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Learn How to Make my Au Jus Recipe easily using beef drippings! This is the most delicious au jus recipe for prime rib recipes, roast chicken, French Dip sandwiches, and more. Ready in 5 minutes using three ingredients!
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Au Jus
Every year, I look forward to making my favorite roast beef recipes for my family for Fall and Winter. Instant pot roasts, slow cooker roasts, Dutch oven roasts, or an entire standing rib roast… you name it!
No matter what cut of roast beef I’m preparing, one thing I always do is save the pan drippings to make au jus. There is nothing like this light and flavorful sauce for dipping your beef, reheating leftovers, and pairing it with sandwiches.
This is my favorite au jus recipe. It’s simple to make in just 5 minutes and adds flavor to the dish you’re pairing it with. Next time you have pan drippings from a roast or cooking chicken or turkey, make this au jus!
Roast Beef Au Jus Ingredients
- The #1 ingredient you need to learn how to make au jus is beef drippings. It isn’t au jus without the drippings!
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Red Wine
- Beef Broth or extra juice from the roast beef
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste (optional)
How to Make Au Jus
- Place the roasting pan from cooking roast beef (ex. boneless prime rib) on the stovetop over medium heat after removing the roast, or use a skillet.
- Whisk Worcestershire Sauce and Red Wine into the dish, along with drippings from the beef. If using the roasting pan, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add Beef Broth or Juices from the roast beef. Bring to a simmer.
- Serve hot with sliced roast beef or as a dipping sauce for a French Dip sandwich, and enjoy!
This sauce is fantastic when served over creamy mashed potatoes or noodles. If you prefer a thicker consistency, you can make beef gravy, which is also delicious.
Beef Recipes to Make Au Jus
My prime rib recipes make beautiful holiday meals and special occasion dinners. Save the drippings from any of these recipes to make a perfect sauce to serve on the side or with leftovers. I promise you will never want to use a packet of au jus gravy mix again!
- Instant Pot Prime Rib
- Boneless Prime Rib Roast
- Standing Rib Roast
- Slow Roasted Prime Rib
- Sous Vide Prime Rib
- Smoked Prime Rib
- Grilled Prime Rib
What is Au jus?
Au jus is a French term meaning “with juice”. It refers to a light gravy made using fat drippings from meat like roast beef. In French cuisine, making au jus is a way to bring out more flavor in a dish, especially beef, chicken, or lamb.
For American dishes, however, it generally refers to a light sauce made with roast beef drippings and is a popular dipping sauce for recipes like a French Dip sandwich. Au jus is sold as a gravy mix in a packet, but nothing beats making it from scratch with drippings, especially from prime rib.
What is the difference between au jus and gravy?
Au jus and brown gravy are similar but not quite alike. Both au jus and brown gravy may use pan drippings from the roast, but au jus is a light sauce, while the gravy is thickened using a roux.
Make a roux to whisk into the sauce to make gravy from your au jus sauce. You can follow my step-by-step instructions on how to make a roux. It is delicious!
How to Store Au Jus
- Cooling: After making au jus, allow it to cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes. You can also speed up the cooling process by placing the saucepan in an ice bath.
- Storage Container: Transfer the au jus to an airtight container. A glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid works well. Leave some space at the top of the container to account for expansion during freezing or refrigeration.
- Refrigeration: If you plan to use the au jus within a few days, store it in the refrigerator. It can typically stay fresh for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: If you want to store au jus for an extended period, consider freezing it. Pour the cooled au jus into an airtight freezer-safe container, leaving space at the top for expansion. Label the container with the date for reference. Frozen au jus can be stored for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat Au Jus Sauce
- Thawing (if frozen): If you’ve frozen the au jus, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or use the defrost function on your microwave. You can also melt it slowly on the stovetop over low heat.
- Reheating on the Stovetop: Pour the au jus into a saucepan and heat it over low to medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning. Bring it to a gentle simmer, and it’s ready to serve once it’s heated through. Be careful not to overheat, which can affect the flavor and texture.
- Reheating in the Microwave: If you’re in a hurry, you can reheat small portions of au jus in the microwave. Use a microwave-safe container and heat in short 20-30 second bursts, stirring in between until it reaches the desired temperature. Be cautious, as microwaves can cause uneven heating.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste the au jus after reheating and adjust the seasoning if needed. You can add a bit of salt or pepper to enhance the flavor.
Au Jus Recipe FAQs
Au jus gravy is kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
You can freeze au jus by first allowing it to cool, then adding it to an airtight freezer-safe container with at least half an inch of space at the top. A freezer-safe bag also works for freezing au jus. If you want easier portions, freeze in an ice cube tray first, then move to a freezer-safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months and reheat on the stove over low heat.
Au jus uses beef broth or stock but is not the same as broth. It uses more ingredients, including drippings from the roasting pan, to make it into a light sauce.
You will not get near the same taste of roast beef using beef broth rather than a complete au jus sauce like this one. However, when reheating it in the oven, you can use beef broth or au jus to moisten your roast.
Best Gravy Recipes
Recipe
Au Jus Recipe
Equipment
- Whisk or wooden spoon
- Roasting pan or sauce pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup Beef Broth or juices from roast beef
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 cup Red Wine
- drippings from roast beef
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
- Place the roasting pan from cooking roast beef (ex. boneless prime rib) on the stove-top over low heat after removing the roast from the pan. Alternatively, use another dish appropriate for cooking on the stove-top.
- Whisk 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce and 1 cup Red Wine into the dish, along with drippings from the beef. If using the roasting pan, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce, drippings from roast beef, 1 cup Red Wine
- Add 1 cup Beef Broth or Juices from the roast beef and bring to a simmer.1 cup Beef Broth
- Serve hot with sliced roast beef. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Serve with prime rib, chuck roast, or as a side dipping sauce for dishes like a French Dip sandwich.
- Check the post content for a guide on how to make French Dip sandwiches!
- You can make au jus using more than just beef! Try making au jus with pan drippings from chicken and even turkey. Use chicken broth instead of beef broth and white wine instead of red wine. Leave out the Worcestershire sauce.
Jen Sabbato says
Can you make this WITHOUT the red wine???
Em Beitel says
Hi Jen! Absolutely. I would recommend using either red wine vinegar, beef broth, or beef stock.
Fritomann says
Fritomann made this recipe, leaving out some of the flour.
I always have beef tallow in the fridge, saved fat drippings.
The wine I have is a caberne savignon 2020 so I used that.
Adding some flavor, minced garlic, and dried chopped onion from the spice rack.
We looked at all the recipes for au jus, gesundheit, and yours is the closest to what we desire.
It takes probably 25 minutes to do it right. Thank you.
Em Beitel says
That’s awesome, thank you so much! We’re very glad you enjoyed it!