Southern Brown Gravy

Have you avoided making from-scratch brown gravy because you think it’s too hard or you have to prepare a large beef dish or roast to get pan drippings? We're here to let you know it doesn’t and you don’t. You can have satisfying, beefy brown gravy without making a whole roast. This silky Southern Brown Gravy only requires 3 ingredients and a few minutes to make. And you will come back to the response when you tell people you made it yourself.

You will come back to this Southern Brown Gravy Recipe

People think making their own brown gravy has to be difficult. What if we told you you can have satisfying, beefy brown gravy with no roasting or even pan drippings required. This 5 star, 3-ingredient brown gravy recipe is going to prove how straightforward making your own gravy can be. And not one of those ingredients involves you roasting anything.

And the results are simply memorable. It’s as well-balanced served at a fancy dinner as it is on a big bowl of fried chicken and mashed potatoes watching TV in your pajamas. We're about to show you how plain making your own gravy can be. Leave the beef roast behind and hop on board the gravy train for destination “Satisfying”!

Why this is a house favorite Beef Gravy

Gravy has a reputation for being difficult, and it doesn’t deserve it. It is truly an straightforward recipe. This straightforward from-scratch gravy recipe is so great because:

• Making gravy with beef broth is straightforward and fast, and you still get that lovely, velvety texture.
• You don’t have to use pan drippings — you can use broth. (But meat drippings work too!)
• It’s full of flavor and totally customizable with seasonings and different kinds of broth.
• You control the salt. Made with unsalted broth and butter, it’s far lower in sodium than packaged mixes.

From-scratch Brown Gravy ingredients

This brown gravy is incredibly straightforward to cook, and you only need three ingredients (not counting salt and pepper).

• Beef broth – You can also use beef stock. We use unsalted because we like to salt our own gravy to taste. You could also use beef bouillon cubes mixed with water, but keep in mind that bouillon will add a lot of sodium and salt to the gravy.
• Butter – Butter works well here, but you could also use beef drippings, lard, bacon drippings, bacon fat, or even olive oil. We use unsalted butter to control the overall salt taste.
• All purpose flour – This is what helps to thicken the gravy. You can use a slurry of corn starch. A slurry is a blend of cornstarch and cold water then mixed until smooth with a small whisk. If you need a gluten-free option, see the section called Gluten-free Brown Gravy Below.
• Salt and pepper – When cooking, we like to use coarse kosher salt or sea salt. For pepper, we prefer to use a Pepper grinder.

How to make Brown Gravy from Scratch

Even if this is your first time making gravy from scratch, it’s straightforward and you’ll have your new favorite gravy recipe in no time at all. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the butter and let it melt.
3. Once the butter is melted, add in the all-purpose flour and whisk until smooth. You want it to cook out the raw flour taste.
4. Allow the flour mixture to cook for about 3 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep it smooth.
5. Gradually add in the beef broth, whisking constantly. Pouring it in slowly will allow it to thicken. We like to add in about 1 cup at a time.
6. Once all of the beef broth has been added, season with black pepper. Taste test before adding salt. The amount of salt you’ll want to use will be determined by whether or not you use salted beef broth and/or salted butter.
7. Once your gravy is seasoned, serve in a gravy boat over your favorite dish! These Fried Pork Chops with Gravy Are one of our favorite dishes.

Beef Gravy Recipe Substitutions & Additions

You can add additional things to your gravy to give it an even deeper flavor. Some great additions include:

• Sautéed onions – add these with the butter until softened before adding in the tablespoons of flour
• Mushrooms – make this a mushroom gravy (suited to meat dishes like beef, stroganoff, and roast tips) by sautéing the mushrooms with the butter
• Garlic powder and onion powder – sprinkle them both into the mix for added flavor
• Worcestershire sauce – add a dash of Worcestershire sauce for a deep, salty flavor. This one is a secret ingredient that will have everyone asking why it’s so great.
• Sausage – add in your favorite breakfast sausage to make this a from-scratch sausage gravy. If your sausage is greasy, you can omit the butter entirely.

Top Tip

Avoid pouring the beef broth in quickly. The key is to pour it in slowly so that the gravy is thick the entire time and you’re simply thinning it out as you’re adding more liquid slowly.

Making Brown Gravy Ahead for Thanksgiving

Make it up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. On the day, warm it gently in a skillet with a splash of broth, and whisk in any fresh drippings from the bird once it comes out of the oven. That’s one less thing competing for the stovetop when it matters most.

How to Fix Gravy

• Lumpy: Whisk hard off the heat, or run it through a fine-mesh strainer.
• Too thin: Let it simmer a few more minutes. It thickens as it reduces.
• Too thick: Whisk in warm broth a splash at a time.
• Too pale: Next time, let the roux cook a few minutes longer, until it’s the color of peanut butter. For this batch, add a dash of Worcestershire.
• Tastes flat: Salt last, then add pepper and a dash of Worcestershire.

