Beef Gravy

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Sauce

Cuisine: American, English

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 45

Servings: servings

Calories: 78kcal

This savory homemade beef gravy recipe uses a simple technique to improve standard beef broth, along with a couple of secret ingredients to create an unforgettable brown gravy.

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US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

Fortified Beef Broth

3 cups beef broth
1/2 cup white onion roughly chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
2 sage leaves minced
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp MSG Seasoning optional
1/4 tsp Umami powder optional

Gravy

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter unsalted
2 sage leaves minced, fresh preferred
1 tsp creamy horseradish sauce
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

Fortified Broth

In a good-sized saucepan, saute the onions, celery, and garlic in a little olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes.
1/2 cup white onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 stalk celery
Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, sage, MSG, and Umami Powder. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
3 cups beef broth, 2 sage leaves, 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp MSG Seasoning, 1/4 tsp Umami powder
When the liquid has finished fortifying, strain everything out and set the liquid aside. There should be approximately 2 cups of liquid remaining.

Gravy

While the broth is simmering, mix the flour with sage, paprika, and mustard powder.
1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, 2 sage leaves, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp mustard powder
In a saucepan, make a roux by whisking the butter and flour mixture together over medium heat. Once the roux’s color is between a golden to dark brown, slowly pour in the liquid while continuing to whisk. This usually takes 3 to 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer and whisk occasionally until the gravy has reached its desired consistency. This usually takes 7 to 12 minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time, add in the horseradish sauce, salt, and pepper.
1 tsp creamy horseradish sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
The gravy will start to thicken as it cools.

Notes

If fresh sage is unavailable, substitute 1 tsp of dried sage for 2 leaves of fresh sage.
Adding the smoked paprika to the flour will turn the roux a light reddish brown.
Adding the MSG and Umami Powder is an optional step. Adding them increases the savoriness and improves the gravy’s flavor. To learn more, read Everything You Need to Know About Umami.

Nutrition