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The holidays are the most wonderful of the year, wouldn’t you agree? I know I love that warm and cozy feeling!
I’ll actually be going away on vacation for Christmas, butI’ll be with family and I know it’ll be special nonetheless, despite not having the pretty bed of snow on the ground and hosting a Christmas dinner.
I’ve always been fascinated by Western Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. I just love seeing the big bird on the table with loads of veggies, sides, and of course… gravy!
If you’ve followed the blog for a while, you know I just love to load up on sauce with pretty much any meal! Whether it’s BBQ sauce or marinara sauce or some dipping sauce, I just don’t like my food dry at all! That’s a big theme we have around here! I know Italians may disagree that pasta and pizza shouldn’t be smothered in sauce, well, sorry! As an Indian guy who loves to slather his bread and rice in curry sauce, I beg to differ! Are you a sauce person? I assume you are if you’re reading this post! Comment below how much sauce you love with your meals!
Whenever I go to rotisserie chicken restaurants such as Swiss Chalet or St Hubert, I have to ask the waiter for an entire ramekin of gravy! Fun fact: I think my record of gravies at the restaurant was five! Making gravy from your chicken or turkey roast is a perfect way not to waste the nice drippings and to use up what you have! I discuss more about how you can get inspired by being resourceful with ingredients that are already in your kitchen in my free 5 Tips To Make Cooking Fun! motivational free guide! If you want to put your heart on a plate for your holiday meals, then make this gravy to pair with all the special components that will impress your loved ones as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You’ll see how few ingredients you’ll need for the gravy and how quickly it comes together!
To follow along with me making the entire roast chicken and how to make the gravy from the chicken drippings, be sure to watch the video! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, and press the bell button so you’re notified whenever a new video recipe is live! Let’s get to it!
Do I need drippings to make gravy From Scratch?▼
Drippings are essential to making a great gravy. This is true for a whole roast chicken or pan fried chicken, the fond leftover on the pan from meats or veggies that have been browned are full of flavor and caramelized. Picking up these bits to incorporate into a gravy is the best way to round off the flavors in the gravy.
How can I make the Chicken Dripping Gravy gluten-free?▼
To make this gravy recipe gluten-free, you need to do is replace the all-purpose flour with cornstarch! The texture and taste will be a bit different, but it’ll do the job just fine if you have a gluten intolerance!
Can I use any drippings to make this Perfect Gravy for Turkey and Chicken?▼
Yes of course! I’ve used drippings from my roast chicken here, but this will work just fine with turkey! In fact, you don’t need to just use poultry drippings to follow the steps. You can even make gravy following this procedure with
Can I use a Roasting Pan to make the Gravy from Chicken Drippings?▼
Of course. Once you have removed the chicken from the roasting pan to rest, place the roasting pan on medium heat and proceed with the recipe as directed.
How to avoid a lumpy gravy?▼
Use a whisk to incorporate the flour with the broth to ensure the gravy is smooth. Make sure to add the broth bits at a time for a smooth texture. You can also strain the gravy once ready for an extra smooth texture.
How do you thicken the gravy?▼
Cornstarch or flour can be used to thicken. For flour, you need to add it to the pan with the fond and saute for a few seconds before adding the broth. For cornstarch, ensure to create a slurry with some water before adding to the pan to prevent lumps.
What if my gravy is too salty?▼
Lemon juice is your best bet to counter some of the extra saltiness, however once too much salt has been added, it’s rather hard to bring down the flavor without severely altering the flavor and texture of the gravy. Try to season gradually while tasting often to prevent over salting.
Tools Needed
Ingredients for Easy Gravy From Scratch
Let’s see the ingredients we’ll need to make the best ever chicken gravy from drippings! Remember to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD so you can scale the ingredients for later and adjust the amounts of all the ingredients based on how much chicken drippings you’re working with! My recipe card allows for custom recipe scaling unlike any other you’ll find!
