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BEST Brown Mushroom Gravy (from scratch)

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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!

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.

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

 

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!

Try this Brown Mushroom Gravy with our Authentic German Jägerschnitzel!

Print Recipe
4.69 from 16 votes

BEST Brown Mushroom Gravy (from scratch)

Easy to make with a wonderful depth of flavor!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: condiment, Gravy, Sauce
Cuisine: Gravy
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 151kcal
Author: Kimberly Killebrew

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
US Customary - Metric

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)
Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 530mg | Potassium: 310mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 7% | Vitamin C: 3.8% | Calcium: 1.4% | Iron: 4.6%

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55 Responses

  12. 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

      • 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

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

    Reply

      • 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

  16. 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

  19. 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

    • 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

  22. 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

    • 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

  24. 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

  27. 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

  28. 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

  29. 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

  30. 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

  31. 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

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Unless otherwise stated, all images, content and recipes are original and are the sole property of Kimberly Killebrew, daringgourmet.com. No photographs or other content may be used without prior written consent.

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