Easy Homemade Gravy Recipe (2024)

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4.25 from 52 votes

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By: Julie Evink24 Comments

Posted: 10/31/19

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Easy gravy recipe that anyone can make for the holidays. It uses turkey broth, but if you don’t have that you can simply replace it with chicken broth. With only a few ingredients you will have a delicious, fool-proof and lump free just like everyone loves.

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This quick and easy gravy recipe is one that anyone can make. There’s nothing like topping your turkey, mashed potatoes or stuffing with it at the holidays!

I love this recipe because it only uses a few ingredients and virtually fool-proof. If you are a beginner don’t be worried you will get an amazing, thick, creamy, delicious and fuss-free.

If you are making a turkey you can use the drippings from the turkey, but you can also substitute drippings for packaged broth and it’s still delicious.

Contents show

What ingredients do I need?

Butter
Black pepper
All-purpose flour
Turkey pan drippings strained or chicken broth

How do I make it?

Melt Butter – The first step is to melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add Ingredients – When butter is melted stir in black pepper. Slowly add flour while whisking continuously until mixture is smooth. The next step is to slowly whisk in drippings or chicken broth to mixture in pan. Make sure you whisk continuously. Cook the mixture for several minutes until it thickens.
Serve – Serve it immediately or keep warm on low heat until ready to serve.

How to make it using pan drippings!

If you would like to make turkey gravy using the drippings from your homemade turkey it’s really simple, but a key step is straining out the drippings to get any fat or gristle out of the drippings.

I love using the drippings because you get all the taste from the seasonings of the turkey in your it!

Simply pour your drippings through a finer mesh strainer and that’s it!

How to make it using broth!

If you aren’t making a turkey and would still like gravy it’s super simple to use chicken broth instead of turkey drippings. Also, if you don’t have enough drippings to make it simply top off your turkey drippings with broth.

Tips and Tricks!

Gluten Free – Simply substitute corn starch for flour at a 1:2 ratio to make this gluten free. That means you’d use 1/4 c. corn starch instead of 1/2 c. flour.
With milk – If you are looking for it be more creamy like sausage gavy just substitute part of the liquid for milk.
Avoid lumps – The trick to making it lump free is to whisk continuously and slowly add in the flour while whisking.
Thicker– If you would like it thicker simply whisk in a little more of the flour or cornstarch. Although make sure you simmer it before you do this as it will thicken as it simmers.

To go with this delicious gravy, you’re definitely going to need some stuffing! Grab my recipe forCrock Pot Stuffing here!

WATCH THE STEP BY STEP VIDEO FOR THIS RECIPE BELOW:

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Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

4.25 from 52 votes

Gravy Recipe

Delicious Homemade Turkey Gravy that Anyone Can Make!

Prep:10 minutes mins

Cook:10 minutes mins

Total:20 minutes mins

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Ingredients

▢ 1/2 c. butter
▢ 1 tsp black pepper
▢ 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
▢ 4 c. of turkey pan drippings strained or chicken broth

Instructions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in black pepper.
Slowly add flour, whisking continuously until mixture is smooth.
Slowly whisk in drippings or chicken broth into the pan. Make sure to whisk continuously. Cook gravy for several minutes until it thickens up.
Serve immediately or keep warm on low heat until ready to serve.

Tips

Gluten Free - Simply substitute corn starch for flour at a 1:2 ratio to make this gluten free. That means you'd use 1/4 c. corn starch instead of 1/2 c. flour.
Gravy with milk - If you are looking for a creamy gravy like sausage gravy just substitute part of the liquid for milk.
Avoid lumps - The trick to making gravy lump free is to whisk continuously and slowly add in the flour while whisking.
Thicker Gravy - If you would like the gravy thicker simply whisk in a little more of the flour or cornstarch. Although make sure you simmer it before you do this as it will thicken as it simmers.

Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 110kcal (6%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.

Meet Julie Evink

I'm here to help you win in the kitchen again! Life is Busy, Life is Crazy, but that doesn't mean you can't make your family dinner! Julie's goal is to provide you with easy, family, friendly recipes that use pantry staples. Dinnertime will be stress free again!

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Reader Interactions

Tony says
Posted on 1/1/24 at 4:13 am

I needed to make a fast gravy to put over leftover cornbread dressing. This was the perfect recipe and it was so delicious on the dressing! This is now one of my favorite gravy recipes!!
Reply
- Courtney says
  Posted on 1/2/24 at 7:46 am
  Yay! Thank you!
  Reply
Angelica says
Posted on 11/13/20 at 7:23 pm
Can you use turkey fat (from drippings) instead of butter? If so, would measurements change for fat and flour?
Reply
- Julie says
  Posted on 11/17/20 at 4:57 pm
  I’m not sure! I have always used butter for this recipe.
  Reply
Kathleen Nebreda says
Posted on 10/12/20 at 7:06 pm