- Drippings: For this recipe I used chicken drippings. Check out my whole roast chicken recipe to see how to cook your whole chicken in the oven. You’ll be making your gravy in the same pan.
- All purpose flour: Helps to make our gravy nice and thick!
- Chicken broth: I always recommend a no-salt added or reduced salt version of chicken broth so you have more control of the seasonings. Alternatively, you can use Better than Bouillon chicken paste with some water. This is what I prefer, and I show how to use this in the drippings from air fryer roast chicken section later on in this post!
- Shallot: I like the stronger flavor of shallots, but if you don’t have them and only have onions on hand, you can substitute.
- Garlic cloves: Minced garlic will nicely complement the shallots.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme leaves will add a nice aroma to your gravy. You can use any fresh herb such as sage, Italian parsley, or rosemary. We’ll let the thyme leaves simmer with the gravy and then remove when we’re ready to serve. I’m using the thyme that was cooked in the roast chicken, but if you didn’t cook your roast chicken from it, then you can use it directly from the package. I recommend you use the thyme that was stuffed in your chicken, however.
- Lemon: Similarly, use it from the roast chicken if possible. Otherwise, squeeze in fresh lemon juice. This is optional based on your preference.
- White wine: Using some wine will nicely complement the chicken broth and add a wonderful flavor.
- Olive oil: My chicken was cooked in olive oil and the pan was not dry at all. However, if your pan is too dry, then add another splash. You can substitute with butter for a richer gravy, or use a combination of both, if you would like!
- Salt and pepper: To taste!
How to Make Chicken Gravy
Bring the pan full of fond/drippings to medium heat, if the pan is too dry, add a splash of olive oil.
Add shallots and garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir often. If you cooked your roast with thyme, add that to the pan as well. Otherwise, add thyme to the pan.
Once fragrant, add wine and mix well and add any resting juices from the chicken to the pan. Simmer and cook for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by half. Add the flour, mix well and cook until the flour is lightly roasted.
Add broth, little bit at a time until the smooth gravy is created. Simmer on low heat until the gravy is thickened slightly. Taste, and adjust for seasoning.
Add juice from the lemon used while roasting the chicken and transfer to a gravy boat.
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Make rich, velvety gravy from scratch using pan drippings and flour. Perfect for holidays or weeknights, this foolproof recipe delivers deep, savory flavor every time.
Stovetop
5.0 · 7 ratings
5 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
4
servings
makes 1 cup
medium
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
- pan drippings(from roasting; see whole roast chicken recipe)
- (12 g) all purpose flourShop →
- (240 ml) chicken brothShop →
- shallot(finely chopped)
- garlic cloves(minced)
- (120 ml) white wine
- thyme(preferably from the roast chicken)Shop →
- lemon(preferably from the roast chicken; optional)
- olive oil(if needed)Shop →
- salt(to taste)Shop →
- pepper(to taste)Shop →
Instructions
- 1
Bring the pan full of fond/drippings to medium heat, if the pan is too dry, add a splash of olive oil.
Bring the pan full of fond/drippings to medium heat, if the pan is too dry, add a splash of olive oil.
- 2
Add shallots and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Stir often. If you cooked your roast with thyme, add that to the pan as well. Otherwise, add fresh thyme to the pan.
Add shallots and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Stir often. If you cooked your roast with thyme, add that to the pan as well. Otherwise, add fresh thyme to the pan.
- 3
Once fragrant, add wine and mix well and add any resting juices from the chicken to the pan. Simmer and cook for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by half. Add the flour, mix well and cook until the flour is lightly roasted.
Once fragrant, add wine and mix well and add any resting juices from the chicken to the pan. Simmer and cook for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by half. Add the flour, mix well and cook until the flour is lightly roasted.
- 4
Add broth, little bit at a time until the smooth gravy is created. Simmer on low heat until the gravy is thickened slightly. Taste, and adjust for seasoning. Add the juice from the lemon used while roasting the chicken and transfer to a gravy boat.
