Better Than Bouillon Gravy (5 Minutes)
Add an extra touch of deliciousness to chicken, turkey, roasts and mashed potatoes with a beyond-easy, smooth and flavorful Better Than Bouillon gravy. Just 5 minutes with 3 simple ingredients (plus water).
Servings (change as needed): 5 -6
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil or unsalted butter Note 1 (or half butter, half oil)
- Optional: 3 tbsp chopped green onions or shallots
- 3 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour (or 4 tbsp for thicker gravy)
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon base, any kind, Note 2 (or more to taste)
- 2 cups water
Optional flavor enhancers
- dried seasoning - salt, black pepper, thyme, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, garlic powder
- fresh herbs e.g. thyme, chives, rosemary
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce, sherry or Worcestershire sauce; or a splash of cream.
Instructions
- MAKE ROUX AND GRAVY BASE: Melt butter or heat 3 tablespoons oil (or use half of each) in small saucepan on medium heat. For extra flavor, add optional chopped green onions and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in 3 1/2 tablespoons of flour and 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon base. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes until the roux starts to turn a very light brown. This will get rid of the raw flour taste. Don't let it get too dark or burn. (It should be a loose paste. If too dry, add a bit more oil).
- FINISH GRAVY: Whisk in 1 cup water until smooth. Whisk in remaining 1 cup water. I use lukewarm water to speed up the cooking process, but cold water is fine too. Cook about 3 minutes until gravy has thickened. Taste and add any optional seasonings you like if needed. Pour into a gravy boat or thermos and serve. Gravy will thicken a bit more on standing. Note 3 - troubleshooting. Makes about 2 cups of gravy.
Notes
- If you have pan drippings from a roast (the juice and fat in the pan after roasting), feel free to use them instead of the oil or butter. They will add great flavor. If there is a lot of meat juice mixed with the fat, it's best to pour the mixture into a fat separator and use just the grease. Otherwise you may get lumps.
- Better than Bouillon Base - choose the kind you like or need. The more common ones are roasted chicken, roasted beef, seasoned vegetable, mushroom, turkey, sauteed onion and roasted garlic. The company also has a culinary collection (more sophisticated flavors), and even organic, reduced sodium and vegetarian/vegan collections. List of better than bouillon bases.
- Troubleshooting gravy problems:
- Lumpy gravy: whisk rapidly or use an immersion blender to smooth out lumps. Alternatively, strain the gravy through a fine mesh sieve. This is only likely to happen if you are using drippings from a roast that have meat juices in them.
- Too thin: If you find your gravy is not thick enough, mix a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in a small cup and add it slowly to the simmering gravy until you achieve the desired thickness. Repeat if necessary.
- Too thick: Add more water. You may need to thin out the gravy as it thickens when sitting around or stored in the fridge.
- Too pale: If you like your gravy a little browner, add a little bit of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce e.g. 1/2 teaspoon.
- Not flavorful enough: Whisk in more better-than-bouillon base or optional seasonings listed in the ingredients. Some cooks whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter at the end as well.
- Make ahead, freeze, reheat
- The gravy can be made a few hours or days ahead. Store leftovers or make-ahead gravy in an airtight container.
- To freeze, place the cooled gravy in a sealed zipper lock bag or airtight container and freeze up to 4 months. Defrost before using.
- Rewarm the gravy on the stove on medium-low heat or in the microwave. If too thick, add a bit of water or broth. Frozen gravy may separate - just whisk it well and it will smooth out perfectly when reheated.
Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 582mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 42IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.5mg