Seven British gravy recipes, all made from scratch, all starting with a proper stock. Gravy is one of those things that divides opinion — not about whether it's good, but about what it should be. My Scottish granny would have had views. She was born in 1883 and lived until 1973, and the gravy boat she left me — Idris pattern, W.H. Grindley, circa 1900–1910 — has been in my kitchen at Casa Adora long enough to have served everything from a Sunday roast to a katsu curry sauce. It doesn't judge.

These British gravy recipes are the ones I make regularly, depending on what stock I have to hand and what's on the plate. A good gravy starts with a good stock — that's not negotiable. Everything else is a matter of what you're cooking and how much time you have.

There are seven gravies here: onion, red wine, chicken, vegetarian mushroom, Christmas turkey, beef, and giblet. Classic British gravy recipes, all of them, each built on a proper foundation.

Classic British Onion Gravy with Caramelised Onions

One of the most versatile British gravy recipes in the collection. This is the one I make most often. It works alongside sausages, a pork chop, or anything that benefits from something sweet and deeply savoury. The balsamic vinegar is not optional — it's what gives the onions their gloss and the gravy its backbone.

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 500ml beef or vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Sea salt and pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes until soft and golden.
2. Add the brown sugar and stir well. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and cook for a further 5 minutes until the onions are glossy and glazed.
3. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes to lose the raw flour taste.
4. Gradually add the stock, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Simmer for 10–15 minutes until thickened. Season well.

Red Wine Gravy

A British gravy recipe that earns its place alongside a good steak. This one earns its place alongside a beef roast or a delicious steak. Use a wine you'd actually drink — cooking with something you wouldn't pour into a glass produces a gravy that tastes like it.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 small shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 250ml dry red wine
• 500ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3–4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
2. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to form a roux. Cook for 2–3 minutes without letting it brown too much.
3. Gradually pour in the red wine, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
4. Add the stock, tomato purée, thyme, and bay leaf. Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until thickened. Remove the bay leaf and season well. Strain through a fine sieve if you prefer a smoother finish.

British Chicken Gravy

The simplest of these British gravy recipes and arguably the most useful. A good homemade chicken stock is the starting point — without it this is just a white sauce with pretensions. With it, it's the thing that makes a roast chicken dinner complete.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml chicken stock
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp double cream (optional)

Method

1. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
2. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to form a roux. Cook for 2–3 minutes without browning.
3. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
4. Add the thyme and season well. Stir in the cream if using, for a richer finish. Strain if you prefer a smooth gravy.

Vegetarian Gravy with Mushrooms

The only meat-free British gravy recipe here — and the one that surprises people most. The soy sauce is the secret here — it adds the savoury depth that meat stock would normally provide. Don't skip it and don't be shy with the mushrooms. A mix of button and chestnut works well, but if you can get hold of something more interesting — trompette, porcini, dried and rehydrated — use it.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 250g mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes until they release their moisture and start to brown.
3. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to form a roux. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
4. Gradually whisk in the vegetable stock. Add the soy sauce, thyme, and rosemary. Simmer for 10–15 minutes until thickened. Season well. Blend or strain for a smoother finish if preferred.

Christmas Turkey Gravy

The one that gets made once a year and has to be right. The key is the pan juices — don't discard them. They carry everything that happened in the oven for the past four hours and no amount of stock will replicate that. The cranberry sauce is a small addition that makes a noticeable difference.

Ingredients

• Pan juices from the roasted turkey
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml chicken or turkey stock
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp fresh sage, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp cranberry sauce
• A splash of dry white wine
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Pour the pan juices into a jug and leave to settle. Skim off most of the fat, keeping the rich drippings below.
2. Heat a small amount of the skimmed fat in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
3. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to form a roux. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
4. Gradually whisk in the reserved pan juices and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes until thickened.
5. Stir in the thyme, sage, cranberry sauce, and white wine. Season well. Finish with the butter, stirring until melted. Strain if preferred.

British Beef Gravy

A British gravy recipe with more character than a standard brown gravy. If you have beef drippings, use them. If not, butter does the job. The Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard are both worth including — they add layers of flavour that nudge the dish beyond a standard brown gravy into something with a bit more character.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp beef drippings or unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the drippings or butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
2. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to form a roux. Cook for 2–3 minutes without browning.
3. Gradually whisk in the beef stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes until thickened.
4. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and Dijon mustard. Season well. Strain through a fine sieve for a smoother finish if preferred.

Giblet Gravy

The most old-fashioned of these British gravy recipes. If you're roasting a whole bird and the giblets come with it, use them – discarding them is a waste of something genuinely good. The liver in particular adds a depth that nothing else replicates.

Ingredients

• Giblets from one turkey or chicken (neck, liver, heart, and gizzard)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml chicken or turkey stock
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• A splash of white wine (optional)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Rinse the giblets under cold water. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the giblets, strain and reserve the broth. Finely chop the liver, heart, and gizzard – discard the neck.
2. Melt the butter in a separate saucepan. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft.
3. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to form a roux. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
4. Gradually whisk in the reserved giblet broth and stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes until thickened.
5. Add the chopped giblets, thyme, bay leaf, and white wine if using. Simmer for a further 10–15 minutes. Season well. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

A Note on Stock — The Foundation of All British Gravy Recipes

Every gravy on this list is only as good as the stock behind it. A watery, flavourless stock produces a watery, flavourless gravy — no amount of seasoning or technique will fix it. If you're serious about gravy, you need to be serious about stock.

I make my own chicken stock as a weekly ritual, beef bone stock when I have the bones, and brown stock when I want something deeper and more complex. The recipes are all here in the Stock & Gravy collection. It's worth the effort.

Good British gravy recipes all share one thing in common – a proper stock as the foundation.

This British gravy recipes post is part of my Stock and Gravy Recipes — The Flexible Chef's Complete Collection. Wonky photos, proper gravy, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef