Learn how to make gravy without drippings today. This easy homemade gravy recipe makes a perfect batch of gravy every time, with a handful of simple ingredients. Perfect for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Do you need to make gravy, but don't have drippings? Maybe you're deep frying a turkey this year, or want to make gravy the day before Thanksgiving to free up space on the stove.
Don't worry! You can make a great tasting gravy without drippings. Plus, this gravy is easy to make ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze until the big day.
I've also included my "Thanksgiving gravy" which includes a handful of extra ingredients that add flavor and depth to your gravy. Serve your gravy alongside a batch of creamy mashed potatoes.
Or try my new spicy cajun gravy, made with your favorite hot sauce!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Broth or stock - any flavor of broth or stock will work in this recipe. Chicken, turkey, beef, pork, or vegetable broth will all work great. If you're using low sodium broth, you may want to add additional seasoning, like a dash of poultry seasoning, dried sage, or dried thyme (assuming you're steering clear of added salt). Or try my Thanksgiving gravy variation included in the recipe card.
- Butter - Unsalted butter and salt can be substituted with salted butter.
- Flour - Necessary to make a roux. This is what thickens your gravy. Be sure to whisk well to get rid of any lumps.
- Additional seasoning - A basic gravy is seasoned with salt and pepper. Additional seasoning that works well in gravy: dried thyme, dried sage, Italian seasoning, or poultry seasoning. Try adding a pinch at a time and taste testing to find the perfect flavor for you.
For added depth of flavor, try the Thanksgiving variation in the recipe card. This version includes minced onion, garlic, and poultry seasoning.
For a hot gravy, try my spicy Cajun gravy recipe.
Tips and tricks
Whisking - This is an extremely important step in making a good gravy. This ensures that your gravy remains smooth and lump free. I don't recommend making gravy without a whisk. My favorite whisks: OXO flat whisk (shown above) or OXO balloon whisk.
Making a roux - In a sauté pan or saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until combined and no lumps remain. What you've just made is called a roux. A roux is equal parts butter and flour mixed together and is used to thicken sauces, gravies, and soups.
Making your gravy - To make a gravy, slowly add broth to the roux, whisking constantly. This ensures that your gravy does not get lumpy. Your gravy will look thin at this point - this is normal. Cook the gravy until desired thickness is achieved. The longer you cook your gravy, the thicker it becomes.
Pan too hot? - If your gravy feels like it's sticking to the bottom of the pan, turn the heat down slightly - your pan is too hot. Continuous whisking also helps to prevent gravy from sticking to the pan.
Salt last - I like to leave the salt for last for two reasons. Your broth or stock likely already contains some sodium. Also, everyone has a different taste for salt, so I'd like for you to season it to suit your tastes. You're the one enjoying this homemade gravy, after all. Remove the gravy from the heat and do a taste test. If it needs more salt, add more until you are happy with the taste.
Use a gravy boat - Shown in the photos is a Le Creuset 12 ounce Gravy Boat in White, which fits one batch of gravy perfectly.
Frequently asked questions
Shown here with my creamy mashed potatoes recipe. I also love to make gravy to pair with southern cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving.
Drippings are the fat that has dripped off of your meat while cooking. If you're making gravy for your Thanksgiving turkey, for example, you'd reserve the fat and juices that collect in the bottom of the pan while your turkey roasts.
After allowing the fat and juices to separate, you'd then use a portion of the fat (instead of butter that we use in this recipe), and the juices (instead of, or in addition to, a stock or broth), to make your gravy.
Using drippings and juices from meat you've just made is an easy way to add tons of flavor to your gravy. The drippings include any flavor you've seasoned your meat with, as well as flavorful juices from the meat itself.
To prevent lumps in gravy, use a whisk to slowly incorporate the broth with the roux. If your finished gravy still has lumps, pour it through a fine mesh sieve before serving.
A serving of gravy ranges between ⅓ to ½ cup. For a hearty dinner like Thanksgiving, I recommend erring on the side of caution and preparing about ½ cup of gravy per person. This recipe can easily be adjusted to make more gravy as needed. Keep in mind that doubling or tripling this recipe may require longer cooking time.
Yes, your gravy can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. You can also freeze gravy for up to three months in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container. When freezing any liquid, be sure to leave at least an inch of space at the top. Liquids will expand in the freezer, so you'll want to give it a little extra space when filling your container.
If frozen, transfer your gravy from the freezer to the refrigerator the night beforehand to thaw.
Pour your gravy into a saucepan and warm over medium heat. Whisk until warmed through. You may need to add a small amount of water to thin your gravy as it continues to thicken as it steams.
Adding more broth or stock adds more sodium to your already seasoned gravy, which is why I suggest adding water instead. Otherwise, you may end up with an over-seasoned, salty gravy.
