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    Home » Recipes » Chicken

    Simple Chicken Gravy

    Published: Sep 18, 2023 by Kristin · This post may contain affiliate links. · 41 Comments

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    Discover how to create delicious homemade Chicken Gravy, whether you have chicken drippings or not. It’s far superior to store-bought options! Perfect to serve over roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, or even Chicken Puffs!

    simple gravy made from scratch using pantry ingredients

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    Jump to:
    • Easy Gravy made in only 5 minutes
    • Why you’ll love this Chicken Gravy recipe
    • What are Chicken Drippings?
    • Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Gravy Recipe
    • How to make Homemade Chicken Gravy
    • How to thicken gravy
    • How to thin gravy
    • Tips for the best homemade chicken gravy
    • How to make Gluten Free Gravy
    • Recipe Variations to try
    • Storage
    • What to serve with Chicken Gravy
    • Easy Chicken Gravy Recipe

    Easy Gravy made in only 5 minutes

    There is something so comforting about chicken gravy. Especially when made from scratch. The flavors, creaminess, and warmth it brings to any meal. Whether poured over mashed potatoes, chicken, turkey, or rice..it’s a family favorite.

    When my husband and I first married, I made gravy from the powdered packet sold at the grocery store. To me, that was homemade. After all, I had to open the packet, mix it with water, and cook it over the stove-top, ha-ha! Fast forward to when I attempted homemade chicken gravy. Not only were my husband and I shocked at the flavor difference, but I was impressed at just how simple the gravy was to make. Ready to use in only 5 minutes, it was the same simplicity of store bought. Since that day, no more packet gravy has been made in my house!

    Why you’ll love this Chicken Gravy recipe

    • flavor packed– this takes food from bland to flavorful
    • easy comfort food– perfect to pour over any food desired from every day meals to special occasions
    • it can be made with or without chicken drippings– if you have drippings, use them, if not, stick with broth, either way is a success
    • quick– ready to use in only a few minutes
    • freezes perfectly– save time and make a batch to use at a later date
    • is versatile – make it YOUR perfect consistency and flavor

    Basically, this recipe is a game changer. One taste and you will be hooked. Plus, since it uses ingredients that are pantry staples, you may already have all the ingredients needed to make this.

    What are Chicken Drippings?

    You may have read above that this gravy can be made with or without chicken drippings. Drippings are what’s left in the roasting pan after cooking the chicken/turkey. This includes fat that has melted and any bits of meat that may have fallen off. This extra liquid will be poured away from the chicken into a separate bowl and used to make the chicken gravy. Using drippings adds way more flavor to the gravy, however, broth works great too!

    Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Gravy Recipe

    Using a few pantry staple ingredients, this chicken gravy can be made quickly and for any occasion. See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient amounts and step by step instructions.

    • Butter- provides the base of the roux and makes the gravy rich and flavorful. Use unsalted butter so you can add salt to taste.
    • Flour- is melted with the butter to thicken the gravy, use all-purpose flour.
    • Chicken Broth- use reduced sodium to avoid the gravy being too salty. You can also use chicken drippings in place of the broth.
    • Salt- adjust this according to taste. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more if desired.
    • Pepper- I love a peppery addition, some don’t, so feel free to omit. You can also use some dried herbs such as Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, and/or Paprika.

    all the ingredients needed to make homemade chicken gravy

    How to make Homemade Chicken Gravy

    Check out these steps to see just how easy it is to make gravy from scratch!

    1. Make the Roux: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour and whisk until combined.
    2. Add in the broth: slowly pour in the broth (or drippings) and whisk until smooth.
    3. Season: add in the salt/pepper and any additional seasonings desired and stir until consistency thickens up and becomes gravy like.
    4. Serve: ladle over meat, potatoes, rice, and/or vegetables.

    step by step on how to make simple chicken gravy

    How to thicken gravy

    Allow the gravy to simmer over low heat on the stove until desired consistency is reached. Once you remove the gravy from the stovetop and allow to cool slightly, the gravy will also continue to thicken. If after about 10 minutes, consistency is still not reached, you can add in a cornstarch slurry by adding a mixture of 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Stir into the gravy and allow to simmer over heat a bit.

    How to thin gravy

    Simply add additional chicken broth (or drippings) into gravy to thin the gravy out until desired consistency is reached.

    making the roux for the homemade gravy

    Tips for the best homemade chicken gravy

    • Add broth slowly and whisk, whisk, whisk. You want to get all the clumps out from the roux to make this smooth and creamy.
    • Season to fit your tastes. Add more or less to make it your own.
    • This gravy recipe calls for broth so make sure to use one that is high quality. The more flavor the better! You can also use stock.
    • It really only takes a few minutes. Don’t walk away from the stove as this gravy thickens fast!

    flavorful homemade gravy to compliment any dish

    How to make Gluten Free Gravy

    You’d have to use cornstarch to thicken the gravy versus using the flour. Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan and use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the boiling stock until it thickens. Continue recipe as stated otherwise.

