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!
Do you think this would work with olive oil or vegan butter? I have a dairy allergy in my family. Thanks!
You could try it with a neutral flavoured olive oil but I haven’t tested it. Let me know how it goes! N x
Very easy to make and turned out really good. My gravy turned pale even with beef cubes but doesn’t matter as long as flavor wise it tasted good
Really tasty quick gravy. I did opt to add a couple drops of kitchen bouquet to bump up the colour a bit at the very end. My fault as I use better than bouillon organic beef and chicken base/paste which produces a a bit more of a natural flavour imo but also a tends to have a dull colour I find. I would guess if I had used oxo cubes I probably wouldn’t need the bump up the colour!
Thanks Nagi!
Holly x
Thanks for the tip! N x
Dear Nagi,first of all thank you you for sharing all your delicious recipes with all around the world. I just have a question about this recipe. Those stock cubes, per cube how many grams? Cause for us in the United Arab Emirates per cube it comes 10g only. I see yours in one picture I saw it’s written 71g. So please advise. Thanks.
Hi Thanuja…the Oxo stock cubes I used in this recipe are 10 grams each. 71 grams on the box is the weight of the total box, not one cube. N x
Thanks a million Nagi. I made it and it was delicious. Only thing is the color of the gravy was not like yours. It was light brown. I love the gravy color of yours. Could be the one you used. I just used one Knorr chicken and a beef stock cubes.
I know I’m not her, but I believe a hint lies in the 2tsp powder substitution. 2 tsp is 8.4 grams. So since your cubes come in 10, I think using most of one cube should be enough. I think Nagi’s are 71g for all 12. I think you should be fine using 85% of one.
Thanks a lot Liya.
This was so good and I thank you for showing me how to make fast delicious gravy. I had all the ingredients in the kitchen. My husband loved it too. Thank you
I made this last night and it was a very good copy of KFC gravy. I didn’t even have to add salt to mine because both the chicken and beef stock already had plenty of sodium in it. Your recipes are wonderful and I’m going to try the beef ” velveting” technique next!
It didn’t even come close to KFC. Very disappointed
It is likely the bouillon cubes you used. Try a different brand and see if you find a difference.
Hi Koryne, sorry you didn’t enjoy it – it tastes identical to the gravy at KFC here, is there a chance you mismeasured? N x
Best gravy I’ve every made. My teenage son couldn’t get enough of it! Paired it with the oven baked chicken and rice and some steamed broccoli & it was one the tastiest meals I’ve ever made.
My VERY first time attempting to make gravy and I did a damn good job and It’s sooo good! I paired It with baked chicken and white rice. Will be using this recipe every time I make rice now. 🎉👍🏾
Nailed it Nagi! This tasted so much like the real thing! Maybe it was the brand of stock cube but my gravy was quite pale in colour, I even tried adding some soy but it was a beige brown at best. Didn’t matter though coz it was delish
Made this yesterday and it was sooo easy and sooo good! I used it with your slow-roasted crispy pork belly recipe, which also turned out amazing! Thanks Nagi for your recipes!
I wish I could give this recipe a million stars. Absolutely the best gravy I have ever made or tasted. TFS this wonderful recipe sweetie
Thank you!! We were out of gravy and had no idea how to substitute and get the gravy consistency. We made it with 2 veg stock cubes and the remainder was as per your recipe, it turned out delicious. Eaten with quorn roast, rosemary mash potatoes and veg. Plenty eaten and left over. Will be trying more of your recipes, many thanks.
Thanks Nagi, brilliant as always. Usually I make it up as I go along, however this time I needed something for my 14yo to follow on his own for his first pork roast cook. Perfect!
Thanks Nagi for the brilliant recipe. Usually I make it up as I go along, but needed something for my 14yo to follow for his first pork roast. Perfect!
Oh my goodness! This is by far the best gravy that I have ever made! I’m definitely saving this recipe for Christmas dinner!
Really easy to make and tastes great!! This will be my go-to gravy from now on. Perfect for a vegetarian like me. Thanks for the recipe, Nagi!
OMG. This is the 4th recipe of yours I have cooked. Google sends me straight to your site. You are an amazing chef. Thank you
That’s great to hear Brandon, thanks so much for the great feedback!! N x
100% as good as if not better, so easy to make, add Deb potato & you have KFC copy at home for a fraction of the price.
NO DEB POTATO Grant!!!! Use this instead: https://promotown.info/kfc-potato-and-gravy-recipe/%3C/a%3E N x
The recipe sounds amazing! The internalised misogyny at the end…not so much.
Girls are strong and brave, just as often as boys! I usually love your writing but I think you might have slipped up with that last part about Dozer being frightened. Poor pup!
Oh I know, I was just teasing! 🙂 He really is such a sook! N x