Easy 5-Minute Gravy Recipe (2024)

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Written ByDorothy Kern

Updated OnApril 23, 2023

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This Easy 5-Minute Gravy Recipe is perfect for turkey, chicken, or beef! It’s so flavorful and it’s foolproof too and perfect for any meal. You’re going to be so happy when you see how easy it is to make gravy.

Easy Gravy Recipe in 5 minutes!

Gravy has always been sort of an enigma to me. I’ve never known the exact ratios of liquid and thickener or whether to use cornstarch or flour, stock or water…and end up just winging it and hoping for the best.

I’ve come to realize as I’ve gotten older that gravy is the star of the meal. My husband could drink gravy, he loves it so much, and he drowns everything in it, so it’s important that it not only tastes good but is the perfect consistency.

THIS is the perfect gravy for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and ANY time you want to make homemade gravy for turkey, chicken, beef, or even vegetarian gravy!

Why you’ll love this recipe

This recipe has the magical combination of liquid and fat and thickener that tastes so good and is perfect poured on everything.
You can use this recipe for turkey gravy, roasted chicken or make it brown gravy for beef. It’s even a good gravy recipe without drippings! Basically it’s the PERFECT gravy recipe and it takes only 5 minutes to make!

What you need to make homemade gravy

Butter: I love butter in gravy – it makes it so thick and rich. It’s best to use unsalted butter and then add salt to taste because you never know how much salt is really in stock or bouillon and you don’t want your gravy recipe to be too salty.
Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this. The butter and flour mixture cooks and makes a roux which thickens the gravy to the perfect thickness.
Chicken Stock or broth: Use your favorite brand – but use a good one. I prefer using low sodium stock. You can also use drippings from your roast or turkey.
Bouillon: I use this to add extra flavor when I’m just using stock or broth. If I’m using the drippings I don’t usually add this because turkey or beef drippings have tons of extra flavor.
Spices: Use your favorites, but I love adding herbs and onion powder.

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

How To Make Gravy From Scratch

Heat the stock and bouillon cubes (if using) in the microwave until hot and the bouillon has dissolved. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and spices.
Cook the flour and whisk until a rue has formed about a minute.
Slowly add the hot stock to the butter mixture, whisking to combine. Add spices.
Cook until boiling and thick, stirring often.

Gravy Recipe Tips

This gravy recipe calls for stock so make sure to use one that is high quality. The more flavor the better!
If you are making a turkey or chicken with drippings, strain it, remove the fat, and measure it with the stock to add tons of extra flavor.
If you’re using stock and not drippings don’t skip the bouillon. But if you’re using drippings you can reduce them or omit them.
It’s best to use unsalted butter, just because stock, drippings, and bouillon often have lots of salt. Taste your end product to see if it needs extra salt or pepper.
It really only takes 5 minutes. Don’t walk away from the stove; this gravy thickens fast!

FAQs

How do you thicken gravy?

This gravy recipe is thickened with flour – the butter and flour make a rue that thickens the stock.

Can you make gravy gluten free?

You’d have to use cornstarch to thicken the gravy. Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan and use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the boiling stock until it thickens.

How to store leftover gravy?

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will gel; heat to thin and add additional stock or water if you want it thinner.

Easy Gravy Recipe

4.35 from 404 votes

This Easy All Purpose 5-Minute Gravy recipe is perfect for turkey, chicken, or beef. Use this method to make the most flavorful gravy ever!

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups (474ml) chicken, beef, vegetable, or turkey stock
▢ 2 beef or chicken bouillon cubes
▢ 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter
▢ ¼ cup (31g) all-purpose flour
▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
▢ ½ teaspoon dried sage
▢ 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the stock and the bouillon cubes in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup. Heat for 1 minutes and stir. Repeat until bouillon is dissolved.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour, onion powder, thyme, sage, and rosemary and cook for 1 minute to cook the flour. Slowly whisk in the stock until smooth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, whisking, until smooth and thick, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

If you have pan drippings, use those then add stock to make 2 cups.

Recipe Nutrition

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

Did you try this recipe? Click the stars to rate the recipe below

Not only am I excited to share this recipe with you because it tastes so good, but also because it comes from a new cookbook I’m very excited about. The Simple Kitchen by Donna and Chad Elick is full of quick and easy recipes for every day. Donna and Chad are the founders of The Slow Roasted Italian and are friends of mine. Their recipes are always delicious! I’ve made several of the recipes in their book and love every single one.

This is now my go-to gravy recipe. It’s so flavorful and easy that I plan to make it all the time!

If you love gravy, you need to try it on Southwestern Crusted Roast Beefor this Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon Rosemary Butter.

