Easy White Country Gravy is made with 5 ingredients! I bet you have them all in your kitchen! It is a delicious gravy that is smooth, creamy, full of rich flavor and ridiculously easy to make in minutes!
I love comfort food…mashed potatoes and gravy, chicken fried steaks, biscuits and gravy and warm soups. This Easy Homemade Country Gravy is something that you will fall in love with!
If you have never made it before, you are missing out! It take minutes…yes, minutes…to make! And I am almost certain you have everything in your kitchen to make it!
The 5 Ingredients for Easy White Country Gravy
Here are the 5 ingredients you need to make this delicious rich white country gravy: butter, flour, milk (higher fat content works best, so 2% or whole milk works best), kosher/coarse salt and pepper. THAT’S IT!
The Rich Flavor of Easy White Country Gravy
Anything homemade is always better in my opinion, so making white country gravy from scratch already will taste better! But the simple ingredients are just so good!
You start out making a roux with the butter and flour, then adding milk. You want to use milk with a higher fat content so you can get the rich flavor.
Milk Gravy is another name for this because it is made with milk! Whole or 2% works best. If you have made this basic roux before, you know that seasoned the right way it can turn into an amazing gravy, sauce or soup.
The salt and pepper is what makes this country gravy so good. It is seasoned my simple ingredients but it is yummy! Season to taste and you will be amazed! So simple but so good! Sometimes simple is just good….no explanation needed!
How to Make Easy Homemade Country Gravy
First, melt the butter in an saucepan over medium heat.
Next, when the butter is partially melted, add the all-purpose flour.
Whisk it together. It will be thick, almost paste like.
This the base of the roux that will thicken the gravy. Let it cook for a minute to cook the flour taste out. Keep whisking it, letting it heat. Make sure it doesn’t burn.
Add the milk, slowly whisking as it is added.
Keep whisking. Make sure the flour/butter mixture is fully mixed in and there are no lumps.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk the gravy occasionally and let it thicken. It should thicken pretty fast.
This is a simple roux and is the base for many gravies, soups and sauces and is what thickens it up!
Now to season it up to get that pepper country gravy look and taste.
I use kosher/coarse salt and black pepper. Add as much or as little as you like of both. You will add more pepper than salt, making this a true White Country Gravy or Pepper Gravy.
Whisk in the salt and pepper. Add more to taste.
NOTE: In the recipe below I used minimal black pepper as I know people have varying levels of what they consider too “hot”, “peppery” or too seasoned. Black pepper can give it a bit of a kick. Start adding less, like the recipe stats and add more to your liking!
It is up to you how much pepper to add.
Traditional white country gravy is usually a bit more heavy on the pepper (I am sure you have heard it called ”Pepper Gravy”) but it is up to you! Add a little at a time until you hit your perfect spot!
Your Country Gravy should be thick and seasoned. To your liking!
TIP: I have small whisks in my kitchen that are perfect for whisking gravy or mixing sauces in my glass measuring cups. They are a kitchen must!
What do you eat with White Gravy?
I love country gravy on warm mashed potatoes, chicken fried steaks and biscuits and gravy! You can even add in some cooked sausage to take your biscuits and gravy to the next level!
No matter what you choose to eat with your Easy Country Gravy, you will love it that much more when you have made it from scratch!
Storing leftovers and reheating Pepper Gravy
You can keep Pepper Gravy in a container in the fridge for up to a week. You can reheat it on the stove over low heat, whisking or stirring it as it heats. It may be really thick the next day, just add milk to thin it out to your liking and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
For another delicious comfort food meal, try my Breaded Pork Chops with Creamy Dill Sauce. (These would also be delicious with this White Country Gravy instead of the Dill Sauce).
use this White Country Gravy for mashed potatoes and homemade meatballs instead of brown gravy!
My Ranch Chicken would also be heavenly topped with this White Country Gravy!
