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This homemade brown gravy recipe can be made with or without roast beef drippings using just 5 basic ingredients. It comes together in just 10 minutes, making it perfect for weeknights or holiday dinners.
It’s the perfect addition to mashed potatoes, prime rib recipes, and more.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Brown Gravy Recipe
- It can be made with beef drippings or without them.
- It takes just 10 minutes from start to finish.
- You can make it up to three days before serving.
- The consistency is easy to adjust with a little more broth or additional simmering time.
- It’s the perfect make-ahead Thanksgiving recipe or Christmas recipe to make holiday hosting less stressful.
How To Make Brown Gravy
Here’s a quick overview showing how to make this brown gravy recipe. The complete measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.
Make the roux: Melt the butter or beef drippings in a skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until the mixture is smooth and lightly golden.
Add the broth: Slowly pour the broth into the roux while whisking constantly. Adding it gradually helps prevent lumps.
Season and simmer: Add the Worcestershire sauce and black pepper. Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer and cook until it reaches your preferred consistency. Taste before adding salt.
Serving Ideas For Brown Gravy
In addition to classic beef roast and mashed potatoes, serve beef gravy with Toad in the hole, shepherd’s pie, and chuck roast in the oven.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Watch the sodium: Use unsalted butter and low-sodium broth, especially if the meat was brined, injected or coated with a salt-heavy rub.
- Maximize the flavor: Use beef consomme or bone broth to amp up the beefy flavor. Just make sure to taste before adding any extra salt.
- Add more aromatics Sauté finely chopped shallot or onions in the butter before adding the flour. Fresh sage, thyme or rosemary can also be added.
- Adjust the consistency: If the gravy is too thick, whisk in additional broth one tablespoon at a time. If it is too thin, let it simmer longer.
- Fix lumpy gravy: Whisk vigorously or pour the finished gravy through a fine-mesh strainer before transferring it to the gravy boat.
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Make Ahead and Storage
This brown gravy recipe can be made up to three days in advance. Let it cool, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it until needed.
Reheat the gravy gently in a saucepan, whisking as it warms. Add a splash of broth if it has thickened too much in the refrigerator.
Leftover gravy can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to three months. Let frozen gravy thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Gravy Recipes
A few more homemade gravy recipes to check out: Chicken gravy, chicken gravy mix, or au jus gravy mix.
Brown Gravy
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter or beef drippings
- 4 tbsp all purpose flour
- 32 oz beef broth (*Note 1)
- ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat a skillet over medium heat and add the butter or beef drippings.
- Add the flour and whisk until a paste is formed. Continue to whisk for 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly add 1 cup of beef broth at a time while whisking constantly, until there is no more broth to add.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and black pepper and whisk to combine. Bring to a light simmer and continue to whisk until the gravy reaches your desired thickness.
- Taste and add salt, if needed. Serve immediately or let it cool and refrigerate up to 3 days until you're ready to serve. (*Note 2)