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    Mushroom Gravy

    Golden brown mushrooms, caramelized onions, thyme, and stock simmer to create a luxurious, savory homemade gravy perfect for a creamy pile of mashed potatoes.

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    Mushroom Gravy
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    The Best Mushroom Gravy

    Step aside beef gravy, our silky mushroom gravy has an umami-packed flavor that will make you forget all about traditional meat-laden gravy! Both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will enjoy the depth of flavor. This easy-to-make, from-scratch velvety gravy with mushroom recipe will be yours in less than 45 minutes and ready to be doused over your favorite comfort foods. Although it’s reminiscent of fine dining, we think it’s versatile enough for everyday meals. We can’t imagine pouring anything else over a big bowl of mashed potatoes.

    Mushrooms, salt, olive oil, butter, garlic, flour, stock, thyme, soy sauce, pepper & lemon juice to make mushroom gravy

    What Is Mushroom Gravy Made of?

    Mushroom gravy is simple and budget friendly yet still has a deep flavor. Basic gravy contains stock or drippings, attributing to lots of delicious complex flavors, and a thickener, such as corn starch or flour. Our mushroom gravy recipe gives you the option of your choice of stock, so if you want to make it vegetarian, you can! Most of the ingredients needed for brown mushroom gravy are found in your pantry. While mushrooms can sometimes be expensive, we like to go standard with cremini due to their subtle earthiness and budget-friendliness (white button mushrooms also work well!). Feel free to make it your own and go fancier, such as porcini or shiitake, when choosing your mushrooms. Our mushroom gravy recipe uses a handful of pantry staples like:

    • Cremini Mushrooms

    • Kosher Salt

    • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

    • Unsalted Butter

    • Garlic

    • Flour

    • Beef, Chicken, or Vegetable stock (use veggie to make it vegetarian!)

    • Thyme

    • Low-Sodium Soy Sauce or Tamari

    • Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

    • Lemon Juice

    mushrooms being cooked in salt in a frying pan to make mushroom gravy

    How Do You Thicken Mushroom Gravy?

    There are multiple ways to thicken mushroom gravy. For homemade mushroom gravy, we opt for making a roux to create that depth of flavor and nuttiness. A roux is when flour and butter combine and cook together and help thicken a sauce or gravy. Other mushroom gravy recipes might call for cornstarch or tapioca, but we prefer a roux for additional flavor. If you’re looking to make gluten-free mushroom gravy, we recommend swapping the all-purpose flour in the recipe for a gluten free 1:1 flour.

    mushroom gravy being cooked in a pan made with spices, olive oil, butter, flour, stock, thyme, soy sauce & lemon juice

    What Goes Well With Mushroom Gravy?

    There are countless ways to devour this mushroom gravy…dare we say, directly from a spoon? We like to serve ours over Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Steak Frites, and Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf. It also pairs well alongside any roast beef, such as a Classic Pot Roast or pork like this melt-in-your-mouth tender Pork Loin Roast. Friends and family who have enjoyed it mentioned that smothering it over Chicken or Pork Schnitzel is their favorite! To keep it vegetarian, we love to cover fries with mushroom gravy, like in this Homemade Poutine Recipe. It’s the perfect addition to any holiday table: pour it over Classic Sausage Stuffing or Roasted Brussel Sprouts at Thanksgiving or sop it up with Homemade Focaccia at Christmas. For chicken with mushroom gravy, we recommend a classic: Whole Roast Chicken with Carrots.

    How to Make Mushroom Gravy

    1. Brown the mushrooms! This step is critical for a dark, flavorful gravy. We salt the mushrooms early on to release moisture and then when they’re just about done cooking, we add in a little extra oil to crisp them up! The results are crispy, golden brown, umami-packed mushrooms.

    2. Make the roux! This is our thickening agent made from flour and butter! Feel free to swap out regular butter for vegan butter to make it more dietary-friendly! Simply cook the garlic in butter then add in the flour and mix until it forms a paste. It’ll smell nutty and delicious. A roux creates a base foundation for complex flavors.

    3. Finish the sauce! Slowly add in the stock followed by the remaining ingredients, including the perfectly browned mushrooms. Allow it to thicken and for the flavors to marry together.

    4. Serve over everything! We mean it. Make boring veggies shine with a little dollop of mushroom gravy. Try it over mashed potatoes for a warm comforting side. Slather it over your favorite steak.

    Tools You’ll Need for Easy Mushroom Gravy

    Sauce is the Boss!

    Sauces are flavor bombs! Here are our favorite sauces that make every dish better:

    Mushroom Gravy Over Everything!

    What did you pour your mushroom gravy over? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can see your handiwork! Happy eating!

    Related Recipes

    Mushroom Gravy

    October 27, 2022

    • Serves: 8
    • Prep Time:  5 min
    • Cook Time:  35 min
    • Calories: 141
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
    • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
    • 4 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock
    • 2 teaspoons minced thyme leaves
    • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, from 1 lemon

    Method

    1. In a large skillet over medium heat add the mushrooms in a single layer taking care not to crowd the pan (this may need to be done in a few batches depending on the size of the pan.) Sprinkle the mushrooms with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook without disturbing until the mushrooms begin to release moisture, about 3-4 minutes. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms begin to brown and moisture has evaporated, 8-10 minutes.

    2. Add the olive oil to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have absorbed the oil and are golden brown, about 3-4 more minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate.

    3. In the same skillet over medium heat melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, until the butter has absorbed the flour, about 1-2 minutes.

    4. Very slowly pour in the stock, whisking continuously, until the sauce has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme, soy sauce, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, pepper and mushrooms along with any collected juices. Stir to combine and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and stir to combine.

    5. Serve warm over mashed potatoes, steak, turkey or alongside any roast beef or pork.

    Yield 4 cups

    Note: Can be made one day ahead. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, add to a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until warmed through.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories141
    • Protein5 g
    • Carbohydrates15 g
    • Total Fat8 g
    • Dietary Fiber2 g
    • Cholesterol11 mg
    • sodium245 mg
    • Total Sugars4 g

    Mushroom Gravy

    Questions & Reviews

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    • Jennifer

      So good and so easy. Served with roasted potatoes and meatloaf. Husband approves.

      Thanks Jennifer, we are so happy you both loved it!

    • Jenn

      Loved this! Served it with a roast chicken and mashed potatoes. Perfection.

      Thanks, so happy you loved it!