Brown Gravy Recipe - No Drippings Needed! (2024)

FAQs

Do flour and water make gravy? ›

(You can also start with a slurry of flour and water—equal amounts flour and cold water whisked together—if you want.) Whisk the gravy while slowly adding liquid: Slowly add stock, water, milk, cream, or a combination to the pan, whisking vigorously to dissolve the flour into liquid.

Supplement with Sautéed Vegetables

Soft, fragrant, sautéed vegetables lend a sweet, earthy, warm flavor to your store-bought gravy. Use any combination of onions, leeks, shallots, celery, carrots, and mushrooms cooked in butter, olive oil, or pan drippings.

What is the difference between brown gravy and beef gravy? A brown gravy comes from any brown stock, whereas beef gravy always comes from beef stock specifically. In other words, all beef gravy is a brown gravy but not all brown gravy is beef gravy.

Brown gravy is a sauce traditionally made from drippings from roasted meat. It's served alongside meat as well as roasted vegetables. It can also be made from beef stock and thickened with a roux made of flour and butter.

Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour, so it's best to go slowly and add a little at a time until the gravy reaches your desired consistency. The best way to do that is to make a slurry of one tablespoon cornstarch to one cup of cool stock, whisked together.

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

To make dark brown beef gravy, cook the roux even longer (but at a lower temperature) until it's a dark color with a nutty aroma. Then use beef broth or beef juices to make your gravy.

Does KFC use brown gravy or chicken gravy? Technically, it's a brown gravy with some leftover chicken bits from their fried chicken mixed in. To replicate that flavor in our KFC gravy recipe, we use beef bouillon in addition to a bit of chicken broth.

What is the American version of gravy? ›

In the United States, gravy is usually brown and made from pan drippings (the fat, rendered out of meat) mixed with flour or cornstarch. Milk, broth or water are also common liquids used to make gravy.

The fast food chain confirmed to Vice back in 2018 that stock is used to create the gravy. While there were no specific details about what goes into it, Mashed deduced that the gravy likely uses a blend of chicken and beef stock to create the rich flavor.

Melt butter in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add flour and whisk constantly until mixture is golden caramel color and smells fragrant (3-5 minutes). Slowly whisk in liquids, while whisking, until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened and bubbly, 5 minutes or longer.

She reveals that the finger-licking dressing is made using the leftover juices and chicken scraps found at the bottom of the chicken fryers, a substance she calls “crackling”.

Add Herbs. Try thyme, sage, chopped parsley, a teeny bit of tarragon, and some chives. When using fresh herbs, add them toward the end of cooking. Lemon verbena, lavender, rosemary, basil, and mint for simple syrups.

Flour Slurry

This will help make sure you don't get lumps in your gravy, stew, or soup! Place 3-4 tablespoons flour and ½ cup water or broth into a jar, shake VERY well to eliminate lumps. Whisk into boiling liquid until you reach desired consistency.

If you mix flour and a good deal of water together and then boil the resulting slurry together, you could end up with anything from a flavorless, bland sauce/gravy (lots of water) to a flavorless, bland pudding or paste.

When combined, flour and water create a dough that can be shaped and baked into a variety of delicious treats. Whether you're a professional baker or just starting out, understanding the role of flour and water in your recipes is crucial for creating delicious and satisfying baked goods.