Simple Chicken Gravy Recipe

When we're making a simple, classic roast chicken recipe and comforting sides like mashed potatoes, we don't need a complicated, slow-cooking sauce to complement the meal. A simple gravy is the solution. While the thought of making your own gravy from scratch might seem intimidating, it's really not very complicated. 

Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone created a simple chicken gravy recipe that's delicious and impressive. She shares, "I love this recipe because it's easy to make and tastes much better than store-bought gravy." It might seem like a trivial swap, but once you try the homemade stuff you won't want to go back to jarred gravy. "Even if you aren't a great cook you can still make this without too much effort and it will come out great," Morone reassures us. Take her word for it — this recipe is straightforward and the results are well worth it for less than 30 minutes of work. 

For this chicken gravy recipe, you'll need unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, chicken stock, and heavy cream. Morone seasons it with Worcestershire sauce, onion and garlic powder, and salt and pepper. 

In case you don't consume wheat, she notes that gluten-free flour should give the same result. "I've heard that sweet rice flour is a great replacement in a roux, but I haven't tried it," she adds. She highlights the use of Worcestershire sauce and notes that it's a common component in beef gravy, "but rarely in chicken gravy recipes." That being said, it fits right in with the flavor profile of this chicken gravy, so prepare to be wowed. 

Set a saucepan on the stovetop and turn the burner to medium-low heat. Add the butter and warm it up until it melts. Then, whisk the flour into the butter and reduce the burner heat to low. Morone explains that "If you have the heat up too high when you are making the roux you could burn the flour." 

Keep whisking the mixture until the color starts to turn golden, "but not so long that it becomes a very dark brown because then it won't thicken as well," Morone warns. It should take around 10 minutes, so keep a close eye.

Once the roux has reached the optimal color, carefully pour in the chicken stock. Whisk the contents to eliminate any lumps, and cook the gravy for roughly 10 more minutes. You don't have to continuously stir it, but don't walk away — you want to ensure it reaches the right thickness without sticking to the bottom. Morone notes that "the longer you cook it the thicker it will get." In case it gets too thick, she recommends adding extra stock until the consistency is right.

Once you finish cooking the gravy, take the saucepan off the heat and mix in the heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce. Then, stir in the onion and garlic powder, as well as salt and pepper, to taste, until everything is combined and the consistency is smooth.

Serve this simple chicken gravy with whatever you like. Morone points out that "This goes really well with lots of things," and lists "roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits, or even pasta." You can refrigerate leftovers for up to three days, or "you can freeze this gravy in an airtight container for up to four months," Morone says.