This creamy and delicious Homemade Country Gravy turns any meal into comfort food. With just a few simple ingredients and easy instructions, my recipe will help you make the perfect white gravy in no time.
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I feel like my credentials as a Southern born woman, and a breakfast and brunch expert, would be revoked if I didn't have a good recipe for Homemade Country Gravy. Trust me, I have it memorized and I'm sharing it with you today!
Call it country gravy, milk gravy, southern gravy, or even sawmill gravy, I love it so much I use it in a whole bunch of my recipes. I love it on my chicken-fried steak sandwiches, I use it in place of hollandaise sauce for my country eggs benedict, and I use it sometimes in place of sausage gravy on top of my homemade biscuits because I just want that smooth creamy texture. I love country gravy so much that I built my tater tot skillet and biscuit casseroles around it and I won't be judged.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
I learned this easy white gravy recipe from my Dad and he used easy to remember measurements, which makes it easy to memorize. I suspect you will easily remember them too and you will find yourself making this rich creamy gravy all the time. Let's go over everything and how you can make substitutions if needed.
- Butter - I almost always use unsalted dairy butter, but in place of butter you can use margarine, shortening, lard, bacon fat, or the fat left behind from cooked sausage. If using bacon fat or salted butter, you may need to reduce the amount of salt you add to the gravy.
- Flour - I just use regular all purpose flour in this recipe, but if you are gluten-free, you can use cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Simmer the milk first and then make a cornstarch slurry and whisk in.
- Milk - I came for rich and creamy white gravy. Sometimes I even use half-and-half instead of whole milk because I'm shameless. You can use 2% or nonfat milk if you wish, but it won't be as rich and creamy. If you are dairy free, substitute with your favorite unsweetened nondairy milk.
- Kosher salt - I always use diamond crystal kosher salt, so I know exactly how salty everything that I cook and bake will be. If you use table salt, or another brand of salt, start with half the amount recommended and then add more if needed.
- Black pepper - it's kind of hard to imagine making this easy country gravy without black pepper. As a matter fact, my Grandma Olga Mae called it pepper gravy. But you can add it or not add it. It's up to you.
See recipe card below for exact measurements.
Variations
This Southern Country Gravy recipe is about as perfect as a gravy can be, in my opinion, but here are a few ways you can play with it:
- Spicy - My Dad always added a couple of dashes of Texas Pete hot sauce to his Southern country gravy, but I usually just add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Sausage - Make this into sausage gravy by adding browned and crumbled breakfast sausage.
- Latin - Think sausage gravy, but with my homemade chorizo and then pour it over my jalapeno cheddar biscuits. Oh we're cooking now!
- Cheesy - I'm probably gonna blow your mind right now, but did you know that country gravy is essentially the classic French sauce called béchamel sauce? And if you add cheese to it, it's called a mornay sauce? And if you pour it over macaroni and bake it you've just made macaroni and cheese?! Let that settle in your brain for a minute.
Instructions
This country-style gravy is so easy to make, and since you'll have no problem memorizing the measurements, you'll be whipping up gravy all the time!
Step 1: Melt butter in a large skillet or medium saucepan placed over medium heat.
Step 2: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the melted butter to make a simple roux.
Step 3: Whisk constantly until mixture turns very light brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. This cooks out the raw flour taste.
Step 4: Slowly add half of the milk into the flour mixture and whisk for about 2-3 minutes to make sure there are no lumps.
Step 5: Add the rest of the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened to your desired consistency, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 6: Add salt and pepper and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. (optional: add ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon sage for more flavor)
Making gravy with meat drippings
Once you've mastered a homemade white country gravy, you are ready for practically all gravy situations. Save the drippings from your turkey, chicken, or roast and separate out the fat. Cook the flour in the fat (using the same measurements as in our recipe) but let it get a little bit darker brown than what we did in this recipe, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Slowly whisk in the meat drippings (use store-bought or homemade broth if you need more) and let it simmer until thickened. Taste and season. If you want a little bit darker color, add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, or my favorite gravy hack, Gravy Master.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
If frozen, thaw before reheating. Place in a saucepan and add a splash of milk. Whisk and heat on medium-low heat until hot.
If you follow the recipe as written, you should get 2 cups of medium thick gravy that drips in a steady stream off of your ladle or spoon. If you would like it to be thicker, simply simmer it a little bit longer. If it's too thick for you, had a little bit of milk, and whisk you get the consistency you like.
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-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Quick and Easy Homemade Country Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet placed over medium high heat.
- Sprinkle flour over the melting butter.
- Whisk constantly until mixture turns very light brown, about 1 minute.
- Slowly add in half of the milk and whisk to make sure there are no lumps.
- Add the rest of the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened to your preference, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. (optional: add ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon sage)
- Hint: If gravy appears lumpy, pass through a fine mesh strainer then add more pepper, if desired. Serve hot.
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
Lindy says
My mother in law asked me to make gravy for breakfast this morning, but she didn't have any milk. She had powdered milk and half and half. I knew you often have alternatives in your recipes, and of course there it was! So I confidently went ahead and made gravy with half and half. Thank you for always including all the options/alternatives!!
Cynthia Christensen says
Literally my only goal is for you guys to successfully make delicious food! Great job 🙌