Homemade Gravy Without Drippings

Homemade Gravy Without Drippings is an easy from scratch gravy recipe without drippings so you don’t have to wait for the meat to be done! Make it ahead of time to reduce stress for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

You Don’t Need Meat Drippings to Make Great Gravy

When it comes to learning how to make homemade gravy, you use meat drippings for the flavor. But what happens if you don’t have any?

Maybe you’re deep frying your turkey and don’t have any drippings to make turkey gravy.

Maybe you’re making mashed potatoes for two to go with your ham steak dinner or small meatloaf recipe.

Or you’re making a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner with Stuffed Butternut Squash and Cranberry Stuffing. Vegetarians should not be denied gravy.

Whatever the reason, you can now make Thanksgiving gravy ahead of time with Homemade Gravy Without Drippings!

It’s an easy from scratch gravy recipe made with butter and broth instead of meat drippings. That means you don’t have to wait for your turkey, chicken, or pork roast to finish cooking!

I make this gravy every Thanksgiving because it lets me get ahead on holiday cooking. You can prepare it while your turkey tenderloin or roasted turkey legs are still cooking or even make it the day before and reheat it when dinner is ready.

The trick is building flavor without relying on the drippings using both onion and a flavorful broth.

Cooking onions in butter until softened and lightly browned add extra flavor and color to the gravy so you don’t feel like you’re missing out on those delicious pan juices!

You can also choose your broth based on what you’re serving. Chicken broth works well with turkey and chicken, beef broth pairs with pot roast, and vegetable broth makes a meatless gravy.

Although this post focuses onThanksgiving Dinner For Two, you can make this gravy recipe without drippings for Christmas Dinner For Two and Easter For Two as well.

Why You’ll Love This Gravy Recipe Without Drippings

• Make ahead of time! Save yourself the stress by making gravy the day before Thanksgiving or Christmas since you don’t need to wait for meat to cook.
• Make it all year round! Pour it over mashed potatoes for two any day of the year, especially if you’re not serving it with any meat.
• Uses basic pantry items! There’s a very high chance you can make this gravy right now using standard kitchen ingredients.

Ingredients For Gravy Without Drippings

To make an easy homemade gravy, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Butter: Since you’re not using meat drippings, you’ll need to substitute butter for the fat. I highly recommend using real butter, but I have made it with margarine at my parents’ house.
• Onion: Although optional, onions are a delicious aromatic to build your gravy base.
• All-purpose flour: Thickens your gravy. You can also substitute cornstarch to make gluten-free gravy.
• Salt: Love it or hate it, salt is an absolute must. It takes your homemade gravy from bland to great. The amount will depend on how salty your broth is.
• Broth/Stock: The liquid needed to turn your roux into a sauce. Use a flavor that best matches what you’re serving.
• Milk: Adds a touch of richness.

For my Thanksgiving gravy, I use chicken broth to go with my Stuffed Cornish Hen.

However, you can easily adapt it to match your dinner, such as beef broth for beef pot roast or vegetable broth for mashed potatoes.

Or use it for vegetarian biscuits and gravy for two instead of using sausage gravy recipe for 2.

You can also make my mushroom gravy for a more robust vegetarian gravy.

How To Make Gravy Without Drippings

Here’s how to make homemade gravy with flour:

1. Melt your butter in a saucepan.
2. Fry onion until softened and starts to brown. The darker your onions get, the darker your gravy will be.
3. Stir in flour to coat the onion. This is called making a roux, which is a flour paste using to thicken your gravy.
4. Whisk in your broth slowly until smooth (there will be lumps from the onion) then bring to a boil.
5. Cook until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Stir in milk then taste and adjust for salt. Finally, taste and adjust for salt. It’s hard to give an exact amount since broths can vary in sodium levels but if your gravy tastes flat and bland, add more salt.

How To Make Homemade Gravy Without Flour

Looking to thicken your homemade gravy without flour? Use cornstarch instead to make a gluten-free gravy.

However, cornstarch isn’t a 1:1 substitute for flour. Use 1 tablespoon cornstarch in place of the 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour called for in this recipe.

You also need to whisk the cornstarch first with some broth until smooth. This helps prevent lumps by creating a slurry. Add the slurry to the saucepan with the remaining broth and continue cooking until the gravy thickens.

Storing and Freezing Gravy

• Refrigerate gravy for up to 4 days. It will thicken greatly when cold so you may need to whisk in a little more broth after reheating to thin it back out.
• Freeze gravy for up to 2 months. Dairy doesn’t freeze well, so it’s best if you make the gravy right before you add the milk, cool completely, then freeze. When ready to serve, whisk in the milk while you reheat it.

How To Make Homemade Gravy Ahead Of Time

Gravy from drippings is often made at the last minute because you can’t do anything until the meat is done.

By substituting butter for the drippings, you can prepare this gravy recipe without drippings ahead of time then reheat it for serving.

That also means you don’t have to wait until your meat is done cooking.

Maybe for a normal dinner that wouldn’t be a big deal, but this is Thanksgiving we are talking about!

You already have a million things going on – prep this, cook that, carve this, serve that.

When everything in the oven has about 15 minutes left, I start the Thanksgiving gravy. That way when everything is ready, the gravy is ready too.

However, you can certainly save time and make homemade gravy the day before and refrigerate.

It will thicken greatly when it is cold, so right before serving, reheat your gravy by putting it in a small saucepan and heat until smooth and pourable again. You may need to stir in a little more broth to thin it out.

More Thanksgiving For Two Recipes

Chances are if you’re here for homemade gravy, you’re here because of the holidays. Here are some more holiday recipes you can make for Thanksgiving or Christmas:

• Stuffed Turkey Breast
• Stovetop Scalloped Potatoes
• Au Gratin Potatoes For Two
• Small Pumpkin Pie
• Small Pecan Pie

Originally published November 20, 2012