If you’ve ever had a beef roast at a restaurant and loved the sauce, you’ll love this recipe. This hearty gravy is perfect for serving over mashed potatoes, biscuits or even rice. It’s also great for topping homemade meatloaf or hamburgers on a bun. Serve it with anything that needs to be moistened up with rich goodness!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped finely
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk of your choice (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons flour
Flour is a key ingredient in brown gravy and will help thicken the sauce. You can use white or whole wheat flour, but we recommend using cornstarch instead if you’re looking for more of a gluten-free option. The amount of flour you add depends on how much liquid you have, but generally speaking 1 tablespoon will thicken 1 cup (8 ounces) of broth or other liquid by about 1/4 cup.
3/4 cup milk, or as needed
In order to get the right consistency, you’ll want to start with 3/4 cup milk. If you want a thinner gravy, add more milk until it’s just right.
Gravy can be made with any kind of fat or oil–butter is a popular choice because it gives the gravy an earthy flavor that goes well with turkey and mashed potatoes. But if you want a healthier dish (and who doesn’t), try using olive oil instead!
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Don’t over-salt. If you’re using store-bought gravy, it’s likely that your gravy is already salted so you may not need any additional salt at all. If you have time and are feeling adventurous, try making your own brown gravy recipe (see below) with less salt than in this recipe; then add more later if needed.
- Don’t add too much salt! You can always add more later on if needed but once it’s added there’s no taking it back out again–and nobody wants a mouthful of salty mush when eating their Thanksgiving dinner!
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
You can use any type of pepper in this recipe, or a mixture of different peppers. I like to use black peppercorns because they’re strong and have a fruity flavor. You may also want to try using white peppercorn or Sichuan peppercorn if you like spicy food.
1/3 cup butter (melted)
1/3 cup butter (melted)
This is not a time to skimp on the butter. You want to use real, honest-to-goodness butter here, not margarine or vegetable oil. Why? Because those substitutes won’t give you that rich flavor you seek. Just be sure not to pour in too much–a little bit goes a long way!
Conclusion
Now that you know how to make brown gravy, it’s time to make some!
