Gravy From Scratch
This brown gravy from scratch recipe can be made with or without drippings, and is filled incredible flavors. Gravy is a must for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and is paired perfectly with turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes and much more!
Believe it or not, making homemade gravy is easier than you think. If you are wondering how to make gravy from scratch…you came to the right place… and are in for a pleasant surprise!
Easy Homemade Gravy
As we approach the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, I feel the need to share this ridiculously easy and delicious homemade gravy recipe with you, so you can smother it all over your Turkey and Ham!
If you are one of those people who thinks making yummy gravy from scratch is a hard task, I am making it my mission to change your mind! 😉
Here’s what we are looking at: 15 minutes, 7 ingredients, 1 pot.
Yep. You heard me right. That is all you need to make that luscious, creamy gravy from scratch that is you smother on turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and stuffing and every else in between!
I’m making this homemade gravy without drippings, and I will show you that you can actually make truly flavorful gravy without drippings.
The best part about making gravy without drippings is that you can make this it ahead of time! Which offers such flexibility when you are cooking a huge holiday meal.
If you decide you really want those drippings in there, no worries, I got you covered as well! Instructions for gravy with dripping are also included.
While my no-dripping gravy is seriously da bomb, gravy with drippings is actually super yummy and has a lot of depth in flavor. You can’t go wrong either way!
If I am cooking for a lot of people and need to cook ahead, I like to make my gravy with no drippings. But if I have lots of time and want a more gourmet gravy, I like those drippings in there.
So in a nutshell, everything you need to know about making the best, easiest homemade gravy from scratch ever is here!
Ingredients for Gravy
Saying ‘I’m going to make gravy from scratch’ seems like a such a big deal, but here’s the thing, there’s only a few ingredients involved, and you probably already have them in your pantry!
Here’s what goes into making this easy and tasty brown gravy:
- Salted butter (or drippings)
- Flour
- Chicken stock
- Chicken bouillon
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt & pepper to taste
How to make brown gravy from scratch (without drippings)
To make homemade gravy, start by melting butter in a pot under medium low heat. Then add flour and whisk to combine.
Very quickly, add chicken stock, chicken bouillon and a little bit of Worcestershire sauce.
Chicken bouillon is used to add more flavor to the gravy. Worcestershire also opens up the flavors of the gravy while giving it a brown-ish color. A little bit of Worcestershire goes a long way in bringing up the flavor profile of the gravy.
Whisk continuously though the whole process! Bring to a boil and once gravy thickens to your liking, remove from heat and serve.
Tips and Tricks
A few things to take notes when you are making homemade gravy from scratch:
- I know I am repeating myself, but using a whisk to whisk continuously throughout the cooking process is so important to smooth out gravy!
- Adjust consistency by adding more chicken stock to make gravy thinner and flour to make gravy thicker
- Add salt to open up flavors (if needed)
How to make gravy using drippings
Let’s talk about making gravy from scratch with drippings.
If you have drippings on hand feel free to use it instead of butter! Drippings usually carry incredible a lot of flavor and is always yummy in gravy (if you have it).
You may need less (or completely omit) chicken bouillon if using dripping. Start by adding only half of a bouillon, taste and then add more if needed.
Make Ahead Gravy
Gravy is one of those sides that you can totally make ahead for your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, especially if you do not plan to use drippings to make it.
Refrigerate or freeze gravy in an airtight container if you are making ahead.
When reheating homemade gravy, defrost completely if frozen, then heat it in a pot under meat low heat until gravy is boiling. Add more chicken stock to thin out gravy if needed.
If you are on the fence whether to buy store bought gravy or make it from scratch…you should TOTALLY MAKE IT!
Gravy tastes so much better when they are made from scratch, it calls for pantry friendly ingredients, and is so quick and easy to make!
Don’t be intimidated by the word “from scratch”, because it is definitely not as hard as it sounds!
What to serve with gravy
Here are some yummy recipes to serve with homemade gravy:
- Pineapple Baked Ham
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Restaurant Style Steak
- Baked Chicken Tenders
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Dutch Oven Herb Butter Turkey Breast
- Simple Tender Whole Turkey (by The Fresh Cooky)
Frequently Asked Questions
You can 1) boil gravy for longer so it thickens, or 2) add more all purpose flour.
1) Add more chicken stock or drippings
2) Do not cook for too long. Remove from heat promptly after it reaches desired consistency so it doesn’t continues to thicken.
Yes, gravy freeze well. When ready to reheat, bring it to a complete defrost and then heat in a pot or microwave. You may need to add additional chicken stock or water to thin it out slightly.
Add more salt to open up the flavors. If it’s still not flavorful enough, add chicken bouillon.
