The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
Make this EASY Beef Gravy recipe in just 10 minutes with NO drippings needed! Learn 3 secret ingredients to add depth of flavor, plus a chef-inspired finishing technique to add a silky, velvety finish.
Serve this gravy with mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuits, country fried chicken, roasted pork tenderloin, and more!
Brown Gravy Recipe
Believe me when I say, I don’t kid around when it comes to gravy. After all, I plan on pairing this recipe with everything. Poutine, Fried Chicken, Mashed Potato Casserole, Roast Chicken, Pot Roast, Steak, the works. So when I decided to post this recipe, I knew that it had to be perfect.
And let me tell you, it is perfect. NO DRIPPINGS necessary! (But of course it’s an option.)
PS-This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 238!
Using a Roux vs. a Slurry for Gravy
There are 2 basic methods to make a nice thick gravy. Let’s take a look at each method, and why I chose to use a slurry for this recipe.
What is a Roux:
A Roux is a combination of fat (drippings), whisked with flour. Butter can also be used in leau of drippings.
What is a Slurry:
A Slurry is a combination of corn starch or flour + cold water. It’s added to a warm liquid to thicken it. The reason cold water is used is to prevent lumps from forming when added to the warm base.
Why I chose a Slurry for This Recipe:
When I make gravy, I love incorporating a chef technique called “monter au beurre”, which is to add a swirl of cold butter at the end to create a smooth, velvety finish. Therefore, I chose to avoid starting with butter/flour base and decided to thicken the gravy with a slurry, as I didn’t want the butter to overpower the flavor of the gravy.
(Bonus: Corn Starch is gluten free if you are serving this anyone who may have an allergy or sensitivity to it.)
How to Make It
Add the chicken broth, beef broth, beef bouillon, onion and garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil and whisk in cornstarch + cold water mixture. Decrease heat. Continue to whisk to ensure the cornstarch blends in smoothly.
Let it simmer until it’s of desired thickness. Remove from heat and swirl in cold unsalted butter for a smooth, velvety finish. This is a technique that chefs use called “Monter Au Beurre”.
How to Make Brown Gravy More Flavorful
Not only do these secret weapons add a nice depth of flavor to brown gravy, but they also help achieve a rich dark brown color.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This is my top choice. You can’t taste it at all but it enhances the other flavors of the gravy and a rich element to it.
- Soy Sauce: Soy Sauce is plentiful with ‘umami’, which is basically a savory characteristic that makes gravy so irresistible. Like the above choice, you can’t taste it when added in the right quantity. I recommend using low sodium.
- Kitchen Bouquet Browning and Seasoning Sauce: I like to add a few drops of this in combination with either of the 2 options noted above to add just a hint of a darker brown color. You can find it in the aisle where they sell gravy packets. (Which we no longer need to purchase ever again. 😉)
Other Optional Ingredients
- Sauteed Onions, Shallots, and/or Mushrooms. Saute at the beginning, then add broth, etc.
- Fresh Rosemary, Sage, and/or Thyme. Add at the end of cooking.
- A splash of Dry Red Wine. Add with the broth.
- A pinch of Dijon Mustard.
- Ground Pepper.
How to Make it With Drippings
If you make anything that results in having meat drippings at the end, whether it’s pork, chicken, or beef, be sure to save them for this gravy. You can always freeze them until you’re ready to use them.
If you have drippings, simply add them in along with the beef and chicken broth, which will give you even more gravy. You can also measure out your drippings and top it off with enough broth to make 2 cups total. Bouillon may not be needed if drippings are being used—taste first and add if necessary.
Storage
- Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 5 months.
More Gravy Favorites
-
- Steak with Gravy
-
- BEST Dinner Rolls
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- Country Fried Chicken
-
- Meatballs and Gravy
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- Beef Tips and Gravy
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- Salisbury Steak
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Tried This Recipe?
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Brown Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cube beef bouillon, or 1 tsp better than bouillon
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, can sub soy sauce
- 2-3 drops Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce, optional. Can also use Gravy Master.
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Instructions
- Add the chicken broth, beef broth, beef bouillon, onion and garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
- Optional: If a darker color is desired, add 2-3 drops of Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce. (Gravy Master works well too.)
- Combine the cold water and cornstarch in a small Tupperware with a lid. Shake to combine.
- Bring gravy to a boil. Whisk in cornstarch mixture. Allow gravy to thicken, then decrease to medium-low.
