Easy Homemade Gravy
This easy homemade gravy is perfect for all your holiday roasts, and you can use it for turkey, chicken, or beef. In just 30 minutes, I cook this gravy with fresh herbs, vegetables, and stock, and the best part is that I do not have to use drippings to get a fantastic flavor.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup rendered fat, butter, oil, or lard
- 1 peeled and small diced shallot
- 1 small diced celery stalk
- 1 peeled and small diced carrot
- 2 finely minced garlic
- 3-4 parsley stems with leaves
- 3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups stock or rendered meat juices
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the fat to a roasting pan or pot over medium heat.
- Place in the shallots, celery, carrots, garlic, parsley, thyme, and rosemary and lightly brown while stirring every 20 to 30 seconds, which takes about 5 minutes.
- Next, stir in the flour until it is completely combined to make a roux.
- Pour in the stock or meat juices and turn the heat to high while stirring to mix in the roux while occasionally stirring.
- Once the mixture is to a boil and is thick, turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, and then strain the mixture through a chinois or fine mesh strainer and serve it.
- Optionally sprinkle on some fresh chopped parsley, thyme, and rosemary.
Notes
Something I recommend that is totally worth the extra step is warming your stock before adding it to the pot. When the liquid is warm, it blends smoothly with the flour and fat, which helps prevent lumps and gives the gravy a silky texture. I always heat the stock in a small saucepan first, and it really improves the texture.
Prep ahead: For holiday meals, I like to prep the mirepoix one or two days early. It saves time and lets me enjoy more moments with family and guests.
Swap herbs: I substitute fresh herbs with dry herbs using a simple 1:1 ratio. It works well when I do not have fresh herbs on hand.
Gluten free option: For a gluten free version, I mix 4 teaspoons of arrowroot with 4 teaspoons of water. It thickens the gravy nicely.
Use resting time: While my protein is resting after roasting, I make the gravy. It fits perfectly into the cooking schedule.
Add sage for turkey: When I make gravy for a holiday turkey, I add 3 to 4 fresh sage leaves with the other herbs.
Strain well: I always strain the gravy through a fine mesh strainer. This gives me a smooth and silky finish.
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 3 days ahead of time. Keep cool until ready to use.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze this, but the sauce may break, and you will need to rethicken it.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of velouté to a small saucepot and heat over low heat until hot. You may need to rethicken it using a small amount of roux.
Nutrition
Calories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 2gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 1089mgPotassium: 112mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3603IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg