This easy homemade gravy takes only a few minutes of prep and it's so thick, creamy, and flavorful, your guests will rave over it! This recipe requires no meat drippings at all, so you can make it the day before to save yourself some hassle when cooking the rest of the meal.

This easy homemade gravy is perfect over mashed potatoes.
I'm so glad you stopped by! We are having a Traditional Thanksgiving Progressive Dinner Blog Hop Style!
12 Fabulous Bloggers are sponsoring this Thanksgiving Dinner. Be sure to visit them all for some great recipes for your holiday table.
For this stop in the progressive dinner, I am sharing a great recipe for easy homemade gravy. This gravy is super-convenient because it requires no meat drippings, so you can make it ahead of time and have one less thing to worry about when you are preparing the meal!
Learning how to make gravy without drippings was a huge relief for me, especially when it comes to hosting big dinners. I have found over the years that the more I can prepare ahead of time, the better off I am, so I always keep this recipe in my back pocket for those times.
Although we focused on Thanksgiving for this progressive dinner, you don't have to wait for a big holiday to enjoy a nice meal with flavorful, delicious make ahead gravy to make it special!
Tips for making easy homemade gravy
- You can change up the flavor for your meal by changing up the broth. Use beef broth to go along with beef dinners, and chicken broth to go along with turkey or chicken.
- Watch the heat to avoid burning.
- Make sure you whisk continuously as you add the broth to avoid lumps.
- Feeding a crowd? Just go ahead and double the recipe!
Looking for some other side dishes for your meal to go with this make ahead gravy recipe?
We love this Easy Crock Pot Garlic Parmesan Bread. There's no kneading required, and it won't take up precious oven space. There's nothing like serving fresh-baked, homemade bread with your meal.
Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts is another great side dish to include. Brussels sprouts get a bad rap sometimes, but I have had a lot of success with this recipe. They come out tender and tasty, and I have received a number of slightly surprised compliments on them!
For something a little more unique, you can check out Quinoa with Artichokes and Chickpeas, which is a delicious combination of flavors and textures, sure to impress your guests.
Don't forget to check out all the other dishes in our amazing progressive Thanksgiving dinner!
Impress your guests with this easy homemade gravy - they will never guess how simple it is to make!
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Easy Homemade Gravy
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📋 Recipe Card
Easy Homemade Gravy
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.4 tablespoons butter
- Add the onion and cook until it just starts to brown.¾ cup chopped onion
- Stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute.2 tablespoons flour
- Add in the broth and whisk until combined.1 cup chicken or beef broth
- Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Reduce heat to medium and stir in the half and half and salt and pepper.1 tablespoon half and half, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- Serve hot.
Notes
- If you are serving a beef dinner, use beef broth. For turkey or chicken, use chicken broth.
- For the smoothest gravy, make sure to whisk continuously while adding the broth.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 7-8 days.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Grandma's House DIY
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing with us at the To Grandma's house link party - see you next week!
Bernadette
Hi Kristin!
I’m definitely making your gravy. Can I make it ahead of time? Thanks for these great recipes. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Love,
Bernadette
Kristin
Hi Bernadette! Yes, you can absolutely make it ahead of time, that is exactly how I do it. It is so helpful to make as many things ahead of time as possible. 🙂 I hope you all enjoy it. Happy Thanksgiving! <3
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party!
Donna Reidland
I don't know why anyone would settle for packaged gravy with this simple recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Miz Helen
A good gravy is a must for a great holiday meal and your recipe looks awesome! Thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday! Have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook
Ahhhh! The gravy sounds so good!! Thanks for sharing!
Nicole
Okay I just made this and I'm dying of happiness at how yummy it is! Thanks for posting!
Kristin King
Yay! So glad you liked it! I am so happy to have you as a reader and thanks for stopping by to let me know how it turned out! 🙂
Healing Tomato
Your recipe looks very delicious and all the bloggers listed are so talented. Their recipes look superb
Andrea@TablerPartyOfTwo
Love your blog party! And what a great give-away!
Kristin King
Thanks, Andrea! Good luck! 🙂
Valerie | From Valerie's Kitchen
Your gravy looks perfect, Kristin! I bet the addition of half and half makes it so creamy and delicious!