many tablespoons of flour per cup of liquid for gravy?

(The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.) You can add other flavors to the mixture, swap out the stock for another liquid, or use cornstarch rather than flour to thicken your gravy.

How to make gravy thicker without flour or cornstarch?

It is possible to thicken gravy without flour or cornstarch, and it's as simple as keeping it on the heat . When gravy is left to simmer or reduce, it naturally thickens, so be patient with your gravy. One downside to reducing gravy, though, is that it can become too salty.

What to add to gravy to make it taste better?

Add an umami-rich condiment . Just as you might add condiments like soy sauce, miso paste, Worcestershire sauce, or even a splash of sherry or cider vinegar to your favorite gravy recipe, incorporate them into store-bought gravy for a more complex flavor.

Is gravy better with flour or cornstarch?

Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free .

What thickener is best for gravy?

Add cornstarch : To thicken your gravy with cornstarch, make a slurry, which is a liquid-based paste. Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with one cup of cold water, whisking the mixture together until the cornstarch granules dissolve. Stir this mixture into your gravy on low heat.

Can I use pancake mix to make gravy?

In nonstick pan over medium heat, toast ¼ cup of All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend, Bread Mix, or Baking & Pancake Mix , whisking constantly until it colors from white to tan, 5 to 10 minutes. Melt butter in pan, add the toasted flour, and mix well. Add stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.

How many tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken gravy?

The ratio is an easy one to remember: Use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch per 1 cup of liquid for a perfect gluten-free gravy thickener every time.

How do you add depth of flavor to gravy?

If your gravy tastes great but it lacks a little depth, add an umami flavor boost . Umami flavors are deeply savory and feel round on the palate. Spruce up the gravy with a splash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce (if the gravy isn't already too salty, that is).

How do you fix tasteless gravy?

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper . If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful. Homemade stock, even made with chicken stock rather than turkey, will produce a superior gravy—so it's worth the effort.

Why is my gravy not tasty?

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper . If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful. Homemade stock, even made with chicken stock rather than turkey, will produce a superior gravy—so it's worth the effort.

How do you make gravy taste meatier?

You can boost the flavor of your packet gravy by using the fond from the bottom of your roasting pan . That's the stuff you use to make real gravy, and it's full of roasty, toasty, meaty flavor.

Why add soy sauce to gravy?

Soy sauce enhances the meatiness of turkey, giving the gravy a boost in umami . Browning the turkey trimmings in fat enhances their flavor. Using just enough flour to thicken the gravy, without making it stodgy, is key.

Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings (2024)

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This easy recipe for gravy without drippings is perfect for when you want delicious gravy but don’t have the drippings to get it done. It’s made from scratch, no packets, and has a delicious gravy flavor.

Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings (1)

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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

I want gravy and I don’t have the drippings. This happens to me often and I’m sure it’s happened to you too. Luckily, you don’t need drippings to make a delicious brown gravy on the stovetop that is full of amazing flavor.

The key to the perfect gravy without the drippings is all about technique. You’ve got to sauté the right vegetables in the right fat, add the right amount of flour and brown it to the perfect caramel color, add some low-sodium broth and reduce. I promise you, it’s quite easy and perfect.

Ingredients Needed

Unsalted butter – Typical gravy recipes use drippings from the meat to create the base of the gravy. Since this recipe uses no drippings, we will use butter instead.
Vegetables – Onions, Carrots, and Celery, the mirepoix, are used as the base flavor of this gravy.
Broth – I use both chicken and beef broth in this recipe, resulting in a brown gravy. But these can be subbed with vegetable broth, all chicken broth, or all beef broth. You can even sub with turkey broth.
Herbs & Seasoning – Dried bay leaf, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper are added to round out the flavor in this gravy.

How to make brown gravy without meat drippings

I use prep containers to place all my ingredients before I get to the stove. Chop your onion, carrot, and celery stalk. Measure out your butter, flour, and seasonings. Open your broth.

Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings (2)

Melt butter in sauce pan over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add onions, carrots, and celery stalk and stir consistently until vegetables have softened, about 8-9 minutes. Do not stop stirring at this point or your butter may get too hot and burn. Burnt butter = bitter gravy.

Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings (3)

Sprinkle flour over vegetables and continue to stir for about 3-4 more minutes to allow the flour to cook. You’ll notice that your flour is getting darker, which is perfectly fine. Your flour should turn a tan/light caramel color. Any darker than that can leave you with bitter gravy.

Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings (4)

Once your flour has reached the desired color, stir in beef and chicken broth. Add bay leaf and thyme.

Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings (5)

Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings (6)

Allow your gravy to simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a metal spoon to remove any foam that appears around the edges.

After 20-25 minutes, your gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings (7)

Use a colander and drain the gravy. Discard the vegetables.

Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings (8)

Serve and enjoy 🙂

Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings (9)

How long does this gravy last?

This homemade gravy will last for 4 days in the refrigerator. You can reheat it gently on the stovetop to serve, adding in a little water if needed. You can also freeze it for 2-3 months and defrost it in the fridge before reheating.

Can I make this gravy without flour?

Yes! Keep this gravy gluten-free by thickening it with cornstarch instead of flour. To thicken the gravy with cornstarch, omit the flour and stir the broth into the melted butter and vegetables over medium heat. Allow the broth to simmer for about 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, create a slurry by whisking together 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Pour the slurry into the simmering liquid while whisking to combine. Allow it to simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes before removing from heat.

Can I make this gravy ahead of time?

Yes, you can make gravy 3-5 days ahead of time. Store the gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to use it, simply reheat the gravy over low heat until it’s warmed through.

NOTES

It’s so important to make sure you don’t let the gravy get too brown during the sautéing phase. A gravy that is too brown can taste extremely bitter and is quite hard to fix.
If you find that the butter is browning too quickly or burning, lower the heat to medium. Consistent stirring before you add the liquid is the key to stopping it from burning.
You can try and fix a bitter gravy by adding a pinch of sugar. For best results, have everything prepared and ready before you start cooking the gravy to avoid a bitter gravy.
You can always choose to make gravy with pan drippings if you prefer. You would need the drippings from roasted meat.
Swap the vegetables for onions, and make a delicious onion gravy.

I hope you enjoy this gravy recipe as much as we do!

If you’re looking for recipes to serve this gravy with, I strongly suggest these Creamy Mashed Potatoes.

You could also serve it along with these yummy favorites:

Easy Recipe for Gravy without Drippings

Here’s how to make easy and delicious gravy with no drippings. All made from scratch with no packet either.

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Keyword gravy without drippings, how to make gravy, how to make gravy from scratch

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 10 people

Calories 63.42kcal

Author Tanya

Ingredients

4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion chopped
1 carrot peeled and chopped
1 rib celery chopped
¼ cup all-purpose flour
14 oz chicken broth low sodium
14 oz beef broth low sodium
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, and onion and stir for about 8-9 minutes to allow the vegetables to soften.
Sprinkle flour over vegetables and continue to stir for about 3-4 more minutes until your vegetables are a tan/caramel color.
Pour in beef broth and chicken broth and stir, removing any stuck bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add bay leaf and dried thyme.
Allow your gravy to simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Your gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove any foam that appears around the side of the skillet with a spoon.
Use a strainer and drain the gravy. Discard the vegetables.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Suggested Tools

High Heat Silicone Spatula

Stainless Steel Skillet

Video

Notes

It’s so important to make sure you don’t let the gravy get too brown during the sauteing phase. A gravy that is too brown can taste extremely bitter and is quite hard to fix.
If you find that your butter is browning too quickly or burning, lower the heat to medium. Consistent stirring before you add the liquid is key to stopping it from burning.
You can try and fix a bitter gravy by adding a pinch of sugar. For best results, have everything prepared and ready before you start cooking the gravy to avoid a bitter gravy.
You can always choose to make gravy with pan drippings if you prefer. You would need the drippings from roasted meat.

Nutrition

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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circ*mstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.

This post was updated on September 12th, 2022 with additional helpful recipe tips.