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Gravy without drippings can be just as delicious! My easy Onion Gravy recipe is packed with sweet caramelized onions for a mouthwatering flavor all without difficult ingredients. In fact, I bet you have everything on hand already! This 6-ingredient gravy is sure to be a huge hit on chicken, pork, beef, or just about anything!
Jump to:
- Easy Onion Gravy Recipe
- Why You'll Love this Simple Onion Gravy
- It's the perfect base for customizing!
- It tastes great on everything!
- It's flavorful even without drippings!
- Gravy with Onions Ingredients
- How to Make Onion Gravy
- Gravy Recipes
- Onions Gravy Expert Tips
- Storing and Reheating Leftover Gravy
- Chicken Broth Gravy FAQ
- What to Serve with Onion Gravy
- Onion Gravy
- Reviews
Easy Onion Gravy Recipe
I honestly believe that gravy might be the best part of a classic Sunday supper. The roast is great, and the veggies are delicious- but what's a pile of mashed potatoes without a mouthwatering gravy to go with? Be it a classic brown gravy or a delicious and versatile mushroom gravy for pork chops, you'd better bet I'm going to be scraping up every delicious drop!
But if you've made gravy without drippings before, you're probably well aware that it's hard to capture all that incredible flavor with just stock or broth. That's where homemade onion gravy comes in! By using caramelized onions as a base, this gravy captures all that flavor, all without using drippings.
Why You'll Love this Simple Onion Gravy
It's the perfect base for customizing!
Looking for a simple gravy recipe without drippings? This is the one for you! It makes for the perfect base gravy to add anything you want to, from extra flavors to different broths. Plus, you can easily make it a vegetarian gravy or even gluten free by using my suggested substitutions!
It tastes great on everything!
Honestly, I can hardly think of anything gravy with onions doesn't taste good on. Beef, pork, vegetables, chicken, hamburger steaks, even biscuits taste incredible slathered in gravy! Scroll to the bottom of the page for a whole list of great ideas for what to serve with onion gravy.
It's flavorful even without drippings!
The best thing about this easy gravy recipe is how flavorful it is, even without using any drippings! I know how hard it can be to make a satisfying gravy without drippings, trust me. But by using onions, you can capture some of that complex, sweet and savory flavor without all the effort of making a roast at the same time. It's delicious gravy, any time!
Gravy with Onions Ingredients
- Yellow onion: Yellow onion has a wonderful sweetness that makes them absolutely perfect for caramelizing. You could potentially use vindalia or sweet onions too. For this gravy, you cannot use onion powder.
- Garlic: I recommend fresh garlic cloves instead of garlic powder for this gravy- you'll want that full flavor! However, you can use garlic powder in a pinch.
- Vegetable oil: Any mild, neutral flavored oil will work. It will help keep the onions nice and moist while they caramelize.
- Unsalted butter: Unsalted butter is definitely a good idea versus salted butter, as you'll be adding chicken broth, which has plenty of salt as-is!
- All-purpose flour: Flour is added to the butter and simmered until it turns into a rich, thickening roux. For a gluten free onion gravy, gluten free flour works great in this recipe, too! Cornstarch will also work great.
- Chicken broth: Chicken broth or chicken stock rounds out this simple gravy recipe. If you use stock, you may need to use less flour, as it thickens up more. You can also use beef broth for a darker brown gravy, or vegetable broth for vegetarian gravy!
- Optional: Try out these variations for an extra customized flavor.
- Red wine - adds a rich, dark fruitiness!
- Worcestershire sauce - savory and complex! You can also use soy sauce.
- Herbs - fresh herbs like thyme, parsley, and rosemary can add an herbal twist!
- Dijon mustard - Acidic and spicy, adding extra tang to the gravy.
- Black pepper - Hot and bright! Use for a zingier gravy.
How to Make Onion Gravy
1: Caramelize Onions
Heat a skillet on the stove over medium heat, and add in the oil. Once hot, add the sliced onions. Cook them gently, stirring often, until they begin to caramelize, about 10-15 minutes.
2: Add Garlic
Add in the minced garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.
3: Make Roux
Push the onions to the side of the pan, then add the butter to the empty side. Once it's fully melted, add in the flour and mix well, until it makes a bubbling golden paste.
