ou know those little packets of brown gravy mix you swear you bought… and then can’t find?
Good news: you can make your own homemade brown gravy mix recipe with just 3 pantry ingredients and about 5 minutes. No mystery ingredients, no emergency store run, and you control the salt.
This dry brown gravy mix lives in your pantry for months and whisks into smooth, rich gravy any time you need it-weeknight meatloaf, salisbury steak, or that last-minute eye of round roast you forgot to plan sauce for.
At a Glance- Why You’ll Love It
- 3 ingredients – flour, beef bouillon, and pepper. That’s it!
- Pantry ready – stays fresh in an airtight jar for up to 6 months.
- No packet needed – use 2 tablespoons mix + 2 tablespoons fat + 1 cup liquid for perfect brown gravy.
- Budget friendly – cheaper than store-bought packets and you control the salt.
- Versatile – use with beef, turkey, chicken, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, open-faced sandwiches, and more.
How to Use This Brown Gravy Mix
Now onto the informational stuff. Most of what gravy mix is made out of is flour. Yep, a thickener. This recipe makes 15 tablespoons, which is roughly enough for 7-8 cups of finished gravy. In general, the packets at the store have about 2 tablespoons per packet.
- Thickening agent
- Seasoning
- Liquid
Quick Guide for Gravy
For 1 cup of brown gravy:
- 2 tablespoons homemade brown gravy mix
- 2 tablespoons butter, bacon grease, or meat drippings
- 1 cup water, beef broth, or stock
Whisk the fat and liquid together over medium heat, then sprinkle in the mix while whisking until smooth and thickened. Season with salt only at the end. Bouillon is naturally salty, so taste first.
Tips for Making Gravy
- Use broth instead of water– Instant upgrade. Beef, chicken, or veggie broth adds depth so it doesn’t taste “just like packet.”
- Start with a little fat– Melt 1–2 tablespoons unsalted butter, neutral oil, rendered bacon fat or meat drippings in the pan and whisk in the dry mix. Let it cook 30–60 seconds before adding liquid to get rid of that raw, powdery taste. Remember that fats are great for spreading around flavor.
- Add cold liquid, whisk constantly– Cold water/broth plus steady whisking = fewer lumps. Hot liquid loves to make clumps.
- Pour liquid in gradually– Start with a splash to make a smooth paste, then add the rest while whisking.
- Simmer, don’t boil– Gentle bubbles help it thicken without breaking, curdling, or turning weirdly gummy.
- Taste before salting– Packets and bouillon are already salty, so is broth if you used it. Always taste first, then decide if it needs more. It’s easier to add salt than to reduce it.
- Adjust thickness at the end– Too thick? Whisk in a little water or broth. Too thin? Simmer a few more minutes, or whisk a tiny bit more gravy mix, arrowroot or cornstarch with cold liquid and add slowly.
- Use the pan drippings if you’ve got ’em– Make the packet gravy right in the skillet you cooked meat in. Those brown bits on the bottom? Those are little flavor bombs waiting to make your gravy the best anyone has ever tasted.
- Strain if it’s lumpy– Even the best laid gravy makers will sometimes have lumps, pour the gravy through a fine mesh strainer and toss the solids.
- Finish with a tiny splash of acid– A few drops (literally a teaspoon) of Worcestershire, soy sauce, red wine or white vinegar will add sophistication and depth.
Easy Variations on Packet (or Homemade) Brown Gravy
- Low-Sodium Hack– Use low-sodium broth and no-salt butter, then season at the end with a tiny bit of salt (or none at all- it might not need it), black pepper, and a splash of vinegar to boost flavor without extra sodium.
- Mushroom Brown Gravy– Sauté sliced mushrooms in butter, then add your gravy mix and liquid. Cook until mushrooms are tender.
- Onion & Herb Gravy– Cook thinly sliced onions until golden, add the dry mix and liquid, then finish with 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, rosemary, or Italian seasoning.
- Peppercorn Gravy– Add ½–1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper or mixed peppercorns. So good with steak and meatloaf.
- Garlic Brown Gravy– Sauté 3-4 cloves of minced garlic in butter before whisking in the mix and liquid. Great over creamy mashed potatoes and baked chicken breasts.
- Red Wine Brown Gravy– Replace ¼–½ cup of the liquid with red wine. Simmer a bit longer to cook off the alcohol and concentrate the flavor.
