Lump Free Homemade Gravy Recipe
Growing up my mom always had the best homemade gravy recipe. It was always rich in flavor and super smooth. Completely lump free gravy! And did I mention it was full of flavor! Oh my goodness!
So when I went to a restaurant and ordered a meal with gravy, I was rather disappointed. It was bland in flavor. It was lumpy. And I was let down. Since then I’ve picked up some great gravy tips from my mom and sisters! So now I can make that same amazing lump free homemade gravy recipe that is full of flavor! And all made without a mix, but still super easy.
Gravy Tips; Homemade gravy recipe from scratch
For our homemade gravy recipe it is made out of a few very simple ingredients
- 2 cups roast beef drippings. (These are always gathered after we cook up a roast. Then simply add enough water to make 2 cups.)
- If you don’t have roast beef drippings then make beef broth from beef bouillon cubes and water.
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cold water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Onion powder and Garlic pepper to taste (optional)
Now most gravies are made with these ingredients, but the gravy tips that make all the difference is how it is cooked up! You don’t just throw it all in a pot. You begin by putting the beef broth into the measuring cup and tossing in a handful of ice cubes.
When fat cools it hardens and rises to the top. So this is the easiest trick to trim down on some of the fat in the gravy without removing flavor.
Next using a small cup of sort you will carefully skim the thickened grease from the top of the beef broth. I usually then just toss it into an empty veggie can (because we always have canned corn, I just use that can).
In a measuring cup or a sauce pan add the 2 Tablespoons cornstarch to the 1/4 cup cold water. Then whisk well until there are no lumps remaining. Cornstarch has a lumping property. Especially once it is added to warm or hot liquids. So the trick is mixing it in with cold water first so that it can be smoothed out. I usually do this step in the sauce pan because that means less dishes I have to wash afterwards.
Then slowly add the beef broth to the cornstarch mixture in the sauce pan. Turn the heat up to medium high. You can then add in the spices according to your taste preference.
If you got your beef broth from a freshly cooked roast (which is the best way as it has the most flavor in it) then you will use different amounts of seasonings. With the spices I add to our roast beef, I don’t have to add much pepper at all nor onion because the roast was cooked with these and the spices are already in the broth. I just add a little pepper and garlic pepper to taste.
If you made your beef broth fresh not from a roast then you will want to add in more onion powder, Garlic pepper and salt and pepper to make up the difference.
Bring the gravy to a boil. Still whisking constantly. It can burn rather easily so keep stirring quickly. Boil for one minute or until it reaches the thickness you desire. You should note that it will thicken slightly as it cools, so don’t cook it too long. You don’t want to cook it into a gelatin.
Pour the gravy into a Gravy Boat and you are ready to go! See how easy our homemade gravy recipe is? There is no need for a gravy mix again! Just remember; mix the cornstarch in cold water first! That is the most crucial feature of a delicious lump free gravy. For full flavor don’t skimp on the spices.
Now you know how to make the perfect lump free homemade gravy every single time! Say goodbye to lumps and bland flavor! You can use this same method for Turkey gravy! Just think how amazing this will be to use with your Thanksgiving Turkey! Especially if you use a Turkey Brine to cook your turkey! The flavor is amazing!
We usually use the gravy to drizzle on our Roast, potatoes and other vegetables. Then the next day, my mom would always make the best beef stew by combining the left over roast cute into cubes, the left over vegetables diced and the left over gravy! Only she would add a little more cornstarch and water mixture so she could thicken the gravy a little more to be perfect stew consistency! It’s a great way to use up your left overs! Like I said, my mom was a genius when it came to be effective in the kitchen!
Lump Free Homemade Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups roast beef drippings.
- handful of ice cubes
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup cold water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Onion powder and Garlic pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Toss ice cubes into beef drippings
- Combine Cornstarch and cold water in sauce pan and whisk until smooth
- lightly skim solidified fat from the top of the beef drippings
- Combine beef drippings with cornstarch mixture in sauce pan.
- Add seasonings
- Turn to medium high and heat until a boil, stirring constantly
- Cook at a boil for 1 minute or until consistency of your choice
- Remove from heat and serve.
Do you have any favorite Gravy tips for a homemade gravy recipe?
How did our homemade gravy recipe work out for you?
oh i have been looking for a good home made gravy recipe this looks great, must try now!
That looks SO YUMMY! Great, now I’m hungry, lol! But seriously, I never knew how to make gravy, I usually just buy the jar one (which doesn’t taste so good), now I’m going to have to try this because it really looks so easy and delicious!
Thank you for sharing. My gravy always has lumps!
