Homemade Gravy From Scratch With Or Without Drippings
This gravy from scratch is built on a simple roux ratio, so it is easy to fix if it gets too thick or thin. Soy sauce and lemon juice give it deeper flavor than most homemade gravy recipes, and you can make it with broth, drippings, or both.
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How To Make Gravy From Scratch That Actually Tastes Good
This gravy from scratch starts with butter or drippings, flour, broth, soy sauce, lemon juice, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. You make a simple roux, whisk in broth or pan drippings, then adjust the texture and seasoning until it is silky, savory, and smooth enough to pour over mashed potatoes, turkey, fried chicken, biscuits, or a random Tuesday meatloaf situation. I learned the roux method in culinary school, but this version is built for home cooks who want homemade gravy without the stress and without the blandness.
Homemade gravy from scratch is one of those kitchen skills that sounds fussy until you make it once and realize it is just fat, flour, liquid, and good seasoning coming together and making magic.
The basic method is simple. Make a roux with equal parts fat and flour, slowly whisk in broth or drippings, then simmer until thickened. After that, you fine tune the consistency and season it so it tastes like something you’d actually want on your plate, not just something beige that’s only there because it’s expected to be.
What sets this homemade gravy recipe apart is that it is not relying on just salt and hope. Soy sauce adds savory flavor and rich color, while a little lemon juice wakes everything up so the finished gravy tastes balanced, not heavy.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Gravy Recipe
- It works with broth, drippings, or a combination, so you can make it for Thanksgiving or for an average weeknight roast chicken.
- The soy sauce and lemon juice make it taste more balanced and interesting than a lot of basic gravy recipes that end up tasting one-note.
- The method is easy to correct as you go, which means too thick or too thin is never really a crisis.
Homemade Gravy Recipe Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- unsalted butter and/or drippings – this is the fat for the roux. Butter gives you a reliable starting point, while turkey drippings or drippings from roasted red meats add deeper meaty flavor. Use what you have, and feel free to do a combination of the two.
- all-purpose flour – this is the thickener for the gravy and forms the roux with the fat. Equal parts flour and fat is the classic ratio that keeps the method easy to remember.
- broth, stock, and/or non-fatty drippings – this is the liquid that turns the roux into gravy. Chicken, turkey, beef, or vegetable broth all work depending on what you are serving it with. If you have some drippings from roasted meat, that’s free extra flavor that you should use, in combination with broth to give you enough.
- lemon juice – this adds a touch of brightness and subtle tang that cuts through the richness of the flavorful gravy to balance its flavor.
- soy sauce – this is the secret weapon. It adds salt, an umami oomph, and a deeper brown color without making the gravy taste like soy sauce. Worcestershire sauce works in a pinch, but it can be a bit more potent than soy sauce, so use sparingly.
- kosher salt and black pepper – these round everything out and help the gravy taste finished.
- poultry seasoning – this store-bought blend of spices typically includes sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary and nutmeg and it adds an herbaceous aroma and flavor to your gravy. If it’s not something that you commonly purchase, a combination of dried sage and thyme is just fine. We don’t love fresh herbs here, because they interfere with the smooth gravy texture.
How To Make Gravy From Scratch
- MAKE THE ROUX. Melt the butter or add the fatty drippings to a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 4 to 6 minutes, whisking constantly, until the mixture is light to medium golden brown and smells nutty.
- ADD THE LIQUID. Slowly whisk in the broth, stock, or non-fat drippings until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 1 to 2 minutes, whisking often, until the gravy thickens.
- ADJUST THE TEXTURE. If the gravy is too thick, whisk in a little more broth or water. If it is too thin, keep cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it reaches the consistency you want.
- SEASON. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Taste and adjust as needed before serving.
Home Chef Tips For Easy Homemade Gravy With Flour
- Use a fat separator if you are working with drippings. This tool allows you to, well, separate the fat from the non-fatty drippings of whatever meat you’re roasting, and pour them out of the container separately.
- Whisk the liquid in slowly. Dumping it in all at once is one of the fastest ways to end up chasing lumps around the pan.
- Adjust texture before final seasoning. If you season first and then thin the gravy later, the flavor can end up diluted and a little underwhelming.
Basic Gravy Recipe Variations
- GLUTEN FREE GRAVY – substitute rice flour in place of the all-purpose flour, and make sure your soy sauce and poultry seasoning are gluten free. Adjust the final consistency as needed.
- CREAMY GRAVY WITH MILK – If you’re looking to create a creamier gravy, consider replacing a portion of the broth with milk or cream in this easy recipe for gravy.
Make-Ahead, Storage And Reheating
- Make Ahead: Prepare the gravy up to 3 days in advance. Place it in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until it is fully chilled, then cover it with the lid. It will thicken as it chills, which is totally normal. Reheat gently and whisk in broth (or drippings from a roasted turkey if you have them now!) to bring it back to your desired consistency. This actually makes it easier to control the final texture right before serving.
- Refrigerate: If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Warm over medium-low heat on the stovetop, whisking often. You will need to add some broth, drippings, or water to loosen it, as it will have thickened in the fridge.
- Freeze: Chill and then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
FAQ
A reliable gravy from scratch starts with equal parts fat and flour for the roux, then about 1 cup of broth or drippings for every 2 tablespoons each fat and flour. From there, you can thin it with more broth or simmer it longer until it reaches your ideal consistency.
Yes. Drippings are great for flavor, but they are not required. This recipe works with butter for the fat and broth or stock for the liquid, so you can make homemade gravy even when there is no roasting pan involved.
If the gravy is too thick, whisk in more broth a little at a time. If it is too thin, simmer it a bit longer until it reduces and thickens. Homemade gravy is very forgiving, which is honestly one of its best qualities.
Usually it needs more than just salt and pepper. A good gravy also benefits from an herb note, enough salt, and something that boosts savoriness. In this recipe, poultry seasoning, soy sauce, and lemon juice do a lot of that heavy lifting.
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Easy Gravy Recipe
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Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or fatty drippings or a combination
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups broth or stock or non-fatty drippings or a combination (plus additional if needed to thin)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
Instructions
- In large skillet, melt butter over medium heat (if using fatty drippings, just add drippings to skillet). Add flour and cook 4 to 6 minutes or until mixture becomes light to medium golden brown, whisking constantly.
- While whisking, slowly add broth or non-fatty drippings until all liquid is incorporated. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until gravy is thickened.
- If gravy is too thick, whisk in a bit more broth or water. If gravy is too thin, cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until desired consistency is achieved.
- Reduce heat to low. Add lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
