Easy, Healthy Homemade Gravy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a healthy substitute for gravy? ›

When looking for a healthier gravy alternative, seasoned yogurt is one of the best substitutes. Yogurt is a great source of calcium, a micronutrient essential for bone health and many other body functions. Plain yogurt also has a mild taste that lends itself well to a variety of dishes.

Use a gluten-free flour mix or single alternative flour. Sweet rice flour, sorghum flour and garbanzo flour are great single flour options. Sweet rice flour can be found in the Asian section of the grocery store and makes a very smooth sauce.

Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.

Flour is a natural thickening agent and can be incorporated into your sauce with a few different methods (for a gluten-free option, you can also use arrowroot flour or a gluten-free flour blend like Bob's Red Mill's 1 to 1 or King Arthur's Measure for Measure). One way to thicken gravy with flour is by making a slurry.

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

One easy way to thicken gravy is to simply reduce the liquid. Add any pan drippings you have to a small or medium-sized saucepan. Then, add in 1 cup of liquid, and simmer on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces by at least a third and the flavors are more concentrated.

Another way to thicken gravy without flour is to roast vegetables like carrots, onions or shallots, celery, whole garlic and red bell peppers with the meat. Strain the juices and puree the vegetables and add it to the de-fatted meat juices, wine and some stock. Reduce the liquid to a thick gravy then strain and serve.

In nonstick pan over medium heat, toast ¼ cup of All-Purpose Flour Artisan Blend, Bread Mix, or Baking & Pancake Mix, whisking constantly until it colors from white to tan, 5 to 10 minutes. Melt butter in pan, add the toasted flour, and mix well. Add stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.

To make a cornstarch gravy, start by making a slurry (blend) of cornstarch and a small amount of cold liquid (generally water or broth). You will need about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of gravy. Don't add powdered cornstarch directly to a hot liquid; it will clump.

Add an umami-rich condiment.

Just as you might add condiments like soy sauce, miso paste, Worcestershire sauce, or even a splash of sherry or cider vinegar to your favorite gravy recipe, incorporate them into store-bought gravy for a more complex flavor.

Is gravy healthy for you? ›

Most gravy is not healthy. Because of the roasted meat juice it is high in saturated fat and sodium, and with ingredients such as flour and butter it can have more calories than you expect. Gravy has little nutritional value, though by adding water that vegetables have been boiled in you can add some nutrients.

Instead of gravy, opt for a lemony hollandaise sauce recipe to add a little tangy flavor and heat to your side dish. This works especially well for any mashed potatoes that have found their way onto a brunch menu, or if you're cooking a French entrée.

You could possibly substitute another stock, water, water and dry white wine, milk, really thinned out tomato puree, or even beer. I always keep some bullion paste in my pantry or fridge, or some bullion packets to use in a pinch when I don't have freshly made stock. Measure some water. Add bouillon cubes.

It's easy to substitute cornstarch for flour when your recipe calls for a thickener (as in gravy, sauce, or pie) or a coating for fried foods. Whether you don't have flour on hand or are looking for gluten-free alternatives, cornstarch has a similar effect in these cooking applications.