How to Make Pan Gravy From Drippings (Roast, Prime Rib or Turkey)

To make pan gravy from drippings, set the roasting pan on the stove, add broth to the juices and browned bits, whisk in flour and simmer until it thickens. It takes about 10 minutes, which is just the time your roast needs to rest.

Below are the two gravies we make most: a simple pan gravy for a beef roast or prime rib, and the sausage gravy we make every Thanksgiving.

What do you need to make gravy from drippings?

You need four things: drippings from your roast, a little fat, flour and broth. A good bone broth makes a big difference here, since it is most of the flavor once the drippings run out. Good meat, a little tallow or butter and real seasoning are what make holiday cooking easy.

Simple Pan Gravy for a Beef Roast or Prime Rib

This is how we make gravy for our Cross Cut Beef Dijon Herb Roast, which cooks in a cast iron skillet with butter, Dijon, rosemary and white wine. Those pan juices make a quick, light gravy. It works the same with a prime rib or any beef roast.

Cook: 10 minutes
Makes: enough for one roast

Ingredients

• Pan juices and browned bits from a roast
• 1 cup Five Marys Beef Bone Broth
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper (we use Rancher's Salt and Pepper)

Directions

1. Move the roast to a cutting board to rest and set the pan with all its juices on the stove over medium heat.
2. Pour in the bone broth and bring it to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits.
3. Whisk in the flour. Tip: stir it into a splash of cold broth first so it goes in smooth.
4. Simmer and stir until the gravy starts to thicken, a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and spoon it over the sliced meat.

Thanksgiving Sausage Gravy (for Turkey or a Roast)

We do not raise turkeys, but on our ranch Thanksgiving is as much about the pork sausage we raise as the bird. The browned bits from the sausage add so much flavor to the gravy. This makes enough for a big holiday table.

Cook: 20 minutes
Serves: 10 to 12

Ingredients

• 1 pound Five Marys mild Italian pork sausage
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups pan juices from your turkey or roast, topped off with bone broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Pour all the pan juices and browned bits into a large measuring cup and add broth to make 4 cups.
2. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it into small crumbles, about 10 minutes.
3. Push the sausage to the edges of the pan, melt the butter in the center and whisk in the flour until thick.
4. Slowly whisk in the 4 cups of pan juices a little at a time. Simmer 3 minutes, whisking, as it thickens.
5. Stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper and keep warm over very low heat until dinner.

How do you keep gravy smooth?

Cook the flour in the fat first. A minute of whisking takes away the raw flour taste.

Add the liquid slowly. A little at a time, whisking the whole way.

Make it while the meat rests. Your roast needs that time anyway, and the gravy is ready right when you slice.

Planning the whole holiday meal? Here is our ranch-style Thanksgiving menu and make-ahead plan. And for an everyday roast with plenty of drippings, start with our classic pot roast.

Where these recipes come from

The Thanksgiving sausage gravy is from my cookbook Five Marys Family Style, trimmed down to the steps that matter. You can grab it on Amazon or get a signed copy from us here.

The simple pan gravy is from our Five Marys Smoker Cookbook recipes. The full roast is on our Cross Cut Beef Dijon Herb Roast and Pan Gravy recipe card, and the Smoker Recipes Box has all of them.

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Shop this recipe

• Beef Bone Broth
• Dry-aged beef roasts and prime rib
• Mild Italian Pork Sausage
• M5 Cooking Tallow Sticks
• Rancher's Salt and Pepper and all our salts and spice blends

Quick answers

How much flour do I need for gravy?

In my Family Style sausage gravy it is 1/4 cup butter and 1/3 cup flour for 4 cups of liquid, about 1 tablespoon of fat and a heaping tablespoon of flour for every cup.

Why is my gravy lumpy?

The flour went in too fast or the liquid went in all at once. Whisk the liquid in a little at a time. If it still has lumps, pour it through a strainer.

How do I thicken thin gravy?

Let it simmer a few more minutes, or whisk a little flour into a splash of cold broth and stir it in.

Can I make gravy without drippings?

Yes. Use bone broth for all of the liquid and butter or tallow for the fat. Drippings add the most flavor, but a good bone broth gets you close.

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