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Easy White Country Gravy
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 1/2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk, whole or 2% *you must use milk with a higher fat content
- kosher/coarse salt to taste * I use 1 tsp kosher/coarse salt (not regular table salt…see notes) this is the amount I like… start with less and add to taste if you are worried about it being too salty
- 2 tsp black pepper *more to taste
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt your butter and add your flour. Whisk together.
- Let the flour and butter cook for 1-2 minutes. (The flour taste needs to cook out).
- Whisk in the milk, whisking until smooth. It will start to thicken. Lower the heat to medium-low. Keep whisking the gravy as it thickens.
- Season with coarse/kosher salt and pepper to taste.Start with what the recipe calls for add more to your liking.Add milk to thin out the gravy to your liking if the gravy is too thick.
- Serve immedietly.
- This gravy will thicken as it cools. For reheating just heat over medium-low heat. Add milk as needed if the gravy is too thick when reheating.
Notes
1 tsp of regular salt will be much saltier than 1 tsp kosher/coarse salt so if you are using regular salt, start with less and season to taste!
That being said, season this gravy to taste … which is good advice for most dishes since everyone’s level of seasoning with salt is different… I like more salty while some like less-that goes for black pepper too. Ad more milk if the gravy is too thick. If you want it thicker, add a “cornstarch slurry”. Take equal parts cornstarch and COLD water (start with a tablespoon of each), mix it together and slowly add a little bit at time to the gravy as it heats. Whisk as you add it. Add more as needed until it reached the thickness you like. This will not affect the taste at all.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Can I just say I have never before been glad to find I had run out of something I needed & had to search for a homemade option the way I am THRILLED to have needed to find this recipe? It will be the only white gravy I will ever make again. I did half the amount of salt and am glad because it was just right over the biscuits! I only had coconut milk or heavy cream, so I did half cream and half water as a substitute, but will be trying with oatmilk the next time to see if it works. I also added some smoked paprika and even our picky autistic 14 year old gobbled it up! Many thanks from my man, our son, and me!
Karen I am so so happy to hear everyone like it and especially your son!!! Let me know how it turns out with the oatmilk when you try it!!!! Thank you for trying it and taking the time to comment… I appreciate it so much!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Really enjoyed this gravy. I was craving biscuits and gravy and this satisfied the craving! Will definitely make it again!
Hi Lindsey! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the gravy! I love biscuits and gravy too!!! Thank you so much for trying it and thank you for taking the time to comment and give it a star rating! Enjoy the upcoming holidays!❤️😘
What are the nutritional facts on this recipe?
Hi Dale! I am slowly adding nutritional information to my recipes and I just added it for the gravy – so it should be there now at the bottom of the recipe! Thank you for reaching out! If there any others that you would like, let me know and they will be at the top of my list to add!!
You’ve made me a happy camper again to enjoy country gravy as I have to have gluten free and so I just swapped the flour for all purpose gf flour and yummy yummy. I’ve tried the gf packaged county gravy and meh I suppose good in a quick pinch but not worth the taste exchange. When ya know ya know. Its not difficult at all to make and honestly I dont’ think it takes anymore time than the package stuff-except a few measurements. 🙂
Karen I am so happy to hear you can enjoy country gravy again! Best news ever! Thank you for trying it! Gluten free sounds hard to find good stuff so I am glad you did!❤️
We ran out of gravy packets for breakfast so my husband asked if we could make it from scratch. I followed the instructions but let my husband season it to his preference and he is very happy with it. We’ll be making homemade gravy from now on, especially since it makes just as much (if not more) as a packet.
Trinity this made my day! I am so happy it worked out and you were happy with it!! Thank you for trying it!❤️❤️❤️
Made this gravy this morning. It turned out perfect. I made breakfast sausage and used the same pan. My family loved it. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Thank you for trying the recipe and for commenting! I am so happy to hear it turned out perfect and I’m happy your family enjoyed it! Happy Holidays! ❤️❤️
I tried this recipe and it’s really good. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try the recipe.