Gluten-Free Beef Gravy

If you need a gluten-free option, use gluten-free broth & gluten-free flour.

We recommend Cup 4 Cup, but if you can’t find it we also recommend Bob’s Red Mill Or King Arthur.

From-scratch Brown Gravy tips and tricks

Gravy Can Be temperamental, but it doesn’t have to be! Keep your focus on your gravy and don’t be distracted while you make it.

By adding the broth in slowly, it gives it the opportunity to thicken as you add it rather than waiting for it to thicken at the end.

We like to let our broth come to room temperature beforehand so that we're not adding cold liquid to the roux, causing it to seize up.

Tools to make from-scratch brown gravy

Skillet

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Silicone whisk

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Measuring spoons

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What to make with this Brown Gravy Recipe

Brown gravy goes with so many things!

• Potatoes of any kind are always great with gravy. Mashed potatoes, of course, are a classic!
• Instant Pot Turkey with Gravy Is a favorite of ours all year, but it works for Thanksgiving too. You can follow the same steps of this recipe with chicken broth or turkey drippings to get the flavor of poultry, rather than beef.
• Brown gravy for meatballs is also good! These Oven-baked turkey meatballs Are some of our favorites for a weeknight meal. With mashed potatoes on the side and gravy on top, everyone in our family is happy.
• Poutine Is a classic Canadian dish made of french fries smothered in gravy with cheese curds on top. Such a great comfort food appetizer or side dish!
• Gravy also works for breakfast! You can spoon it over sausage or perhaps this Breakfast Biscuit Casserole — we always make this when we have overnight guests.
• This Chicken & Mushroom Stroganoff Is ready in 20 minutes with a satisfying gravy built in. So great for chilly evenings!
• A well-balanced brown gravy goes great with southern dishes like beef roast, beef tips, roast beef, and cube steak.
• You can swap it in place of country gravy or a white pepper gravy in dishes like fried chicken or chicken fried steak.
• Pour it over a plain skillet meal like this Chipotle Chicken Skillet.
• Building a Thanksgiving plate? It’s right at home next to Grandma’s Green Bean Casserole, Classic Deviled Eggs, and Brown Sugar Ham Glaze.

How to store Beef Gravy

Store gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The fat will separate as it chills, which is normal. It whisks right back together when you reheat it. Always bring it to a full boil before serving.

Gravy can be frozen as well. Spoon it into freezer-safe bags or other freezer-safe containers and freeze it for up to four months.

You can also use silicone freezing molds like Souper Cubes.

If you wish to store small amounts in the freezer, you can use an Ice cube tray Or the Smaller Souper Cubes. Let them freeze fully overnight, then pop them out and add them to a freezer-safe plastic bag for long-term storage.

How to reheat Beef Gravy

The simplest way to reheat refrigerated gravy is to heat it in a skillet. Add it to a cold skillet and heat it slowly over low heat. Stir frequently until simmering.

How to Thaw and Reheat Frozen Gravy

If frozen, thaw the gravy in the fridge overnight. Reheat it in a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking to prevent any lumps. If it’s too thick or has separated, add water or broth, and whisk more to pull it back together.

Beef Gravy Recipe FAQs

Recipes with gravy that you might like

• Crispy Fried Pork Chops with Gravy
• One Pot Chicken & Mushroom Stroganoff
• Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Gravy
• From-scratch Sausage Gravy

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Cook 10 minutesTotal 10 minutesMakes 16 servings

Ingredients

• 32 ounces beef broth (or beef stock) I use unsalted
• 4 tablespoons butter I use unsalted and add salt as needed
• 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper (or more to taste)
• coarse kosher salt (to taste)

Method

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the butter and let it melt.
3. Once the butter is melted, add in the all-purpose flour and whisk until smooth. You want it to cook out the raw flour taste.
4. Allow the flour mixture to cook for about 3 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep it smooth.
5. Gradually add in the beef broth, whisking constantly. Pouring it in slowly will allow it to thicken. We like to add in about 1 cup at a time.
6. Once all of the beef broth has been added, season with black pepper. Taste test before adding salt. The amount of salt you’ll want to use will be determined by whether or not you use salted beef broth and/or salted butter.
7. Once your gravy is seasoned, serve in a gravy boat over your favorite dish!

Notes

• With this gravy, it’s important to pour the beef broth in slowly as you whisk so that it stays thick. If you accidentally pour it in too quickly and cause the gravy to get too thin, you can add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it back up or allow it to simmer for a bit. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth and gently add it while whisking to the gravy to thicken it. Only use a cornstarch slurry if you caused it to thin out too much. Note: Recipe was updated in November 2025. We adjusted the butter and flour slightly so that it’s even easier and foolproof every single time. <h3 class="wprm-recipe-header