This is a really easy recipe for how to make gravy using just water. The secret is to use both chicken AND beef stock cubes for the best flavour and a nice deep brown colour. Takes 4 minutes flat, tastes like KFC gravy – but so much better. No pan drippings required.
Made a turkey and want a gravy? Use my Gravy for Turkey recipe!
Gravy
This gravy recipe tastes like what you get in those tubs of KFC Potato and Gravy. Those of you who abstain from all forms of fast food may not know what it tastes like. But all you need to know is that it’s everything that you’d expect from KFC – reliably tasty, well seasoned, can make anything delicious!
The secret ingredient that makes this gravy better is to use both chicken AND beef stock cubes (bouillon cubes).
What you need for gravy
Here’s all you need to make a really great gravy from scratch: chicken and beef stock cubes, butter and flour.
Chicken AND beef stock cubes (aka bouillon cubes) – for flavour and colour. Chicken is the base flavour, beef gives it oomph and gives it a nice deep brown colour rather than an unappetising pale brown. Using both also makes this gravy suitable to use for any protein – white meats (chicken, pork), red meats (beef, lamb, game), potato and vegetables. Can substitute with powder;
Hot water – to dissolve the cubes;
Flour – to thicken the gravy (gluten free cornflour/cornstarch sub in the recipe notes);
Onion or garlic powder – optional, for hint of extra flavour.
Why stock cubes instead of liquid stock/broth?
Great question! 🙂 Stock cubes and powder have a more intense flavour than liquid stock (broth), so they make a tastier gravy when you make gravy from scratch like in this recipe.
Liquid broth is more appropriate to use when you’re making gravy starting with pan drippings from roasts – because the pan drippings add extra flavour into the gravy.
How to make gravy in 4 minutes flat
Dissolve stock cubes or powder in boiling water;
Melt butter in saucepan and mix in flour;
Pour in stock water while whisking and cook 1.5 minutes until thickened. DONE!
PS The reason this is faster than most gravy recipes is because the water is already HOT and the flavour is already concentrated so there’s no need to cook down for flavour.
Now, douse everything and anything with it.
Oh, and here’s the photo that started it all – Fried Chicken. Upon spying this, there were many (many) (MANY!) requests for the potato and gravy recipe.
All the possibilities….!!!
Here’s some suggestions for dishes to serve with gravy. Some obvious ones, some not so obvious ones, all good!
Potato and gravy – KFC style! Dunk in Fried Chicken, warm bread rolls or bread (try this No Yeast Irish Soda Bread!), hot chips, wedges, serve on the side of sausages, as part of a Southern Dinner with BBQ Pulled Pork, any roast;
Roasts – any and all!
Rotisserie chicken dinner – make a meal out of a store bought roast chicken. Steam some veg, make some mash, douse everything with this gravy!
Steamed vegetables – guaranteed way to make bland, boring steamed veg completely scoff worthy;
Pan seared chops, steaks or anything – chicken, lamb, pork, beef! Sprinkle with salt and pepper, pan fry in butter or oil, douse with gravy;
Meatballs – Make these Beef meatballs or these Chicken Meatballs, skip the sauce and serve with this gravy instead;
Poured over an omelette;
Chicken Rolls – shred chicken, toss with gravy, pile generously onto hot rolls;
As a Sauce for any of these:
Use gravy as a sauce for these dishes
I need to stop. There’s too many possibilities!
But enough about my ideas. Tell me what YOU douse with gravy!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Gravy recipe (tastes like KFC – but a million times better!)
Ingredients
- 1 chicken stock cube / bouillon cube (sub 2 tsp powder) (Note 1)
- 1 beef stock cube / bouillon cube (sub 2 tsp powder) (Note 1)
- 2 1/4 cups (565ml) boiling water
- 60g/ 4 tbsp butter , unsalted
- 4 tbsp flour , plain / all purpose
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (ok to omit or sub garlic powder)
- 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
- Salt , if needed
Instructions
- Crumble cubes into boiling water, mix to dissolve.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add flour, onion powder and pepper. Mix into butter with a wooden spoon or whisk.
