Quick and Easy Make-Ahead Gravy for Any Occasion
“It’s all gravy!” An old English expression meaning there is an abundance of good things – and gravy is definitely a good thing! Your meal is great; it’ll be better with gravy!
Also Read: Traditional Stuffing, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Gravy is a delicious sauce usually made with the drippings from roasted meats and thickened with flour or another starch. But, there are times when you don’t have drippings and you still want gravy. Why go without, when you can make an easy and delicious gravy without the drippings? Gravy without the drippings… really? Yup, read on my friend!
Why Make Gravy without Drippings?
You may think it’s sacrilege to make gravy without pan drippings but, whatever, get over it. I agree, gravy made with pan drippings is awesome, but there are times when drippings aren’t available and you NEED gravy! For example if you…
- deep fry a turkey or other meat, you can’t collect drippings
- brine meat, the drippings will be too salty
- smoke meat, the drippings will be too smokey and salty
- want to make gravy before the last minute rush when a roast comes out of the oven
- want to make vegetarian gravy
- want gravy but don’t have any roasted meat
As long as you’re adding flavour makers to make up for the lack of drippings, your gravy will still be AMAZING!
Pro Tip: If you’re making gravy ahead of time to beat the last minute rush (I usually do this) and you do end up having some drippings, you can always add them to your gravy when you’re reheating it.
How to Make a Flavourful Gravy?
Make flavourful gravy without pan drippings by adding little extras. Here are some of options for building flavour quickly without a lot of fuss. Of course, you could pre-roast or brown some bones, giblets and/or vegetables to make your own broth and create drippings before the big meal – but that’s more work than I’m willing to put in.
I’ve listed a lot of options here. Please, don’t use all of them at one time! Pick and choose based on what you have available, what flavour profile will go well with your meal and what tastes great to you.
- if using bouillon cubes, mix different flavours – eg. 1 cube chicken 1 cube beef
- add soy sauce for umami flavour and colour
- use a splash of acid like wine, wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar
- add intense flavour-rich sauces like fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Maggi, etc.
- add a spoonful of tomato paste
- add some Dijon or mustard powder
- toss in whole sprigs of herbs (easy to remove) (eg. rosemary, sage, thyme, bay leaves)
- sauté onions and mushrooms with your fat to build flavour (leave them in or strain them out)
- add dried mushroom powder or mushroom stock for more umami flavour
- try intensely flavoured nutritional yeast, miso paste or Marmite
- add your favourite spices – black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, etc.
Make your gravy your own – taste test along the way and add what you love. Here’s what some of my friends and family add to their gravy:
- dried herbs de provence (savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, lavender)
- a touch of butter or cream at the end for extra creamy smoothness
- fresh chopped garlic with the flour
- wine – red or white – whatever your having with dinner!
What Kind of Fat Can I Use To Make Gravy?
In addition to the flavour makers listed above, fat is important to great tasting gravy. In case you haven’t heard, gravy is not a low fat food! For rich, velvety smooth, incredibly tasty gravy, you need fat. Which fat you choose – is up to you:
- Butter. The classic choice for gravy. It adds a buttery flavor. Use either salted or unsalted butter.
- Turkey/Meat Fat. If you had drippings, you could skim the fat from the drippings and use that as your base.
- Oil. Great for vegetarian gravy. Use an oil that has a neutral flavour you can build on – not coconut oil.
- Bacon Fat. If you save bacon drippings, use them as the fat and flavour maker.
- Margarine or Dairy-Free Butter Spreads. Great for dairy free or vegan options. Remember the flavour comes through, so choose accordingly.
Gravy Making Ratios
Making gravy will become second nature if you keep the ratio of the three key base ingredients in mind (fat, starch, liquid). When you have the correct proportion of these ingredients and mix them together as indicated in the recipe, you’ll be able to make gravy with whatever you choose.
My go to ratio is: 2 Tbsp fat, 2-3 Tbsp flour for 2 cups liquid
Choose 2 Tbsp of flour if you like a thin gravy, choose 3 Tbsp for a thicker gravy. I usually use 3 Tbsp and will add more liquid if I want thinner gravy. It’s easier to thin out the gravy than it is thicken it – not that it’s difficult as mentioned below.
How Much Gravy to Make?
Calculate how much gravy to make based on roughly each person having a 1/2 cup of gravy. Multiply by the number of guests and you’ll know how much to make.
- 4 guests – make 2 cups of gravy
- 10 guests – make 5 cups of gravy
- 20 guests – make 10 cups of gravy
Gravy Troubleshooting Tips
Gravy too Thin
No problem, there are two ways to fix thin gravy.
- Simmer for a while longer to evaporate liquid. The gravy will get thicker and the flavours will intensify. That’s not a bad thing but your gravy could become too salty.
- Add a thickener. Combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or flour with 2-3 tablespoons of water in a little bowl. While whisking or stirring, add the slurry to the gravy and continually stir until it is well incorporated. Keep simmering and stirring until the gravy starts to thicken.
Gravy too Thick
Gravy thickens as it cools, so by the time everyone sits down and starts pouring, it will be thicker than when you were stirring it at the stove. When at the stove, your gravy should coat the back of a spoon without being thick and goopy. It should flow off the spoon not drip in blobs.
Gravy that’s too thick can easily be fixed by gradually adding a little stock, water or drippings. Always taste test after adding extra liquid and add extra seasoning as needed.
Gravy too Salty
It’s really hard to remove excess salty flavour from gravy, so be cautious about ingredients that are high in sodium throughout the process. Ingredients high in sodium include soup stock, soy sauce, bacon fat, drippings, miso paste and other sauces.
Also think about how flavour, including saltiness, intensifies as gravy cooks. If you do plan on adding salt to your gravy, wait until the very end of the cooking process and add a little bit at a time.