This recipe makes about 2 cups of gravy, which can feed 4 to 6 people. For Thanksgiving, I'd recommend preparing about ½ cup of gravy per person.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
How To Make Gravy Without Drippings
Ingredients
Basic gravy
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 16 ounces (453 g) broth, chicken, turkey, or vegetable
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
Thanksgiving gravy (optional additions)
- ½ small onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Instructions
Basic gravy
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
- Whisk in flour until no lumps remain. Cook for one minute.
- Slowly add broth to pan, whisking to incorporate. Add pepper and whisk to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, for about 5-7 minutes, or until desired thickness is achieved.
- Remove pan from heat and season with salt to taste.
Thanksgiving gravy
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add minced onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Whisk in flour until no lumps remain. Cook for one minute.
- Slowly add broth to pan, whisking continuously. Add poultry seasoning and pepper, whisking to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, for about 5-7 minutes, or until desired thickness is achieved.
- Remove pan from heat and season with salt to taste.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Gravy can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to 3 months.
- If frozen, transfer your gravy from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before serving to thaw.
- Reheating gravy: Pour gravy into a saucepan and warm over medium heat. Whisk until warmed through. Add water as needed if gravy is too thick.
- Don't have poultry seasoning? Try adding a combination of thyme, rosemary, and sage instead.
- Chicken broth can be substituted with any type of broth you have on hand, like turkey, beef, pork, or vegetable broth.
- How much gravy do you need per person? Plan to prepare between ⅓ to ½ cup of gravy per person, erring on the higher end for holidays like Thanksgiving.
- If doubling or tripling this recipe, gravy will take longer to cook and thicken.
Thanks so much, delicious recipe. But I accidentally put too much salt - what should I do? Add milk?
Yes, a bit of milk, half & half, or a dollop of sour cream can help balance the flavor.
I was asked to make potatoes and gravy for church thanksgiving.
Thank you so much for helping me out.
Your ideas are great and will use them.
You mention that the recipe makes 4 servings. Is that 4-1 cup servings?
Hi Jeanine, this recipe makes about 2 cups of gravy total.
Thank you for getting back to me!
Happy Thanksgiving!🦃
Can I use the poultry seasoning but leave out the onion and garlic in the Thanksgiving Gravy?
Of course, the Thanksgiving additions are all optional to add more flavor. Onion and garlic could also be substituted with onion powder and garlic powder if desired.
Thanks Heather. I have onion powder and granulated garlic. I believe I read where you said 1/2 tsp of onion powder and 1/4 tsp of garlic powder. Could I use 1/4 tsp of granulated garlic in place of garlic powder. I’m doubling the recipe, should I double all of the additions.
Hi Sharon, yes granulated garlic will work, and yes I'd double all of the additions if you're doubling the entire recipe. You can click on the 'servings' number in the recipe card and a bar will pop up to scale the ingredients for you.
Great gravy recipe!! I lost my old one and this was similar. I doubled it. Put in fresh thyme and cooked minced garlic. Was a great hit!! Cleaning up, I was savoring the last bits of gravy. Thank you!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Hello!
For the thanksgiving gravy, can we substitute onion and garlic powder instead? How much of onion and garlic powder do you recommend?
Hi Christine, I haven't tried this recipe with garlic and onion powders but they should work just fine. I'd recommend starting with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder and adding additional to taste.
Fantastic recipe for turkey gravy. I was so disappointed when I found out that there was no drippings from the turkey breast. I air fried it and it turned out good and tender, but I am a gravy man and I thought I was gonna have to do without until I found your recipe. It turned out great and my turkey was smothered with some of the best gravy that I have ever eaten. Thank you so much for posting your recipe.
I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty this gravy was. It was easy to make, and looked like I had spent hours simmering bones and collecting pan drippings. I used the vegetarian Better Than Bouillon paste for the broth, so didn’t need any additional salt.
I will definitely make this again when I find myself with enough turkey to make sandwiches, but no leftover gravy.
My first time too. Easy and delicious!!!
I added a little bit of gravy master to give it some color.
I’m giving this five stars because I have never been able to make a delicious gravy from scratch. Truth is, I always relied on packets and jars. The thought of using the drippings just didn’t work for me. I used this recipe, substituting the butter for olive oil. I used white whole wheat flour and unsalted chicken stock. It was the poultry seasoning, minced onion, and garlic, and the black pepper that made this gravy the best. I did add a lot more chicken stock to make it thinner, and I added some fine sea salt sparingly. Oh, and I sprinkled quite a bit of dried parsley at the end. Honestly, this was the best gravy I’ve ever made. I will use this as a base for chicken and turkey pot pie. A great revelation for me and a great find. Thank you!
Thanksgiving version is super easy and tasty. I made ahead and left sprigs of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary and sage) in the gravy until we were ready to reheat and eat and turned out lovely.
Thanks for this! I had a last-minute Thanksgiving and this was perfect.
simple to prepare, delicious with sliced breast and mashers. I always add the savory spices.
This really was an easy, delicious recipe and alternative to a gravy with drippings. The addition of the poultry seasoning made a big difference I wound up tripling the recipe because we have a big crowd coming for the holidays.