- While stirring, slowly pour in half the liquid. Once incorporated into the flour butter roux (it will thicken quickly), add remaining liquid and mix.
- Stir for 1.5 – 2 minutes until it thickens to a gravy consistency (it's quick as water is already hot). Taste, add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve over chops, steak, sausages, veggies, roast chicken, pork, beef, lamb. Pictured – KFC Potato and Gravy copycat!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Even at the vet, all he can think about is FOOD. Just like his owner 😂
PS Nothing major, just getting an old-man wart removed that had grown quite large and was bothering him. He was, of course, a total sook once he realised he was there for more than just pats and treats. Quivering and pressing up against me for protection!
this gravy is ridiculously good and only takes 5 minutes. will be trying it with a beef-only base next time, but still stellar and well-rounded with the beef/chicken.
TrinyGog was very happy with the gravy for Christmas day
Best DIY gravy when you don’t have animal/poultry drippings. 10/10👍
Easy YES
tasty YES
loved it YES
First time made this delucious gravy tonight. Added a dash of worschester sauce. This gravy is now my go go to. Thank you
First I made brown roux (for color and taste), like in New Orleans, about 10 minutes. Then I made bechamel sauce by adding COLD water all at once and all bouillons and spices, like in France. I brought it to a boil with stirring. Consistency was perfect, no salt was needed. I did add some Cajun spice. The whole thing took me 15 minutes and tasted surprisingly good.
Thanksgiving dinner winner! I was looking for an easy gravy recipe that didn’t require turkey drippings. Found this day of and had all ingredients on hand. I subbed flour with cornstarch. So delish! We couldn’t get enough. Today we’re enjoying leftovers and I whipped up a fresh batch. Yummy
Great flavor. This is a great recipe
Very good gravy! Not as salty as KFC (a good thing). Served with Idahoan Garlic mashed potatoes. Very easy on the tummy. I will be keeping this in my fridge all the time.
Thanks!
Does anyone have measurements for this?
I made this with dried, minced onions and it was amazing!!!
Another winning recipe! Thanks Nagi! The gravy is really moreish and so simple to make. It is going on the ‘make again’ list.
Omg help just making this and no chicken stock cube, will veg cube do? Am in uk x
Amazing I didn’t use any measuring cups etc but melting the butter then adding the flour is a great tip 👍🏻
I used chicken stock and 2 beef cubes
Dumped in garlic, onion powder and pepper. Boiled all of it together,
then added the butter flour mix.
This Stuff is yummy 😋
I used Knorr stock pots and made this for a Sheppard’s pie. It went down a storm! Thanks for the recipe 😋
Skip TSR version, this is the best! Made the TSR version first and ended up dumping it in the sink (and it took about 35 minutes to make). It was awful so glad found this. Used beef base,andded extra black pepper and a dash of kitchen bouquet for color. Perfect.
Bingbong hates your comment
Made the gravy with beef base and added extra black pepper and dash of kitchen bouquet for color. I couldn’t believe how easy and perfect it was. I had just made a batch of top secret recipe’s version of KFC gravy which took about 35 minutes and was terrible (Dumped it in the sink).. Thanks for the perfect recipe!
So good! I used a vegetable bouillon and it still came out great. Thanks!
Literally just making this. Don’t know why I’ve always struggled with gravy but this is fab and super easy. No lumps and can add to it with other seasonings as needed but this recipe saved me making a just add water to a chemical laden ready made gravy granules I didn’t want to use . Thank you!!
Is cooking time 15 min. or 4 mins.?
What a truly wonderful recipe. Delicious and foolproof. I used reduced salt OXO powder envelopes so it is even semi-healthy. Perfect to use with toad in the hole if you want a quick gravy. Thank you Nagi!