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

FAQs

How do I make my gravy more brown? ›

Add the chicken broth, beef broth, beef bouillon, onion and garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine. Optional: If a darker color is desired, add 2-3 drops of Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce. (Gravy Master works well too.)

Supplement with Sautéed Vegetables

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.

Melt butter in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add flour and whisk constantly until mixture is golden caramel color and smells fragrant (3-5 minutes). Slowly whisk in liquids, while whisking, until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened and bubbly, 5 minutes or longer.

Alternatively, if you do not wish to use the pan drippings, you can simply pour the warmed stock directly into the roux. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens and boils. Add salt and Kitchen Bouquet® to enhance the flavor and give your gravy a rich brown color.

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.

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.

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.)

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 difference between country style gravy and brown gravy? ›

It turns out, the biggest difference between the two is brown gravy is broth-based, while white gravy typically has a milk or cream base. Garcia said both types usually have flour or cornstarch for thickening and they both contain some sort of “fat or meat drippings.”

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.

Gravy is a sauce often made from the juices of meats that run naturally during cooking and often thickened with corn starch or other thickeners for added texture.

Dark roux

That dark roux can be used as a browning sauce substitute because it will add a similar taste and color to your recipe, enhancing the depth without adding too much thickening power. It's important to note that roux is made with flour, so using it as a substitute means your dish will no longer be gluten-free.

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.

Brown gravy is usually made with the drippings of whatever meat you cooked (roast, chicken, turkey etc..), and spices. It could also be made from stock if not using meat. A white gravy is more cream based, so you'd use cream, and butter, some flour perhaps.. some may even use mushroom soup or the like.