Gravy, particularly the kind that makes us think about KFC gravy – surprisingly has roots in medieval European cuisine, where cooks used pan drippings, stock, and flour or breadcrumbs to create flavorful sauces. The first mention of gravy appeared in an English cookbook during the medieval ages called The Forme of Cury in the 14th century. The term ‘gravy’ comes from the Old French grané, and by the 16th century, it had become a constant pairing with roasted meats, often having wine, aromatic vegetables, and spices added to give more depth of flavor. Roast meats paired with gravy became a staple, as the drippings were an ideal base for rich, savory sauces. In the 18th and 19th centuries, gravy recipes became widely popular in English and American cookbooks, emphasizing simplicity and balance. The modern chicken gravy recipe can be made with or without drippings but is almost always prepared with a base of roux, made with flour and chicken stock, along with optional additions like cream, wine, or herbs, making it a classic and timeless companion to roasts.
With that smol history lesson on gravy, we are at the final recipe for the 2024 Christmas Edition Dinner Mini Series—my Classic Christmas Gravy: Easy, Quick & No Drippings! A simple recipe that is so flavorful, creamy, and decadent, it truly ties in all the flavors of anything it’s paired with: from my Easy One Pan Christmas Chicken Roast and Easy Christmas Buttery Apple Herb Stuffing to any roast, vegetables, mashed potatoes, or other sides of your choice. It’s done in a whopping 15 minutes with minimal mess to clean up afterward. It’s also affordable, and you’re mostly working with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
So, make this Christmas cozy and festive by pairing this with my Easy One Pan Christmas Chicken Roast and Easy Christmas Buttery Apple Herb Stuffing.
With this recipe, my 2024 Christmas Edition Dinner Mini Series is completed—done and dusted! As fun and magical as it is every time Christmas rolls around, for a lot of people it’s overwhelming—filled with a thousand items on their to-do list, expensive, and stressful. To help everyone preparing for Christmas feel a little lighter, I created the recipes in this mini-series to help you spend less time planning and making elaborate, expensive Christmas dinners. Instead, make these recipes from this mini-series to keep your wallet heavier, feel less overwhelmed, your tummies satisfied and most importantly your taste buds dancing!
Did you make this for Christmas 2024 and love it? Then tag me, follow me, and leave your love in the comments section on my socials, or rate this recipe and drop a comment below!
BEE ROLL
TIPS & TRICKS / SUBSTITUTIONS
TIPS & TRICKS
Here’s why no actual drippings are used for this gravy recipe
For this recipe, no drippings were used for two reasons. First, I like to save the drippings from roasting the chicken to baste it midway during cooking and to keep with any leftover roast chicken. This helps keep the chicken moist and flavorful without needing to add much water, which would dilute the concentrated flavor in the drippings.
Second, this is a stand-alone recipe, meaning it doesn’t always have to be paired with my Easy One Pan Christmas Roast Chicken or my Easy Christmas Buttery Apple Herb Stuffing. You can use it with mashed potatoes, roast beef, or anything else you like!
HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC CHRISTMAS GRAVY: EASY, QUICK & NO DRIPPINGS!
In a small bowl, combine the crushed chicken stock cube, crushed beef stock cube, dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, and black pepper to make the gravy mix. Set it aside.
In a pan over medium heat, add the unsalted butter and allow it to melt. Once melted, add the gravy mix and sauté for about 20 seconds, being careful not to burn the herbs.
Next, add the all-purpose flour and whisk continuously for 30 seconds to create a roux—a mixture of butter and flour cooked together to form the base for thickening sauces.
Gradually add the water, followed by the heavy cream, and whisk well to combine. Continue whisking occasionally as the mixture heats, bringing it to a boil. If the gravy thickens too much before reaching a boil, add 50–200 ml of water as needed to adjust the consistency. The consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still pourable, without being too runny.
Once the gravy has reached a boil, remove it from the heat and serve over roast chicken, vegetables, mashed potatoes, or any dish of your choice.
STORAGE
You can store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, add 50–150 ml of water or chicken stock (depending on the amount of gravy) and heat it in a shallow pan over medium heat, whisking occasionally to prevent it from burning.
Classic Christmas Gravy: Easy, Quick & No Drippings!
Ingredients
- ½ Chicken Stock Cube crushed
- ½ Beef Stock Cube crushed
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
- 80 grams Unsalted Butter
- 1½ tablespoon (heaping) All Purpose Flour
- 300 ml Hot Water
- 20 ml Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Combine the crushed chicken stock cube, beef stock cube, dried basil, oregano, garlic powder, and black pepper in a small bowl to make the gravy mix. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, then add the gravy mix and sauté for 20 seconds.
- Add the flour and whisk for 30 seconds to create a roux.
- Gradually whisk in the water and heavy cream until smooth.
- Heat the mixture, whisking occasionally, until it comes to a boil. If it thickens too much before boiling, add 50–200 ml of water to adjust. The gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still pourable.
- Once it boils, remove from heat and serve over roast chicken, vegetables, mashed potatoes, or your dish of choice.
NUTRITION FACTS
Total Fat: 12.14 mg
Sodium: 283.38 mg
Dietary Fiber: 0.54 mg
Protein: 1.04 g
Vitamin C: 0.04 mg
Cholesterol: 32.5 mg
Carbohydrates: 4.3 g
Sugars: 0.24 g
Vitamin A: 117.37 mcg
Iron: 0.55 mg
Daily values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.