Easy Gravy Recipe
on Sep 29, 2023, Updated Oct 08, 2025
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Each year, my homemade gravy disappears in a matter of moments ⏰, even when I make a triple batch. I know how stressful holiday cooking can feel, so let me help you alleviate some stress with this easy gravy recipe. If you have yet to venture into the world of homemade gravy, prepare to be pleasantly surprised: the process is straightforward, yet yields incredibly flavorful results. Once you’ve experienced the richness of homemade gravy, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever turn back to the packaged stuff. A piece of advice: Double the recipe—believe me, it’s well worth it 😉.
Key Takeaways
- This easy gravy recipe is straightforward and yields rich, flavorful results that elevate Thanksgiving meals.
- You can customize it to be gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegetarian.
- Prepare the gravy in advance—refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze it for later use.
- Various ingredients like herbs, garlic, or mushrooms can enhance the flavor and create different variations.
- Adjustments in consistency are easy; just add more broth if too thick or simmer to thicken if too thin.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Easy Gravy Recipe
Homemade gravy is undeniably satisfying and it elevates your Thanksgiving meal to a whole new level. Unlike store-bought versions, this easy gravy recipe is rich, flavorful, and completely customizable. It can be made gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian. Plus, preparing it in advance saves you precious time and stress 😓 on the big day. If you plan on serving a Thanksgiving Turkey 🦃 or mashed potatoes this year, this gravy is a must for serving alongside.
This is a game changer! I have my gravy made, all I have to do is add the drippings. So easy!
– Christine
Ingredients
🧈 Butter: This all-purpose gravy recipe begins by making a “roux”—a fancy word for a simple concept: a mixture of butter and flour cooked together to form a thickener. Use unsalted butter so you can control salt levels.
🧂 Salt and Pepper: The MVPs of the kitchen, this basic seasoning adds flavor and balance to gravy.
🌾 Flour: Used as a thickening agent, flour is what gives gravy its spoonable consistency. Use all-purpose white flour or a gluten-free cup-for-cup flour. Be sure to whisk very well to avoid any flour clumps.
🥫 Unsalted Broth: Gravy is about 75% broth, so use homemade or high-quality store-bought. You want low-salt or no salt broth, so that your recipe doesn’t taste too salty. You can use any broth here: vegetable, chicken, turkey, beef, etc.
Nonna’s Tip 🧊
You can refrigerate the gravy for up to 4 days. On Thanksgiving Day, reheat it and consider adding some of the drippings from the turkey for an extra layer of flavor. Alternatively, you can freeze the gravy and defrost it the night before serving.
Variations and Substitutions for Easy Gravy Recipe
- Fresh or dried thyme, rosemary, sage 🌿, or even a pinch of paprika can add unique dimensions to your gravy.
- Sauté minced garlic or yellow onions in the butter before adding flour.
- Sauté sliced mushrooms 🍄 in the butter until they release their moisture and turn golden brown. Then, proceed with the gravy-making process for a delicious mushroom gravy.
- If you need a gluten-free option, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1-1 gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch. Be sure to adjust the amount accordingly as cornstarch is more potent than flour.
- You can use various types of broth depending on your preferences. Chicken 🐓, beef, vegetable, or turkey broth are all excellent choices.
Other Thanksgiving Recipes
- Mac and Cheese
- Cranberry Sauce
- Juicy Turkey
- Stuffing
- Sweet Potato Donuts
- Pumpkin Pie
- Brussels Sprouts
- Sweet Potatoes
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Squash
- Turkey Noodle Soup
- Butternut Squash Pasta
- Baked Apples
- Mushrooms
- Green Beans
- Whole Roasted Sweet Potato
Common Questions
Yes, you can certainly make this gravy in advance. In fact, it’s recommended to prepare it ahead of time to save time and reduce stress on Thanksgiving Day. You can refrigerate it for up to 4 days or freeze it and defrost it the night before serving.
If you don’t have homemade broth, you can use store-bought unsalted broth of your choice. Just be sure to select a high-quality option for the best flavor.
Absolutely. If your gravy is too thick, you can add a bit more broth to reach your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, simply simmer it a bit longer to reduce and thicken.
Yes, you can make this gravy gluten-free by substituting all-purpose flour with a 1-1 gluten-free flour or cornstarch. Just be aware that cornstarch is more potent than flour, so adjust the quantity accordingly.
