Growing up, the star of every Sunday dinner was our mom’s creamy, rich beef gravy. She is famous for her warm, comforting Sunday meals, especially mashed potatoes and gravy. Even extended family members were always clamoring to get an invite to her table. One of our uncles (who will remain anonymous) came over for dinner once, filled his whole plate with potatoes, made a well in the middle, and then filled the entire thing with Mom’s gravy. It looked like a potatoes and gravy Crater Lake and then ate it with a spoon like soup. Hey, no judgement on our uncle. We’re just jealous we didn’t think of doing it first! This Beef Gravy recipe is super easy to make and is perfect for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or just a nice weekend meal.
Ingredients in this Beef Gravy Recipe
Homemade gravy is super easy to make! And it comes together in just a few minutes. Here’s what you need:
Butter – about three tablespoons or so, depending on how thick you’d like your roux. See below for more about making the perfect roux. Beef broth – four cups of your favorite canned broth. You can use pan drippings from your roast, or a combination of both. Onion powder – three teaspoons Garlic powder – one teaspoon or more for extra flavor. Cornstarch – four tablespoons for a creamy roux. Water Beef bouillon – to taste. You can use a bouillon cube, the granules, or Better than Bouillon, which you can find at most grocery stores. Ground black pepper – to taste
Gravy with Juices from a Beef Roast
Drippings from your roast meat is ideal for the best gravy. Use that glorious broth left over from cooking your meat for your gravy. Use as much as you can and try to scrape up those little beef bits from the bottom of your roasting pan, slow cooker, or Instant Pot before turning it into gravy.
Homemade Beef Gravy with Beef Broth
Drippings from your main course meat is ideal for the best gravy, but sometimes there’s not enough juices left in the pan to make enough gravy to feed the family. If this is the case (which it is the case MOST of the time for our gravy-loving family) here’s a simple trick: add beef broth and a little butter. Gravy needs a bit of that good, delicious fat for a better consistency. If you don’t have any drippings at all, no worries, just follow the recipe below for an easy beef broth gravy!
Can I Use Beef Stock Instead of Beef Broth?
Yes! Stock that has been simmered down from bones, seasonings, and veggies (usually the trifecta of carrots, celery and onions) adds a much deeper flavor to gravy. But if making all that at home sounds daunting, there are several can or carton options at your regular grocery store.
Brown Gravy from a Roux
Gravy made from a roux sounds fancy, but it’s actually really easy once you understand how it works. What I like about roux gravy is that it can vary in flavor and color depending on how long you cook the flour. If you like a deep, dark brown gravy, similar to gravies in Europe, you cook the flour for much longer than you would a light brown, country-style beef gravy (see image below). There is so much to know about roux, we actually dedicated an entire post to it. Read all about making the perfect roux right here. READ MORE: 35+ Quick and Easy to Follow Dinner Ideas
The Best Roast Beef Recipes
When making the best brown gravy recipe, it helps to start with a good recipe for roast beef. Lucky for you, we have lots of great roast beef recipes! From slow cooker roast beef (aka Crock Pot pot roast), to our popular Instant Pot pot roast, to a Sunday oven pot roast made in a roasting pan, we’ve you you covered. All of these methods will give you a good amount of liquid for a delicious roast beef gravy.
Kick It Up a Notch
Want to add some more flavor dimensions to your easy homemade brown gravy? Try adding some of these easy ingredients:
Instant Pot Chuck Roast
Oven Roast Beef
Crockpot Roast Beef and Vegetables
Beef Goulash (Danish Style)
Worcestershire sauce – adds a deep, tangy flavor to the gravy. Thyme or Rosemary – Bring a fresh, earthy flavor to your gravy with a teaspoon of thyme or rosemary. Let it simmer until all those fresh flavors are released. Add other fresh herbs too! Chopped onion – sauté some finely chopped onion in a little butter before adding any other ingredients for a brighter flavor. Mushrooms – Any mushroom lovers out there? Slice up some mushrooms and sauté in butter over medium heat before adding to the gravy.
More Delicious Gravy Recipes
Once you have the method down, the possibilities of delicious gravies are endless. Give some of these a try:
Mom’s Famous Turkey Gravy (a MUST for Thanksgiving!) Biscuits and Sausage Gravy Homemade Country Gravy
ingredients
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