For the best mushroom gravy recipe, look no further! Easy to make with an incredible depth of flavor, enjoy this versatile gravy over roasts, steaks, meatloaf, roast chicken, potatoes, schnitzel, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and more!
And for another absolutely phenomenal, must-make gravy be sure to try our Onion Gravy!
I used to despise mushrooms as a kid. That lasted through my teenage years and it wasn’t until I was an adult that I came to appreciate the amazing thing that mushrooms are and how much flavor and umami they impart to anything you add them to. Though I missed out on them for many years I’ve since made up for lost time – even when mushrooms aren’t a featured ingredient, I find ways to add mushroom powder to many of my gravies, sauces and stews for that added depth of flavor.
Today’s dish features mushrooms front and center in all their glory is this phenomenal mushroom gravy. 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!
How to Make 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 few minutes. This roux-like method of browning the flour is absolutely key to the flavor of the gravy.
Last but not least, for the ultimate flavor we’re adding our “secret ingredient”: Ground dried porcini mushrooms. These are like mushrooms on steroids and are my most favorite mushroom. They contribute such an incredible depth of flavor and “umami” element that we STRONGLY recommend you making the effort to source this amazing ingredient. Most well-stocked grocery stores carry them or you can find them here on Amazon.
If you’d like to make a creamy version of this brown mushroom gravy, simply stir in a few tablespoons of heavy cream at the end.
How to Serve Mushroom Gravy
This mushroom gravy is deliciously versatile. Serve it over:
- Roasts
- Steaks
- Pork Chops
- Meatloaf
- Roast Chicken
- Potatoes
- Pasta
- Rice
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- German Jägerschnitzel
- Yorkshire puddings
- Vegetables
and anything else your heart desires!
Can I Make Gluten Free Mushroom Gravy?
Absolutely!  Simply omit the step of adding the flour and then, at the very end after you’ve added the broth and seasonings, stir in a cornstarch slurry made with one tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water and simmer for a minute until thickened.
Can I Make This Vegan?
Yes you can! Substitute oil for the butter and use vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
Mushroom Gravy Recipe
Let’s get started!
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 7-8 minutes or until golden and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.
Add the ground porcini mushrooms and cook another minute.
Add the butter and melt. Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. This will cook off the flour flavor and brown the flour to create more depth of flavor in the gravy.
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.
Note:Â For a gluten free version omit the flour earlier on and instead stir in a tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water at the very end and simmer for a minute until thickened.
Enjoy!
For more delicious homemade gravy recipes be sure to try our:
BEST Mushroom Gravy
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
- 1 tablespoon ground dried porcini mushrooms (if using dried porcini pieces grind them in a coffee/spice grinder or pound with a mallet in a ziplock bag)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups strong beef broth
- 1 teaspoon dark balsamic vinegar
- 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 7-8 minutes or until golden and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the ground porcini mushrooms and cook for another minute.
- Add the butter and melt. Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring continually. This will cook off the flour flavor and brown the flour to create more depth of flavor in the gravy.
- 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).Note: To make this gluten free simply omit the step of adding the flour and then, at the very end after you've added the broth and seasonings, stir in a cornstarch slurry made with one tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water and simmer for a minute until thickened. Â
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Maggie, I’m so glad you both enjoyed it, thank you!
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Cori!
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Lisa, thanks so much! And your Christmas lunch sounds fabulous!
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Katie, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for your feedback!
Janis says
Hi there! Is it ok if I don’t add Balsamic Vinegar? Will it affect the taste much?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Janis, sure, that’s no problem at all!
Mark says
I’ve made this twice now. Frankly, it’s amazing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Mark, thanks so much!
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Diana, I’m so glad you and everyone else enjoyed it, thank you. Happy Thanksgiving!
Erika says
Hi, Kimberly, Can I make this in advance?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Erika, yes, this does pretty well reheated.
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…
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!
Maria Salinas says
Excellent! Everyone I have made the gravy for have loved it. I made the gravy for Schnitzel. Thank You!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Woohoo, I’m so happy to hear that, Maria, thank you!
Rick says
Why is it my gravy is always a lighter tan color instead of this dark brown?……still taste great though
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!
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Luis, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Karen says
This was amazing. Prepared as written. Keeper. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Karen, thanks so much!
Heidi Barnard says
Made this tonight! So flavorful. Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Heidi, thank you so much!
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!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s terrific, Bzzy, I’m thrilled to hear that, thank you!