How to Make White Gravy

For many of us, our favorite comfort foods are covered in gravy—specifically white gravy. This creamy sauce is a must on many southern dishes like chicken-fried steak and biscuits with sausage gravy.

While many cozy southern comfort foods take hours to simmer or braise, white gravy comes together in a snap. About 15 minutes is all you need to make this sauce from scratch.

How to Make Homemade White Gravy

Making white gravy is easy-peasy and doesn’t require any fussy ingredients. As long as you have butter and milk in the fridge, you’re ready to stir up a batch. We based this white gravy off our top-rated basic white sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Dash black pepper
• 1 cup 2% milk

Tools for Making White Gravy

Whisk

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Measuring Cup

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Saucepan

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• Whisk: To get the smooth consistency you want for this gravy, use a whisk.
• Liquid measuring cup: For measuring milk, use a liquid measuring cup (not the dry measuring tools you use to measure flour for cookies).
• Saucepan: A small saucepan is all you need for this white gravy recipe. It doesn’t produce an overwhelming amount of gravy, so reach for a 2- or 3-quart pan.

Directions

Step 1: Melt the butter and add the dry ingredients

Taste Recipes

To start your white gravy, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour, salt and pepper until nice and smooth.

Step 2: Finish the sauce with milk

Taste Recipes

Next, gradually add in the milk, whisking as you go. Bring the sauce to a boil and whisk until the sauce thickens. This should only take a minute or two.

And that’s all there is to making white gravy! Once it’s finished, spoon over biscuits, cooked veggies or whatever you’re craving.

How to Season White Gravy

Taste Recipes

If you want to level up the flavors of this easy white gravy recipe, you can always add in extra spices. Here are a few ideas from the Taste Recipes Test Kitchen:

• Onion and garlic: Sautee finely chopped onions or garlic (or both) in the butter as it melts. You can also use onion and garlic powder.
• Herbs: Add your favorite dried herbs to this white gravy recipe. Thyme, sage, oregano or basil are all great additions and can help accentuate the flavors of the foods you’re serving with the gravy.
• Spices: Raid your spice rack for any other ideas! Paprika will add for a touch of smoke and heat. For even more spice, add a dash of cayenne powder.