Our Brown Gravy Recipe is creamy, thick and flavorful without using any drippings! You only need a few ingredients and it’s ready in less than 10 minutes. Piping hot gravy that’s ready to pour over all of your favorites.
Of course we’re pouring this gravy all over our popular Brown Gravy Meatloaf, but we use it on so much more. Mashed potatoes, of course, but also french fries (covered with mozzarella and cheese, please). Or with dishes like this Tater Tot Casserole.
Why You’ll Love This brown gravy recipe
Rich, velvety, and packed with deep, savory flavor, this homemade brown gravy recipe comes together in minutes using simple pantry staples. Whether you’re topping mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or your favorite comfort foods, this recipe delivers that classic, hearty taste without the hassle of cooking meat first.
- Rich & Flavorful – Enjoy a deep, savory taste without needing any meat drippings.
- Quick & Easy – Ready in just minutes using simple pantry staples.
- Smooth & Velvety – Silky texture that coats everything perfectly.
- Versatile – Perfect for mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, meats, and more.
- No Store-Bought Packets Needed – Skip the packets and make it fresh at home!
Ingredients
A photo of the primary ingredients you’ll need, minus the basics like salt and pepper. For a complete list of ingredients with amounts needed, head to the recipe card below.
After the photo we’ll talk about the ingredients, why they work in this recipe and also substitutions if applicable.
- Beef Broth/Stock/Bone Broth: Any of these will work, try and get whichever has the most flavor as some store bought broths can be watery.
- Beef Base: Beef base is more concentrated in flavor than bouillon and it dissolves instantly.
- Cornstarch: Opt for cornstarch instead of flour for a smoother gravy with zero lumps. Cornstarch is also gluten free.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This will add a depth of flavor that you’re looking for in a gravy with drippings, the complexity of Worcestershire sauce does the trick.
- Garlic Powder: Adds a hint of garlic flavor in the background.
How To Make Brown Gravy
Step by step photos here with brief instructions for a visual aid. For complete, detailed instructions, head to the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Start by adding all of the ingredients, except the cornstarch slurry, to a small pot over medium heat.
- Once the liquid comes to a boil, slowly drizzle in the cornstarch slurry while whisking to prevent any lumps.
- Bring the gravy back to a boil, turn down the heat and then let simmer for 3-4 minutes until thickened. Add a tablespoon of butter and/or a tablespoon of heavy cream for even more flavor and a creamier texture. (optional)
Variations
This simple beef gravy is perfect as is, but if you feel like using a little something extra, try these additions!
- Cooked onions and garlic in olive oil
- Fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, parsley or a bay leaf
- Beef drippings, skimmed of fat, if you have them
Any of these ingredients will make this gravy even more flavorful, so use whatever you have on hand!
What Recipes Can You Use Brown Gravy With?
We use this gravy on so many things it’s no wonder that we keep it in our refrigerator most of the time. Trust me, it’s going on everything.
- Brown Gravy Meatloaf
- Sheet Pan Chicken Murphy
- Shoestring French Fries
- Disco Fries Casserole
- Fried Poutine Wontons
- French Dip Sandwich (instead of aus jus)
Storing and freezing
This gravy will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge, just make sure to keep it in an air tight container. The gravy will thicken as it cools, so whisk while reheating to smooth it out again. You can also add another splash of beef broth or water to thin it back out to the right consistency.
And you can also freeze this gravy! Make a few batches and freeze the gravy into 1 cup or 2 cup portions. Thaw and reheat, then use with your favorite recipes.
can this brown gravy be made ahead of time?
Since this recipe doesn’t have drippings, it won’t separate like a traditional gravy recipe will. So go ahead and whip it up ahead of time – a huge time saver for parties and holidays.
You can keep it warm on the stove top, (or even in a slow cooker!) or let it cool completely and reheat in the microwave or back on the stove top again.
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Brown Gravy Recipe
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 9 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeA delicious, thick and creamy Brown Gravy Recipe made with no drippings! Done in less than 10 minutes and ready to pour over everything!
Ingredients
- 3 cups beef stock or broth (you can add in some meat drippings if you have them, but not needed)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons beef base (we use Better Than Bouillon)
- Fresh black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons of cornstarch
- Kosher salt to taste (we like to wait until the end to add the salt)
- 1 tablespoon cream (optional)
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Instructions
- Add all the beef broth, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, beef base and black pepper to a pot. Whisk together and bring to a boil.
