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BEST Brown Mushroom Gravy (from scratch)

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For the best mushroom gravy recipe, look no further!  This is easy to make and has an incredible depth of flavor!  You’re going to love this versatile sauce!

mushroom gravy recipe best homemade brown

If you’re looking for a delicious brown mushroom gravy, look no further!

Absolutely nothing beats homemade when it comes to gravy and there is no reason whatsoever to resort to the packaged stuff because one, homemade is easy enough to make; two, the packaged stuff is full of junk ingredients; and three, packaged doesn’t come anywhere close to the flavor of made-from-scratch gravy!

Tips for Making the Best Mushroom Gravy

For a mushroom gravy with great depth of flavor, here are a few tips:  Butter is a great option for sauteing the onions and mushrooms, but for even more flavor use beef drippings, lard or bacon grease.  Then cook the onions until they’re nicely golden brown, which is key to the flavor of the gravy.  Do the same with the mushrooms, caramelizing them for optimal flavor.  While cornstarch can be used for thickening, flour is the best choice for flavor.  Add some extra butter to the caramelized onions and mushrooms, then add the flour and cook it for a couple of minutes.  This roux-like method is absolutely key to the flavor of the gravy.

Serve this delicious brown mushroom gravy over roasts, steaks, meatloaf, roast chicken, potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and more!

mushroom gravy recipe best homemade brown

 

Melt the butter (or beef drippings, lard or bacon grease) in a pan over medium-high heat and fry the onions until beginning to brown, 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the mushrooms and cook 5-7 minutes or until golden and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.

Add the butter and melt.  Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continually.

Add the beef broth, thyme, salt and pepper.  Whisk continually until the gravy is thickened.  Cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you prefer the gravy thinner add a little more water.

Enjoy!

mushroom gravy recipe best homemade brown

Try this Brown Mushroom Gravy with our Authentic German Jägerschnitzel!

Be sure to also try our BEST Onion Gravy!

onion gravy recipe best homemade from scratch British English bangers and mash

And our BEST Turkey Gravy!

turkey gravy recipe best homemade drippings neck giblets

BEST Brown Mushroom Gravy (from scratch)

Kimberly Killebrew
Easy to make with a wonderful depth of flavor!
Print Recipe
4.81 from 72 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course condiment, Gravy, Sauce
Cuisine Gravy
Servings 6 servings
Calories 151 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 tablespoons butter, bacon grease, lard or beef drippings
  • 1 yellow onion ,finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic ,minced
  • 16 ounces fresh mushrooms of choice (I used button mushrooms in the photos) ,cleaned and sliced
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups strong beef broth
  • 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (according to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional: For a creamy gravy, add a few tablespoons of heavy cream at the end

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter (or bacon grease, lard or beef drippings - any of these will yield the most flavor) in a pan over medium-high heat and fry the onions until beginning to brown.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.
  • Add the mushrooms and cook 5-7 minutes or until golden and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.
  • Add the butter and melt.  Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continually.
  • Add the beef broth, vinegar, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper.  Whisk continually until the gravy is thickened.  Cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you prefer the gravy thinner add a little more water (or heavy cream if using)

Notes

**If using this gravy for German Jägerschnitzel and you prefer a more basic, traditional gravy, omit the balsamic vinegar and thyme.

Nutrition

Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 530mg | Potassium: 310mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Tried this recipe?Click HERE to rate it!

172 Responses

  1. Lizer says

    This was FANTASTIC! Seriously. I expected it to be good but it was heavenly! I added the heavy cream since I had some open but no so much it was an overly creamy sauce and it was perfect. I didn’t have any beef broth but I subbed in some homemade turkey broth and it still worked really well with the beef roast I made. I also subbed cornstarch for the flour but it still came out the perfect thickness! Overall, this was an excellent recipe and I’ll definitely be adding it to my rotation!

    Reply

  2. Diane Murray says

    Wow. Absolutely delicious. I served this with Jagerschnitzel (your recipe), new potatoes with parsley, and a lemony arugula-fennel salad. What a meal! I followed the recipe exactly, and added an extra teaspoon of balsamic because we like tangy food. Your advice is spot on – take time to brown the onions and mushrooms, and don’t be tempted to use anything but butter and flour as a thickener. This will be a regular in our dinner rotation – but not TOO often because of all the butter. Fabulous recipe!

    Reply

  3. RJ says

    This is actually a really good recipe; I’ve had to substitute ingredients on occasion, but when you get each of them as the recipe calls for, it has a very deep, rich flavor, and is definitely worth it. Even with a substitute or two (had to use garlic powder on my last batch,) it’s still delicious. It’s just that you can taste the difference from what it COULD be!

