This Brown Gravy Recipe is a favorite in the household because it’s so simple yet flavorful. Pour this homemade beef gravy on everything from mashed potatoes to turkey breast. Made with pantry staples, you’ll find this recipe easy on the wallet, too!

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Overhead image of brown gravy in blue pan.

This brown gravy recipe is not your ordinary gravy! It’s packed with flavor from fresh herbs, seasoning, white wine, and garlic. Whether using it for a holiday meal or a weeknight dinner, you’ll find this elevated gravy recipe easy, convenient, and quick to make.

I love to use this brown gravy recipe with flour on homemade chicken breast for extra flavor. If you’ve never made chicken breast before, you can try one of these recipes: Dutch Oven Chicken Breast or Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast with Garlic Butter.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Easy – In less than 10 steps, you’ll have this brown gravy recipe for turkey cooked and ready to use!
  • Flavorful – Combining fresh herbs, browned butter, white wine, stock, and Worcestershire helps create a delicious taste in this brown gravy recipe.
  • Herby – Using fresh herbs helps liven up the flavor of gravy.
  • Garlicky – Like the fresh herbs, garlic adds a lot of flavor to this easy gravy recipe.
  • Versatile – Once you’ve created this gravy, you can use it on various dishes, from sides to mains.
  • Freezable – This brown gravy is easy to freeze. Once cooled, add leftover gravy to an airtight container, and you can keep it in the freezer for up to three months.

Ingredients & Substitutions

An overhead photo of ingredients needed to make brown gravy.
  • Herbs: If you do not have fresh herbs use 1/2 teaspoon of each dried as a replacement in this brown gravy recipe. If you do not like rosemary or sage, replace one or both with thyme.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.

How to Make Brown Gravy from Scratch

Quick Overview

  • Brown butter.
  • Sauté shallots, herbs, butter.
  • Add remaining ingredients and whisk.

Step by Step Instructions

Keep a close eye on the butter as it browns to ensure it doesn’t burn.

Add broth slowly and mix until combined before adding more broth.

Step 1: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook and whisk until brown bits form in the bottom of the butter. This will take about 4-5 minutes. The butter will boil and then get frothy on top. (See photo above).

Step 2: Reduce the heat to low. Sauté the shallots for 10-15 minutes.

Step 3: Add the garlic, rosemary, sage, and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes.

Step 4: Add the flour and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Step 5: Deglaze the pan with the white wine if using. Cook until the wine has reduced.

Step 6: Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the broth at a time while whisking. Do not add more broth until the current broth has combined. At first, it will look like a paste, and then it will thin out. Repeat this with all of the broth. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Taste and season with salt. If it tastes bland, it just needs salt.

Recipe Serving Suggestions

Garnish this brown gravy recipe with fresh parsley, rosemary, or thyme.

I love serving this brown gravy recipe with Worcestershire over mashed potatoes or with poultry. Here are a few ideas:

Expert Tips

  • Add the broth slowly and whisk. To create the best brown gravy recipe (easy), slowly add the broth and mix as you add it. Adding the stock in little by little will reduce the likeliness of lumps in your gravy.
  • Taste and add salt. Whenever making a dish like this brown gravy recipe, it’s necessary to taste it before adding salt. Since ingredients like stock and Worcestershire already have sodium, it can be easy to overdo it with salt. Tasting the gravy first allows you to better control the flavor.

Additions & Variations

  • Soy sauce: Instead of seasoning this brown gravy recipe with more salt, add a splash of soy sauce for a more complex flavor. Soy sauce has an umami (aka meaty) taste that works well with homemade gravy. Start with a small amount and adjust to your desired flavor preference.
  • Drippings: Measure and add beef, pork, or chicken pan drippings instead of beef broth or chicken broth. This step will help create an even more flavorful brown gravy. This is a great option if you’re roasting a protein already for the meal (like a turkey). If your protein yields a small amount of drippings, you can supplement it with broth, so you have 2 cups of liquid.
  • Seasoning: If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you can use other spices to create a flavorful gravy. Onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, rosemary, and sage all work well in homemade gravy.
Up close image of brown gravy on wooden spoon.

Recipe FAQs

What is brown gravy made from?

A typical brown gravy recipe includes drippings or stock (homemade or from chicken/beef bouillion cubes), flour, and butter. However, you can use other ingredients, like fresh herbs, to create a more flavorful gravy.

How do I make my gravy more brown?

You can add 1-3 drops of Kitchen Bouquet if you prefer a more brownish gravy. This seasoning sauce is often included in beef stew, gravy, or other similar recipes. It may be challenging to find at the store, but you can always find it online.

How is gravy made from scratch?

To make the best brown gravy recipe, follow the instructions above, starting with browning the butter. Then, add herbs, shallots, garlic, flour, white wine, stock, and Worcestershire.

What is the secret to good gravy?

One of the secrets to a delicious gravy is allowing it enough time to thicken on the stove. The gravy will be too thin if you don’t allow sufficient stove time. While still edible, it will lack the rich texture and feel of typical gravy.

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Easy Brown Gravy (No Drippings)

5 from 1 vote
This Brown Gravy Recipe is a favorite in the household because it's so simple yet flavorful. Pour this homemade beef gravy on everything from mashed potatoes to turkey breast. Made with pantry staples, you'll find this recipe easy on the wallet, too!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 shallots, diced finely
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced finely
  • 1/2 Tablespoon EACH fresh chopped rosemary and sage
  • fresh pepper
  • 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine, optional
  • 2 cups beef or chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions 

  • In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook and whisk until brown bits form in the bottom of the butter. This will take about 4-5 minutes. The butter will boil and then get frothy on top. (See photo above).
    4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Reduce the heat to low. Sauté the shallots for 10-15 minutes.
    2 shallots, diced finely
  • Add the garlic, rosemary, sage, and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes.
    6 cloves garlic, minced finely, 1/2 Tablespoon EACH fresh chopped rosemary and sage, fresh pepper
  • Add the flour and sauté for another 2 minutes.
    4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • Deglaze the pan with the white wine if using. Cook until the wine has reduced.
    1/4 cup dry white wine, optional
  • Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the broth at a time while whisking. Do not add more broth until the current broth has combined. At first, it will look like a paste, and then it will thin out. Repeat this with all of the broth. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Taste and season with salt. If it tastes bland, it just needs salt.
    2 cups beef or chicken stock, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below!

Notes

  • Herbs: If you do not have fresh herbs use 1/2 teaspoon of each dried as a replacement in this brown gravy recipe. If you do not like rosemary or sage, replace one or both with thyme.
  • Add the broth slowly and whisk. To create the best brown gravy recipe (easy), slowly add the broth and mix as you add it. Adding the stock in little by little will reduce the likeliness of lumps in your gravy.
  • Taste and add salt. Whenever making a dish like this brown gravy recipe, it’s necessary to taste it before adding salt. Since ingredients like stock and Worcestershire already have sodium, it can be easy to overdo it with salt. Tasting the gravy first allows you to better control the flavor.
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Nutrition

Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 188mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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