To reheat the gravy on Thanksgiving Day, simply warm it gently on the stove. You can also incorporate some of the drippings from the turkey to enhance the flavor.
Yes, you can make the gravy ahead of time and freeze it. Ensure it’s fully cooled before freezing, and then defrost it in the refrigerator the night before you plan to use it.
Yes, you can use bouillon, but note that whether a paste, a powder, or a cube, bouillons are very salty. Do not add additional salt to the recipe. Following the directions on the label of the packaging, dissolve the bouillon into water before using it in the recipe. Check out my Homemade Chicken Bouillon Cubes Recipe.
Yes, you can make this easy gravy dairy-free by using a vegan butter or ghee (clarified butter).
Check out my Easy Homemade Chicken Broth recipe. You can also use Vegetable Stock Cubes or Homemade Chicken Bouillon Cubes.
This is a base recipe that can be adapted to different diets and preferences. Use dairy-free butter or ghee to make it dairy or lactose-free. Swap all-purpose for gluten-free flour. Add different seasonings to modify the flavor, such as sauteed garlic or fresh or dried herbs.
Easy Gravy Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, or gluten-free cup-for-cup flour
- 2 cups unsalted broth, homemade or store-bought: chicken, veggie, turkey, or beef broth
Instructions
- In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat until it shimmers. Season the butter with salt and black pepper, stirring to infuse the flavors for a few seconds.
- Next, add the flour to the melted butter and stir continuously. Continue to stir until the mixture reaches a playdoh-like consistency, about 30 seconds. The butter-flour mixture (called a roux) should be lightly browned and smell a bit nutty. If the mixture still has a raw flour smell, cook it for about 30 more seconds.
- Gradually incorporate the broth into the mixture, whisking as you add the liquid. Allow the mixture to thicken over medium-low heat for 6 to 10 minutes. For a thicker sauce, allow the gravy to continue to simmer and reduce for a few additional minutes, stirring occasionally. For a looser gravy, add about 1/2 cup more broth, and whisk to incorporate.
- Once the gravy has reached your desired thickness, serve at once or transfer it to a glass Tupperware container. Don't be concerned if it appears slightly runny; it will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Refrigerate the gravy for up to 4 days. On Thanksgiving Day, reheat the gravy in a saucepan and consider adding some of the drippings (fat that has cooked off the turkey and liquified in the baking dish) from the turkey for an extra layer of flavor. Alternatively, you can freeze the gravy and defrost it the night before for future use.
Nonna’s Notes
- Less Salt: Store-bought gravy and gravy concentrates or starter packets are loaded in sodium. My easy homemade gravy recipe keeps the sodium content low by using unsalted butter and low or salt-free broth.
- Which comes first: the gravy or the turkey? Some people swear by preparing their gravy in advance of Thanksgiving day, while others prefer to prepare it fresh, the day of. The benefit of making it in advance is less cooking on the day of entertaining. The benefit of making it the day of is that you can transfer your roasted turkey to a cutting board (or serving platter) and use the same roasting pan for cooking the gravy. All the turkey drippings can be used as a base, right alongside butter, to build the base of the gravy.
- Turkey Broth: To make a turkey broth, you can use the leftover carcass from a cooked turkey and cook it in the style of an Easy Homemade Chicken Broth.
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Easy and delicious! The will be perfect for Thanksgiving! Thank you!
Love this. Came from the same culinary school as you!
Haha! The BEST school! 😂
I was hesitant about this one. Glad I made it. I didn’t have to wait for my turkey to cook, as I usually do. Made the gravy ahead of time and it was scrumptious. Will make on repeat.
Soo happy this worked out for you, LupeV! Happy Thanksgiving 🦃💗
Can you please share the recipe for the broth you make?
Thanks!
Hi there 🙂
I don’t have a “recipe” you simply put veggies (whole celery, onion, carrots, garlic) and chicken (or beef) in a big pot with water, 1 bay leaf and salt and let it boil on medium-low for at least 1 hour. You can make beef broth if you use beef, chicken broth if you use chicken and veggie broth if you use veggies. You can also make turkey broth if you use a turkey drumstick from the store.
This is a game changer! I have my gravy made, all I have to do is add the drippings. So easy!