BEST Mushroom Gravy

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

For the best mushroom gravy recipe, look no further!  Made from scratch with an incredible depth of flavor, you can enjoy this versatile homemade mushroom gravy over roasts, steaks, meatloaf, roast chicken, potatoes, schnitzel, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and more! It’s one of our family favorites!

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!

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. 
• 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.
• For the ultimate flavor I’m adding my “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 I 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.

And if you’d like to make creamy mushroom gravy, simply stir in a few tablespoons of heavy cream at the end.

How to Grind Mushrooms

I like to use a spice/coffee grinder (I recommend this one from Krups) for grinding mushrooms. This way I can get it to a fine powder to add to sauces and soups when I want the texture of the mushrooms to be “hidden” but still have that amazing flavor. But in the case of this mushroom gravy, it doesn’t matter if some larger pieces remain. You can also use a small food processor or blender, but making small quantities like this in a larger appliance isn’t ideal. You can also use a mortar and pestle to grind the dried porcini mushrooms. Alternatively, you can place them in a ziplock bag and use a mallet to pound them.

If you are using fresh porcini mushrooms (instead of dried ones), you can dehydrate them in the oven or in a food dehydrator first. Finding fresh porcinis is a challenge depending on where you are, but if you find a good deal on fresh porcinis you can dry them in bulk to have on hand.  Using porcini mushrooms in dried form gives them a heightened and more concentrated flavor.

Gluten Free Mushroom Gravy

To make gluten free mushroom gravy 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.

Vegan Mushroom Gravy

To make vegan mushroom gravy 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:  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.

Serving Suggestions

This mushroom gravy is deliciously versatile. Here are just a few way you can enjoy this homemade mushroom gravy:

• Beef, pork and lamb roasts
• Beef steaks, pork chops, and chicken or turkey cutlets
• Salisbury steak
• Meatloaf
• Roast chicken
• Potatoes
• Pasta and Rice
• Buttermilk Biscuits
• German Jägerschnitzel
• Yorkshire puddings
• Steamed or roasted vegetables

Enjoy!

For more delicious homemade gravy recipes try my:

• Onion Gravy
• Turkey Gravy
• Hamburger Gravy
• Sausage Gravy
• Rahm Sauce
• White Gravy

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet on November 17, 2017