Made this gravy for our Canadian Thanksgiving.Delicious! I added some milk with the turkey drippings like my Mom ‘s recipe.So easy and no clumps.Thank you! i’ll be making this gravy at Christmas too!
Reply
- Julie says
  Posted on 10/15/20 at 8:17 am
  Perfect! I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing!
  Reply
- Femrite Joann says
  Posted on 11/9/20 at 6:56 am
  Julie,
  Why do you leave the skin on the onion !?? Gives me nightmares !!
  Reply
  - Julie Evink says
    Posted on 11/9/20 at 8:06 am
    This is a recipe for gravy and there are no onions in the recipe so I’m not sure what you are referring too?
Alan Evans says
Posted on 11/21/18 at 2:28 pm

Your recipe is hard to read and follow with all the ads, popups and videos.
Reply
- Dave says
  Posted on 12/4/20 at 11:39 am
  Could you print it so you can read without having the pop ups?
  Reply
  - Julie says
    Posted on 12/7/20 at 5:19 pm
    Yes, there is a print recipe option that allows you to see the recipe card without any ads!
Elaine Woodward says
Posted on 11/12/18 at 5:50 am
Can it be made ahead of time and frozen?
Reply
- Julie Evink says
  Posted on 11/12/18 at 8:25 am
  Yes I think that would work fine!
  Reply
Vicki says
Posted on 12/2/17 at 6:01 am
Can this gravy be frozen?
Reply
- Julie Evink says
  Posted on 12/13/17 at 10:07 pm
  I think you can!
  Reply
Ann says
Posted on 11/23/17 at 1:26 pm

We made this exactly as written – and it was awesome. This was the easiest gravy recipe we have ever made. It is a keeper. Thank you for sharing!
Reply
- Julie Evink says
  Posted on 12/13/17 at 10:17 pm
  So glad you enjoyed it!
  Reply
Karen @ The Food Charlatan says
Posted on 11/12/15 at 5:48 pm

I totally used to be afraid of gravy too!! I just made some yesteday and it was super easy 🙂 🙂 this looks great!
Reply
- Melissa says
  Posted on 11/27/19 at 12:48 am
  Does the corn starch taste different in the gravy Compared to flour in the gravy.
  I’d like to make the gluten free so I could enjoy it too not make two different patches . Just curious looks amazing thanks for sharing it !😊
  Reply
  - Julie Evink says
    Posted on 11/27/19 at 9:17 am
    I think that would work fine! I use cornstarch to thicken up sauces a lot and can’t tell the difference 🙂
Kelley @ Chef Savvy says
Posted on 11/10/15 at 9:25 pm

Gravy is one of favorite parts of Thanks giving! I put it on EVERYTHING! Your gravy sounds amazing!
Reply
Savita @ Chef De Home says
Posted on 11/10/15 at 9:12 pm

I have never roasted full turkey at home yet! 🙂 Hope to get over this fear soon. Gravy looks perfect, Julie. Love how easy this recipe is!
Reply
Danielle | The Creative Bite says
Posted on 11/10/15 at 8:37 am
That is funny because my mom did the same thing with gravy. She made me feel like it was this big scary undertaking. Later in life the ladies at the cafe taught me how easily whip up any gravy but I’ve never tried it with butter like yours calls for, so I might have to give that a try this Thanksgiving! Butter makes everything better right?! 🙂
Reply
Kelly says
Posted on 11/10/15 at 6:17 am
I feel the same way about my mom and realized that she’s usually right too 🙂 So glad you got over your fear now though. Love how easy this homemade turkey is!
Reply

FAQs

What is the secret to good gravy? ›

Here are my principles for making great gravy without fear:

Make it ahead. This is the most important one. ...
Make a really good homemade turkey stock first. Don't skimp on this crucial first step. ...
Reinforce the stock's flavor. ...
Simmer, simmer, simmer. ...
Strain and cool. ...
Reduce. ...
Hot liquids only.

Nov 5, 2021

Learn More ›

What is the formula for gravy? ›

A traditional roux uses roughly an equal amount of flour and fat, but gravies often call for a bit more flour than that, to ensure the gravy is thick enough. (The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.)

Keep Reading ›

Is homemade gravy better with cornstarch or flour? ›

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 poutine gravy made of? ›

Here's what's in our super yummy, beef poutine gravy:

Butter.
Flour.
Garlic powder.
Onion powder.
Chicken broth.
Beef broth.
Worcestershire sauce.
Beef bouillon.

More items...

May 5, 2022

Learn More Now ›

What happens if you put too much cornstarch in gravy? ›

How do you fix gravy if you accidentally added too much cornstarch? The best thing you could do to loosen the gravy is to add more liquid - broth or water. Then, check the seasonings. You would need to add salt if you added water to it.

Get More Info ›

How much cornstarch to use for gravy? ›

You will need about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of gravy. Don't add powdered cornstarch directly to a hot liquid; it will clump. The gravy also needs to be whisked briskly to ensure a smooth texture, and must be heated long enough to cook off its starchy flavor.

Find Out More ›

What happens if you add cornstarch to gravy? ›

Instead, add some cornstarch (again, make sure to make a slurry) and in a moment or two, all that extra liquid will thicken into a flavorful sauce. Cornstarch can also be used to make a quick gravy sauce if your meat dish needs a little sauce. In that case, use chicken stock for your slurry instead of water.

Read On ›

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.