Chicken Gravy

There’s so much to love about this homemade chicken gravy recipe. It saves you money by letting you skip the store-bought gravy, reduces food waste in your home kitchen, and gives you the most flavor and richness you could hope for. Plus, you can customize your gravy with as many (or few) spices, herbs and seasonings as you’d like.

If you’re making a Sunday roast chicken, save those drippings. You’ll combine them with a sage-thyme seasoning blend and a homemade roux to make your perfect gravy. The only thing left to figure out is what to serve it with, like mashed potatoes, biscuits and more.

What are chicken drippings?

Chicken drippings are the aromatic, flavor-packed juices and fats that collect in the pan as your chicken roasts. It’s all too easy to think of those drippings as garbage, though they’re anything but. Those drippings are rich in savory notes of caramelization, herbaceousness and meaty umami. These elements are the key to texture and depth of flavor in the best homemade sauces, just like this gravy.

Ingredients for Chicken Gravy

• Chicken drippings: If absolutely necessary, you can skip the drippings and go with just chicken broth. You’ll miss that level of complexity in the gravy, but it’ll still be far better than the store-bought stuff.
• Chicken broth: Choose a chicken broth that speaks to you. I recommend going with low-sodium broth; that way, you can season the gravy to taste with salt. You can always add more salt, but you can’t take salt back once it’s added.
• All-purpose flour: Flour and fat combine to make a thick paste called a roux. Once the roux and liquid boil together, they thicken and create the gravy.
• Dried seasonings: You’ll use classic poultry seasoning here. Dried thyme, rubbed sage, pepper and salt will give your gravy that savory Thanksgiving-style flair.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the drippings

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Pour the chicken drippings and loose browned bits from the roasting pan into a 2-cup measuring cup. Skim the fat, reserving 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of the fat for later. If you don’t have enough skimmed fat, add enough melted butter to the fat to total 1/4 cup. Add enough broth to the drippings to measure 2 cups total.

Editor’s Tip: You have several options for skimming the fat. You can chill the drippings until the fat rises and solidifies at the top of the surface, then scoop it off the top. You can also use an ice-cold ladle to gently skim and scoop up the liquid fat from the top of the surface. Finally, you can use a fat separator if you have one.

Step 2: Make the roux

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In a small saucepan, stir together the flour and reserved fat until smooth.

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Gradually stir in the reserved drippings.

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Stir in the thyme, sage, salt and pepper.

Editor’s Tip: If you like, cook the flour-butter mixture over low heat for a minute or two, stirring constantly, to incorporate everything and give the flour a bit of color.

Step 3: Cook the gravy

Bring the mixture to a boil. Cook it, stirring, until it has thickened into a gravy, about two minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t walk away at this point! Keep stirring the gravy as it thickens or you risk burning the mixture or boiling over the pan.

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Chicken Gravy Variations

• Add more herbs: For an aromatic chicken gravy recipe, add a teaspoon each of fresh rosemary, tarragon and oregano to your gravy. Add the herbs at the beginning of the cooking time if you want them to mellow out a bit. Add them at the end if you want them to be lively and bright.
• Make Cajun-inspired gravy: Add a teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (or even Old Bay seasoning) to your roux before adding the drippings. Once you remove the gravy from the heat, whisk in a dollop of sour cream. This will add a bit of the smoky, sweet, tangy profile that Cajun cooking is known for.
• Go no-salt: For a no-salt-added chicken gravy recipe, omit the salt and choose a no-salt chicken broth.
• Forget the drippings: No drippings on hand? No problem. You can use all broth and all butter and still make a gorgeous gravy.

How to Store Chicken Gravy

You should store your gravy in the fridge or freezer. When you’re serving it, don’t keep it at room temperature for more than two hours, as this can encourage harmful bacterial growth.

How long does chicken gravy last?

Chicken gravy will last up to four days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze chicken gravy?

Yes, you can freeze your chicken gravy for longer-term storage. Let the gravy cool, then transfer it to an airtight freezer-safe container or resealable freezer bag. Store it in the freezer for up to three months.

How do you reheat chicken gravy?

Reheat your chicken gravy over low heat, stirring constantly, until it’s warmed through. Loosen the gravy with a splash of water, stock or drippings if needed. If you’ve stored your gravy in the freezer, let it thaw in the refrigerator before reheating it.

Can you make chicken gravy ahead of time?

You can absolutely make your chicken gravy ahead of time. Since it freezes so easily, you can divide your gravy into separate small containers. Label and date each container, and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy some gravy—up to three months in advance.

Chicken Gravy Tips

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What is the secret to good gravy?

One secret to a good gravy is the thickening agent. Some gravy recipes call for cornstarch to do all the thickening. While that method works—and we often use it ourselves—it won’t leave you with the creamy richness and fullness of a roux-based gravy.

The other secret of homemade gravy is to start with flavorful ingredients as your gravy base. Pan drippings from a chicken or turkey and all those incredible browned bits in the bottom of the roasting pan are loaded with flavor. The browned bits, known as fond, are formed from the Maillard reaction, by which heat causes changes to proteins and reducing sugars, leaving you with incredible flavor compounds.

How do you thicken gravy?

To thicken your gravy, the best thing is to make a new, small batch of roux in a separate saucepan, with a ratio of about 1 tablespoon of flour to 1 tablespoon of butter. Whisk that roux into your existing gravy, and, if needed, add water or stock until the consistency is just right. Heat the gravy until it has thickened to your liking.

How do you get lumps out of chicken gravy?

Lumps happen. Don’t worry; it’s not hard to fix gravy. If your gravy develops lumps, pour it through a strainer or sieve to remove the chunky pieces. You can also use an immersion blender to blend it smooth, or toss the whole batch into a blender for supreme silkiness.

What can you serve with chicken gravy?

Gravy is the premium choice for creamy mashed potatoes and carved poultry like chicken and turkey. If you want to branch out, pour your gravy over mashed sweet potatoes, mashed cauliflower, stuffing or poutine.

You can even use your gravy to make the most delicious biscuits and gravy. Crumble and cook your sausage in a separate skillet, then stir the cooked sausage into your gravy. When making this gravy, you can even use some of the pan drippings from your sausage.