Add broth, little bit at a time until the smooth gravy is created. Simmer on low heat until the gravy is thickened slightly. Taste, and adjust for seasoning. Add the juice from the lemon used while roasting the chicken and transfer to a gravy boat.
Nutrition per serving
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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
- October 3, 2026 — Added the option to substitute chicken broth with Better than Bouillon chicken paste and water. Listed lemon as optional. Instructions for gravy drippings from air fryer roast chicken added. Dedicated recipe video added.
Tips for a Delicious Gravy
- Season the gravy gradually and taste often to ensure the seasoning is on point.
- Add any veggies/herbs used to cook the roast chicken or added to the cavity to the gravy for the best flavor.
- Leave the gravy thinner than you want it to be as it will thicken as it cools down.
- For an extra smooth texture, the gravy can be strained using a fine mesh sieve.
Serving Suggestions
Of course you will want to top the poultry where you got the drippings from with gravy, but you can use it for other recipes too! This gravy will make a lot, so feel free to get creative! Here are some excellent recipes where you’ll want to use your gravy!
How to Store Gravy▼
Store your leftover gravy in an airtight container. Gravies made without milk or cream will last for about 1-2 weeks in the fridge, but if you are adding dairy, I wouldn’t keep it for longer than 2 days.
You can reheat your gravy in a saucepan over the stove on low heat, or reheat in the microwave for about a minute or until it is thinned out. You can add some water to thin out your gravy whether you are reheating over the stove or in the microwave.
Can You Freeze Gravy?▼
Yes for sure you can! If you don’t plan on eating it, then I definitely recommend you freeze your gravy. Furthermore, if you want to save some time for the next holiday meal or just always have some gravy on hand for when you want a comforting meal, then it would be awesome to have on hand. Transfer the leftovers into an airtight container and keep in the freezer for three to four months. Ensure that you allow the gravy to thaw naturally in the fridge overnight before using.
This Scratch Gravy Does Not Start with a Roux
Almost every gravy recipe opens the same way: melt butter in a pan, whisk in flour, cook the flour mixture for a minute, then pour in the liquid. This one does not. There is no butter in the ingredient list at all, and the flour does not go in first. The fat is whatever the roast chicken left behind in the pan, with a splash of olive oil only if the pan has cooked dry.
The order is what makes it work. Shallot and garlic soften in the drippings, then 1/2 cup of white wine goes in and reduces by half, and only then do 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour get stirred through and toasted. So the flour is cooking in reduced wine and browned chicken fond rather than in plain butter, which is where the depth comes from. You also never need a separate bowl for a slurry; the whole thing happens in the roasting pan.
A few other absences worth noting: there is no garlic powder here, just 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic, and it is a finely chopped shallot rather than an onion, though red onion is the listed stand-in if that is what you have. There are no bouillon cubes in the recipe either, although water with a bouillon cube is the honest fallback for the cup of chicken broth if your cupboard is bare.
Chicken Gravy, Not Turkey or Beef Gravy
What is in the pan decides what this tastes like, and here it is chicken. The drippings come from a whole roast chicken, the broth is chicken broth, and the thyme and lemon are ideally the same ones that roasted inside the bird. That makes this a chicken gravy rather than a turkey gravy, and it is certainly not a beef or pork gravy, since there are no red meat drippings anywhere in it.
The method does travel, though. The same sequence works in the pan after a roast turkey, after a pork roast, or after a batch of pan-seared steaks, provided you switch to the matching broth so the flavor lines up. What you should not do is use chicken broth with beef drippings and hope for the best. If you have no drippings at all, store-bought chicken stock is the listed substitute, and you will get a lighter but still flavorful gravy out of it.
