Do you have leftover sauce after making a slow cooker roast? Well, you can put it to use! Easily thicken that roast beef sauce with a roux to create a delicious, better than bouillon Slow Cooker Beef Gravy.
Slow cooker beef in gravy is one of my favorite meals to make for my family. There is so much you can do with not only slow cooker roast beef itself, but also with beef gravy from drippings or stock!
This easy beef gravy recipe is perfect for everything from dishes like Slow Cooker Roast Beef to Loco Moco, a Hawaiian recipe consisting of a beef patty topped with a sunny side up egg and rich beef gravy over a bed of sticky white rice (yum!).
It’s safe to say you can easily make a dish the whole family will love using this better than bouillon gravy!
Roast Beef Gravy Ingredients
I’m telling you, this is the easiest beef gravy to make, and so delicious. This is one of my favorite recipes with few ingredients for topping off family dinner recipes. The best part is, you can make beef gravy from drippings or beef gravy from stock; either way will work perfectly for this recipe! Here are the ingredients you need to make homemade beef gravy:
- 2 cups leftover broth from a slow cooker beef roast, or your favorite beef stock
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Optional additions: Caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms
- Salt and pepper to taste: this may not be needed if the broth is already seasoned. Taste test and use your best judgment!
If you opt to add caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms to your beef gravy (which is so delicious, and perfect if you’re making your own salisbury steak recipe), try this recipe for sautéed mushrooms and onions! Perfectly caramelized onions and mushrooms are a delicious addition to any beef gravy recipe, especially when you pair them with fresh herbs.
How to Make Beef Gravy
Making homemade beef gravy is truly as easy as it gets. And, with the prospect of making dishes like a Loco Moco Recipe, homemade Salisbury Steak Recipe, or even a Poutine Recipe, it’s well worth the minimal effort it requires! We recommend saving the drippings from slow cooker beef to make gravy from drippings, but if you want to make the gravy without cooking roast beef first, you can make beef gravy from stock. Here’s our guide on how to make beef gravy:
- Strain the broth from slow cooker beef, or use beef broth, and pour it into a slow cooker and set to high heat.
- In a pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour.
- Cook briefly, until combined and starting to bubble, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let the flour darken.
- Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot broth into the flour mixture, whisking well. Once smooth, pour the mixture into the slow cooker with the remaining broth. Whisk to combine until smooth, then cover and cook over high heat until thickened, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Uncover and allow to cool slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with a meal like Loco Moco, Salisbury Steak, or Canadian Poutine.
📌 Pin slow cooker beef gravy to save for later!
How to Thicken Gravy
I thicken my beef gravy with a roux, which is a mixture of equal parts flour and butter (or other fat). Don’t let the flour darken as you cook it with the butter; a darkened flour will have more flavor, but it will also lose its ability to thicken the broth.
For gluten free gravy:
Need to avoid flour? You can also thicken 2 cups of slow cooker beef gravy with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Pour into the slow cooker with the broth set over high heat and whisk until combined. Allow to cook, covered, until thickened, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
What to Make with Homemade Beef Gravy
I like to use slow cooker beef gravy as a topping for Loco Moco! Loco Moco is a Hawaiian dish with white rice, a seasoned hamburger patty, fried egg, and plenty of brown gravy. After thickening the gravy, I add some caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms for even more flavor.
A Poutine recipe would be another incredible pairing for slow cooker beef gravy. This Canadian dish is made up of crisp French fries, a brown gravy, and fresh cheese curds, and is topped off with a gravy recipe like this one.
Another choice is homemade Salisbury steak, especially if using caramelized onions and mushrooms. A Salisbury steak recipe is a classic dish of hamburger patties with thick, delicious mushroom gravy.
You can also top off any roast recipe with this delicious, better than bouillon gravy. Try our Boneless Prime Rib Roast or Standing Rib Roast Recipe along with your favorite Side Dishes for Roast Beef.
More serving ideas for your Slow Cooker Beef Gravy:
- Yorkshire Pudding Recipe
- Switch out the tomato sauce for this gravy inside Marquis Potatoes (Pommes Marquise)
- Over this Hutspot met Gehaktballen (Dutch Mashed Potatoes and Carrots with Meatballs)
- With Swedish Meatballs, Lingonberry Jam, and Mashed Potatoes
Slow Cooker Beef Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 cups leftover broth from Slow Cooker Roast or favorite beef stock
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pour the strained broth from Slow Cooker Roast or beef broth into a slow cooker and set to high heat.
- In a pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour.
- Cook briefly, until combined and starting to bubble, about 3-5 minutes. Do not let the flour darken.
- Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot broth into the flour mixture, whisking well. Once smooth, pour the mixture into the slow cooker with the remaining broth. Whisk to combine until smooth, then cover and cook over high heat until thickened, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Uncover and allow to cool slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with desired meal.
Video
Notes
- If avoiding flour, thicken the gravy with cornstarch. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Pour into the slow cooker and whisk to combine. Cook over high heat until thickened.
- Want to add some extras to your gravy? I like to mix in caramelized onions and/or sautéed mushrooms. Other options include dried or fresh herbs.
- Don’t let the flour darken too much as you cook it with the butter. As it darkens, it loses some of its thickening ability.
- Did the gravy thicken too much? Mix in a little more broth to help loosen it.
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