If you were on the fence and trying to figure out how to make gravy from scratch, I hope this helps you take the plunge on homemade gravy…because they are truly the best!
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest. We very much appreciate your help! 🤍
How to make gravy from scratch
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp salted butter
- 5 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 chicken bouillon
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a pot, melt butter on medium heat. Once butter is melted (not brown or burned), add flour.
- Use a whisk to whisk flour and butter, then slowly add chicken stock to pot while whisking. Add chicken bouillon and Worcestershire sauce.
- Bring to a boil, then let it simmer under medium low heat for 3-5 minutes, or until gravy thickens to desired thickness. Add more chicken stock to thin out gravy, or more flour to thicken if needed.
- Taste gravy, and add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Pour into gravy boat and serve! Enjoy!
So delicious MinShien, this is a great recipe to have on hand when you just plain ol’ NEED some gravy! Thanks for the shout out for my Instant Pot Turkey too!
Thanks Kathleen!! 🙂
I can never make gravy right, it always comes out too thin or with lumps. When I made this recipe everyone was shocked! They loved it!! I am now in charge of the gravy!
That’s awesome! Glad you liked it!
I love that this gravy can be made ahead of time! One less thing to worry about when preparing our Thanksgiving feast!
Yes! Makes it much easier for sure!
Made this last holiday season and totally spaced writing a comment! So delicious and easy and loved making it ahead!
That’s awesome! Thanks for the kind review!
Love homemade gravy! My mom always used to make it without looking at a recipe, but I find it so helpful to follow your instructions because it turns out perfect every time!
Thanks Amy! So glad it helps!!
I love this recipe! The Worcestershire sauce is such a lovely addition I didn’t know my gravy was missing. Thank you!
It really does give it so much flavor!! Thanks for sharing!
just tried this recipe with my daughter to make disco tater tots and it was perfect. while she whisked away I put all the ingredients in. it was one of the easiest recipes to follow by far. thank you thank you for this. I will never again buy store bought gravy.
Thank you Elizabeth! I’m so glad this turned out so well for you!
I rarely leave a comment on a recipe. However, I must relay my appreciation and just endless thank you’s because this is the easiest and tastiest gravy recipe ever!!!!
Aw thank you for letting me know!! Makes my day!!
Super thickens over time, having more chicken stock on had was helpful!
Yes! If it thickens add more chicken stock to thin it out! 🙂
This homemade gravy was so easy to make and turned out really delicious! I can’t wait to make it again…YUM!!!
Thanks Angela! SO glad to hear you enjoyed this!
I actually can’t believe how easy this Gravy was! I had made some French fries and left over chicken for lunch and thought gravy would have just been perfect with it but we didn’t have any packets or drippings to make it. So when all else fails, Google. I picked this recipe because I didn’t have any drippings to use but I had everything else! It came together so dang quick! I used a leftover instant noodle soup flavour packet instead of bouillon and still so so good! 100/10 stars!
Thank you so much Bailey! I’m so glad you found as and this worked out so well for you! We love this gravy recipe as well 😀
This is a great and easy gravy recipe, especially since no drippings were needed! My go to recipe!
I’m so glad this is your go-to! Thank you!
This was so easy to make! I made it for some turkey and everyone loved it and wanted more. Thanks!
Glad this went so well for you, Erin!
This is perfect for Thanksgiving. A great way to do some of the work of the large meal ahead of time. It came out so rich and creamy, and the addition of Worcestershire sauce gave it an extra zing! Thanks for sharing, nice to have this when you don’t have drippings to work with!
I’m so glad it turned out well 🙂 Indeed perfect make ahead gravy for Thanksgiving!
This homemade gravy recipe is a total game-changer! It’s so much better than store-bought, and it’s surprisingly easy to make from scratch. The rich, savory flavor paired well with chicken and pork chops. I am going to make it all holiday season!
Thank you Krysten! Happy to hear that – enjoy it for the holidays! I too love how this is such an easy recipe that is also delicious!
Now this is a great straightforward gravy recipe to have in your arsenal. The flavor was fantastic. I’m bookmarking to make again for the holidays!
Glad to hear that! Such a great recipe for the holidays!
This gravy was SO good! The Worcestershire sauce really took it up a notch. We’ll definitely be making this more often.
Thank you! Happy to hear you like it!
This is so good and easy! Our go-to gravy recipe.
Yay! Great to hear that!
Wow, I love this! It was so easy to make and I like that it is made with a few ingredients. My new favorite gravy recipe.
That’s great, Valentina! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Loved this SO MUCH!!! I could live on mashed taters and gravy. This is perfect for the upcoming holiday season. Thank you for this!
I’m so glad to hear that you loved it! We make it almost every holiday!