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: 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.
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Lizer, thanks so much!
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Diane, I’m thrilled it was a hit and appreciate the feedback – thank you!
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!
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Pulfi, thank you!
marsha a peterson says
it was very tasty.
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! 👩🏽🌺🤙🏽
DJ says
No red wine?
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. :)
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Moira, I’m thrilled you enjoyed it!
Monica says
My husband and I made this other night. Loved it so much we printed the recipe out
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Monica, thanks so much!
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Carolyn!
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Lydia, thank you!
Margaret says
My husband and I celebrate our ruby wedding anniversary tomorrow the 23rd October and we lived in Germany at the start of our married life together. One of the meals I remember most was Jägerschnitzel. Due to my ill health, we’re staying in so I’m making this for us to celebrate together. Your recipe looks just the job. Xxx
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Happy 40th, Margaret!! I hope you both have a wonderful meal and evening together!
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!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, David, please let us know how it all goes!
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.
Stephanie Rigby says
This was delicious! I added a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce to it.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad, Stephanie, thank you!
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.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Sophie, thank you so much!