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!
Made this tonight to go with my roast pork. It was AMAZING! Perfect with roast pumpkin too.
I enjoyed the gravy but felt something was missing from the way it tastes in the UK. I added a star anise and it tasted just like KFC gravy in the UK. What do you think?
I am really eager to try this! how much star anise did you end up adding?
I make the Jamie Oliver get ahead Christmas gravy. His has star anise in it too. It taste like kfc gravy but much nicer. Star anise definitely gives it that missing flavour!
Oh woah, never thought of adding that before, I’ll have to try! N x
Hi, I am making this gravy tonight using oxo cubes, my cubes say each one makes 250 mls (1cup) yet it says on This web site that each cube makes 2 cups! I am a little confused, should I use 2 of each cube ?
Cheers
Sue
New Zealand
This is a super delicious white gravy. I made it without beef cubes. I added oregano herbs and it tastes perfect!! Restaurant graded!!!
That’s great to hear CKC!! N x
Unbelievably easy & delicious. Cooked in about 2 minutes. Thank you.
This sounds AMAZING and I LOOOOVE gravy so much, however I have to be dairy free currently. Can this be made without butter or with a butter substitute? If not I’ll just have to postpone until I can have dairy again.
What brand of bullion did you use? I used one chicken and one beef, it came out very light (like cream gravy but a little more yellow). It doesn’t taste bad but nothing like KFC, so I’m wondering if the brand you used would do better for me
Why not try a vegan butter option!
bacon fat is a great substitute for butter!
I’m trying this tonight but wanted to let you know I tried the fried chicken recipe and it was fantastic! Almost completely nailed it…just needed a little more spice on my breading and I would have been golden!
GREAT recipe Mona! It is VERY close to KFC Gravy! As a beginner cook, I really appreciate the minimal ingredients required and ease of making… thanks so much!
Sounds like you nailed it Tomji!!! Nagi xx
So so so good !!!
WOOT! Thanks Mona! N x
I thought this was excellent. Served with meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and I must say a big hit! I used L.B. Jamison’s soup base, and as you said, I did need to add a little Kitchen Bouquet for color. (Next time I’ll try the dark soy sauce). No need to buy expensive gravy packets anymore, and as a bonus, no extra packaging that most likely end up in a landfill!
Wahoo – that’s great to hear Christine!! N x
I just used this gravy to make poutine for dinner and it was everything I hoped it would be…
{heart eyes}
It’s quick, easy and very tasty – no, it doesn’t have quite the luscious unctuousness of gravy made with proper roast pan drippings but for a 5 minute job, it more then holds its own!
Pro tip: Bash those little OXO cubes while they’re still in their wrapper – they smush into these cute little powder filled pillows that you can just tear open and dump – no more messy foil peelings and crumbly fingers!
I’m so glad you loved it Chris – and yes I normally break them in the wrapper but just show crumbling it for the videos 🙂 N x
Ha ha, well I should’ve known better then to dish out pro tips to an actual pro 😉
Great gravy, though!
I don’t mean this as a criticism, but as an honest question – do people really think KFC mashed potatoes and gravy are what mashed potatoes and gravy are supposed to taste like? To me they are the least authentic version of mashed potatoes and gravy you could possibly get at any restaurant. I can’t even imagine why anyone would want to imitate them, they taste like instant potatoes and the gravy not only tastes bad, but it doesn’t even resemble gravy that would go with fried chicken (which should be a cream gravy made from the drippings in the cast iron skillet that the chicken was fried in.) Has KFC fooled everyone outside of the American South into thinking this is what good southern food is?
Authentic gravy lol. Get down from your throne.
Bertha Beans, Nagi already answered my question a long time ago. What on earth happened to you that made you feel like you needed to add hostility more than a year later toward a complete stranger? Bless your heart, I’ll pray for you, I really mean that.
Hi Shelly, and that’s why we recreate them at home using REAL ingredients. I agree that proper gravy needs to be made with drippings but this one is just supposed to be a quick recipe 🙂
Be warned… once you taste this gravy, you won’t be able to stop eating it. It’s delicious + I found it super easy to make. Never buying gravy powder ever again.
You’re converted now Elena 😂
Hello, I love your recipes and your Facebook page! I do not have beef bouillon but I have liquid Au jus can I add some of that? Thank you cannot wait to try!
Hi Cynthia, if you have liquid stock, just use that in place of the beef bullion and 1 cup of water. N x
Hi Nagi, which brand of stock cubes did you use for this recipe? I used vegeta chicken stock and massel beef stock and it didn’t taste very good, nothing like kfc. 🤷♀️🤔
Hi Catherine, I like to use Oxo brand – N x
Made this tonight for the fried chicken and my husband thought that I had been to KFC to get it!
Will be making this gravy for lots more meals in the future
I’m so glad it was a hit Carol!
Hi Nagi~ Is it possible to omit the beef stock cube? Or is there another ingredient that could substitute it? Thanksss and the recipeee looks greattt
Hi Eve! you can just use another chicken cube but the gravy will be a pale colour and lack a slight intensity in flavour. What you can do is add 1 tsp of DARK soy sauce which will give it that extra touch of flavour AND stain the gravy a dark colour (secret cooking trick!!) N x
Ohhh I see Thank youuu definitely gonna try it soon 😉
I used my small cdutch oven.
The gravy turned out amazing
Perfect Brian, sounds like you nailed it! 🙌 N x
Ohmigoodness, this was the best! The whole family thought it was delicious and the younger ones could not stop eating it 😋
Hi Nagi – would this gravy freeze ok? I love freezing early when possible to simplify meal preparations. 🌻
Hi Marea, yes fine to freeze – N x