Beef Gravy Recipe

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Butter: Adds richness and provides the fat you need when making gravy without pan drippings.
• Beef broth or beef drippings: Drippings give you the most roasted beef flavor, but beef broth works very well when you don’t have them.
• Seasonings: Onion powder, garlic powder, beef bouillon, and black pepper give the gravy a deeper savory flavor.
• Cornstarch: This is my favorite thickener because it makes a smooth gravy without needing to make a flour roux.
• Cold water: Mixing the cornstarch with cold water before adding it to the hot broth prevents clumps.

Ingredient Additions and Substitutions

This gravy is easy to adjust depending on what you have in your kitchen and what you’re serving it with.

• Beef stock or bone broth: Either can replace beef broth. Just keep an eye on the salt level because brands vary quite a bit.
• Worcestershire sauce: Add a small splash if you want more savory beef flavor. Several readers have tried this with great results.
• Fresh herbs: Rosemary or thyme pair especially well with roast beef. Add a sprig while the gravy simmers and remove it before serving.
• Onion: Sauté finely chopped onion in the butter before adding the broth for a little more texture and flavor.
• Mushrooms: Sauté sliced mushrooms in butter, then continue with the recipe for an easy mushroom beef gravy.
• Red wine: If you have flavorful browned bits in your roasting pan, a small splash of dry red wine can be used to loosen them before adding the broth. Let the wine reduce before continuing.
• Flour: If you prefer flour instead of cornstarch, I recommend making a traditional roux rather than simply replacing the cornstarch in the slurry. See my guide on How to Make a Roux.
• Dairy-free butter: A dairy-free butter substitute can be used if needed. Be sure the broth and bouillon work for your dietary needs as well.
• Kosher salt: If you don’t want to use beef bouillon, season with kosher salt instead. You may lose a little of the concentrated beef flavor, but the gravy will still work.

How to Make Beef Gravy

This method works whether you have plenty of pan drippings, a small amount, or none at all.

1. Choose your gravy base. If you have beef drippings from a roast, use as much as you can and add beef broth as needed to reach the full amount of liquid. If you have no drippings, use beef broth and butter.

2. Heat the broth. Add the broth or drippings to a medium saucepan with the butter, onion powder, and garlic powder. Bring it to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce to a simmer. If your drippings contain plenty of fat, you can leave out the butter.

3. Make the cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the cornstarch with cold water until completely smooth. Don’t add dry cornstarch directly to hot gravy.

4. Thicken the gravy. While whisking the hot broth constantly, slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry a little at a time. I don’t pour it all in at once because you may not need every drop. Give the gravy a moment to thicken before adding more.

5. Simmer. Once the gravy reaches the consistency you want, keep it at a gentle simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes. This gives the gravy time to thicken completely and lets the seasonings come together.

6. Season and serve. Add beef bouillon and black pepper to taste. Since both broth and bouillon can be salty, taste before adding more. Serve hot over mashed potatoes, roast beef, rice, poutine, or your favorite beef dinner.

Recipe Tips

• Start with good broth. Since beef broth makes up most of the recipe, its flavor makes a big difference. If your broth tastes weak on its own, the finished gravy may also need more seasoning.
• Use all the drippings you can. If you’ve just cooked a roast, scrape up the browned bits along with the juices. There is a lot of flavor there.
• Taste drippings before seasoning. A well-seasoned roast can produce salty drippings, so wait until the end to add bouillon or additional salt.
• Always use cold water for the slurry. Cornstarch mixes much more smoothly with cold liquid.
• Add the slurry slowly. Cornstarch thickens quickly. You can always add more, but fixing gravy that is too thick takes more work.
• Keep whisking. Whisk while adding the slurry so the starch is evenly distributed throughout the gravy.
• Don’t aggressively boil the gravy after thickening. A gentle simmer is all it needs.
• For extra-smooth gravy, strain it. If you want a really smooth finish, pour it through a fine mesh strainer before serving.
• Make extra if your family loves gravy. At our house, gravy disappears quickly. I often make one and a half batches or double it when feeding a crowd.

Frequently Asked Questions

Troubleshooting Common Mistakes

• My gravy is too thin. Give it a minute or two at a gentle simmer before adding more thickener. Cornstarch doesn’t always thicken the second it hits the pan. If it is still too thin, mix a little additional cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water and slowly whisk it in.
• My gravy is too thick. Slowly whisk in warm beef broth a few tablespoons at a time until you reach the consistency you want.
• My gravy has lumps. This usually happens when dry cornstarch is added directly to the hot liquid or when the slurry is poured in too quickly. Whisk vigorously off the heat first. If that doesn’t solve it, pour the gravy through a fine mesh strainer.
• My gravy tastes bland. Add beef bouillon a little at a time. A small splash of Worcestershire sauce can also help. Taste after each addition so you don’t go from bland gravy to overly salty gravy.
• My gravy is too salty. Whisk in unsalted beef broth or a little water to dilute it. If you know your roast drippings are salty, use low-sodium or unsalted broth when topping off the liquid.
• My gravy looks greasy. This can happen when the pan drippings contain a large amount of rendered fat. Spoon off some of the excess fat before making the gravy, then continue with the recipe.

Make Ahead and Storage

If I know dinner is going to be busy, I’ll make this gravy ahead when I’m using beef broth rather than fresh drippings. Let it cool, transfer it to an airtight container, and refrigerate it promptly. For a conservative storage window, I use refrigerated beef gravy within 1 to 2 days. USDA’s beef-specific storage guidance lists cooked beef gravy or beef broth at 1 to 2 days refrigerated and 2 to 3 months frozen. 

To reheat gravy, place it in a saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk frequently until hot. If it has thickened in the refrigerator, whisk in a splash of warm beef broth.

You can also freeze beef gravy for 2 to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator, then reheat slowly on the stovetop while whisking. Cornstarch-thickened gravy can change texture slightly after freezing, but whisking it well as it reheats usually helps bring it back together.

Pairing Ideas

I love serving beef gravy as part of a classic comfort food dinner. Spoon it generously over creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes, then add a pan of Oven Roasted Vegetables for an easy, colorful side. Our soft and buttery Homemade Dinner Rolls are perfect for soaking up any extra gravy left on the plate. For dessert, finish the meal with our easy Chocolate Pudding Cake for a cozy Sunday dinner from start to finish.