Mushroom Gravy

Learn how to make mushroom gravy to pair with your favorite protein or side dish. This quick and easy stovetop method yields a delicious savory sauce with no pan drippings needed.

Recipe Science

Cremini and Baby Bella mushrooms offer intense flavor and a meaty texture, and they hold up well to heat in sauces.
Seasoning mushrooms with salt at the start of cooking draws out moisture, concentrating the juices with a savory, umami flavor.
Whisk butter and flour together until golden. This forms a roux, eliminating the raw flour taste and creating a flavorful sauce base.

Why It Works

One way to instantly elevate any dish to gourmet status is to pair it with a flavorful sauce. This mushroom gravy recipe uses simple ingredients to create an intense, savory taste. When cooked, the fungi release tasty juices into the pan. What remains are tender and meaty pieces that add a wonderful texture.

Using the concentrated liquid from the mushrooms in the sauce’s base, you don’t need pan drippings like turkey gravy. Sauteed onions, fresh herbs, and a few umami-packed ingredients provide depth of flavor. Cooking on the stovetop makes the process fast and all in one pan. I love pouring this sauce over juicy roast turkey, pork chops, steak, and creamy mashed potatoes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make mushroom gravy.

Mushrooms: Brown mushrooms like Cremini or Baby Bella add intense flavor because they are a more mature variety. They are great for sauteing because their structure holds up better to heat, preventing them from shrinking too much. Their meaty bite adds a nice texture to the sauce.
Onions: I finely chop yellow onions and saute them in olive oil to mellow out their sulfur compounds. Over time, the natural sugars come to the surface, making them taste sweeter.
Garlic: Minced garlic adds more allium notes and only needs to cook briefly to release wonderful earthy smells.
Herbs: Fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme are briefly cooked in the fat to draw out more fat-soluble flavor compounds, resulting in a more robust taste in the sauce.
Seasoning: Soy sauce is rich in glutamates, intensifying the mushroom flavor. Balsamic vinegar provides acidity and has a natural sweetness from the grapes to balance the savory taste.
Roux: A classic thickening agent for sauces and gravies is a roux. It’s equal parts of fat-to-flour, and the amount of liquid added determines the consistency. I use butter for the rich, milky flavor. I used my how to make gravy guide to adjust the thickness. This recipe yields a pourable sauce consistency that is sticky enough to cling to foods.
Liquid: Add vegetable broth or stock for a vegetarian gravy. I use unsalted vegetable stock or broth to control the saltiness. If pairing with meat or poultry, use chicken or beef.

See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).

Ingredient Substitutions

Mushroom Swaps: You can use other types of mushrooms, like White Button mushrooms, but they have a milder flavor than cremini mushrooms. Adding dried mushrooms like porcini will deliver more intense flavors.
Make it Gluten-Free: Make a slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup of water. Alternatively, you can use 3 tablespoons plus ¼ teaspoon of arrowroot powder mixed with 6 tablespoons of water. Whisk the slurry into the hot liquid and cook until thickened, which takes 30 to 60 seconds. Use gluten-free tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos.
Make it Dairy-Free: Use margarine, olive oil, or coconut oil to replace the butter.
Liquid Options: You can season the gravy base with any type of stock or broth. However, beef or chicken stock works well for a meatier taste.
Vinegar Substitutes: Try white or red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or champagne vinegar.

How to Make Mushroom Gravy

Diced onions, rosemary, and thyme sauteing in a pan.

Step 1: Saute the Aromatics

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle in the olive oil. Once it’s shimmering, add the onions. As they sauté, they will become translucent and lightly golden, which will take about 3 to 4 minutes. This change happens as the natural sugars in the onions start to caramelize, giving them a sweet, savory flavor.

Next, add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary. These aromatic ingredients only need about 30 seconds to release their fragrant oils, but be sure to stir frequently. You want the garlic to become fragrant without turning brown, which could introduce a bitter taste to your dish.

Step 2: Cook the Mushrooms

Use a large skillet to cook the mushroom gravy. The fungi volume will start high and condense by at least half. Season the sliced raw mushrooms with salt and black pepper right at the beginning of cooking. This process helps to quickly draw out the moisture in the cell walls while seasoning the inside.

Sauté until tender and most of the moisture releases and evaporates. This concentrates the umami flavor and adds depth to the gravy. Add the vinegar and soy sauce, and cook until the vinegar smell is not as strong, about 1 minute.

Tips for Perfect Execution: Cut the mushrooms into 1/4-inch thick slices to release moisture quicker and add deeper brothy notes to the gravy. The juices are packed with savory flavor compounds. After sauteing, remove the mushrooms from the pan to prevent further shrinking and give more room to cook the roux and stock.

Step 3: Make a Mushroom Roux

Melt the butter in the pan, then sprinkle in the flour. Whisk them together until smooth. As you stir, you’ll notice the mixture thickening and turning a lovely golden hue, which removes the raw flour taste —this takes about 2 minutes. This step is essential as it creates a roux, which serves as the flavorful base for your sauce.

Expert Tip: For a medium-bodied sauce, add about 1 ½ tablespoons of flour and fat for every 1 cup of liquid. Gradually stirring in more stock can make the gravy thinner.

Step 4: Add the Liquid

Turn the heat to medium-high and gradually whisk in the stock, adding about ¼ cup at a time. As you whisk, you’re helping to break up any clumps of flour, creating a smooth, velvety sauce. For a thinner consistency, simply add a bit more stock.

The careful addition of liquid ensures the sauce develops a balanced, rich texture. The starches in the flour thicken more as they cool, so if the gravy looks runny, it will tighten up when ready to serve. The gravy should lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Quick Substitution: If you’re already making a roast like chicken or turkey, use those drippings instead.

Step 5: Add the Mushrooms

Once the gravy reaches the desired consistency, add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. This duration gives the vegetable time to warm up and infuse the flavors into the sauce. The consistency will be smooth, perfect for drizzling on top of your favorite foods.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make a smooth gravy?

When diluting the hot roux with liquid, make sure to add room-temperature or cooler stock or broth. This prevents the protein from seizing up and cooking too fast, creating clumps. Gradually add the liquid and whisk continuously! This process helps to separate the starches and properly thicken the gravy. High heat, near boiling, helps the starches swell and add body to the sauce.

Can I use pan drippings instead of butter?

Yes! Instead of butter, add the same amount of pan drippings from cooking steak, pork, chicken, or turkey to the gravy. The pan’s fat, juices, and browned bits (fond) are delicious.

How do you make a vegan gravy?

Use vegetable stock or broth for the liquid. Use olive oil instead of butter for the roux.

How do you make the gravy gluten-free?

Omit the butter and use cornstarch or arrowroot powder instead of all-purpose flour as the thickening agent. Use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup of water. Alternatively, use 3 tablespoons plus ¼ teaspoons arrowroot powder combined with 6 tablespoons water. Whisk into the hot liquid until thickened, about 30 to 60 seconds.

Can you make the gravy in advance?

Yes. After preparing the gravy, let it cool down, then store it in an airtight container inside the refrigerator for three to four days. This works best for flour-thickened sauces because they hold their consistency after reheating. If cornstarch is used, a stronger, brittle gel forms and loses some of its thickness when reheated and stirred. It tastes better when made on the same day.