The Best Homemade Beef Gravy Recipe (How to Make Brown Gravy) (2024)

FAQs

How do I make my gravy more brown? ›

My tidbit for the day on how to make gravy dark: Put about 1 cup of flour into a dry cast iron skillet, on medium heat. Stirring constantly until it turns a nice nutty brown, being careful not to burn it. At first it will be a dusty caramel color...that's okay, but take it to the nut brown stage.

One easy way to improve your gravy is to add a good balance of flavors — mustard, wine, or vinegar for acidity and some herbs for freshness, for example. Adding extras to your roux will also work wonders and cook those flavors deep into the gravy itself.

Brown gravy is a sauce traditionally made from drippings from roasted meat. It's served alongside meat as well as roasted vegetables. It can also be made from beef stock and thickened with a roux made of flour and butter.

Add a roux, ideally a dark roux, to your gravy. This is a standard French and Cajun (which is French-rooted) technique for giving color and body to sauces. Roux's are essentially butter or oil and flour, heated gently and stirred occasionally to cook the flour so that it darkens in color, but doesn't burn.

the traditional method for darkening broth, stock, gravy, and bouillon was to use burnt sugar. Just a little bit will do, depending on how large of a batch you are making. Heat sugar and 1 Tablespoon water over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved.

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.

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.

Soft, fragrant, sautéed vegetables lend a sweet, earthy, warm flavor to your store-bought gravy. Use any combination of onions, leeks, shallots, celery, carrots, and mushrooms cooked in butter, olive oil, or pan drippings. When the veggies are sufficiently sautéed, stir in your jarred gravy and simmer on low.

The difference between brown and beef gravy is that brown gravy can be made with any type of meat drippings or stock, while beef gravy is specifically made with beef drippings or stock.

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.

What thickens brown gravy? ›

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

At the most basic level, gravy is a simple pan sauce that requires liquid and a thickener. Traditional turkey gravy usually has fat, flour, and stock. You can make excellent turkey gravy with just those ingredients, plus salt and pepper for seasoning.

Make sure the flour has been cooked long enough: When flour is added to the pan drippings or butter, whisk constantly while the mixture cooks until it turns a deep golden brown and smells nutty.

Gravy Master: Enhance the flavor and color of your gravies, sauces, and stews with Gravy Master. It's a browning and seasoning sauce, and it is our top pick for a close substitute. Dark Soy Sauce or Tamari: Add color and umami flavor to your dishes by using Soy sauce or tamari.

A couple of tablespoons of dry white wine brightens up lighter poultry gravy, while red wine adds complexity to beef and pork gravy. Not a wine fan? Go with beer or hard cider.