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Serve up your next beef dinner with a gravy so good, you'll be sipping it like soup! My Beef Gravy Recipe uses beef drippings and roux to make a showstopping gravy. Plus, I've included two easy ways to make it: the slow cooker or on the stove!
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Homemade Beef Gravy
I'll be honest with you. Sometimes, the reason I make a beef roast is just to make beef gravy. Seeing those incredible, flavorful beef drippings at the bottom of the pan just waiting to be de-glazed and simmered into a mouthwatering gravy- is it any wonder I'm obsessed with making the best beef gravy?
After hundreds of attempts and many hours of trial and error, I came to realize one thing: the best gravy is the simplest one. All it takes is beef drippings or a good quality stock, a simple roux, and salt and pepper. It's that simple.
And better yet, it's the easiest gravy you'll ever make. Whip up a roux, pour it into either a slow cooker or a pan on the stove, add in hot broth, and let it sit- and prepare to be slathering everything you eat with it for days. Seriously, you'll be amazed.
Beef Gravy with Drippings Ingredients
- Beef drippings*
- Butter
- Flour
- Salt and pepper
*You can also use a quality beef stock in place of drippings, but drippings will give the best flavor.
There are two easy ways to make this easy beef gravy recipe! You can easily make beef gravy in the slow cooker or on the stove, depending on how much time you have.
I love making it right in the slow cooker after making a slow cooked roast - or pouring the drippings from an oven roast right into a pan! Either way, you're making it all in one pot so you won't have to worry about dishes.
How to Make Beef Gravy
Crock Pot Beef Gravy
- Pour the beef drippings (or beef stock) into the slow cooker, and set the heat to HIGH.
- While it's heating, make a roux by melting butter in a pan and adding the flour. Whisk frequently until bubbling, about 3-5 minutes.
- Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot broth into the roux, whisking continuously.
- Once it's smooth and well combined, pour the roux mixture into the slow cooker.
- Stir well with a whisk, then cover and let cook on high until nice and thick, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Uncover, cool, and serve!
Beef Gravy on the Stove
- Start off making a roux by first adding the butter to a medium saucepan to melt, then add in the flour. Whisk well until bubbling and combined, about 3-5 minutes.
- Once the roux is complete, slowly add 1 cup of the beef drippings or broth, whisking continuously.
- Add the rest of the drippings and whisk until smooth, then let simmer over medium heat until hot and thickened to your desired consistency, about 10-15 minutes. Remove, and serve!
Beef Gravy from Roast Tips
- Make sure not to cook the roux too long. If the flour starts to darken, it can lose some of its ability to thicken the gravy.
- Too thick? Add a little more broth! Not thick enough? Keep on simmering the gravy and it'll get thicker as it cooks.
- While this gravy really shines with pan drippings from beef, you can always use beef broth or beef bouillon. If using broth, make sure to season with salt and pepper to enhance the flavor- drippings likely won't need more seasonings!
- This super-easy gravy tastes amazing with extra add-ins! I love adding sauteed onions and mushrooms to my beef gravy. You can also add in fresh herbs or a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
- Serve this gravy over everything from pot roast to poutine french fries and steakhouse mashed potatoes. It's good with everything!
Dietary Restrictions and Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: Swapping out the flour 1:1 with gluten-free flour makes a delicious gluten-free roux for gravy! If you don't have any gluten free flour, whisk together 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon water, then pour it into the hot broth and whisk well.
- Dairy Free: If you can't have butter, swap the roux out for a cornstarch slurry! Mix 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon water, then add to the hot broth and whisk.
- Beef Gravy with Broth: No pan juices? No problem! Beef broth or even chicken broth will also work used instead. If you're using broth, I recommend adding ¼-½ teaspoon dried garlic and dried onion to enhance the flavor.
Brown Gravy Recipe FAQ
The secret to good beef gravy is all in the drippings! Using beef drippings will make for gravy so unbelievably flavorful, you'll be scraping every last drop from the pan. But if you don't have drippings, adding seasonings to a quality stock makes a delicious gravy, too.
Bland beef gravy can be saved! To make beef gravy taste better, add in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice, such as thyme. Simmer it over low with extra broth or stock and let it thicken so all the flavors are concentrated for a flavor boost you'll be shocked by.
Corn starch and flour are both excellent ways to thicken gravy, but with slightly different results. Flour will make a thicker, stickier gravy that acts more like a thick soup. Cornstarch is a little more like a jelly, and won't make the broth quite as opaque.
For beef gravy, your best bet is to use a good beef stock, as it includes more of the thickening agents from boiled bones and an overall deeper flavor profile. If all you can find is broth, it will work too! Just make sure to adjust the level of thickness to your tastes, and add extra seasonings for flavor.
Sauces for Beef
- Bearnaise Sauce: Rich, creamy, delicate, and totally luxurious- and now, easier than ever to make at home!
- Homemade BBQ Sauce: Tangy, spicy, smoky BBQ flavored exactly the way you like it!
- Red Wine Reduction: Sometimes, simple is best! This red wine reduction just takes red wine and beef drippings to make a mouthwatering sauce for beef.
- Horseradish Sauce: This creamy sauce is full of bite and flavor you won't want to serve beef without!
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📋 Recipe
Beef Gravy Recipe
Equipment
- Slow cooker or Pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups Beef drippings or beef stock
- ¼ cup Unsalted butter
- ¼ cup Flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Pour the beef drippings (or beef stock) into the slow cooker, and set the heat to HIGH. While it's heating, make a roux by melting butter in a pan and adding the flour. Whisk frequently until bubbling, about 3-5 minutes.2 cups Beef drippings, ¼ cup Unsalted butter, ¼ cup Flour
- Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot broth into the roux, whisking continuously. Once it's smooth and well combined, pour the roux mixture into the slow cooker.
- Whisk well, then cover and let cook on high until nice and thick, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Uncover, season, cool, and serve!Salt and pepper
Stovetop Instructions
- Start off making a roux by first adding the butter to a medium pot to melt, then add in the flour. Whisk well until bubbling and combined, about 3-5 minutes.¼ cup Unsalted butter, ¼ cup Flour
- Once the roux is complete, slowly add 1 cup of the beef drippings or broth, whisking continuously.2 cups Beef drippings
- Add the rest of the drippings and whisk until smooth, then let simmer over medium heat until hot and thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Remove, and serve!Salt and pepper
Video
Notes
- Make sure not to cook the roux too long. If the flour starts to darken, it can lose some of its ability to thicken the gravy.
- Too thick? Add a little more broth! Not thick enough? Keep on simmering the gravy and it'll get thicker as it cooks.
- While this gravy really shines with beef drippings, you can always use beef broth. If using broth, make sure to season with salt and pepper to enhance the flavor- drippings likely won't need more seasonings!
- This super-easy gravy tastes amazing with extra add-ins! I love adding sauteed onions and mushrooms to my beef gravy.
Nutrition
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