This foolproof method for smooth, silky, gluten-free gravy from scratch works every time! It takes only three ingredients (including water) in 5 minutes. Whether you're making gluten-free brown gravy for roast beef or gluten-free chicken gravy for poultry, it's quick, easy, and produces gravy without lumps. You can choose to thicken it with cornstarch, rice starch, or make a grain-free gravy by thickening it with tapioca starch.
Maybe your family or friends have gathered for Thanksgiving dinner, or you've been tasked with making gluten-free Christmas gravy. Possibly, you've simply cooked a roast for one or two. Whatever the case, this glossy, flavourful, gluten-free gravy will top off your plates nicely.
Gluten-Free Gravy Ingredients
Gluten-free gravy needs only three ingredients:
- Flavourful, seasoned meat drippings
- Cold water
- Starch
Why does gravy get lumps?
Gravy goes lumpy when the thickener (flour, cornstarch, or whatever) is added directly to the hot liquid. It cooks immediately into little "dumplings" that can only be eliminated by either straining the gravy or running it through a high-speed blender. With my method, the thickener is smoothly blended with cold liquid and stirred into the hot liquid. Then it thickens up right away.
Good, well-flavoured pan drippings from a roasted turkey, chicken, or beef make great gravy. If necessary, add a little water to the bottom of the pan early on in the cooking process, so you don't end up with dry drippings burnt to the bottom of the pan.
A rack set in the bottom of the pan will keep your meat up out of the drippings while it cooks.
How to Make Gluten-Free Gravy for Turkey, Chicken, Beef, or Lamb
Whether you're making gravy for turkey, chicken, beef, or lamb, the process is the same.
- Measure the liquid.
- Combine starch completely and smoothly with cold liquid.
- Stir the cold starch slurry into the hot liquid. Bring it all to a boil, stirring constantly, and that's it!
How to Make Gravy from a Roast
- When the meat has finished cooking, remove it from the roasting pan and set it aside to rest a little before you slice it.
2. Meanwhile, pour the drippings from the bottom of the pan into a Pyrex 2- or 4-cup measuring cup (depending on the size of your roast and how much gravy you'll be making).
3. Skim excess fat from the top of the drippings. Don't remove all of the fat. Some fat is good for flavor. Once the fat level is down to your liking, read the level of the total liquid. If this liquid is not approximately ¾ of the amount of finished gravy you want to end up with, then add some cold water at this point to bring it up. Obviously, if you add a lot of water to bring the drippings up to the desired amount, the flavour will be diluted. If you have ½ flavourful drippings and ½ water, it should still be okay.
4. Now, pour this measured liquid back into the roasting pan. Set it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. It should come to a boil fairly quickly. As it does, you can deglaze the pan by stirring in the flavourful bits that have become stuck to the bottom.
5. Meanwhile, measure cold water into the measuring cup.
6. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or other thickener (see chart below) per cup of TOTAL (hot + cold) liquid into the cold water. Whisk it well until it is smoothly combined.
7. Then, while whisking the hot liquid, slowly pour the cold cornstarch-water mixture into the boiling liquid. It should thicken up immediately. Turn the heat down to low. Keep stirring until the boiling settles down. Then keep the gravy warm over low heat for up to half an hour until you're ready to serve it.
Traditional gravy thickened with wheat flour benefits from cooking on low for about 10 minutes after it has thickened, to cook out the flour taste. This isn't as important or necessary with cornstarch. I also prefer the slight translucent quality of cornstarch-thickened gravy over wheat flour-thickened gravy.
A Note about Seasoning
This simple gluten-free gravy is automatically seasoned! When I roast a chicken, turkey, or beef with my favourite recipes, they are already well seasoned. Then, making gravy is really just a matter of thickening the drippings. If your drippings are not already well seasoned, add some salt and pepper, Herbamare, or Spike with the cornstarch to the cold water.
Gravy made with wheat flour is NOT gluten-free. Gravy is often thickened with cornstarch, and that would be gluten-free (barring cross-contamination, of course).
Yes, cornstarch is gluten-free. It makes a great thickener for gravies and sauces that you would like to have translucent in appearance.
You might want to take the extra precaution of selecting cornstarch that has been labelled gluten-free as a reassurance against cross-contamination.
I also like to buy cornstarch that, as well as being gluten-free, has not been genetically modified.
Gluten-Free Gravy Thickeners
If you want to make a gluten-free gravy without cornstarch, there are other options!
Cornstarch
Cornstarch creates a shiny, translucent gravy that withstands heat well. It was my preference for thickening gravy even before I was gluten-free.
Rice Flour
If you prefer an opaque gravy with a texture more like that achieved with wheat flour, use brown rice flour to thicken your liquid. However, you'll need to use more, 1 ½ tablespoons of rice flour per cup of liquid.
Tapioca Flour/Starch
For a paleo, grain-free option, use tapioca flour or starch. They're the same thing. Use the same amount as specified for cornstarch. Tapioca starch gives the gravy a translucent appearance.
Arrowroot Flour/Starch
You could also use arrowroot flour or starch. (Again, it goes by either name.) It makes an almost transparent gravy. Arrowroot flour doesn't stand up well to sitting on the heat for a long time or to reheating, though. Use a rounded tablespoon of arrowroot flour per cup of liquid.
How to Thicken Gluten-Free Gravy
The amounts in this recipe are given for cornstarch and are examples only. You can adjust them according to the amount of meat drippings you have and how much gravy you want to make. The important thing is to include 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for every cup of liquid.
It's easy to recalculate my recipes for different numbers of servings! Click on the number of servings, change it, and the ingredient measurements (but not the metric ones 🙁 ) will adjust accordingly! 🙂
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Recipe
Gluten Free Gravy
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups seasoned pan drippings
- ½ cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Measure pan drippings, adding some water if necessary to bring level up as desired. Return measured liquid to the roasting pan and bring to a boil over high heat on stovetop.
- Meanwhile, measure cold water. Whisk cornstarch into cold liquid until smooth.
- Whisk this cold slurry into the boiling drippings in pan, stirring constantly. The gravy should thicken up immediately. Turn down the heat, keep warm, and serve.
Susan says
Thanks, Cathy, for your great instructions for basic but delicious foods!
Cathy says
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Susan!
Terri says
We often make gluten-free gravy for holiday gatherings (for my aunt) and it's great - I don't even notice a difference ! Gravy is the crowning glory - yummy! And yours looks super tasty!
Cathy says
Thank you, Terri!
Jessica says
I love the simplicity of this recipe! And so great for my gluten-free guests!
Cathy says
Perfect! I hope your guests enjoy it.
Colleen says
I like to use cornstarch, too, but thank you for the great info on using other thickeners. I need to experiment more with them. Your gravy looks like perfection!
Cathy says
Thank you, Colleen! It's nice to have options for people who don't eat grains at all.