- Let it gently simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until your desired thickness and concentration is obtained.
- Remove from heat. Swirl in one tablespoon cold butter just before serving. This adds a silky, velvety finish.
Notes
- This recipe yields 1 + 1/4 cups
- If you have drippings: Add them in along with the beef and chicken broth, which will give you even more gravy. You can also measure out your drippings and top it off with enough broth to make 2 cups total. Bouillon may not be needed if drippings are being used—taste first and add if necessary.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 238!
Optional Ingredient Additions
- Sautéed onions, Shallots, and/or mushrooms. Sauté at the beginning, then add broth, etc.
- Fresh Rosemary, Sage, and/or Thyme. Add at the end of cooking.
- A splash of Dry Red Wine. Add with the broth.
- A pinch of Dijon Mustard.
- Ground Pepper.
I just need a little clarification as I thought the difference between flour and cornstarch was that flour continues to thicken as it cooks but cornstarch does not. Therefore, why the extra cook time when using cornstarch?
Thank you!
Hi Chris! Where does it say that extra cooking time is needed if using cornstarch? (My apologies, I’m confused!)
I understood this to mean the thickness would change with simmering.
“Let it gently simmer until its of desired thickness”.
Also I would like to add that I wrote my original comment while making the gravy. I finished it and then had it on mashed potatoes since – SO GOOD! I also like how easy it was to make with items already on hand. Thanks!
Gotcha! The instruction to simmer until desired thickness is obtained is something I’d say if we made a roux as well. It’s not cornstarch specific, especially since the cornstarch is activated when the liquid is boiled. I’m so happy that you loved the gravy!! Thank you so much for letting me know how it came out!
Great when pan drippings are not available. Thanks
I’m so happy that it’s handy Kerry!! Thank you so much for the review! -Stephanie 🙂
Fantastic recipe. Keep it tagged on my phone. Lipton onion soup mix works well in a pinch when you don’t have beef bullion.
Thanks Kris, happy to hear you’re enjoying it!😃
Thanks for your recipes for pantry staples like this gravy and the creamed soups. I recently got a nice big upright freezer in my garage so these recipes have inspired me to stock up on these staples to speed up dinner prep. One hint I learned from a restaurant cook years ago, was to add some A1 sauce to perk up beef gravy. Gives it a little kick.
I’m so glad that you’re able to utilize my pantry recipes like this to stock up your new freezer! Such a great idea! The Worcestershire sauce in this recipe is meat to kick it up similarly to what A1 would do, I’ll have to try that next time instead! Thanks for the tip and for taking the time to leave a review! 🙂 -Stephanie
Wow!! This was my first time ever making this type of gravy, and I am sooo excited for it! I made a roux like some others suggested, and added a tsp of sriracha. Holy moly, is this delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
You’re very welcome Nikki, I’m so happy you liked it! It’s so good to have an easy and tasty gravy recipe on hand! Thanks for the great review!😃
Good recipe. Thanks
My pleasure sharon! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💗
Good recipe thank you for sharing 🙂
My pleasure, I’m so happy you liked the gravy. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖
This gravy was so good! I’ll never buy a packaged brown gravy mix again. My only difference was since I cut the recipe in half, I deleted the chicken broth and only used beef broth. It was delicious! Thank you!
I’m so happy that you loved the gravy Myra!! Excellent! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! -Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Can this gravy be made in larger batches and stored? If yes, how do you suggest storing and what would be the shelf life? Thanks!
Hi Laura! Since this is made with a slurry (vs. a roux), it doesn’t reheat quite as well and is best if made/served fresh. To make it with a roux: Melt 3 tbsp. butter and whisk in 3 tbsp. flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the broth mixture (from step 1) in small splashes, stirring continuously. (Adding the liquid gradually keeps the roux intact.) Bring it all to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until desired consistency is obtained. Let it cool completely and freeze for up to 3 months. (It’s possible that you could can it as well but I’m not well versed enough on canning to advise on that.)
The best way to reheat it would be to thaw it completely, and spoon the gravy into an unheated skillet. Let it slowly come up to temperature over low heat. The increased surface area in the skillet (vs. a small pot), will help it reheat and thicken up best. Keep that temperature low the whole time. Enjoy!
What can I use in place of the Kitchen Bouquet browning?
You can use Gravy Master or just skip it, it doesn’t impact the flavor, it’s just used for an optional darker color.