4: Add Broth
Slowly pour the chicken broth into the butter and flour mixture, only a few drops at a time! Mix thoroughly the entire time. Then mix in the onions and garlic.
5: Simmer and Serve
Bring the gravy to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat. Let simmer until thickened to your desired consistency, about 15 minutes, while giving it a whisk every few minutes. Then serve, and enjoy!
Onions Gravy Expert Tips
- Make sure to caramelize the onions very slowly! You can caramelize them as much as you'd like, depending on how much time you have. True caramelized onions take upwards of half an hour to cook!
- Make sure not to burn the onions by cooking on a higher temperature. The burned flavor can permeate the entire gravy.
- You'll want nice large yellow onions. If your onions are smaller, use more! I recommend about one and a half medium onions to stand in for one large onion.
- Make sure to taste test the gravy to see if it needs more salt or any other flavor.
- If you're serving this gravy with meat, use the same skillet to cook the meat first, then don't wipe it out before starting the gravy! That way you get all that flavor from the stuck on bits.
Make Extra Onions!
It takes a while to caramelize onions, so while you're at it, double or triple the amount and store the extras! I find that caramelizing onions makes for the perfect topping for loaded burgers, sandwiches, and more. Freeze the extra in ice cube trays for easy little cubes of flavor you can toss into gravy, stew, or just about anything!
Storing and Reheating Leftover Gravy
- Refrigerator: Leftover gravy should be cooled before transferring to airtight containers in the fridge. Gravy lasts up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: My favorite way to store gravy! Pour the gravy into freezer safe plastic bags or small airtight containers. Or, pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze for an hour, them move the gravy ice cubes to a freezer safe bag! This makes it extra easy to thaw only as much as you want at a time.
- Thawing: You can thaw leftover gravy in the fridge overnight or in a saucepan over low heat with a lid. Make sure to stir it frequently if you thaw it this way!
- Reheating: I recommend reheating gravy in a pot or skillet, but you can also reheat it in the microwave in 15 second bursts. Make sure to stir well between!
Chicken Broth Gravy FAQ
I wouldn't recommend using water instead of stock or broth in gravy. However, you can use water if you're adding a bouillon cube, as that will turn the water into broth as it cooks!
A great way to spruce up a bland gravy is by adding fresh herbs, such as rosemary and thyme. You can also add a splash of red wine to intensify the flavor, or add in more umami with chopped mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, or soy sauce.
What to Serve with Onion Gravy
In my opinion, broth gravy like this onion gravy is best served with recipes that don't produce any drippings. That way you can still serve your meal with delicious gravy!
- Smoked chicken has a great flavor to pair with onions!
- Grilled pork chops are so juicy and just begging for a good gravy for pork!
- Roasted vegetables taste even better with a good gravy- try my roast small potatoes, or garlic parmesan carrots!
- And of course, be sure to cook up some dinner rolls for sopping up any leftovers!
If you enjoyed the recipe, leave a comment and a rating below!
Onion Gravy
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 large Yellow onion - cut into ¼ inch thick slices
- 3 cloves Garlic - minced
- 1 Tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons Flour
- 2 cups Chicken broth
Instructions
- Heat a skillet on the stove over medium heat, and add in the oil. Once hot, add the sliced onions. Cook them gently, stirring often, until they begin to caramelize, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add in the minced garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Push the onions to the side of the pan, then add the butter to the empty side. Once it's fully melted, add in the flour and mix well, until it makes a bubbling golden paste.
- Slowly pour the chicken broth into the butter and flour mixture, only a few drops at a time! Mix thoroughly the entire time. Then mix in the onions and garlic.
- Bring the gravy to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat. Let simmer until thickened to your desired consistency, about 15 minutes, while giving it a whisk every few minutes. Then serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to caramelize the onions very slowly! You can caramelize them as much as you'd like, depending on how much time you have. True caramelized onions take upwards of half an hour to cook!
- Make sure not to burn the onions by cooking on a higher temperature. The burned flavor can permeate the entire gravy.
- You'll want nice large yellow onions. If your onions are smaller, use more! I recommend about one and a half medium onions to stand in for one large onion.
- Make sure to taste test the gravy to see if it needs more salt or any other flavor.
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