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
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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!
I don’t know what KFC gravy tastes like, but this was great with my stuffed tenderloin and mashed potatoes and a side of peas. I added a bit of Kitchen Bouquet to darken it up a bit. Excellent for a quick gravy and I bet it would be amazing on a poutine!
Love your site, but need help. I used OXO cubes (chicken & beef) and followed recipe. Is there a difference between cube sizes in US and Australia? Instructions for cubes in US say 1 cup of water per bouillon cube makes broth. Using 2 1/4 cups water for recipes dilutes broth further so didn’t end up with concentrated flavor (or color). According to Google, a cube equals 1 teaspoon of powder yet your recipe calls for 2 teaspoons to replace each cube which would indeed provide more flavor and color. We love gravy so your advice would be greatly appreciated.
I agree! I wondered about the extra 1/4 cup of water also.
My kids ask for this gravy all the time! They prefer it over the instant gravy we bought.
I had sliced 4 garlic cloves in half tip to root and sauteed them in 3 tablespoons EVOO on medium low heat for a different recipe. I saved the garlic flavored oil and added 2 tablespoons of it and 2 tablespoons of butter to make the roux, it did not need onion or garlic powder (I have a lot of garlic). DEEE-licious. Thanks for the great recipe Nagi!!
Yummy! I’m gonna try your process when I make this recipe for gravy. Thank you so much for sharing sweetie!!
Nagi,
Can I use Better Than Boullion instead of cubes or powder? If so, how much?
Hugs and kisses to Dozer! He’s such a lucky fella to belong to someone who loves and cares for him as much as you do!
Mine wasn’t nearly as dark! Help!!
I had this problem.
If you are in the UK use 2 Oxo cubes, 2 chicken cubes. Also use 1/2 tsp garlic powder but stick to the rest of this recipe and you can’t go wrong. I’m a great fan of kfc gravy but this is something really special. Adjust as you go, if you need it a little thicker mix some corn flour with a little cold water and add to your pan, if too thick boil kettle and add a little water. Hope this helps
I actually made this tonight for the first time and used Better Than Boullion. It turned out great! One teaspoon of each, you’ll still need to add the 2 1/4 cups of water that the recipe calls for.
Thanks so much this is the best gravy ever💖💖💖💖
Hi, Nagi!
Looking to make this for Thanksgiving a couple of days ahead of time. If I’m feeling up to it, can I add the turkey drippings on Thanksgiving day? Or will that mess with the taste/consistency?
Thanks so much! xx
You Sure could Alaina, it will be richer in flavour. I would hold back some of the stock cube and add to taste after you’ve added the drippings. N x
This was lovely and so easy. Thank you Nagi for all your tips and recipes
This was lovely and so easy. Thank you Magic for all your tips and recipes
Gravy was pretty ( awesome) good, the chicken great as well. Thank you Nagi. ( even got the thumbs up from my wife).👍
I ask myself why beef and chicken combined? 🙈
Hi Mia, because beef stock gives it a flavour boost & also improves the colour – if you use just chicken stock you’ll end up with an unappetisingly pale gravy! 🙂 N x
This recipe is a 10/10 no question. I hate when people say I used “this recipe” but changed so and so and make it sound like they changed so much it’s not the same recipe. Having said that, not all brands are the same so you have to make those adjustments. MY beef bouillon needed an extra cube to the one chicken and I wanted the darker tint so I added about 1/2 tsp of gravy browning.
That in no way turned the gravy into something else. It tasted exactly like KFC’s gravy. And I had a huge bowl of it to go on my mashed potatoes and meatloaf.
Thank you to the author of this copycat recipe!
Wahoo, I’m so glad it worked for you Jay! Thanks so much for the feedback ❤️ N x
So yummy! Mine turned out lighter in colour not sure how to correct it
Hi Nagy!
First off, your recipes are amazing. I’m a hopeless cook but your recipes are so easy and tasty! I made this gravy and loved it, but my gravy was lumpy. What’s the key to making sure it’s smooth like yours?
Without knowing exactly what you did, I would have to guess that you went wrong with your roux (flour and butter mix)
When you add the flour to the butter you need to be stirring constantly to ensure it doesn’t burn. Cook it for 2-3 minutes so that your sauce doesn’t end up feeling floury, and then add your liquid a little at a time. Make sure its all absorbed before then adding in a bit more and don’t stop stirring at any point.
When it stops balling up into a paste and becomes a very thick sauce, you can just add the rest of the liquid in.
TL;DR- I think you added the liquid too quickly
Hi Mezza, did you whisk it to remove any lumps? N x
Just love your gravy recipe..and the fried chicken!
Been a weekly event here. Looking forward learning more from you.
Thanks so much
Cheers
Helen
OMG….I made this tonight and it was amazing!!! It was so easy yet so flavourful, you would have thought it took hours to make! Perfect over mashed potatoes and chicken too! Thank you again for another fantastic recipe!
This is wonderful, I absolutely love it. I made it along with you’re fried chicken, and oh my it was the best. I will make this more often.
Sounds like you nailed it Sheri! N x
Unbelievably great sauce. I made it with the mashed potatoes & my first time ever using fresh cream in my mash. Exclusively brilliant Nagi. Your recipes are perfection indeed. The chicken is marinating waiting for the big KFC spices to smother it into a fried crunch. I am everyone’s favourite person right now. 😉🙏♥️Thank you so much & of course no recipe is complete for me without Dozer’s update. He is adorable 🥰
Thanks for another AMAZING recipe. Your slow cook beef shredded chilli bolar beef is personally my favorite way to cook this meat but my boys (aged 5, 7 and 41 🙂) LOVED this much more. These were the BEST roast potatoes I have ever made! Delicious. Wont be cooking roast potatoes any other way from now on. Thanks so much for sharing xx
WoW…made this gravy (as per recipe) simply delicious. Tasted just like KFC gravy only better. Mine was a little blonder than yours, but it tasted great. Thanks for sharing xx