- Creamy Brown Gravy– After the gravy thickens, take it off the heat and stir in 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream or half-and-half for a richer, smoother texture.
- Onion Soup Mix Twist– Add 1–2 teaspoons dry onion soup mix along with the gravy packet or dry mix. Instant “French onion soup” vibe.
- Fresh Herb Gravy– Stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley, chives, or thyme right before serving.
Commonly Asked Questions & Problems
Sure thing! Just substitute out the beef bouillon for chicken, use a low sodium chicken stock and bonus if you can use drippings from a cooked chicken.
Drippings is the collective term for what is left in the roasting pan after cooking your turkey, what has “dripped” off. This is usually a combination of fats, juices and seasoning. As you can imagine, this is like a flavor bomb! A little goes a long way. so add in just 1-2 tablespoons and then more if you need additional flavor.
Sure! Just make sure to store in an airtight container. It might defrost a little thick, but thin it out with water, stock or wine and it’ll be just fine.
In a saucepan over medium-low heat. Gravy will most likely thicken, so just whisk in water or broth until smooth. You might also need to correct the seasoning with salt and/or pepper.
We prefer to use flour for gravy, but cornstarch can also used. It will have a slightly different texture and appearance, more velvety and shiny.
We do not use sugar in our gravy, but you can to help balance seasonings like pepper, heat or salt if you happen to accidentally over season in one way or another.
You might need more of a thickening agent or to let it cool a bit. Gravy will continue to thicken as it cools.
The most common issue with homemade gravy! Drippings, butter, bouillon and stock all contain salt, so use salt-free when able, but then keep taste testing along the way. If it is still too salty, here are three ways to try and salvage:
– Add potato chunks to absorb salt. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove potato.
– Counterbalance with sugar and/or ground black pepper.
– Dilute your mixture with additional broth/stock, water and unsalted butter.
More Homemade Gravy & Sauce Recipes
If you know me, you know how much I love a good sauce. Here are some of my favorite gravy and sauce recipes.
Homemade Brown Gravy from Scratch (Mix)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons beef bouillon granules*
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
Instructions
Dry Mix:
- Mix together the 3 tablespoons beef bouillon granules*, 3/4 cup flour, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black or white pepper in an airtight container and keep in a dry place for up to 6 months.
To prepare gravy:
- In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoon unsalted butter OR 2 tablespoons meat drippings with 1 cup water, add 2 tablespoons of gravy mix, whisking until smooth. Season with fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Video
Notes
- For a lower sodium version, use low-sodium beef bouillon and add salt at the end only if needed.
- This mix is designed to mimic a standard brown gravy packet. Use 2 tablespoons mix for every 1 cup of gravy.
- Gravy continues to thicken as it cools. If it gets too thick, whisk in a splash of water or stock.
Nutrition
I made this and my whole family loves it. It tastes great. The only negative I have is that it didn’t really look like brown gravy, it looked like turkey gravy but who cares. This is my new staple recipe for brown gravy mix at home. Thanks so much
I thought this recipe turned out delicious! My kids are really picky and they loved it as well.
So glad to hear that and thanks for coming back to let us know!
Used with meat drippings and added butter and broth. Dropped a tad of Gravymaster; tasted great and better than store brought powder
Thanks for the feedback, Dawn~
Good morning. Just a quick question. When the serving size is changed, for example to (8) servings, the “to prepare gravy part” remains the same. How should those ingredients be changed, in this example, for the amount of butter, flour and mix to accommodate those servings? THANKS IN ADVANCE!! 🙂
How Derrick- you can just double those if you change it to 8-
Is there a beef or chicken bullion that you would recommend? I rarely use bullion, I use a base. Thank you!
Herb Ox is good as a dry mix. I use both- but this one is shelf stable like the packet so you need the dry powder and getting it dry and granular is easier than cubes.
This is loved by my daughter who is crazy for poutine at the moment, I used gluten free flour and it worked out amazing. Thank you so much
Thank you for the recipe I’m going to make 2 batches both will be identical but the second batch I’m going to add 1 Tbs. Onion flakes so I can use either one again thank you so much
Awesome! Happy holidays, Judy!
If cornstarch is used, does that change the amount needed to prepare the gravy?
Use 2-3 tablespoons, depending on how thick you like it.
Just made it to use with my Mississippi roast. It turned out FABULOUS!
In addition, I use A sodium free powdered bouillon, and also make my own dry onion soup mix.