This easy to make homemade Chicken Gravy can be made with or without chicken drippings. This simple but delicious recipe requires only a few ingredients and is easy to whip up in just 10 minutes!
Among the recipes every home cook should have in their back pocket is a good gravy recipe, in my opinion. Gravies instantly improve a meal (I mean, what are mashed potato without any?). They add instant flavour and can turn an otherwise mediocre dish into a finger-licking meal the whole family will rave about.
A homemade gravy is also incredibly easy to make and SO much better than anything out of a packet! It requires only a handful of ingredients- 3 to be exact plus salt and pepper. Whats more, those ingredients are probably already sitting in your fridge or pantry!
We love a good gravy in this house! The hubs and I are definitely sauce lovers, but seriously, who doesn’t love to add dippable fun into a meal? We certainly do. We use it with so many dishes. It’s especially good on my Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes, Crispy Chicken Cutlets, and Creamy Whipped Potatoes!
This recipe for chicken gravy is one that I use often. It can be made with or without pan drippings and is so versatile, you can easily swap out the broth for any variation of gravy you want (the chicken, turkey, and beef gravies we make in our home are all based on this recipe)!
If you are roasting up a whole chicken and have lots of pan drippings to use for gravy, that adds instant flavour to homemade gravy! Don’t have any drippings? No worries- chicken broth will do the trick!
Ingredients needed for chicken gravy
- butter
- flour
- chicken broth or chicken drippings
- salt and pepper
How to make homemade chicken gravy
- In a saucepan, melt the butter and add flour.
- Whisk the butter and flour together to create a roux, stirring for a minute or two.
- Slowly add the broth or pan drippings and continue whisking.
- Once the gravy thickens, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tips for using pan drippings
If you are using pan drippings (the leftovers in a roasting pan after roasting a chicken), those drippings can infuse a lot of flavour into your gravy. Before using them though, you will want to prepare the drippings.
First, you will want to pour the drippings into a measuring cup. You will notice the fat rises up to the top. So next, using a spoon, skim off as much fat as possible. This will prevent creating an oily gravy.
Now your pan drippings are ready to use in a flavourful gravy! Since you are unlikely to have enough pan drippings to make a full recipe of chicken gravy, you may want to use a combination of broth and drippings.
When seasoning your gravy, be sure to taste first as pan drippings can be a lot more salty than broth alone.
Can you make chicken gravy without flour?
Yes, it is possible to make chicken gravy without flour. Although I prefer to make my gravies with flour as they produce silky, smooth gravies, it is not necessary.
If you are trying to make a gluten-free gravy, cornstarch can be used to thicken the gravy instead. To do this, skip the step for making a roux. Instead, heat butter (I recommend adding it for the flavour) and the drippings or broth in a saucepan until they are simmering. In a small cup, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and mix it with 2 tablespoons of cold water, stirring to create a slurry. Add the slurry into the saucepan and whisk until the gravy thickens.
Storing leftover gravy
If you have leftover chicken gravy from your meal, it can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated again. To store the gravy, once it is cooled to room temperature, place it in an airtight container and store for a couple of days.
Gravy can also be frozen in a freezer safe container. To use again, thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat it using the instructions below.
How to reheat gravy
To reheat gravy, place the gravy in a saucepan and place it over low heat. Stir gently while it warms over this gentle heat to prevent any lumps until the gravy is simmering and ready to use.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
-Cathy
You may also like:
Roast Chicken Dinner
Crispy Chicken Cutlets
Baked Potato Wedges
Chicken Gravy
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups chicken broth or chicken drippings
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a saucepan, melt the butter and add flour.
- Whisk the butter and flour together to create a roux, stirring for a minute or two.
- Slowly add the broth or pan drippings and continue whisking.
- Once the gravy thickens, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