    Reply

  4. Pulfi says

    This is a very good gravy. I added 4 tbsp heavy cream to it as well. But the prep time of 10 minutes is way, way to small. By the time I got all the ingredients out, chopped the onion and sliced the mushrooms, I was way past 20 minutes. We had plenty left over and expect it will keep will for a few days. This should be made before starting cooking of the meat. It will stay warm over very low heat while the rest of the meal is prepared.

    Reply

  6. Elizabeth Kualii says

    I’ve been looking all over for a good Hunter’s Sauce with Mushroom recipe. I made for tonight’s dinner with steak. I’ve added and extra teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. 😋 So ono! Mahalo! 👩🏽🌺🤙🏽

    Reply

    • J. Waldrip says

      We made our schnitzel with turkey cutlets instead of pork, since we have a family member who will only eat poultry. I used some Marsala wine instead of the sugar and vinegar, and finished with a couple of tablespoons of half and half, and the sauce tasted really good. I guess everybody just needs to do it according to what the like and what they have on hand. :)

      Reply

  8. Moira Daly says

    Wow…I made this to accompany meatloaf and mashed potatoes on a cold rainy night. I used some of the drippings from the meatloaf pan, and followed the recipe as written. I added a little half and half at the end as it did thicken up quite a bit. It was excellent. The mushroom, onion, garlic, thyme, combo is a favorite, so I knew just from reading the ingredients that it was worth trying. It’s a winner I will come back to often!

    Reply

  10. Carolyn Worrall says

    OMG! I have been looking for a gravy recipe with Balsamic Vinegar in it for years. I have tried many and by far this one is the best.
    Thank You!

    Reply

  11. Lydia says

    Made this with schnitzel the other day. I added some some Worcestershire sauce and it turned out really good. 👌🏻 Will be making this again!

    Reply

  12. David says

    I have not tried this yet, but am extremely excited to make it and your Jagerschnitzel recipe this weekend for kind of an obligatory (2020) home Oktoberfest.

    For the two cups of strong beef broth, I plan on boiling down a quart of beef stock by half.

    I will report back later!

    I will also be making your Kartoffelpuffer recipe and your Roktohl, along with some Swiss Rosti so that my vegan room-mate can have some potatoes.

    Your recipes look great, and I can’t wait to try them!

    Reply

  13. Tracy Stuttler says

    I am adding beef base to the beef stock to make this strong beef broth.😋 Having beef patties simmered in this mushroom gravy.

    Reply

  15. Sophie says

    This has quickly become my favorite mushroom gravy recipe! I love grilling up some steaks and then making this and some mashed potatoes. The whole family loves it and it makes so much – definitely a crowd pleaser! Making this again tonight! Next time i think I’m gonna try it over some breaded Italian chicken cutlets… yum! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  17. Patti says

    Super easy, great instructions and amazingly flavourful. This will now be my go to gravy. I don’t eat beef, so instead of beef fat and beef broth, I substituted butter and chicken broth (respectively) and it was super delicious. Thanks!

    Reply

  18. Vicki Tilden says

    Made this gravy with baby bells and beef Better Than Bouillon. Wow! Been cooking for 45 years a and this is the best gravy I’ve ever made! 1/2 tsp of dry dill really made it special! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  19. Daryl Chapin says

    This mushroom gravy is wonderful. I have made it a dozen times. I also add one mushroom bullion cube and 2 tbs of kitchen bouquet

    Reply

  20. Hannah says

    What an amazing recipe, simple but chock full of flavor. I made it tonight and absolutely loved it. I made a few small changes: I used vegan butter instead of regular, mushroom stock instead of beef and I substituted in a gluten free flour blend to make it vg/gf. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly and it was one of the best things I have ever tasted, so full of ‘umami’ flavor. I used a combination of shiitakes, portobello and oyster mushrooms because that’s what I had in my fridge.

    I served the gravy over plain oven baked potatoes with corn, peas and tempeh bacon. While that normally wouldn’t be a memorable combo, the gravy truly made it spectacular. I still have some left, so I’m fantasizing about how to use it tomorrow and will definitely make it again next week, thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

  21. Veronica G.Eichorn says

    6/27/20
    I made this gravy, omitted vinegar and served gravy over breaded chicken cutlets!
    Thank you for this easy,delicious receipe! My family raved over it! Huge hit!
    It is in my receipts file,marked with a STAR! My favorite mushroom gravy!!

