Gravy Recipe without Drippings with many variations - A Gouda Life (2024)

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Gravy Recipe Without Drippings! The best gravy loaded with rich flavor with simple subs to make homemade turkey gravy, chicken gravy, brown or even mushroom gravy.

Gravy Recipe without Drippings with many variations - A Gouda Life (1)

This is a foolproof recipe for gravy without using any drippings. Gravy 101: how to make perfect homemade gravy with just a few simple ingredients every time.

Also included: all my favorite tips and trouble-shooters for the mouth-watering gravy we crave — plus easy subs to make turkey gravy, chicken, brown gravy – even mushroom gravy with or without meat drippings .

Gravy Recipe without Drippings with many variations - A Gouda Life (2)

On Thanksgiving day it’s expected that delicious rich gravy will make an appearance so let’s make an easy turkey gravy that’s deliciously unforgettable.

This recipe is perfect for make-ahead gravy, ideal for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but so quick and easy you’ll be making it on repeat all winter.

WHAT ARE DRIPPINGS?

Drippings are the liquid (fat) that collects at the bottom of the roasting pan when you roast meat.As the meat cooks, the liquid browns and caramelizes and adds tons of deep flavor to gravy.

If you have drippings, use them! This recipe easily converts to a with-drippings gravy recipe. You’ll want 4 tablespoons of fat total: butter, drippings or a combination.

WHAT’S IN THIS EASY GRAVY RECIPE?

  • butter, pan drippings OR a combination (as along as it totals 4 tablespoons)
  • all purpose flour
  • stock (chicken stock, turkey stock or beef stock)
  • salt and pepper
  • fresh thyme
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • soy sauce

NOTE: Adding Worcestershire and soy sauce is the not so secret ingredient that adds rich meaty flavor and deep color to your gravy. The small amount of soy sauce won’t give the gravy an Asian flavor — just don’t exceed the amount listed.

HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY GRAVY RECIPE WITHOUT DRIPPINGS:

Melt butter in a medium saucepan then once the butter is melted, sprinkle flour over the top whisking well to combine.


Reduce the heat to low and cook 1 minute. This is the roux that will thicken the gravy.

Sprinkle in finely minced thyme, salt and pepper giving it a good stir to combine.


Increase the heat to medium. Slowly add stock a little at a time whisking continuously (pause occasionally to scrape the sides of the saucepan).


Once all of the stock is blended in, stir in the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.

Simmer over medium to medium-low heat uncovered for 7 minutes. Don’t skip this step. It brings all the flavors together.

Gravy Recipe without Drippings with many variations - A Gouda Life (10)

While the gravy is still in the saucepan, taste it and adjust salt and pepper to your preference. If you need more salt, add a small pinch at a time, stirring well to incorporate.

Transfer the gravy to a bowl or gravy boat and serve right away.

Gravy Recipe without Drippings with many variations - A Gouda Life (11)

WHAT KIND OF STOCK DO I USE?

Any stock works well in this recipe but use a stock that correlates with whatever you’re serving the gravy with.

CLASSIC TURKEY GRAVY:

Thanksgiving dinner is one time gravy simple can’t be ignored!

If you air fried a turkey (or you just don’t have drippings), follow the recipe using turkey stock. If you have drippings, substitute them in place of the butter.

Gravy Recipe without Drippings with many variations - A Gouda Life (12)

MUSHROOM GRAVY:

Mushrooms can be added to any gravy (even turkey gravy) and it’s the ideal topping with Salisbury Steak or your favorite meat loaf recipe.

Her’s what you’ll need:

  • 1/2 to 3/4 pound of sliced mushrooms
  • 1 clove garlic grated
  • beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • an additional tablespoon of butter

To make mushroom gravy, add olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to a large deep skillet. Add sliced mushrooms and saute 3-5 minutes or until golden. Add the grated garlic, stir and cook 1 minute over low heat.

Gravy Recipe without Drippings with many variations - A Gouda Life (13)

Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and reserve.

Continue making the basic gravy recipe adding the mushrooms at the end. Simmer over low heat to warm them. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper then serve right away.

WHY MAKE GRAVY AHEAD OF TIME?

Getting as much done before family and friends come makes entertaining stress-free and much more enjoyable.

If you’re air frying a turkey breast or cornish hens, you won’t have drippings. Use this recipe to make the gravy ahead of time and reheat or the day of.

PRO TIPS AND TRICKS:

The good news is that most gravy issues can be quickly and easily fixed!

First, using soy sauce won’t give the gravy an Asian flavor. Along with the Worcestershire, it adds deep rich flavor and gives the taste of meat drippings. It’ll take average or good gravy to great gravy.

Your gravy is lumpy. Smooth lumpy gravy with a few pulses from an immersion blender or very vigorous whisking.

To add tons of flavor without much effort use fresh herbs or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.

Your gravy is too thin. First, your gravy will thicken as it sits so give it a few minutes without fussing with it. If it’s still too thin, simmer over medium heat – uncovered – letting some of the excess liquid evaporate.

Another way to thicken gravy is to mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water or stock. Slowly add to the gravy, stirring and letting it simmer until it thickens.

Before serving be sure to taste the gravy and adjust salt or pepper to your own preference.

If your gravy is too thick, slowly add more stock, water or drippings (if available) a little at a time, stirring until it reaches the consistency you want. You may need more seasoning when you add extra liquid.

Your gravy doesn’t have a meaty flavor. If you’re still not happy with the flavor of your gravy, add some bouillon– but be careful not to add too much. It has lots of salt and may make the gravy too salty. The other option is to add a sprinkle of poultry seasoningand let it simmer a few minutes to absorb the flavor.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH GRAVY:


City Chicken – authentic Polish recipe! Cubed pork skewered, breaded and baked until melt in your mouth tender. Serve with mashed potatoes and an easy

chicken gravy or pork gravy.

