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!
Hi! Would you tweak the gravy recipe for roast lamb?
This would work on roast lamb too! Enjoy! N x
Made this with a Sunday roast that I made on a Monday (don´t like rules) and it was really easy and nice, will make again x
I only made the gravy. I used it for dipping the fried chicken, like in the fried chicken video you made. Wow!! This gravy is incredibly simple and delicious – and 10x better than the stuff at KFC. I didn’t have bouillon cubes or powder but do have chicken and beef base which I used instead.
Nagi, I just made your chicken and rice recipe with the gravy. My family Loved it!!! It was so flavorful and delicious. Thank you. I need to check out some of your other recipes.
Hi, Nagi. Looks great! What size bullion cubes do you use? Cubes are different sizes in different countries. The ones here are 11 g. Is that what you used?
Hi Steve – they are 2 tsp worth of powder each 🙂 N x
Hi, I am very grateful for this recipe. However, I am very confused about the amount of water and cubes.
Namely, you say two 1/4 cups of water which is about 125 ml of water, several times less than the listed 565ml as equivalent to two 1/4 cups.
Secondly, here you say that each cube is worth 2 tsp (teaspoons) of powder (crushed cube stuff). One teaspoon of powder is 5.69 grams which is about the amount shown in the video (on the pack it says that 12 cubes are 71 grams => 1 cube is 5.91 grams). So how many teaspoons or grams of crushed cube stuff fits in the listed recipe, one or two teaspoons of each cube powder?
Oh yea, what a ripper Rita!
I’ve made it a few times and it doesn’t disappoint. Today’s lunch was meat pie, mash & peas smothered in gravy and it was so good.
Thanks so much Nagi.
Just made this so quick and easy and really delicious….. thank you
Quick, easy, and tasty. I used my stick mixer to blend it after everything was first mixed, then poured it back into the pan to finish thickening and brown up a litt.e
Im not sure what i did wrong, it looks right but all i can taste is butter.
Hi Laura, sorry you are having issues here – what stock powder are you using? N x
Can I use Better than Bouillon concentrate instead of cube or granules? 1tsp = 1 cube
hi nagi ime kevin i just tried your gravy recipe for the first time & it was deliciouse i should get better as i go i used the dripping from the roast very tasty thanks for sharing i also made your brocoli caserole & that also is a great recipe i cooked up a mothers day roast & mum & everyone loved it,i look forward to trying out your recipes
Going to try this tonight to go with shop bought southern fried chicken.
I only have knorr stock Pots though so hopefully they’ll do the job?x
Love to know how it turns out Gemma! N x
Hi Nagi! I just gave this gravy a try using Knorr beef & chicken bouillon powder, but it came out a bit too salty. What can I do to fix this without losing flavor?
Hi Kimberly, sorry you are having issues with salt – it could be the brand billion cube you’re using. You can add more water to counteract this – if the gravy becomes too thin, simply add a little cornflour slurry to thicken it up (1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tsp water). N x
I tried this recipe for the first time and I’m so impressed! My housemates and I were craving KFC mash potatoes and this recipe really satisfied us! We substituted the beef stock cube with a mushroom flavoured one, alongside one chicken stock cube; we also followed the cornstarch + dark soy sauce tip, it all turned out really well!
Sounds great Willi, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
This gravy is Bitchin❤️I suck at making gravy but I can make this one!!! You are the best cooking teacher Eva… love your videos and Dozer☺️
HA! Love this Tricia! N x
Really good and sooo easy!! Thank you. Would use 1.5tsp of each stock powder next time but just a personal preference x
Hey Nagi – I see that someone liked it that much they stole your recipe and claimed it as their own. Check out https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/kfc-gravy-recipe-the-fast-food-giants-secret-sauce-has-been-replicated-and-its-surprisingly-easy/news-story/a68e52ca9d83d4644153de79b61816ff
This recipe have been around for years. I don’t think anybody can stake a claim of ownership. Just fyi.
It happens all the time unfortunately! Thanks for letting me know! N x
The soy sauce didn’t do much to brown the sauce since I unfortunately only had chicken bullion on hand.
Luckily I had “Browning” on hand and that gave it a great brown color. Should be added as a potential substitution of one has it on hand.
Great recipe. Saving it!
Hi KM – if you didn’t have the beef bullion that would have been the reason yours stayed quite light. I’m so glad you managed to make it work though! N x
I’ve always been a hopeless gravy maker so this recipe has been life changing…thank you, everyone loved it with their mashed potato and chicken schnitzel
That’s awesome Jeanine, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! N x
Made this tonight to go with my roast pork. It was AMAZING! Perfect with roast pumpkin too.