    Recipe Variations to try

    • Change up the spices- add in some dried herbs to make this a bit more savory. Oregano, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, and more are all great options
    • Use turkey OR chicken broth depending on what you are serving this over
    • Stir in ½ cup sour cream at the end for an added creamy variation

    Storage

    • Refrigerator: Up to 4 days in an airtight container
    • Freezer: Up to 3 months in a freezer safe container

    savory homemade gravy served over mashed potatoes

    What to serve with Chicken Gravy

    Chicken Crescents with Cream Cheese– a quick and easy dinner recipe that is kid approved! Shredded chicken combined with cream cheese and seasonings, wrapped in a crescent roll and baked to golden brown perfection!

    Chicken Fried Chicken– quick-cooking, crowd pleasing, Southern comfort food at its finest! Crispy on the outside and juicy tender on the inside!

    Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes– quick, fluffy garlic mashed potatoes made easily in the Instant Pot

    Buttery Bread Machine Rolls– fluffy and flavorful dinner rolls made conveniently in the bread machine

    Slow Cooker Whole Chicken– tender, juicy whole chicken cooked in the slow cooker

    Air Fryer Ranch Chicken Tenders– crispy chicken tenders seasoned with Ranch seasoning and cooked in the air fryer

     

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    simple gravy made from scratch using pantry ingredients

    Easy Chicken Gravy Recipe

    Recipe by: Kristin
    Easy Chicken Gravy is hearty and delicious comfort food that can be made with or without drippings! Ready in only 5 minutes!
    4.10 from 84 votes
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    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 78 kcal

    Equipment

    • Sauce Pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 tablespoon butter
    • 5 tablespoon flour
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan.
    • Add flour and blend thoroughly.
    • Slowly add in the broth, salt, and pepper.
    • Allow to simmer until mixture thickens.
    • Serve!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 78kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 725mgPotassium: 69mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 177IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @TheCookinChicks or tag #TheCookinChicks!

    Check out my E-Book for 12 casserole recipes that are family friendly, blog approved, and packed with flavor!

     

     

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    Comments

    1. Isabella says

      June 09, 2025 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      It was very easy and I find myself making this recipe often! Only thing I changed is I add extra butter to help make it smoother.

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        June 09, 2025 at 1:46 pm

        Yay!! Glad you enjoy it as much as we do!

        Reply
    2. Lisa says

      January 19, 2025 at 5:37 pm

      5 stars
      I eat low carb but hubby wanted potatoes and gravy. I purchased a rotisserie chicken, so I had no “drippings.” I make my own bone broth and followed your recipe exactly. Hubby loved the gravy! Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        January 20, 2025 at 11:06 am

        Yay!! Love hearing this! So glad it was enjoyed!!

        Reply
      • Kaylene Larwin says

        March 13, 2025 at 10:02 pm

        5 stars
        super easy, turned out great. thank you!

        Reply
        • Kristin says

          March 14, 2025 at 11:07 am

          Yay!! Glad to hear you enjoyed!!

    3. Ken says

      November 12, 2024 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      This is very easy and quick and quite good!

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        November 12, 2024 at 3:55 pm

        Yay!! Glad you enjoy it too! We love this at Thanksgiving using our turkey drippings!

        Reply
    4. Paula says

      March 12, 2024 at 5:52 pm

      4 stars
      It was delicious but I will cut the salt in half. I also put some poultry seasoning in it,

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        March 13, 2024 at 10:45 am

        Great idea too! Glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
      • Bbinek says

        October 28, 2024 at 9:49 pm

        5 stars
        I’ll give this recipe an absolute 10 out of 10. Extremely convenient and very delicious. I had to use whole wheat flour and still tasted amazing, and also used leftover chicken broth out of my homeade chicken soup I made 3 nights prior (chunks of celery, carrots and chicken were put in too)… best gravy I’ve ever had!!! and mind you…I lived in Germany for almost 3 years and they use a lot of gravy… this is the best yet 👏

        Reply
        • Kristin says

          October 29, 2024 at 10:32 am

          Yay!!! Love hearing this!! What a great review!! Thanks for the great feedback and so glad you enjoy the gravy recipe as much as my family does!

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    4.10 from 84 votes (77 ratings without comment)

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    Welcome to The Cookin' Chicks…I am so glad you've stopped by! I am Kristin, a busy mom of 3, a wife, and a family chef! There are three things that motivate me each day - Family, Faith, and FOOD! I, along with the occasional help of friends and family, want to share my food creations with you! So, I invite you to join me around my dinner table through the recipes that I will share with you here. I hope you will enjoy the journey as much as I do!

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