White Gravy Recipe
by Sommer Collier — on Aug 24, 2026 My love for gravy runs deep, and this white gravy recipe is a keeper! It’s my version of a classic homemade country gravy, whisked up with a handful of simple ingredients and ready to pair with all kinds of Southern staples in 15 minutes or less. I make this gravy from scratch with a thick roux and one secret ingredient (psst… it’s chicken base) for a gravy that’s incredibly rich, flavorful, creamy and super smooth. Perfect for pouring on potatoes or dipping your favorite finger foods!
If you live in the south like I do, being a good cook requires a small arsenal of gravy recipes. Of course, you have to have a good beef gravy recipe (a.k.a. brown gravy) for mashed potatoes, gravy fries, meatloaf, and cube steak. I use sausage gravy for biscuits and gravy. However, you also need a white gravy recipe, commonly called country gravy. This simple creamy gravy is not so different than what the French call béchamel sauce. It’s made with a butter and flour roux for thickening. Once you cook the roux to a golden color, you whisk in milk and continue to whisk until it’s creamy and smooth… A little bit of American-style seasoning and the gravy is done!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Oh, Good Gravy – Don’t get me wrong, I love the deeply savory, meaty taste in my sausage gravy recipe, which is also white, but I don’t always want that level of heaviness. My classic white gravy still has an incredible smooth, rich base and just as much savory, slightly garlicky, and punchy pepper flavor. So it’s lighter but none the less delicious!
Easy Vegetarian Option – Although it can have really simple seasoning, just salt and pepper, I like to add a little smidge of garlic powder and one secret ingredient… Chicken base (or crumbled chicken bouillon cubes). If you’re vegetarian you can use vegetable base as well. Adding just a little bit of concentrated flavor gives the creamy gravy that little extra something that others are missing. Give it a try!
Goes with Everything (Basically) – Country gravy is fantastic over mashed potatoes. But it’s also great for country fried steak, steak fingers, fried pork chops, and pretty much anything else you could possibly want to dunk in it. (I’ll give more suggestions and recipe links below!)
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Butter – I use unsalted butter, which allows me to have total control over the amount of salt added to the gravy.
- Flour – Just simple all-purpose flour does the trick.
- Milk – I prefer whole milk for the most luscious and flavorful white gravy. 2% milk will also work well, but I recommend steering clear of skim milk.
- Seasonings – I use a combination of garlic powder, chicken base (or bouillon), salt, and pepper to give this otherwise mellow-tasting gravy a boost of flavor.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Make the Roux – I start by placing a heavy cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium heat and fetch my wire whisk. (Any deep and heavy bottomed pan will work, too!) I add the butter when the skillet gets hot, and once it starts to melt, I sprinkle the flour over the hot butter. Now I quickly begin to whisk the flour and butter together to make a smooth almost paste-like roux. I know it’s ready to add the milk as soon as the butter and flour combo reach a beautiful golden color.
Add Milk – Once the roux is golden brown-ish, I begin to pour the milk into the pan slowly, whisking constantly as it combines with the roux. I stop whisking for a few seconds seconds at a time, allow the milk to thicken a bit, and whisk again. Now I whisk in the chicken base, garlic powder, salt and smidge of fresh cracked black pepper.
Whisk, Whisk, Whisk – As you might guess, keep whisking! I continue to pour in a bit of milk and whisk, let it thicken, whisk again, add milk while whisking… You get the idea. Eventually the homemade country gravy will come together without any lumps, and be super smooth and pourable. I always test to be sure the white sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but still flows when poured. The gravy will thicken a bit more as it cools.
Expert Tips
Add the milk slowly. If you pour too much liquid in too fast, it’s harder to blend in the flour and butter roux without developing clumps. It takes some patience but trust me. Slow is the way to go when making the best homemade country gravy.
White gravy too thick? You can add a bit more milk than what the recipe card calls for, but don’t get carried away! Whisk in a tablespoon at a time until the consistency thins out. Keep in mind the gravy will continue to thicken once it’s removed from the heat and starts to cool down.
Want to thicken the gravy? When my gravy is thin I simply continue to cook it on the stovetop. I whisk it every few seconds to keep it from sticking to the pan, but otherwise try to let it do its thing and thicken up with the heat. And as I mentioned above, the gravy will thicken as it cools.
Lumpy gravy? If there are small lumps I usually add a bit more milk and keep whisking away to make the gravy smooth. Then I continue cook it a little longer, so the white gravy gets thick again.
Serving Suggestions
I love to use this creamy gravy on fluffy mashed potatoes to change things up from our regular brown gravy. This recipe is also perfect to pair with crunchy, juicy and unbelievably delicious country-style chicken fried steak, or to use as the base to make my family’s favorite biscuits and gravy casserole recipe.
But this isn’t just a gravy…It’s also a delightful dipping sauce! Here are a few of my top finger foods for dunking…
- Steak Fingers
- Deep Fried Chicken Tenders
- Air Fried Chicken Tenders
- Chick-Fil-A-style Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
Storage Notes
Gravy stores quite well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. When I’m ready to use it, I’ll transfer the leftover sauce to a microwave safe bowl, stir in a small splash of milk, and microwave in short 15-20 second bursts at 50% power. Stir between each burs to be sure you don’t overcook it! Gravy can easily burn in the microwave, and might even bubble and pop all over the place if it’s microwaved at too high a temp.
I don’t recommend trying to freeze the gravy. The ice crystals will melt as they thaw, and I want to keep water out of there so the gravy stays rich and flavorful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gravy can have a raw flour taste if the flour isn’t cooked all the way in the butter. Take the time to really let the flour cook as you whisk the two together, making sure the roux turns golden-brown in color and has an almost paste-like consistency. It should smell toasted, but not burnt.
Simply swap the chicken base for vegetable base and boom, you’ve got a homemade vegetarian country gravy recipe! I do not suggest leaving it out, as the cooking base adds so much extra flavor.
Sure! As-is my white country gravy recipe makes 3 cups of gravy, approximately 8-12 servings. Halve the ingredients to make 1 1/2 cups for 4-6 servings.
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More Southern Comfort Recipes
White Gravy Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1/3 cups butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon chicken base optional, but recommended!
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Set a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the butter to the skillet. Once the butter starts melting, add in the flour. Whisk the butter and flour together to create a smooth roux. Allow the roux to bubble and cook until it starts to turn golden and smells toasted.
- Once the roux is golden in color, slowly pour in the milk. Continue to whisk the roux and milk together until the clumps have disintegrated and it starts to thicken the milk. Now add the chicken base, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper.
- Allow the gravy to simmer for about 3- 5 minutes to thicken, stirring regularly so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the skillet. Once the gravy has reached your desired consistency, turn off the heat. It will continue to thicken a little as it cools, so if you want to add another splash of milk, go for it. Serve warm over all your favorite southern dishes.
