How to Make Your Own Beef Gravy Mix

By
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen is a journalist, quick-cooking and slow-cooking expert, and accomplished cookbook author with over 30 years of experience in testing and developing recipes.
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Updated on 12/18/21
How to Make Your Own Beef Gravy Mix

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 3 mins
Total: 13 mins
Servings: 12 servings

Homemade gravy is nice, but there are many times when you just want a quick gravy to finish off a meal. There's no need to turn to those convenient packets of brown gravy mix if you have this recipe. The beef gravy mix recipe gives you a prepared dry base that's as simple as any store-bought option when you want to make gravy: Add water, whisk, and heat until it thickens. It's well-flavored and perfect over meatloaf, roast beef, or mashed potatoes. 

Homemade mixes are a fantastic way to help you control the ingredients in prepared food. You can reduce sodium, avoid artificial ingredients, and vary it to your taste. For instance, you may want to add cayenne pepper for a hint of spice or change up the herbs in this recipe. Whatever changes you make, write them down so you can repeat or adapt the results next time.

The key ingredients in this beef gravy mix are instant blend flour and dry milk powder, which gives the gravy its creamy thickness. Wondra is the best-known brand of instant flour. Made with wheat and malted barley, it's processed, so it's finer and drier than all-purpose flour. This extra step ensures that the flour dissolves better to create thick soups and gravies without the lumps.

You can add brown sauce for gravy (Kitchen Bouquet is a popular option) for extra flavor, or skip it and still have a nice gravy mix. Since it does include butter, this mix needs to be refrigerated. However, it will keep for a month, if not a little longer.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups dry nonfat milk powder

  • 3/4 cup instant blend flour (such as Wondra)

  • 1/4 cup beef bouillon granules

  • 3 tablespoons minced instant onion

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves

  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

  • 1 tablespoon brown sauce for gravy, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. 

    Beef Gravy Mix ingredients

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  2. In a medium bowl, combine the milk powder, flour, bouillon granules, instant minced onion, thyme, onion powder, marjoram, and pepper.

    combine the milk powder, flour, bouillon granules, instant minced onion, thyme, onion powder, marjoram, and pepper in a bowl

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  3. Stir with a wire whisk to blend thoroughly.

    spices mixed together in a bowl

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  4. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the butter until butter is evenly distributed and particles are fine.

    cut butter into the spice mix, mix together

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  5. Drizzle brown sauce for gravy, if using, over the mixture, and stir with a wire whisk until blended.

    brown sauce and gravy mix together in a bowl

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  6. Spoon the mix into a 3-cup container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator. Label with date and contents. Use the gravy mix within four to six weeks.

    Beef Gravy Mix in a jar

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Using the Gravy Mix

Combine 4 tablespoons of the gravy mixture with 1 cup of water in a small pot. Whisk until smooth, and place over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and is hot.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
113 Calories
8g Fat
8g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 113
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 5g 24%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 533mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 42mg 3%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 71mg 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.)