Includes easy to follow step by step instructions for making gravy. Start with pan drippings from any meat and make deliciously simple homemade gravy.
The foundation of gravy: pan drippings
Do you know what pan drippings are? The little bits of seasoned goodness left behind when roasting or pan frying meat is what we call pan drippings.
In these photos we had cooked our favorite country fried steak recipe and what you see is what remains after almost all of the oil has been drained off. These are the pan drippings.
You could also make your gravy from a beef roast that has been cooked on the stovetop (pot roast) or in a roasting pan in the oven. Baked or fried chicken leaves behind the flavorful beginnings of homemade gravy too, as does a roasted turkey.
Maybe it’s not the most beautiful sight to you, but we see lots of flavor in this brown “mess”.
Step 2 of making gravy
Next you will want to mix liquid and thickener. We used plain water in this illustration, but you could certainly use broth or stock. Do you know the difference? We have a post that explains what that difference is as well as how to make stock.
If you use broth or stock just be sure to check before adding any more salt. We don’t want you to end up with gravy that’s too salty.
If you like a creamy gravy you could use milk instead of water or stock. Or, use a combination. Try it different ways and see what your family likes best.
The thickener we always recommend is all purpose flour. We know that many people make gravy with cornstarch, but here in the south flour is king! We think cornstarch is actually too smooth. It’s better suited for making sauces.
Mix the liquid and flour together and stir until no lumps remain. A good rule of thumb on proportions is about 2 Tablespoons of flour for every cup of liquid. Two cups of liquid and 4 Tablespoons of flour should be about right for a 10-12 inch skillet or a roasting pan, but you can adjust to your needs.
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We recommend a small whisk for this task and this little tool will come in handy so many other times. If you don’t have one in your kitchen, you may want to order one.
The next step
Add the combined liquid and thickener to your pan with the pan drippings. Letting the pan cool a bit prevents the gravy from thickening up too fast.
For the purposes of making sure you could see each step we made this gravy in a light colored non-stick pan. Typically, though, we would cook country fried steak or fried chicken in an iron skillet.
Not using a non-stick surface ensures even more flavorful pan drippings are left behind.
The last step in making gravy
Turn the heat under your pan to about medium and stir constantly. Be sure to get every little bit of pan drippings off the bottom and sides of the pan. A full sized whisk is a great tool to use here.
Keep stirring until the gravy has thickened. Depending on how fast your stove heats up this can take anywhere from 2 minutes to 7 or 8 minutes.
That’s it! You’ve not got basic, flavorful gravy to serve with your meat, over mashed potatoes or rice, or over biscuits. Our signature 3 Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits would make the perfect place to spoon some of this gravy. That’s the best of all worlds right there!
Can gravy be made ahead of time?
A lot of people ask this question. The answer is absolutely yes! Gravy is perfectly fine made before you actually plan to serve it.
If it’s going to be more than an hour or two it should be refrigerated. Then you can safely keep it for several days before serving.
When it’s time to serve just heat it over medium low to low heat, stirring frequently. If it got a little too thick you can add water, stock, or milk a bit at the time until it’s the consistency you want.
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Gravy is not exclusively a southern treat, but it is well loved here in the south. For an in depth look at our favorite cuisine be sure to check out Southern Food: Then & Now.
How to Make Gravy from Scratch
Ingredients
- 1-3 Tablespoons pan drippings from cooking meat
- 2 cups water, stock or broth, or milk
- 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Let pan with pan drippings cool.
- Mix flour and liquid together in a separate container and stir with whisk until no lumps remain.
- Add flour/liquid mixture to pan with pan drippings and turn heat to medium.
- Stir constantly, making sure to scrape bottom and sides of pan to incorporate all pan drippings. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
- When gravy is thickened reduce heat to keep warm or turn heat off and reheat at serving time.
Notes
If you make this or any of our recipes we’d love for you to leave us a comment and star rating. If you’re into sharing your creations, snap a photo and tag us when you post it to Facebook or Instagram.
More recipes to try
Peanut Butter Pie 
Southern Fried Shrimp 
Dirty Rice 
Easy Shrimp Etouffee 
Gullah Style Sweet Potatoes 
Roasted Lemon Parmesan Cauliflower 
Pimento Cheese Grits 
Southern Appetizer Board 
Grilled Cajun Wings
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
Nothing beats a jug of steaming hot homemade gravy, ready to put over your dinner. This gravy sounds so good!
Pam says
Thanks so much, Bintu!
Alison says
I watched my mom make gravy every Thanksgiving, but never made it on my own! Thank you for the clear directions! Now I know I can make a creamy gravy in no time!
Pam says
Absolutely, Alison. It’s easy!
Wanda says
Pan drippings really are key aren’t they?! I must make this gravy for our next poutine night!
Pam says
Indeed they are!
Kylie says
Gravy is so much better when you make it yourself!
Pam says
Absolutely! Thanks, Kylie.
Michelle says
Looks so good. I usually use the drippings and flour, but add milk. I’ll have to give a try with the broth
Pam says
We love cream gravy too!
Biana says
Thank you for such step by step directions! Will be so simple to make gravy next time I have pan drippings.
Pam says
Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating and comment on our recipe. We really appreciate it.
Jess says
This is like liquid gold that I can almost drink because it is that good!
Pam says
Thank you for letting us know, Jess. And thanks for leaving a rating on our recipe.
Sue says
Perfect gravy – thank you for the clear instructions!
Pam says
Thanks so much, Sue!
Patty at Spoonabilities says
We are all gravy-holics here! Love the homemade bits and pieces in gravy too. Such a great recipe for gravy!
Pam says
We are too. Thank you for taking the time to rate our recipe, Patty.
Emily says
I love this gravy recipe!! Had I known it was this easy I would have been doing this a long time ago. No more packet gravy for me!
Pam says
It is super easy, right? Thanks so much Emily!
Crystal Maxfield says
Super easy recipe! I love that it is very simple and cost efficient. Every penny counts!
Pam says
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and star rate our recipe, Crystal. It really means a lot to us.
Gina says
Gravy has always intimidated me until now, thanks for this perfect recipe!
Pam says
You’ll find it to be really easy, Gina!
Emily says
Homemade gravy is the best! I had no idea how easy it was to make, but I’m never going back.
Pam says
Yay! We’re happy to hear that.
Andrea says
I know several people I will be sharing this recipe with. Such great directions and makes the perfect gravy.
Pam says
Thank you, Andrea! It means a lot when our readers take the time to comment and star rate our recipes.
Sara Welch says
Such a rich and creamy gravy that did not disappoint! Was the perfect touch to dinner last night; my whole family loved it!
Pam says
Thanks so much for letting us know, Sara.
Dionne says
I have been looking for a decent gravy recipe for quite some time. Finally I’ve found the perfect one! 😉
Pam says
Yay! thank you, Dionne!