How to Make Gluten Free Gravy • Recipe + Tips • Eat or Drink (2024)

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This post is designed to teach you How to Make Gluten Free Gravy. You’ll learn how to make gluten free gravy using my fool-proof technique. Learn how to season your gluten free gravy properly no matter what type of broth you are making it out of. My gravy is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, corn free, and peanut free. It can be made vegan if you use vegetable broth.

With Thanksgiving sneaking up on us, I see so many people new to the gluten free diet wondering how to make gluten free gravy. The good news is that making gluten free gravy is not that different from making regular gravy. So while this recipe is not mind-blowing, it’s important to know which replacement ingredients work best. I’ll also share some fool-proof techniques that result in a gravy that’s never clumpy.

If you want dairy free mashed potatoes to go along with your gravy, click here to learn How to Make Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes.

How to Make Gluten Free Gravy • Recipe + Tips • Eat or Drink (1)

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How to Make Gluten Free Gravy

Gluten free gravy is not all that different from the regular gravy. The only major difference is your thickening agent. It’s also important that you incorporate your flour properly so that it does not clump up.

Create a Slurry

The easiest way to thicken any gravy is to make a slurry. A slurry is simply a mixture of your flour and liquid. You can use water as your liquid or use some of your broth. I prefer using broth because it helps keep the gravy flavorful. Creating a slurry is a fool-proof technique to ensure your gravy thickens properly. The last thing you want in your gravy is clumps of flour. By creating a slurry you remove the risk of your gravy clumping up.

How to Make Gluten Free Gravy • Recipe + Tips • Eat or Drink (2)

Choosing a Flour

My favorite flour to use in gluten free gravy is brown rice flour. Brown rice flour acts very similar to regular gluten-full flour in gravy. It dissolves well and does not add any weird flavor. It is such a common gluten free flour that you can easily find it at any store or you might already have some on hand. In the past, I have tried using starches like tapioca starch or potato starch, but unfortunately, those get a bit too gooey in gravy. You also want to avoid some of the grain free flours like almond or coconut because they have a strong taste and a distinct texture.

When to Season Your Gluten Free Gravy

These tips are not exclusive to learning how to make gluten free gravy. No matter what type of gravy you are making, it’s important to know how to properly season it. A little extra seasoning is especially important for vegan gravy made from vegetable broth.

What to add to gravy made from store-bought broth – Great for Vegan Gravy

These are just some suggestions on ways to season gravy made from store-bought broth. You may not want to use all of them at once. If you are using store-bought broth see the recipe card for an example on how to add seasonings.

  • Salt + Pepper to taste
  • Poultry Seasoning
  • Smoked Paprika
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Rosemary
  • Liquid Smoke – not necessary but does help add a rich flavor that store-bought broth is lacking
  • Dark Brown Sugar – a very small amount of dark brown sugar helps round out the flavors
  • Dairy Free Butter

What to add to gravy made from turkey pan drippings:

If you are using the pan-drippings and juice from a cooked meat like Turkey on Thanksgiving, you will not need to add a lot of seasoning. Below are the only things I suggest adding to help season your gravy.

  • If there is not enough liquid from the turkey you may need to add some broth
  • Salt + Pepper to taste

How to Make Gluten Free Gravy • Recipe + Tips • Eat or Drink (3)

Troubleshooting Tips

Hopefully, you don’t run into errors when making your gravy. But if you do goof up somewhere along the way it’s not the end of the world. Here are some troubleshooting tips to help you when you are in a pinch.

Too Thick

If your gravy gets too thick don’t panic! This can happen very easily from overcooking your gravy or adding too much flour. If your gravy is too thick just slowly whisk in more broth while your gravy is simmering. Once your gravy reaches the consistency you want to turn it off and remove it from the heat. The longer it cooks the more the liquid will evaporate so be sure to remove it from the heat when it is at your desired consistency.

Too Thin

Maybe you had more broth than you realized and your gravy isn’t getting thick. Don’t worry too much. Just make more slurry and SLOWLY add it in. Start with a little bit, mix well, and simmer for a few minutes. If it’s still thin repeat.

Too Much Seasoning

If you added too much seasoning you might just have to add more broth and slurry to expand the amount of gravy. This will dilute the seasoning you added.

Clumpy

If your gravy gets clumpy first try adding a bit more broth and whisking vigorously. If the clumps still don’t go away you can try running your gravy through a fine mesh strainer. This should help you remove the clumps.

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How to Make Gluten Free Gravy • Recipe + Tips • Eat or Drink (4)

5 from 7 votes

Gluten Free Gravy

Learn how to make simple gluten free gravy with this simple recipe. Perfect gravy for mashed potatoes. You'll love this gluten free gravy on Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's dairy free, corn free, and can be made vegan with vegetable broth.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time7 minutes mins

Total Time12 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: corn free, dairy free, gluten free, gravy, holiday, thanksgiving, vegan

Servings: 3 Servings

Calories: 70kcal

Author: Emily Meyer | Eat or Drink

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Ingredients

Gravy Base

  • 1 1/2 cup store-bought broth or cooking liquid and drippings from meat like turkey

Slurry

  • 1/2 cup broth or water
  • 3 tablespoons brown rice flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt - more or less to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper - more or less to taste

Other optional seasonings - see note in blog post about seasoning your gravy

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add broth or pan drippings and juice to a small pot and bring to a boil.

