Techniques › Sauces and stocks
Making gravy
Intermediate Sauces and stocks
Making gravy is a sauce made from roast drippings thickened with flour and stock.
Written with AI help from the sources listed, and published by Cory. Spot a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.
How do you do it?
1Pour off drippings, let the fat rise, and keep about 2 tablespoons fat per cup of gravy.
2Whisk 2 tablespoons flour into the fat over medium heat and cook about 2 minutes, until light tan.
3Whisk in 1 cup warm stock and the defatted drippings gradually.
4Simmer 5 minutes until it coats a spoon, then season to taste.
Why does it work?
Flour cooked in fat (a roux) disperses smoothly into liquid, and its starch thickens as it simmers. The drippings carry the browned flavor of the roast.
What are the common mistakes?
- Too much fat — a greasy layer floats on top.
- Adding cold stock all at once — lumpy gravy.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
More sauces and stocks
- EmulsifyingMaking oil and water-based liquid (vinegar, lemon, stock) stay mixed — vinaigrette, mayonnaise, pan sauces.Intermediate
- DeglazingPouring liquid into a hot pan to lift the browned bits off the bottom — the base of a pan sauce.Beginner
- ReducingSimmering a liquid uncovered so some water evaporates and it thickens and concentrates.Beginner
- Making a rouxEqual parts fat and flour cooked together, used to thicken sauces, gravy and gumbo.Intermediate
- Making a pan sauceA quick sauce built in the pan you just seared meat in, using the browned bits left behind.Intermediate
- Finishing a sauce with cold butterWhisking or swirling cold butter into a hot sauce off the heat to make it glossy and slightly thicker.Intermediate