Homemade White Gravy

White gravy is one of those Southern basics that's worth knowing how to make without a packet.

Once you understand the simple formula, fat + flour + milk, you can make it with butter, bacon grease, sausage drippings, or whatever flavorful fat you already have in the skillet.

The most important part is taking your time when adding the milk and whisking constantly so the gravy stays smooth. Let's get started!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Only five ingredients: No gravy mix or complicated ingredient list.
• Ready quickly: From skillet to table in about 20 minutes.
• Easy to customize: Use butter, bacon grease, sausage drippings, or other meat drippings.
• Rich and creamy: Whole milk gives the gravy a smooth texture.
• Classic Southern comfort food: Perfect for biscuits, chicken, steak, pork chops, and potatoes.

Ingredients You'll need

See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

1. Fat: Use butter or reserved meat drippings. Bacon grease or sausage drippings add extra savory flavor.
2. All-purpose flour: Combines with the fat to form the roux that thickens the gravy.
3. Whole milk: Gives the gravy its creamy texture. You can add a little extra milk if the gravy becomes thicker than you prefer.
4. Salt: Brings out the flavor. If you're using salty meat drippings, taste before adding the full amount.
5. Ground black pepper: White gravy should have plenty of peppery flavor. Freshly ground black pepper works especially well.

👉🏾 See the full recipe card below for exact quantities and instructions.

How to Make Homemade White Gravy

Here's the short version. The recipe card below contains the full measurements and directions.

1. Heat the Fat

Melt the butter or heat the reserved meat drippings in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Make the Roux

Sprinkle the flour evenly over the fat.

Whisk constantly until the mixture is smooth and turns light blond to pale golden.

You're looking to cook out the raw flour taste without making a dark roux.

3. Add the Milk

Slowly pour in about 3 cups of milk while whisking continuously.

Adding it gradually helps prevent lumps.

4. Season and Simmer

Add the salt and black pepper.

Continue cooking and whisking until the gravy is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

5. Adjust the Consistency

If the gravy is too thick, whisk in additional milk a little at a time.

Remove it from the heat once it reaches your desired consistency.

LaKita's Expert Tips

• Use medium heat. High heat makes it easier to scorch the milk or brown the roux too quickly.
• Whisk constantly. Especially when the milk first goes into the roux.
• Add the milk gradually. This is one of the easiest ways to prevent lumps.
• Don't make the roux too dark. White gravy only needs a light blond or pale golden roux.
• Remember that gravy thickens as it sits. Stop cooking slightly before it looks overly thick.
• Keep extra milk nearby. A splash of warm milk can loosen the gravy at any point.
• Taste before adding more salt. Bacon grease, sausage drippings, and other meat fats can already contain plenty of salt.

Butter vs. Meat Drippings

Both work well.

Butter

Butter gives you a mild, creamy gravy that works with almost anything.

It's a great option when you're making gravy by itself rather than after cooking meat.

Meat Drippings

Reserved fat from bacon, sausage, fried chicken, pork chops, or another meat gives the gravy deeper savory flavor.

Just be mindful of the salt level before seasoning.

What Color Should the Roux Be?

For white country gravy, the roux should stay light.

Whisk the flour and fat together until the mixture is smooth and turns from raw white flour to a light blond or pale golden color.

You don't need a deep brown roux here.

A darker roux gives you a nuttier flavor but also changes the color of the gravy and reduces some of the flour's thickening power.

How to Keep White Gravy From Getting Lumpy

Three things make the biggest difference:

Whisk constantly.
Keep the mixture moving as you add the milk.

Add the milk slowly.
Pouring all the milk in at once makes it harder to create a smooth mixture.

Make sure the roux is smooth first.
The flour should be fully coated in fat before the milk goes in.

If you still end up with a few lumps, whisk vigorously over low heat.

For stubborn lumps, you can pour the gravy through a fine-mesh strainer.

Why Is My Gravy Too Thick?

White gravy continues to thicken as it cooks and as it cools.

If it becomes thicker than you like, simply whisk in more milk a few tablespoons at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

Keep the heat low while adjusting it.

Why Is My Gravy Too Thin?

Give it another few minutes over medium-low heat.

The flour needs time to fully thicken the milk.

If the gravy is still very thin after simmering, avoid dumping dry flour directly into it, that usually creates lumps.

Instead, continue cooking first. In most cases, it simply needs a little more time.

Why Does My Gravy Taste Like Flour?

The roux probably wasn't cooked long enough before the milk was added.

Let the flour and fat cook together until the mixture becomes light blond and smells slightly nutty rather than like raw flour.

You don't need to brown it deeply, just give the flour enough time to cook.

White Gravy Variations

Sausage Gravy

Cook breakfast sausage first.

Remove the sausage, use the rendered fat to make the gravy, then stir the cooked sausage back in before serving.

Bacon Gravy

Cook bacon until crisp.

Use the bacon grease as the fat for the roux, then crumble the bacon into the finished gravy.

Ground Beef Gravy

Brown ground beef, reserve enough fat for the roux, and add the cooked beef back once the gravy has thickened.

Spicy White Gravy

Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or extra freshly ground black pepper.

Can I Make White Gravy Ahead?

Yes, although it is at its best freshly made.

Prepare the gravy, let it cool slightly, then refrigerate it in an airtight container.

When reheating, add a splash of milk because the gravy will thicken considerably as it chills.

For a holiday or larger meal, I would make it no more than 1 to 2 days ahead for the best texture.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerator

Store cooled gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Freezer

Milk-based gravy can separate slightly after freezing, but it can still be frozen.

For best quality, freeze it in an airtight container for up to about 2 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and whisk well while reheating.

Reheating

Warm the gravy in a saucepan over low to medium-low heat, whisking frequently.

Add a splash of milk as needed to restore the creamy consistency.

If reheating leftovers, heat them thoroughly before serving.

What to Serve With White Gravy

White gravy belongs with comfort food.

Try it over:

• Homemade Biscuits
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Fried chicken
• Country-fried steak
• Pork chops
• Breakfast potatoes
• Chicken tenders
• Sausage and biscuits

It's also very good with a warm biscuit split in half and absolutely drowning in gravy, which is really the appropriate gravy-to-biscuit ratio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did You Make This Recipe?

Made this Homemade White Gravy? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and a comment below. And tell me, are you pouring yours over biscuits, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, or everything on the plate?