Chicken Gravy

There is nothing like homemade chicken gravy to smother cream cheese mashed potatoes, rotisserie chicken, and dip yeast rolls into. This quick and easy gravy recipe can be made without any chicken drippings, making it perfect as a side without the additional work. 

And while the ingredients are indeed simple, the smooth, delicious taste will taste anything but. 

Why you will love Gravy From Scratch!

Better Flavor: When you prepare your chicken gravy, you can control the ingredients and tweak the flavor to whatever you like.

To give gravy extra flavor, add herbs, spices (like onion powder), and poultry seasoning, and always use fresh ingredients to enhance the dish’s flavor.

Store-bought gravies are frequently heavy in sodium and preservatives. Making homemade gravy allows you to use fresh, good-for-you ingredients while controlling the amount of salt and other chemicals. This makes it a healthier option than pre-made ones.

Homemade chicken gravy can also be utilized in various dishes. While it goes perfectly with roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies, and other meats, it can also be used as a soup and stew base, adding flavor and richness to the dish.

Ingredients:

• unsalted butter
• all purpose flour
• chicken stock or broth
• heavy whipping cream
• Worcestershire sauce
• seasonings – salt and black pepper, pinch cayenne

How to make Homemade Chicken Gravy from Scratch

1. Add butter to a saucepan and melt over medium-low heat.
2. Once butter is melted, whisk in flour and continue to heat over low, for about 10-12 minutes.
3. Whisk occasionally until butter and flour is a golden brown.

4. Carefully stir in chicken stock and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
5. Heat over medium heat, whisking frequently until thick.
6. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce. Serve in gravy boat immediately, or store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How to use Chicken Drippings for Gravy

Chicken drippings are a delicious base for making a homemade chicken gravy recipe. Here’s how to use them to make a flavorful and rich chicken gravy:

1. Pour chicken drippings into a measuring cup, being careful not to include any burnt bits or solids from cooking chicken. Let the drippings sit to allow any fat to rise to the top of the measuring cup.
2. Skim off the fat: Use a spoon or fat separator to skim off fat from the top of the drippings. You should be left with a layer of flavorful chicken broth at the bottom of the measuring cup. Use this in your gravy or add to additional chicken broth for chicken gravy.

How to thicken chicken gravy

Make a cornstarch slurry with a tablespoon of cornstarch and a tablespoon of cold water. While whisking continuously, gradually add the slurry to the gravy. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens.

Combine a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of butter to make a roux. Cook roux for a few minutes over medium-heat until golden brown. While constantly whisking, gradually add the roux to the gravy. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens.

Simmer the gravy over low heat for a few minutes to evaporate some of the liquid and concentrate the flavors. This approach takes slightly longer than the others but yields a richer, more flavorful gravy.

No matter how you do it, whisk slowly and continually to prevent lumpy gravy from forming.

How to make thinner gravy.

Add liquid: Adding more liquid, such as chicken broth, water, or heavy whipping cream, is the simplest way to thin gravy.

Whisk in a small quantity at a time until the gravy achieves the desired consistency. 

Can you make gravy with any type of broth? 

Yes, you can make gravy with any broth, but the flavor and consistency of the gravy will vary depending on the type of broth used. Try this recipe with beef broth too!

Serve Chicken Gravy with

We have a variety of incredible chicken dinner recipes that would go perfectly with gravy! 

Dip air fryer chicken tenders in gravy, use with chicken wings, or substitute our cream gravy with chicken gravy on ritz cracker chicken.