    Reply

  22. Jill says

    I made this with breaded chicken breasts and instead of Jagerschnitzel gravy. It is VERY rich. I used everything as listed – including the thyme and vinegar. It is good that way – i also added some cream and that seemed a little TOO rich. I think adding some red wine to this would be divine. Also, I would add more garlic next time. I couldn’t taste it. I believe it needed more salt, even with the stock. Its a great recipe and so many uses!

    Reply

  23. Stephanie Wallace says

    Excellent Jagerschnitzel sauce/gravy- easy to do and made plenty (I did add a pack of sliced baby bella mushrooms that I had on hand). Had with schnitzel from this site -outstanding. I lived in Zweibrucken/Hornbach Germany in junior high and high school. This was excellent Southern germany/Austria type schnitzel sauce. Delicious and even my kids and husband liked it.

    Reply

  24. Tony says

    Hi,

    Found this recipe on Google, gave it a go for our pork chop dinner.

    Can only say, wow. we both loved it and it made our dinner complete.

    Full marks to you. We will most definitely make it again and it is now in my recipe folder.

    Reply

  26. Dolores Pap says

    Another super delicious recipe from you- thank you so much!
    I served it with the Wienerschnitzel, your Spaetzle, and also made the dill cucumber salad. I think I would be happy just eating the mushroom sauce over Spaetzle- paradise can’t be any better..

    Reply

  29. cynthia says

    strong beef broth.. I am sorry, but I am unsure what this means? do I double the amount of bouillon that is normally used but same amount of water? will that make it too salty? thank you in advance for any guidance.

    Reply

  31. phil says

    Thanks—-I use homemade venison stock—–gravy served over venison backstrap with Irish colcannon and sauteed asparagus on the side—-bannock really fits into this program—-also this goes nicely with loaded hamburger steaks—–

    Reply

  32. Kim Trueman says

    Made this mushroom gravy for our steak, veggies and roast potatoes dinner! I changed the recipe (FYI it really does not need changing) from balsamic vinegar to red wine because he dislikes it, and I think the secret ingredient to add to mushrooms when sautéing them is soy sauce-however this made the gravy very salty! But still the man said it was the best mushroom gravy he has tasted! Thank you for the recipe I will definitely be making it again!

    Reply

  33. George says

    Hello,
    I haven’t made your recipe yet but will soon. I’m new to the art of cooking so reading your recipes is like walking around an art gallery. One big problem I have is trying to have all main course items ready at the same time. I get overwhelmed when trying to keep everything warm and never enough room in the oven or counter space.
    Please spend a little time suggesting the order in which items need to be prepared and which can be prepared ahead of time.

    I stumbled on your site looking for a schnitzel recipe with mushroom sauce I look forward to making it.
    Thank you for your time helping others to cook better.

    Reply

  35. Crystal says

    Due to the current situation our two week trip to The Netherlands and Germany was cancelled. My four children, husband and myself were to travel. I decided when it was going to be apparent that we would not be traveling that I would research and then prepare German recipes for my family. I have several Dutch recipes as my husband has lived in The Netherlands and speaks Dutch. In my research I stumbled upon your website.

    Your recipes for schnitzel and spaetzle are amazing. I had tried to make spaetzle few times prior using another recipe and thought I would swear it off mainly because my dough was cooking to my spaetzle maker. My spaetzle came out perfect. The Jägerschnitzel turned out delicious, in fact my mushroom hating husband ate the sauce!

    Thank you for sharing your recipes and helping me provide a little Germany for my family.

    Reply

    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      Wonderful, Crystal, I’m so glad you enjoyed all three recipes, thank you! I’m so sorry your trip was cancelled, I can imagine how disappointed you all must be. I love your plan to cook German recipes for your family. We have a two-week trip to Germany and Austria with our kids booked for September and are crossing our fingers that travel will be possible by then. If not we will be doing the same thing you are – experiencing those countries vicariously through good food :) I hope you visit my site again, we have lots of delicious German recipes! Here are some more: https://www.daringgourmet.com/category/food/by-country/western-european/germany/

      Reply

  36. Greg Miller says

    I made this as a side dish mixed with a casarecce (curly noodle) pasta, served along with a pesto pork chop and air fryer garlic parmesan broccoli and it was spectacular. It has a great depth of flavor and balances really nicely with the pasta. It would also be very good with mashed potatoes. Highly recommend.

    Reply

  37. Robert Ryan says

    Made the mushroom gravy for Jaeger Schnitzel and it was very delicious. Will have to check out your other recipes so Thank You!

    Reply

  38. Tracey says

    I’ve made this mushroom gravy three times now! I’m making Jägerschnitzel for our friends tonight so we will once again have this delicious gravy.

