Homemade Chicken Gravy

Winner, Winner, Chicken Gravy with Your Dinner

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/23/24
Tested by
Patty Lee
Patty Lee
Tested by Patty Lee
Patty was a Senior Food Editor for The Spruce Eats, where she oversaw recipe developers and food writers in creating delicious recipes and helpful cooking guides.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Yield: 2 cups

You've roasted your chicken, left it to rest, and now it's time to make the gravy. Many cooks shy away from making homemade gravy, and either skip it or use store-bought instead, which can often be laden with salt and other additives.

But making your own gravy using the drippings from the roasted chicken is not only easy, but you get to make it exactly the way you like it. The flavors​ of the roast and the gravy marry together beautifully.

The Purpose of Flour in Gravy

Gravy recipes typically call for flour or cornstarch, both of which help thicken the sauce. Cornstarch works quickly and yields a thicker texture, but the gravy it produces doesn't hold up as well as those made with flour, which is why we opt for the latter in this recipe.

When using flour to make gravy, it needs to be browned first, which adds flavor but also removes its raw flavor. This is the same step as making a roux.

Yes, You Can Make This Gravy With Chicken Stock

If you don't have the drippings from the chicken, you can still make a good gravy. Just use a ready-made stock or a good quality stock cube. If using a store-bought stock, be sure to check the sodium levels as they can sometimes be very high. It's always better to start with a low-sodium option and add salt to taste.

This recipe calls for using a roasting pan since it originally held all the roast chicken drippings, but a saucepan can be used if you're using chicken stock.

How to Fix Lumpy Gravy

A lumpy gravy is bound to happen every once in a while. If it does, don't panic! There are a few easy ways to bring it from lumpy to smooth:

What to Serve With Homemade Chicken Gravy

Roast chicken is, of course, perfect with a helping of gravy, but you can add spoonfuls to other dishes, too. If you have leftover gravy on hand, consider enjoying it with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower, flaky buttermilk biscuits, meatballs, and more.

Chicken gravy recipe

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

"This super simple gravy comes together in no time and adds such great flavor to roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and other comforting dishes. It's a fairly thin gravy, so if you prefer a thicker one, follow the directions below to get it to the texture you like." —Patty Lee

Chicken Gravy Recipe Tester Photo
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups juices from a roasted chicken, or chicken stock or a combination

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 2 teaspoons red currant jelly, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for chicken gravy

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Pour all the juices from the roasting pan in which you have roasted your chicken into a measuring cup or bowl.

    Pour gravy

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Leave to cool slightly and spoon off the fat (which will have floated to the surface) and discard. Measure 2 1/2 cups of the chicken drippings. If you don't have enough chicken drippings, add chicken stock to make up the difference.

    Leave gravy to cool

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Place the roasting pan over high heat on the stovetop, watching carefully to make sure it does not burn. The residual juices still in the pan will start to bubble.

    At this point, add the flour and stir quickly to scrape up all the sediment from the pan. Cook for one minute making sure it does not burn. If it gets too hot, remove from the heat and keep stirring. 

    Place spoon in roasting pan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. With the roasting pan on the heat, whisk in the wine until combined. Then whisk the drippings (and/or chicken stock) into the flour-wine mixture all at once. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Pour in wine

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Add the red currant jelly (if using) stir until dissolved then strain through a fine sieve into a gravy boat or serving jug.

    Add the redcurrant jelly

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. If you prefer a thicker gravy, then once the red currant jelly has been added and melted, mash 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon flour to create a paste. Whisk this a little at a time onto the boiling gravy and continue to whisk until it thickens (this should only take a few minutes). Strain through a sieve into a gravy boat. 

    Add butter

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Can You Freeze Chicken Gravy?

Absolutely! Chicken gravy is easy to freeze and can last for up to 3 months when frozen. To freeze, fill a zip-top bag with the gravy and lay flat in the freezer. Or to freeze in individual-sized portions, spoon the gravy into an ice cube tray.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
37 Calories
1g Fat
4g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 37
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 2mg 1%
Sodium 86mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 3mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 73mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)