186 Comments

Wonderful recipe 😋
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Can you freeze it?
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Yes, you might need to add some more stock to thin when you’re reheating
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Excellent and easy gravy recipe! I’m not a fan of rosemary and used oregano instead, but it was perfect over turkey, mashed potatoes and bread.
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Made this gravy for my kids’ classes festive lunch and they’ve insisted I make it every time!! For the past two years! It’s so flavorful and delicious!
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2nd time ive made it. Yummy both times. My go to recipe for quick gravy. I used drippings instead of broth and 2 boullion cubes.
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Instead of using chicken stock, can I use chicken broth?
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Yes – be sure to add the bouillon for extra flavor.
Reply
I cannot make gravy to save my life! This recipe changed that for sure. Super easy, fast and ridiculously delicious. My guests were raving and said it’s from heaven!
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So glad you enjoyed it!
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Very flavorful! This will be my go-to gravely recipe. I followed almost exactly, but just due to personal preference, I only used half of the rosemary that was called for.
Reply
Best gravy recipe! Make it all the time.
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FAQs

What is the formula for gravy? ›

(The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.) You can add other flavors to the mixture, swap out the stock for another liquid, or use cornstarch rather than flour to thicken your gravy.

Find Out More ›

What is it called when you mix flour and water for gravy? ›

A slurry is generally made with liquid (often water or broth) mixed with either cornstarch or flour and added to a hot liquid to thicken it. Because a slurry is a concentrated starchy liquid it will thicken sauces and gravy.

Is gravy better with flour or cornstarch? ›

Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.

Know More ›

What thickener is best for gravy? ›

Add cornstarch: To thicken your gravy with cornstarch, make a slurry, which is a liquid-based paste. Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with one cup of cold water, whisking the mixture together until the cornstarch granules dissolve. Stir this mixture into your gravy on low heat.

What to add to gravy to make it taste better? ›

Add an umami-rich condiment.

Just as you might add condiments like soy sauce, miso paste, Worcestershire sauce, or even a splash of sherry or cider vinegar to your favorite gravy recipe, incorporate them into store-bought gravy for a more complex flavor.

Discover More ›

Is gravy just flour and water? ›

For gravy you need, at a minimum: a small amount of some form of fat; flour; and a flavorful liquid. (Meat drippings + a little wine + good broth, ideally, but I've done it with water + a mixture of minced carrots, celery, onions, and garlic sauteed in oil.)

Know More ›

Is gravy made from milk and flour? ›

In a matter of minutes, you can whip up white gravy in a saucepan for the perfect creamy, savory topping for your favorite dishes. This basic sauce is prepared with ingredients you likely already have on hand: butter, flour, milk, salt, and pepper.

Explore More ›

What is traditional gravy made of? ›

A basic gravy recipe can be made with: 1 tablespoon of fat or butter, 1 tablespoon of flour, and 1 cup of pan drippings or broth. You can easily double or even quadruple this recipe to serve a crowd. It's especially handy for making a large batch of turkey gravy at Thanksgiving!

Read The Full Story ›

Can you make gravy without flour or cornstarch? ›

Arrowroot. This powder comes from rhizomes of the Marantaceae family of tubers. It's a great natural substitute for those needing a gluten-free gravy thickener. As with using cornstarch or flour to thicken gravy, make a slurry with your arrowroot powder by mixing 2 to 3 tablespoons with an equal amount of water.

Know More ›

When making gravy What is the ratio of oil and flour? ›

The ratio I use is: 1.5 tablespoons fat to 1.5 tablespoons flour to 1 cup liquid, which yields 1 cup of gravy.

Learn More ›

When making gravy, do you use hot or cold water? ›

The liquid needs to be very hot before thickening the gravy with flour. Combine ½ cup cold water and ½ cup flour in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake to mix it. I find if I use cold water to mix with the flour, lumps do not form in the container.

Learn More ›

How can I make my gravy taste better? ›

Fortunately, Shannon has several suggestions for fixing bland gravy, starting by adding a bouillon cube, herbs or a splash of wine or cognac. But if you have time to spare, add pan drippings from turkey, bacon or bacon drippings, caramelized vegetables (like onions, leeks, carrots and celery), herbs or garlic.

How do you add richness to gravy? ›

Milk and cream add richness and flavor; they can round out or mellow any sharper flavors that develop along the way. Finishing a sauce or gravy with butter will thicken the gravy and add a velvety texture—a surefire way to up your gravy game.

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What adds flavor to gravy? ›

Bonus: Seasoning for Tasty Gravy

I only season my homemade gravy with salt and pepper, and it's delicious! If you want to add more spices, avoid anything with large pieces (such as dried rosemary) to keep gravy smooth. Thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, paprika, and oregano all taste great.

Read The Full Story ›

How do chefs thicken gravy? ›

Thicken Gravy with a Roux

To make your roux, use an equal amount of flour and fat, like butter or oil, and follow these steps: Melt the butter or heat the oil in a skillet or saucepan on medium heat. Add the flour and whisk into the fat until all lumps are gone.

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