    Reply

  39. Pam says

    Oh my goodness! I don’t know why I never made mushroom gravy from scratch. I used approximately 8 oz of baby Bella mushrooms, chopped fine and omitted the balsamic vinegar and dried thyme. This recipe is a keeper! Yum!

    Reply

  40. Sherry Knowles says

    I’ve made this gravy for the second time today and its definitely a keeper! I use it to smother my oven baked steak. Needed to make it gluten-free so I used a mixture of sorghum flour (2TBSP), brown rice flour (1TBSP) and potato flour (1TBSP) for the 4 TBSP all-purpose flour. And it worked perfectly.

    Thanks so much for the recipe.

    Reply

  41. Danielle says

    Ive made this recipe several times for my Russian German husband and he loves it!!! Its amazing and we have it in schnitzel 💋

    Reply

  42. Serena says

    been looking for a mushroom gravy that is BROWN and doesn’t use wine. I’m not a wine drinker and I don’t want to go buy a whole bottle of wine just to use it for gravy one time for one person (me!) so this is a great substitute! Going to try it tomorrow over some rice.

    Reply

  43. Anthony says

    This is the most incredible gravy I’ve ever tried. It’s so easy to make as well. My family loves it. I tried it with the vinegar once and all other times without it still amazing both ways but to me better without the vinegar.

    Reply

  44. Cyndy says

    I made this gravy and served it with jaegerschnitzel, it was wonderful!! We are having it again for our Christmas dinner!🎄🥰

    Reply

  45. Ola says

    I’ve made this recipe twice now! I also added the broth that was left after cooking dried mushrooms, that gives an additional wonderful layer of flavour. Thanks for the recipe! (PS. I’m German and I would not hesitate to put the non-balsamic version of this recipe on a Schnitzel!)

    Reply

  49. Elisabeth Reichert says

    What happened to the white wine and sour cream. The gravy for jagerschnitzel always has sour cream added in at the end.

    Reply

  50. Cindy Louwho says

    No, no and no. This is anything BUT authentic. Jägersoße does NOT have balsamic vinegar for the love of god. It has red wine. And bacon. SMH.

    Reply

    • Adam Bortz says

      No one said it WAS authentic Jägersoße. Balsamic vinegar is made from red wine, it is just left until the alcohol is evaporated off. you are getting almost the same flavors. if you fully read the recipe you would see at the base it says “Notes
      **If using this gravy for German Jägerschnitzel and you prefer a more basic, traditional gravy, omit the balsamic vinegar and thyme” I personally love this gravy, I use it on many things other than jeager schnitzel. Great on meatballs as well with pasta such as homestyle egg noodle.

      Reply

      • Chef Bill says

        My dear Adam. Having never been to Germany, I can’t speak to the authenticity of this recipe. However, the flavor of Balsamic vinegar is nothing like that of red wine. Balsamic vinegar, unlike most vinegars, is not made directly from wine but rather from grape must, a concentrated syrup made from boiled down grape juice. As a Chef, I’ve made dozens of variations of this recipe, including this one. My favorite “tweak” if you will, is to add a quarter cup of a good dark German beer along with the beef stock. Is it “authentic”? No idea. But, it’s dang good!

        Reply

        • Hans says

          The problem with a lot of people is they know very little about cooking. I cooked for 10 years in Ialian, Austrian , American, Bbq, Seafood, etc… Food is diff. from region to region, just like any food in the U.S. Some people have never had flavorful food. I grew up eating S.O.S. and fried chix, but branched out and tried many variations of dishes. I have lived in Germany and only like certain types of Greman recipes.

          Reply

  52. Snapp says

    Stumblbed upon this when looking for a mushroom gravy. Didn’t have tHE balsamic vinager, omitted. Still delicious. Used for Salisbury steak & noodles! YUM thank you :)

    Reply

  53. sara says

    Fantastic! My hubby has been asking for schnitzel with mushroom gravy for years and I finally tried it with this recipe and your chicken schnitzel recipe. He absolutely loved it! (So did I!) Back now to print the recipe so we can make it often!

    Reply

  54. Rachel Blackwood says

    Made this gravy and it’s pretty good but not as good as my late mother’s mushroom gravy! However, I’ll be making this gravy again.

    Reply

  55. Udi says

    I made this with chicken stock because that’s what I had. Otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. The result was wonderful! Thank you.

    Reply

  56. Kimberly says

    I made this for my family tonight and everyone loved it. I was leery about the sugar and balsamic but they blended beautifully with the rest of the flavors. I’ve been looking for a Jaegersosse recipe and this one is perfect. Thank you!

    Reply

  58. Martin Lewis says

    Just made this and half way though eating it with my schnitzel and could not wait to make a comment on it something I never do but this is so good I had too, the most authentic mushroom Gravy I’ve ever had and I made it myself. Thanks a lot,Martin.

