The Best Homemade Beef Gravy Recipe (How to Make Brown Gravy) (2024)

FAQs

How do I make my gravy more brown? ›

To make dark brown beef gravy, cook the roux even longer (but at a lower temperature) until it's a dark color with a nutty aroma. Then use beef broth or beef juices to make your gravy.

What is the difference between brown gravy and beef gravy? A brown gravy comes from any brown stock, whereas beef gravy always comes from beef stock specifically. In other words, all beef gravy is a brown gravy but not all brown gravy is beef gravy.

Brown gravy is a sauce traditionally made from drippings from roasted meat. It's served alongside meat as well as roasted vegetables. It can also be made from beef stock and thickened with a roux made of flour and butter.

Melt butter in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add flour and whisk constantly until mixture is golden caramel color and smells fragrant (3-5 minutes). Slowly whisk in liquids, while whisking, until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened and bubbly, 5 minutes or longer.

(You can also start with a slurry of flour and water—equal amounts flour and cold water whisked together—if you want.) Whisk the gravy while slowly adding liquid: Slowly add stock, water, milk, cream, or a combination to the pan, whisking vigorously to dissolve the flour into liquid.

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

It turns out, the biggest difference between the two is brown gravy is broth-based, while white gravy typically has a milk or cream base. Garcia said both types usually have flour or cornstarch for thickening and they both contain some sort of “fat or meat drippings.”

At the most basic level, gravy is a simple pan sauce that requires liquid and a thickener. Traditional turkey gravy usually has fat, flour, and stock. You can make excellent turkey gravy with just those ingredients, plus salt and pepper for seasoning.

Your gravy might taste doughy or chalky if you didn't cook the flour enough when making your roux. You'll want to cook the flour for at least five minutes, until it smells nutty and begins to turn light brown.

What can I use instead of brown gravy mix? ›

DIY Brown Gravy Packet Mix 2 Tablespoons equals one packet Ingredients 3 tablespoons beef (or chicken bouillon) granules 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS to make Gravy (for each batch): 4-1/2 teaspoons butter 3/4 cup cold water Directions In a small bowl, ...

Fats add tremendous flavor.

Butter, chicken fat, turkey, beef, pork, bacon, duck, goose…if it has fat, it'll add flavor. And that, Riene, will get you back on the gravy train. Now, go roast a chicken, save the drippings, and make some gravy! (We've heard biscuits to sop up all that gravy add a little extra flair too.)

Herbs and spices: Add dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage, or spices such as black pepper, paprika, or cayenne pepper. These will impart additional flavors and complexity to the gravy. Stock or broth: If your pre-cooked gravy is too thick or lacks depth, you can thin it out.

Make sure the flour has been cooked long enough: When flour is added to the pan drippings or butter, whisk constantly while the mixture cooks until it turns a deep golden brown and smells nutty.

Some cooks use a smidge of instant coffee granules or something called Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master (or gravy browning, generically) for some added color. Use gravy browning judiciously, otherwise the dish will become unattractively brown.

Gravy Master: Enhance the flavor and color of your gravies, sauces, and stews with Gravy Master. It's a browning and seasoning sauce, and it is our top pick for a close substitute. Dark Soy Sauce or Tamari: Add color and umami flavor to your dishes by using Soy sauce or tamari.