- Mix the cornstarch together with 1/4 cup of water until dissolved. Pour in the cornstarch mixture while whisking to prevent any lumps.
- Bring the gravy back to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the cream and butter if using and add salt to taste. Whisk again to melt the butter and serve. The gravy will thicken much more as it cools.
Recipe Notes
Store: This gravy can be made ahead and kept in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat: Reheat the gravy in a pot on the stove top or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
I made this today for your Turkey Shepard’s Pie recipe. I didn’t have any bouillon, so just left it out, but did add a bit of half and half. It was delicious and not too salty. I don’t think the Better Than Bouillion was necessary. I might, instead, add a tablespoon of cognac next time. Sine it was more than I needed for the Shepard’s Pie, I will freeze it hope that works well for future recipes.
This is the way meatloaf should be made. My whole life I made the worst ever. Thank you.
This is the BEST savory meatloaf recipe I’ve ever tried … just finished making tonight and it was a total hit! I followed your directions except I put the breadcrumbs in the saute mixture to avoid over mixing. And your gravy was incredible! Was the perfect texture! Thanks so much!
We’re so glad you like it, thanks for letting us know!
This is a terrific recipe! I had no idea making a great gravy could be so easy! Thank you
Yes this is saltier than I am accustomed to, however the proportions work. When I went to find beef bouillon in my pantry, I found, instead, onion soup mix. This seemed like a viable alternative. (I left out the Worcestershire sauce and other salt.) It was! I sautéed some fresh mushrooms and tossed them in at the end. A nice onion mushroom gravy for the leftover meat loaf we had. I will look for ways to reduce the sodium, but the proportions were just right to give me a starting point. Thanks
PS Will be looking for Better Than Bouillon at my grocery store.
Thank you!
Would be a nice website, if you got to the point with the recipe instead of all the unnecessary lengthy verbiage
Hey Sunny, thanks for the thoughtful comment, but at the top of each post there’s a “jump to recipe” button that takes you past all that lengthy verbiage and right to the recipe!
Hey Sunny I mean the wonderful verbiage is a part of the recipe superb. I know I’m appreciative of it. Atleast u got a great recipe right? It takes more energy to express opinions then it is to appreciate. Have a Blessed Day.. 😊
Kid tested. Mommy approved lol <3 Absolutely delicious! I made this with meatloaf and cheesy garlic potatoes. My 17-year-old daughter could not get enough and I started looking at the gravy packets strange…
That’s wonderful, so glad everyone liked it!
everyone loved it and it was so easy!
Can this be frozen?
Yep!
Had to double the cornstarch and water. After that it was delicious!.
Cooked the onions and garlic first and very slowly to caramelize, then set aside. Threw a strip of bacon in the same pan and fried it quickly; crumbled the bacon over onion-garlic mixture, still set aside. Still in the same pan now including bacon drippings, then used all your ingredients but added a little more (yes, more!) Worschestshire sauce and the juice of a lime and some pepperonccini. Suggestion: add only half the corn starch mixture to begin with, then go from there. Almost got mine too thick. I spooned this magic over chicken fried steak and piled the onion-garlic-bacon on top with springs of fresh parsley and a salad on the side and thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I made your beautifully simple recipe much more complicated than it needed to be but it was utterly delicious, and I’d have had no idea where to begin without it, so thanks a bunch!
I love when readers improvise, great job Beverly! We’re coming over!
Made this this morning to go with leftover cheesy hashbrown casserole. Started with a brown butter and flour roux. I cut the Worcestershire in half, added a dash of white pepper, a dash of onion powder and a tablespoon of black coffee (my mom taught me this trick). The Better Than Bouillon is the best. Added beef stock until it got to the consistency I wanted. Took about 10 minutes to make, and was delicious over the hashbrown casserole. Would make great disco fries!
This is a great, easy gravy recipe when you don’t have pan drippings. Substitute chicken BTB and chicken stock and you got a great chicken gravy. Use the roasted veggie BTB and veggie broth, and make the roux with oil instead of butter, and you got something for your vegetarian friends. I’m sure it would be amazing over mashed cauliflower
Sounds great Bill, thanks for the comment!
Well, Dan, I made your gravy recipe and, while it was nice and dark brown, all I could taste was Worcestershire sauce. I added another 1/2 Tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon but it still didn’t taste much like beef. Your recipe is quite easy to make though and I’ll use it again. Thanks for posting it,