Consider using low sodium stock, unsalted butter and other low sodium ingredients when making your gravy. You can always add a little salt at the very end if it’s needed.
Gravy is Bland
You may just need to simmer it a little longer. As more liquid evaporates the flavour will intensify.
Add more seasoning and flavour makers as listed above.
Gravy Tastes Pasty
This comes from under cooked flour. When you add flour to the fat, stir constantly and let it cook for at least a minute or until the mixture turns golden and starts to smell nutty. Then, gradually add the liquid.
If you’re adding flour or cornstarch part way through the cooking process to thicken the gravy, make sure to cook the gravy thoroughly. Add the flour or cornstarch slurry and turn up the heat to simmer for several minutes until gravy thickens. If it gets too thick, add a little stock or water.
Gravy is Lumpy
Those lumps are bits of flour or starch that turn into little dough balls. To avoid them, carefully follow instructions for how to combine the fat and flour and how to add the liquid. DO NOT add flour, cornstarch or any starch directly into the gravy, always mix it with a little liquid first. When adding the liquid to the roux (the flour and fat paste) do so slowly and gradually (see video).
If your flour is particularly lumpy coming out of the package, sift it before using in your recipe.
To remove lumps pour gravy through a fine mesh strainer. Return it back to the pot and carry on – no one ever needs to know! This is another reason why making the gravy ahead of time, instead of five minutes before serving dinner is beneficial.
Another option is to put your lumpy gravy in a high speed blender to get out all the lumps.
Gravy is Greasy
Greasy gravy happens when the ratio of fat to starch is off. To fix it add more starch – either a flour or cornstarch slurry as described in the section on thin gravy. The starch will bind with the grease and you’ll be back in the gravy business! Of course, if you add more starch you may need to add more liquid and/or seasoning. Always check and taste test along the way.
How to Make Dairy Free Gravy
By avoiding butter in the roux, it’s easy to make gravy dairy free. Try these alternatives if not using drippings from a roast:
- use dairy free butter like Smart Balance or Earth Balance to make the roux
- use margarine, canola or olive oil (I don’t recommend coconut oil, unless you want tropical flavour!)
- use lard or bacon fat instead of butter
How to Make Vegan/Vegetarian Gravy
Know your ingredients. If you’re new to cooking vegan or vegetarian food, read ingredient labels carefully especially when it comes to sauces, condiments and packaged mixes.
Try the following vegan/vegetarian friendly fat, liquid and flavour makers:
- vegetable or mushroom soup stock – mushroom stock will add great umami flavour
- use a neutral oil for the fat to make your roux – try canola or olive oil
- choose herbs, mushrooms or mushroom powder, nutritional yeast, miso paste, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, etc. to build flavour
How to Make Gluten Free Gravy
It seems simple enough, avoid wheat flour in the roux and use cornstarch or a gluten free starch as a thickener. But which one is best? Here are some options to consider:
- Gluten free flour blends vary and the results may not be consistent due to the binders they use. This means results may not be consistent if using the recipe below. Your best bet is to test it out before company comes!
- If using cornstarch, don’t start with a roux. Instead mix a slurry of cornstarch and water (2 Tbsp cornstarch with 1/4 cup water) in a small cup and pour slowly into your hot liquid (2 cups soup stock/drippings) while whisking or stirring constantly. Simmer and stir until thickened. Taste and season as desired.
- Use sweet rice flour, white rice flour or amaranth flour to replace the wheat flour in the recipe below. According to Serious Eats, these are the best alternatives to flour when making a gluten free gravy.
- Just in case it needs to be said, avoid coconut or almond flour for making gravy – they just won’t work.
How to Store, Freeze and Use Leftover Gravy
Keep gravy in the fridge for no more than 2 days.
As long as you don’t add milk or other low fat dairy, you can freeze this gravy. Cool completely and pour into an airtight freezer container. Best used within 3 months.
Of course you can pour your leftover gravy over whatever you’re eating for breakfast (fried potatoes, hot biscuits, etc.) lunch or dinner. You can also add extra gravy into soups, stews or other saucy foods. It will dissolve into the other liquids and no one needs to know you put gravy in the chowder! Keep them guessing why it tastes so great!
Make-Ahead Gravy Recipe
Make-Ahead Gravy with No Drippings
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp of bacon fat
- 2-3 Tbsp of flour
- 2 cups soup stock
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary, thyme or sage
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp wine, wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar red or white
- favourite seasoning (garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, etc.) to taste
- favourite flavour makers (Worcestershire sauce, miso paste, marmite, mushroom powder, etc.) to taste
- 1/4 tsp salt to taste
Instructions
- In a small saucepan melt bacon fat.
- Sprinkle in flour and mix well. Let cook for a minute.
- While whisking constantly, gradually add in stock a little at a time. Whisk well between each addition of liquid to ensure a smooth, lump free sauce.
- Once all the liquid has been added, add fresh herbs, soy sauce, black pepper, wine, and your favourite seasoning and flavour makers (NOT salt). Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let cook on low without lid for 10-20 minutes until smooth and creamy. Stir occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- If gravy is too thin, continue cooking or add a cornstarch slurry to thicken. Mix 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 2-3 Tbsp water in a little cup. While whisking constantly, add slurry to gravy. Simmer and stir until gravy is desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- If gravy is too thick, stir in extra broth or water. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Remove herb sprigs.
- Add salt at the very end, just before serving if needed.
- Strain for extra smooth gravy. This will take out any bits of herbs, large pepper flakes and any flour lumps.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
How often do you make gravy? Is there anything about it that stresses you out? Let me know – I’d love to help you and others feel more confident making great tasting food. Please share your thoughts down below or post a photo on and tag #getgettys so I can see it and like it!