    Reply

  60. Dan says

    I’ve made this twice now. The balsamic vinegar was a little overwhelming the first time. The second time I made it with 1/4 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and it was much better. Thanks for the recipe as it’s much better than jar gravy!

    Reply

  61. Maggie says

    YUM!! Love this sauce!! I used Better than Bouillon for the broth and followed the recipe exactly. I did prep the ingredients ahead of time and kept in the frig until I was ready to make it later that day. I served it over center cut pork chops and whole wheat egg noodles. Hubby loved this as much as I did. After reading the reviews, I will try it over meatloaf.

    Reply

  62. Cori Landon says

    Exquisite! The title of “BEST” is spot on. I followed the recipe exactly and it is SO good! Thank you for this awesome recipe!

    Reply

  63. Lisa says

    Great recipe! I get really irked when people change the recipe and say, “great recipe” so full disclosure – I used a good chicken stock and it STILL turned out great. The beef stock I thawed had no flavor so I decided that more flavor, but chicken, would be better – and it was. I just made sure the mushroom got really brown to give it more color and flavor. The genius of this recipe is the little bit of acid from the balsamic – I would not leave this out because it balances the flavors! Also used fresh thyme because I had it on hand. I’m serving it with pierogis, pork roast and Polish sausage for a Christmas lunch… But, I’ll be making it again. Thank-you!

    Reply

  64. Katie says

    I made it! I halved the recipe and it turned out great. I was hesitant about the sugar and vinegar, however, figured they must serve a purpose. Since I had bacon on hand, I used the rendered grease to sauté the onions. I let a few bigger chunks of bacon simmer in the gravy, while waiting for my potatoes to cook.
    I will definitely use this recipe again.

    Reply

  67. Diana says

    I can’t believe how simple it was to prepare. This was my first gravy from scratch and it was so flavorful. Everyone enjoyed it! Now I will use it for Thanksgiving. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      Fantastic, Diana, I’m so glad you and everyone else enjoyed it, thank you. Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply

  69. Amy Shelton says

    I made this as an alternative to jar gravy when making cube steak. I had to add some cover up flavor. All I could taste and smell was the balsamic vinegar, and I even put less than what the recipe calls for. I’m hoping as it cooks in oven that the flavor mellows out a bit. I may use this recipe again, but leave out the vinegar and thyme…

    Reply

    • Elysia says

      This happened to me too, turned out that I accidentally put in 2 TBSP instead of teaspoons ( added 1 tsp the second time), I also added just a touch of an Italian herb mix instead of thyme and it turned out so much better the second time!

      Reply

  71. Rick says

    Why is it my gravy is always a lighter tan color instead of this dark brown?……still taste great though

    Reply

    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      Hi Rick, that has everything to do with how long you “caramelize” the flour/butter. The darker that gets, the darker the gravy will be. I’m so glad you enjoyed the gravy, thanks for the feedback!

      Reply

  72. Luis says

    I was a bit dubious of this recipe based on the pictures but it is LEGIT! The flavor matches the deep, dark lusciousness of the color. The vinegar gives it a slight tang that some might find out of sorts so feel free to leave it out if you wish. I added a 1/2 cup of red wine before the flour to add another layer of flavor.

    Reply

  75. Bzzy says

    I made this gravy to go with meatloaf….let me tell you….it was absolutely delicious!!!! I’m going to make again with some breaded pork sirloin cutlets next week!!! yummy!!!

    Reply

      • Beth says

        It’s 5/9/18 and I made this TONIGHT! It was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I loved it, my husband loved it. My Beagle, Daffney, even had a little taste! Haha! My husband said this was the BEST mushroom gravy he has ever had, and the best I’ve fixed. I’ve fixed a few too. I agree with him. I’m keeping this and I’m so glad I tried it. FOR ANYONE OUT THERE WHO WANTS TO MAKE THIS, DO IT! You will not be disappointed. And by the way: I went EXACTLY by the recipe – to the letter. I added a little “splash” of 1/2 & 1/2 at the end. It was SO GOOD! :-)

        Reply

  77. J says

    This tastes exactly like the Jager sauce I remember from Manheim and stutgart! Thanks for this! Now to find a good spaetzle recipe.

    Reply

  79. Jennifer says

    Hi Kimberley, if I use the beef bouillon cube, would I have to add anything else to try and get the same depth as a beef stock?

    Reply

      • Stephen says

        Have you ever used Better Than Bouillon? It comes in a jar. I use the chicken variety as a way to boost the flavor in borscht in I typically use low sodium boxed broth.

        Reply

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