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Homemade Au Jus is rich, beefy, and easy! Just a few ingredients and minutes on the stove for the best dipping sauce ever.
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There's nothing quite like the rich flavor of homemade Au Jus! It's the perfect finishing touch for roast beef, prime rib, French dips, or even leftover roast beef sandwiches!
Making au jus at home is so easy. You need just a few simple ingredients and minutes on the stove for an incredible beef dipping sauce you'll want to use every time you serve roast beef.
This easy au jus recipe uses beef drippings and broth, red wine, a bit of Worcestershire sauce, and simple seasonings and herbs for a rich, savory sauce that adds so much flavor - without requiring many ingredients.
Is au jus the same as brown gravy?
Au jus and beef brown gravy are similar because they both use drippings, but not the same.
Au jus is a thin and light sauce that isn't thickened, while gravy is thickened using a roux to form a silky and thick sauce that clings to meat.
For more info on making roux for gravy, or even turning this au jus sauce into gravy, check out my guide on making the different types of roux!
Ingredients Needed for Making Au Jus
- Beef Drippings: This is the most important ingredient. You can make a version of au jus without drippings, but it won't be like classic au jus. See below for how to make au jus without beef drippings.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire sauce adds a little bit of zest that really livens up the sauce! If you don't have any, soy sauce works in a pinch.
- Red Wine: Red wine is tangy and juicy, with a powerful and rich flavor. Don't sweat what kind you use; any sort of red wine will taste great.
- Beef Broth: Extra broth or beef stock will help thin out the au jus so it's not overpoweringly flavorful. Plus, you'll want to make as much as possible!
- Salt and Black Pepper (optional): You can taste the au jus and add extra salt and pepper to taste. I tend to not add much, as the drippings are already loaded with seasonings from the roast.
- Fresh Herbs (optional): Depending on how you seasoned your roast beef, you can add fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, and thyme!
How to Make Au Jus - 4 Steps
- Place the roasting pan from cooking roast beef (such as 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 the beef drippings. 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.
This sauce is fantastic when served over holiday mashed potatoes or noodles.
Making Au Jus Without Drippings
If you want to make au jus without drippings, add 1 teaspoon of a beef seasoning such as my Steak Rub, plus butter in place of the drippings. You can also use broth or stock, but the results won't be quite the same. Butter will add more fat and flavor that will make the au jus extra rich.
Isabel's Top Tips for Making Au Jus Gravy
- For a thicker, silkier sauce, add in 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter while the au jus is simmering.
- You can make au jus with beef broth, but it will taste less intense. Adding sauteed shallot, garlic, and herbs will bring some of that flavor back, just make sure to strain the sauce once it's done cooking. You will also need to add butter to make up for the lack of fat from the drippings.
- For a huge flavor boost, add dried porcini mushrooms! They're packed with rich, earthy umami flavor! You can add dried pieces or powder. If using pieces, strain them out before serving.
- Don't separate out the fat from the drippings! You'll want to keep it in; it adds silkiness and richness to the sauce.
How to Store Roast Beef Au Jus
- Refrigerator: Au Jus will last up to 5 days in the fridge. Make sure to let it cool before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freezer: Freezing au jus is a great way to store leftovers for later! I like to freeze any extras so I can heat it up for sandwiches, or if I've cooked a roast that won't allow me to collect drippings. Store in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 4 months. Or, freeze in an ice cube tray and pop the cubes into a bag.
- Thawing: You can thaw frozen au jus in the refrigerator overnight, but I recommend just placing the frozen block in a covered saucepan and heating over low heat until it's melted and warm!
How to Reheat Au Jus Recipes
- 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.
- Reheating in the Microwave: Use a microwave-safe container and heat in short 20-30 second bursts, stirring until it reaches the desired temperature.
FAQ
Both homemade gravy and au jus are delicious, so it depends on what you're serving it with. I prefer au jus for prime rib, steak, and roast beef, as the thin consistency doesn't smother the meat. It's low carb, too. Gravy is best for mashed potatoes, beef tips, and pork chops, or when beef is served with pasta.
Absolutely. I would recommend using either red wine vinegar, beef broth, or beef stock.
Yes! It's a great substitute for broth if you happen to have it on hand when you're making roast beef.
Beef Recipes to Make Au Jus
Sauces for Beef
Trust me - once you try this homemade au jus, you won't want to settle for packaged gravy mixes anymore! It's one of my favorite simple sauces and always impresses at Sunday dinner.
Au Jus Recipe
Video
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
Instructions
- Place the roasting pan from the roast beef on the stovetop over medium heat. You want to use the original pan at first; that's how you capture all those browned bits.
- Add in the Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and any reserved beef drippings. Whisk rapidly until the browned bits from the pan are scraped up. If desired, you can transfer the au jus to a skillet at this point.1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce,drippings from roast beef,1 cup Red Wine
- Add in the beef broth, then bring the au jus to a simmer. It's done!1 cup Beef Broth
- Serve hot with roast beef or as a dipping sauce for French Dip sandwiches, and enjoy!
Notes
- For a thicker, silkier sauce, add in 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter while the au jus is simmering.
- You can make au jus with beef broth, but it will taste less intense. Adding sauteed shallot, garlic, and herbs will bring some of that flavor back, just make sure to strain the sauce once it's done cooking. You will also need to add butter to make up for the lack of fat from the drippings.
- For a huge flavor boost, add dried porcini mushrooms! They're packed with rich, earthy umami flavor! You can add dried pieces or powder. If using pieces, strain them out before serving.
- Don't separate out the fat from the drippings! You'll want to keep it in; it adds silkiness and richness to the 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!
Mike says
What is the difference between "Drippings" and "Juices" from the roast since they are taking up two different ingredient lines
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Mike! The drippings specifically refer to the fat drippings, but they tend to go together. But if you don't have a cup of juices from the roast beef, then we recommend broth, which is why we have the line filled out twice to allow for substitution, if that makes sense. Thank you!
Josephine Navaroli says
This is my very favorite gravy but wasn't sure how to make it. This sounds somewhat easy and delicious. Thank You so much for sharing this fantastic recipe.
Isabel Laessig says
Thanks so much, Josephine!
Carlos J says
Following the directions as-is, the au jus was a little wine heavy. I added Better Than Bouillon beef base, a little beef tallow, and some beef broth, then simmered to concentrate the flavors, and it was stellar.
Isabel Laessig says
Thank you so much, Carlos!
Rita Neves says
Can I use Au Jus to substitute for beef broth to pour over the roast for cooking?
Isabel says
Absolutely. If you have enough, please do!
Sammy Foy says
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Isabel Laessig says
Thank you so much for saying so, Sammy!