Perfect quick gravy! I made this for dinner tonight after realizing I was out of gravy packets. I'm glad I was and that I made this instead. Soooo much better! Thank you for sharing!
This gravy rocks! Doubled the recipe - no problem. I also added 1/8 tsp onion powder, garlic powder and italian seasoning with the flour/pepper and used Better than Boullion Chicken flavor. SO GOOD!! This is my new go to recipe for gravy without drippings - thank you!
This recipe is amazing! Thank you for posting it. Since we’re smoking our turkey we won’t have pan drippings. You would never be able to tell that it wasn’t made from pan drippings.
Has anyone ever substituted wondra instead of all purpose flour? Any suggestions on doing that?
Hi Emily, I haven't tried making this recipe with Wondra. However after a little research, it looks like flour could be substituted with Wondra at a 1:1 ratio. Here is a beef broth gravy using Wondra (beef broth could be substituted with any broth you have on hand): https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/beef/beef-broth-gravy.html
I've never made this gravy recipe, but I use Wondra every time I make gravy, so I'm sure it will work here. It whisks up so much easier than flour. I'm looking forward to using this gravy recipe this year on my turkey breast.
Do you think I can use an immersion blender instead of straining the gravy?
Yes, that would also work!
Oh my goodness! So easy & so tasty! I used the better than bouillon chicken broth with the Thanksgiving version. I used a lot less onion than it called for and it still came out very tasty! I tried this out yesterday as I was looking for a gravy to make for Thanksgiving next week. This is it!!! I will triple it next week for Thanksgiving Dinner and will make it one day ahead of time! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!!
I'm sorry to say this, but it tasted overly much like flour. I will keep looking for a good gravy recipe.
Hi JD, it sounds like maybe the flour wasn't cooked long enough. If you have a finished batch of gravy that tastes too floury, one solution is to place it back over medium heat and continue cooking for another five minutes or so, adding more broth as needed to thin the gravy out.
Can you use turkey broth instead of chicken broth? Since its turkey gravy? Just wondering why chicken broth
Hi Berri, any type of broth can be used in this recipe. I use chicken broth because it is much more common at grocery stores - sometimes I can't find turkey broth at all. If you have turkey broth on hand, it will work great!
This is now my go to gravy
Best one I’ve tried
Thank you
Yum. Love the subtle qualities.
I am going to try this this week and wonder if I could double or triple the recipe successfully, to have 4 or 6 cups of gravy. Thanks!
Hi Karen, I have doubled this recipe before without issues. You should be able to triple it as well!
Thank you very much! Happy holidays to you. If the gravy is amazing I'll be back to let you know.
Can I reheat this in the microwave instead of on the stove?
I haven't tried reheating in the microwave but it should work just fine.
I just didn't care for this. Tasted of to much onion to me. Thank you anyhow.
This recipe saved our Thanksgiving meal today! I followed the Thanksgiving Gravy recipe and it was perfectly flavored. Will make again the next time we do not have the turkey or chicken drippings.. Thank you!!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made this today for Thanksgiving. I added some giblets (chopped up boiled chicken thighs for me). It was perfect!
Great recipe. I used better than bouillon chicken broth and made the Thanksgiving gravy. I saited the onions a little longer so my gravy would have more color. Turned out delicious. Very creamy and smooth.
I'm excited to try this recipe! If I make it ahead of time, can I add some of the turkey drippings while I'm re-heating it? I'm making Alton Brown's turkey recipe, which is known to be excellent but also people have said that you get very few drippings, so I wanted to make sure I have a recipe that doesn't require a lot of drippings. Just wondering if I can add whatever drippings there are though.
Hi Emily, that should work just fine! I would wait to add salt to your gravy until you add your drippings, just in case you get enough seasoning from the drippings alone. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for the advice, and this recipe! It came out really delicious! I made it the night before, and then reheated it Thanksgiving day after the turkey came out. As the turkey recipe said, it didn't produce many drippings, but I poured what drippings there were into this gravy, and it gave it a little extra color and flavor. Thank you for the great & adaptable recipe!
Ypu can also add some chicken broth (I use about 3/4- 1 carton) to the bottom of your roasting pan to help prevent the drippings from cooking off. When the turkey is done, pour the broth/ drippings into a fat separator and make gravy from that, adding additional broth if needed. I do that with Alton Brown's recipe and it ensures you get the most out of any drippings.
This turned out delicious, made fried chicken and wanted gravy for my mash potatoes, the onion was the star flavoring in this for me, I ended up straining it due to impossible tiny lumps of flour (never had luck with that) lol I will be saving this recipe!!
Something that helps me if there are lumps in the gravy, is putting it in the blender and pulsing until the lumps are gone!
Just like Thanksgiving!!
Made this gravy tonight using some homemade chicken stock and it turned out very tasty. 🙂
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Never made gravy before, this was surprisingly easy. I made the Thanksgiving version with mashed potatoes for dinner and it was so good. Thanks!