Garlic Butter Air Fryer Turkey Breast – juicy turkey breast loaded with garlic-herb butter flavor. Perfect for small holiday gatherings or when you want extra white meat. Ready in under 1 hour!

Air Fryer Cornish Hens – tender, juicy meat with crispy skin roasted over a bed of vegetables. Takes just 30 minutes.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes – the ultimate in creamy, buttery mashed potatoes deserves this easy homemade gravy. The perfect potatoes with your holiday meal – quick and easy enough for weeknights.

HOW TO STORE GRAVY:

This gravy can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container up to 3 days. To reheat add to a saucepan over medium to medium-low heat.

Leftover gravy can be frozen up to 3 months stored in airtight containers.

Enjoy!

Gravy Recipe without Drippings with many variations - A Gouda Life (18)

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Gravy Recipe without Drippings with many variations - A Gouda Life (19)

Gravy Recipe without Drippings

Gravy Recipe Without Drippings! The best gravy loaded with rich flavor with simple subs to make homemade chicken gravy, turkey gravy, brown or even mushroom gravy.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: turkey gravy, gravy no drippings, gravy without drippings, homemade gravy, easy homemade gravy, thanksgiving gravy, thanksgiving recipe, how to make gravy

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter OR pan drippings OR a combination totalling 4 tablespoons
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups stock turkey, chicken OR beef stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme removed from stem and finely minced
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a medium saucepan then once the butter is melted, sprinkle flour over the top whisking well to combine.

  • Reduce the heat to low and cook 1 minute.

  • Sprinkle in finely minced thyme, salt and pepper giving it a good stir to combine.

  • Increase the heat to medium. Slowly add stock a little at a time whisking continuously (pause occasionally to scrape the sides of the saucepan).

  • Once all of the stock is blended in, stir in the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.

    Simmer over medium to medium-low heat 7 minutes. Don’t skip this step. It brings all the flavors together.

  • While the gravy is still in the saucepan, taste it and adjust salt and pepper to your preference. If you need more salt, add it a small pinch at a time, stirring well to incorporated.

  • Transfer the gravy to a bowl or gravy boat and serve right away.

Gravy Recipe without Drippings with many variations - A Gouda Life (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to make gravy 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.

What is the best thickener 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 can you add to homemade gravy to make it taste better? ›

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.

What is broken gravy? ›

Broken Gravy

If your gravy looks curdled or has an oily top layer, it's likely the emulsion of flour and fat that thickens the mixture has split or broken. Fix it by adding a splash of warm water or two and whisking vigorously to restore the balance of liquid and fat.

How to thicken gravy without flour or cornstarch or arrowroot? ›

This smart way to thicken gravy allows you to use what's in your veggie crisper. Roast any kind of potato, parsnip, beet, or carrot, puree in a blender or food processor, and stir into gravy until completely incorporated.

Why should you never add flour or cornstarch directly to a liquid? ›

Cornstarch is a common thickening agent in the culinary arts, but if you add it directly to the liquid you want to thicken, it will clump up. To thicken a sauce or soup with cornstarch, you first need to make a slurry, which is a mixture of equal parts cornstarch and liquid (usually water, stock or wine).

What do restaurants use to thicken gravy? ›

Onion paste, cashew paste, cream, butter, melon seed paste, cornflour slurry and roux (equal parts of cooked flour and butter) are some of the commercially used thickening agents.

Why is my gravy not thickening with cornstarch? ›

Cornstarch should thicken gravy in less than a minute when at a simmer. If it doesn't thicken enough, it's a sign that you need more cornstarch. Whisk in more cornstarch slurry a little at a time, and let each addition come to a simmer before adding more.

Does butter thicken gravy? ›

Butter does not provide any thickening to a sauce, since it is made of just fat and water. But a chunk of butter, salted or unsalted, swirled into a sauce at the end, can temporarily emulsify a sauce, while adding richness and sheen, all of which are good things.

How do you add depth of flavor to gravy? ›

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 make gravy taste richer? ›

Add in some white wine.

Add a dash of white wine (nothing too fruity; we recommend a dry Chardonnay) to boost the richness of the turkey gravy. All you need to do is put a couple of tablespoons of your chosen white wine while you're heating up your gravy and voilà! The wine should evaporate in just a couple of minutes.

Why is it called sawmill gravy? ›

You may hear it called sausage gravy, white gravy, or country gravy these days, but historians believe sawmill gravy got its original name for its stick-to-your-ribs quality, perfect for sawmill workers in 1800s Southern Appalachia.

What is a Southern gravy called? ›

Other common names include country gravy, sawmill gravy, milk gravy, and sausage gravy.

What is KFC gravy? ›

What is the gravy at KFC made of? The restaurant uses a simple combination of gravy powder, water, and – their secret ingredient – chicken crackling. This is a collection of the browned bits and pieces leftover from frying their world famous chicken.

Is it better to thicken with flour or cornstarch? ›

Because cornstarch is pure starch, it has twice the thickening power of flour, which is only part starch. Thus, twice as much flour is needed to achieve the same thickening as cornstarch. To thicken sauces, cornstarch is combined with cold water first, which is called a slurry.

Why does my homemade gravy taste like flour? ›

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. But if you don't notice until it's too late and you've already added your broth, bring the gravy to a simmer.

Is it better to make gravy with all-purpose flour or self rising flour? ›

Self-rising or all-purpose flour can both work in making gravy. Self-rising flour contains rising agents, which is more important for baking purposes. These aren't essential in gravy making as it doesn't need leavening.

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