  • While your liquid is coming to a boil, make your slurry. To make your slurry add broth or water to a small bowl and add in your brown rice flour. Whisk very well to combine. If you leave the bowl sitting long before adding to your pot, you may need to whisk again because separation can occur.

  • Slowly add your slurry to your boiling broth while whisking. Quickly reduce to a simmer and cook for about 7 minutes. During this time you can add any seasonings you would like to add. If your gravy starts to get too thick for your liking remove from heat and serve. If you run into any issues with gravy consistency see troubleshooting tips in the blog post.

Video

Notes

Read the blog post for tips on seasoning. If you run into any issues with texture see troubleshooting tips in the blog post.

Please be aware: I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition facts provided are not always 100% accurate and are calculated using general brands and figures. If you need exact nutrition facts please consult a certified dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition

Calories: 70kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 843mg | Potassium: 122mg | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.4mg

How to Make Gluten Free Gravy • Recipe + Tips • Eat or Drink (2024)

FAQs

What is the best thickener for gluten-free gravy? ›

Cornstarch is probably the most readily available ingredient to sub in for flour in your gluten-free gravy—and you probably already have it in your pantry. The only catch is you'll skip the roux-making process. Once you've deglazed your roasting pan and added stock, transfer about 1 cup stock mixture to a medium bowl.

Can gluten-free people eat gravy? ›

You need three ingredients—plus salt and pepper—to make a great gluten-free gravy. Butter and Other Oils. The foundation of this gravy is a roux–a combination of fat and flour that's cooked together.

What is the secret to good gravy? ›

Here are my principles for making great gravy without fear:
  • Make it ahead. This is the most important one. ...
  • Make a really good homemade turkey stock first. Don't skimp on this crucial first step. ...
  • Reinforce the stock's flavor. ...
  • Simmer, simmer, simmer. ...
  • Strain and cool. ...
  • Reduce. ...
  • Hot liquids only.
Nov 5, 2021

What can I use as a thickener that is gluten-free? ›

Arrowroot starch works in these sorts of dishes, too. Some sauces are thickened by starting with a “roux” (a butter + flour mixture), traditionally made with wheat flour. White rice or sweet rice flour is a perfectly good substitute.

What is the best thickening agent for gluten-free food? ›

Potato Starch

As an amazing thickening and binding agent, it is ever popular in many gluten-free recipes. With a low gelatinizing temperature, relatively colorless, odorless, and tasteless, and a strong binding texture, potato starch is used for cooking and baking applications alike.

What is the best gluten-free flour to use for gravy? ›

Sweet rice flour is my go-to flour for making gluten-free gravy. It contains a slightly higher starch content than other gluten-free flours, making it silky and smooth. Even more, because this flour is gluten-free, it doesn't clump as easily as wheat flour.

What must gluten-free people avoid? ›

10 foods to avoid on a gluten-free diet
  • Grains that contain gluten. Gluten is found in many grains, including: ...
  • Pasta and noodles. Avoid wheat-based pasta, including: ...
  • Packaged snacks. Many packaged snack foods may contain gluten, including: ...
  • Meat substitutes. ...
  • Baked goods. ...
  • Bread and pastries. ...
  • Sauces and condiments. ...
  • Drinks.
Jun 16, 2022

What would happen if a gluten-free person eats gluten? ›

A tiny amount—possibly even smaller than the eye can see—could trigger a variety of bodily reactions. Symptoms of glutening are often digestive (abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation). However, gluten exposure can also cause headaches, anxiety, brain fog, skin rashes, or problems with a variety of body systems.

What tastes better in gravy cornstarch or flour? ›

Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.

Why is my gravy not tasty? ›

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful. Homemade stock, even made with chicken stock rather than turkey, will produce a superior gravy—so it's worth the effort.

Do you use hot or cold water for gravy? ›

The liquid needs to be very hot before thickening the gravy with flour. Combine ½ cup cold water and ½ cup flour in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake to mix it. I find if I use cold water to mix with the flour, lumps do not form in the container.

What is the formula for gravy? ›

A traditional roux uses roughly an equal amount of flour and fat, but gravies often call for a bit more flour than that, to ensure the gravy is thick enough. (The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.)

What thickener is best for gravy? ›

Similar to flour, cornstarch is another ingredient that can be used to make gravy thicker. With cornstarch, making a slurry is also an option, but with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked into cold water. Again, you'll want to add the slurry in increments so you don't over-thicken the gravy.

Can you use Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour to thicken gravy? ›

Our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour makes wonderful gravy your family will love.

What do chefs use to thicken gravy? ›

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

What do restaurants use to thicken gravy? ›

Onion paste, cashew paste, cream, butter, melon seed paste, cornflour slurry and roux (equal parts of cooked flour and butter) are some of the commercially used thickening agents.

What thickening agent do you use so that gravy isn t watery? ›

If your gravy is looking watery, you can add a slurry (a mixture of cornstarch/flour and water) or a roux (a mixture of flour and butter) to thicken it up. Other pantry ingredients like Wondra (an instant flour), arrowroot, tapioca, and potato starch can also be used to thicken gravy to a deliciously silky consistency.

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