Mmmm my mouth is watering! Great recipe, great tutorial too! ๐
I dont make gravy but for Turkey Day this does look good though!!
Lump free gravy? Well this is something I have to try, my gravy is always full of lumps!
This works great with any kind of gravy. I use it with turkey and chicken drippings also. You forgot that mom always used a couple tablespoons of flour along with the corn starch. Mix it in with the cold water along with the corn starch and make sure there are no lumps before you add it to your warm drippings. It gives the gravy a little more flavor, just make sure you cook it well so the gravy doesn’t come out tasting like flour. Usually a couple of minutes is plenty. Great post, Sis!
Ok, why do I not remember mom using Flour??? Wow. Thanks for adding that. Everyone, seriously listen to my sister here. She’s brilliant. lol. ๐
But of course makes it so the recipe is no longer gluten free for those of us that need it. Did this last night and the gravy was delicious. Thanks! Going to check your website to see if there are any recipes that are gluten free and sugar free. Keeping my fingers crossed. ๐
Congrats on your feature on Social Fabric:) This gravy looks great.
Yum! Gravy is so yummy but we try to reserve it for special occasions and holidays because we’d eat too much of it!
Oh I love gravy. I am the gravy making queen in our whole family and I get to make it for every family function we have.
I have not made gravy for a while, and that makes me hungry.
I’ve been making home made gravy for a long time and love it.
I usually buy the jar stuff…. I love gravy!!
I just pinned your no lump gravy to my foodie board–looking forward to trying it. Great pix too! thanks for sharing it
My husband is going to love this one!
I had to laugh when I read your step by step instructions. Many many (did I say many) years ago I learned to make gravy from a Betty Crocker binder cookbook. I had to follow the instructions to the letter because I got married and literally couldn’t boil water! Thanks for sharing. I think I may try it, since it’s different from mine ๐
That is awesome! I remember attempting to make gravy! Fail on my part! Yours looks so good!
You should try again Melissa! It’s so good to have homemade gravy, and really easy. :-).
Oh wow I have been searching for a good recipe for gravy for a long time – this looks perfect!
We follow the same gravy rules in this house! Gravy can make or break the dish with my family, so no lumps is a must! This trick is a life saver at Holiday time!
got hungry when I saw you those pics ๐ good recipe….Make money on Twitter Followers
We hardly ever use gravy, but this looks delicious!!! I’ll have to remember this for Thanksgiving!
You make it looks so easy!
Oh girl, that picture is making me crave some pot roast right now! I did make a pork pot roast last night, maybe I can revive it with some mashed potatoes and gravy tonight! Runs off to the kitchen!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I think I will try to do this instead of buying my gravy. I have never made gravy because I always bought the jar gravy at the store but I think this year I will switch it up. Thanks again.
Hubby is in charge of the gravy at our house – but Im now thinking I can do it! Thanks so much for linking up to Friday Food Frenzy!
This was really good! I had about 1/2 cup of drippings and supplemented it with 1 1/2 cups of Better Than Buillion Beef base, and added a little dried thyme as well. It was really good and “beefy”and tasted 10x better than something out of a jar.
ugh, whenever i attempt to make gravy, it ALWAYS turns out lumpy.. when i saw “lump free” i knew i had to read this! thanks for the tips & recipe
Thank you for this simple no hassle lump free gravey recipe. I’ve been trying to figure out for years how to not get lumps. I’ve been using flour because that’s what mom uses. CORN STARCH. The secret has been revealed. Finally.
My hubby will thank you too if it comes out lump free next time.
I am going to give this a try, I am a lousy gravy maker ๐
super idea I would have never thought to do this YOU SAVED THANKGIVING !!! my husband will me so jazzed when I present the non greasy yummy turkey gravy.. this year simple is truly the trick here
Thank you for the post. I’m going to try this…
I can mess up a gravy lol… Thanks for the tips.
As a child I hated gravy, now I make it every chance I get. Yours looks delicious!
That gravy looks great. I am the worst at making homemade gravy, which is a bit of a bummer because I love gravy.
Mmmmm, this looks so good. I can’t wait for turkey and gravy but I admit to liking gravy on a lot of meat dishes and potatoes!
Gravy is one of those things I have not been able to master, yet. It never seems to come out quite right. Perhaps it’s because I’ve only tried to make it a handful of times, or I just haven’t found the right recipe yet. Thanks for sharing your homemade gravy recipe – I may give this one a try this holiday season!
I’ve know the cornstarch trick for a long time. I prefer not to share it so others don’t know how to make their gravy smooth! ๐