Southern food doesn’t get more comforting than a ladle full of Homemade Country Gravy. Making it from scratch requires only a few ingredients and 10 minutes in the kitchen. Time to put away the packets, folks — Country Gravy is eons better from scratch and you will absolutely taste the difference.
It’s rich and creamy, perfectly seasoned with a consistency made for both smothering and dipping. Serve it over Chicken Fried Steak, Homemade Biscuits or Creamy Mashed Potatoes or on the side for dipping Chicken Fingers, Steak Fingers and more!
Today, in addition to a fail-proof recipe for Homemade Country Gravy, we’ll also discuss:
- The three ingredients you’ll want to have on hand (as well as substitutions if needed).
- How to take the intimidation factor out of making a roux.
- A fail-proof trick for making the creamiest, smoothest gravy ever!
- How to tell when your Country Gravy is thick enough.
WHAT'S IN HOMEMADE COUNTRY GRAVY
Homemade Country Gravy begins with a simple roux. Don’t let that word scare you off. A roux is just a combination of fat and flour cooked together on the stovetop. In the case of this Southern-style gravy, that fat is butter.
FLOUR
Standard all-purpose flour is all you need for a superb homemade gravy. Different types of flours have different levels of protein and will, therefore, work differently with other ingredients. For example, if you were to use self-rising flour in your gravy, you would essentially be adding baking powder to the ingredient list.
BUTTER
As far as the butter goes, unsalted butter will give you more control when it comes to seasoning. However, if you only have salted butter in the refrigerator, you can sub that in and follow the guidelines for adding seasoning mentioned below.
WANT TO MAKE GRAVY WITH BACON GREASE?
If you’d like to use bacon drippings in the place of butter, you can do so with this Country Gravy recipe. Use 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the place of the butter. Again, you will need to adjust the seasoning if using bacon drippings as they will have a higher salt content than unsalted butter.
You can also make Country Gravy with breakfast sausage (e.g. Sawmill Gravy), a popular topping for Biscuits and Gravy.
MILK
You'll also need milk. You can use either whole or 2% milk for making Country Gravy.
Milk is what makes this a white gravy. If you're looking for a brown gravy recipe, try out this easy Homemade Gravy made with chicken broth!
SEASONING
And lastly, for the seasoning, you will need only Kosher salt and pepper. If you do not have Kosher salt, you can sub in standard table salt, however, you’ll need to cut back on the quantity. Table salt is sharper in flavor than Kosher salt, so it would be wise to add no more than a scant ¼ teaspoon at a time, tasting as you go.
Like a hearty gravy? Be sure to try out our Sawmill Gravy to top off your biscuits!
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE COUNTRY GRAVY WITH FLOUR
- Melt the butter, sprinkle over the flour, and stir for about 1 minute.
- Add the milk one big splash at a time, whisking after each addition.
- Simmer until thickened, 4-6 minutes, season, and serve!
1. MAKE THE ROUX
To make Homemade Country Gravy from scratch, you’ll start with melting butter on the stovetop in a large pan. Watch closely as it is melting and do not allow the butter to blacken or burn. As soon as the butter has melted, sprinkle the flour over the butter and stir to combine.
At this point, you’ll stir the mixture together, allowing it to bubble. This will help to cook out any raw flour taste.
2. SLOWLY ADD THE MILK
The next step will be to add the milk. Rather than adding it in one steady stream, add the milk one great big splash at a time and whisk well after each addition. This method ensures there are no lumps in your Homemade Country Gravy.
As soon as the mixture begins to resemble that of pudding, it is safe to add the remaining milk all at once and whisk to combine.
3. SIMMER
Allow the gravy to come to a simmer over the heat, reducing the temperature if necessary to keep it from boiling. Stir the mixture often, and as soon as you see it has thickened, kill the heat.
HOW TO TELL WHEN GRAVY IS READY
If you aren’t sure if your gravy is thick enough, you can dip a wooden spoon in the gravy and use your finger to make a line down the back of the spoon. If the line remains and does not bleed back together, your gravy is ready. If it does, continue simmering until thickened more.
Once your Homemade Country Gravy has reached proper consistency, season it, and serve!
For another delicious option, try our Homemade Sausage Gravy next!
A recipe for simple, Homemade Country Gravy, perfectly seasoned with a just-right consistency and ready in less than 10 minutes!
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
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In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until combined. Allow to bubble for 1-2 minutes, but do not allow to brown.
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Add milk a generous splash at a time, whisking after each addition until all of the milk has been incorporated.
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Allow the sauce to bubble for 5-7 minutes, just until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
Recipe Video
Makes about 2 cups.
Sources: Food Network | Flour 101