Getting to the Consistency You Want
The secret is going slowly with the liquid. Add the cup of liquid a little at a time rather than in one pour, mixing between each addition until the flour mixture has loosened and the gravy is smooth. Dumping the whole cup in at once is what produces lumps, and lumps are almost impossible to whisk out once the flour has set around them.
Then simmer it on low until it has thickened slightly, and stop a touch thinner than the desired consistency. Gravy keeps tightening as it cools, so what looks perfect on the burner will be noticeably thicker by the time it reaches the table in a gravy boat. Season with salt and pepper right at the end rather than early, because the drippings are already carrying salt from the roast, and finish with the juice of the roasted lemon to cut through the richness.
Making This Gravy With Air Fryer Drippings
I’ve recently air fried my roast chicken, and it turned out amazing! Be sure to check out how to do that here. You’ll notice that you’ll have drippings in the air fryer basket, so definitely don’t throw that out! That is the same liquid gold as you’ll find by roasting chicken in the oven! However, a few things can make it too greasy or too salty, and an air fryer doesn't give you the browned bits a roasting pan does. Here's how to get all three right.
1. Don't use all the fat
Pour the drippings into a dish and look at the line. Everything above it is pure rendered fat. Everything below it is the good stuff, the juices that came out of the roasted chicken. I call that liquid gold, because you can't manufacture that flavor. It just develops in a well-cooked roast chicken.
Flour can only absorb about its own weight in fat. If there's more fat than your flour can take, you won't get a proper roux and the gravy turns out greasy. So skim off any extra fat until it matches the amount of flour you're using. In my case, it was just right.
2. Keep every drop of the juices
The juices under the fat line contain water, gelatin from the chicken and, most importantly, the roasted flavor. They're what give the gravy its body, so keep all of them.
I froze my drippings and made the gravy a couple of days later. When I tipped them into the pan they wobbled like a jelly. That's the gelatin, and it's exactly what you want.
3. Watch the salt
If you season the outside of the chicken and the cavity heavily, that salt drips into the drawer along with the juices. Once a gravy is too salty there's only so much you can do to fix it, and only so much lemon juice you can add, because the stock or bouillon paste you add later brings even more salt.
The fix is to take the extra step and brine the chicken, like I did in my air fryer whole chicken. It's seasoned all the way through, so all you need on the outside is a thin layer of oil and your herbs.
4. Rebuild the fond
In the oven, the browned bits stuck to the roasting pan are half the flavor. You don't get those in an air fryer, so build that flavor back in:
Heat the reserved juices and fat in a pan.
Add the shallot, garlic and thyme. If you cooked the chicken with thyme in the cavity, use that. Otherwise use fresh.
Brown them properly. Don't rush this. Give it a good 3 to 4 minutes. That browning is what brings back the roasted flavor you'd otherwise be missing.
Deglaze with the white wine, scrape the pan, and let it reduce by half.
Whisk in the flour until you have a nice, thick roux.
Instead of chicken stock, I use Better Than Bouillon chicken paste: 1 1/2 teaspoons of paste to 1 1/2 cups of water. The rule is 1 teaspoon of paste for every 1 cup of water, so it scales easily. Stir the paste in with the flour and cook it for a minute so the raw flour taste cooks off.
Add the water slowly, whisking as you go, so the gravy stays smooth.
Bring it up to a simmer, lower the heat and let it thicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
The lemon is optional. If you roasted the chicken with a lemon in the cavity, add a squeeze of that, or fresh lemon juice. Mine tasted amazing without it, so I left it out.
For a smoother gravy, transfer the gravy into a large bowl and place a sieve on top. Work out the lumps with a spatula until smooth.
Transfer to a gravy boat and enjoy!
Other Delicious Sauce Recipes
- Makhani Sauce - The Ultimate Butter Chicken Sauce
- Quick Marinara Sauce
- No-Cook Pizza Sauce
- Béchamel White Sauce
- Classic Basil Pesto Sauce
If you liked this recipe please let me know in the comments. Tag your post on social media using #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
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