Elsie thank you for the review and taking the time to comment on the recipe!!! I’m so happy you liked the the recipe! 🤗🙂
Been making gravy since I was 17yrs.old, first time seeing lived in NC, then south gulf Texas .. always slight difference… Milk, cream,1/2 & 1/2, I use, real butter, creamed or whipped, course black pepper, or grind..in MD, no one heard of thought I had no clue how to make mashed potatoes, not enough potatoes, but was ok, one day I will figure it out…said mother..lol .not..
Thank you for sharing! I love hearing from people and love how things are the same but different in areas! ❤️
Mom made the BEST Biscuits and Gravy growing up! Pretty much the same simple recipe but she (and now I) use the same pan to fry up the breakfast sausage with its drippings included in the roux.
She also used just a pinch of Poultry Seasoning which truly sets her country gravy apart!
Hi Brent! Having a good seasoned pan makes everything better! And drippings in gravy makes it so yummy! I love the tip about poultry seasoning…. I will be trying that next time I make it so thank you for sharing!
Hi Tim! What a great memory!❤️
I love this recipe! It’s so easy and quick, and I love that I can taste the butter. I too added a lot of pepper. To me, it’s not country gravy unless it’s peppered right. I need to look at your other recipes!
Hi Reyna! I am so happy to hear you loved the gravy! I too love it with a lot of pepper…but without fail I will get complaints if I put too much in the recipe and someone hates it…so I have less on the recipe and hope people will add more to their liking!!! I’m so happy it turned out great!!! Thank you for trying my recipe and if you try anything else let me know how you like it!❤️😘
Delicious 😋 I’m usually a gravy packet gal except for making gravy in the instant pot after Mississippi pot roast. I did accidentally grab the regular salt shaker but stopped after a shake and grabbed the kosher salt. No clue how much I put in after my mistake.. I generally always have to measure everything but it turned out fantastic! After putting it in a glass bowl off to the side.. I was using the spoon to scrap out the leftovers from the pot to enjoy 😋 Definitely my go to from now on! I need to check out your other recipes! Thanks!
Hi Cristal!!! This made my day to hear that you liked the recipe!!! It’s my go-to gravy and I love it on biscuits and frozen hash browns!!! Thank you for trying it and taking the time to comment!!! Check out my other recipes and let me know how you like them! Thanks for the comment!❤️😘
When you say “regular salt”, which are you referring to? “Kosher” anything simply means it’s been blessed by a rabbi. Are you maybe referring to rock salt compared to ionized salt?
Hi Jessica! I am referring to a coarse salt. The brand I use is Morton salt and it says “Coarse Kosher Salt” on the container. I use the coarse salt so it’s easier to control the saltiness. I find table salt or ionized salt can make a dish saltier than coarse salt (but that’s just my opinion and personal preference with some recipes).
I like to make what my family calls “Egg Gravy” I make the gravy like you say, but before I make the gravy, I boil 2 to 4 eggs, chop up the white part of boiled eggs. Then I make the gravy, and ad the chopped up white parts while the gravy is cooking. I toast some bread, or make bisuits. Pour the egg gravy onto the toast or biscuits, chop up the egg joke into crumbles, and sprinkle some on top of the meal as a garnish. It is my favorite breakfast comfort food of all.
Paul, that sounds so delicious and for sure like a tasty comfort food for the morning! I love country gravy with sausage and so I am going to have to try it with eggs… It sounds so yummy! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and stopping by the blog and for the great idea of adding eggs! I can’t wait to try it!☺️
Amazing!! My kids are picky eaters and like gravy, but not just any gravy. I’ve had touble finding a gravy they will like from the store… Then I found this quick, easy recipe that they gobbled right up!! Thank you for sharing!! It’s the only white gravy I’ll make from now on.
Kimberly I am so happy to hear that this gravy was a hit!!!! It is DI yummy and I’m glad you’re kids like it! Thank you for trying it and taking the time to comment!!!! ❤️😘
So delicious and so easy! I followed the recipe to the letter except I added a bit more pepper because I freaking love pepper.
DD I am so happy to hear it was easy and delicious! I’m like you and freaking love pepper!!! 😘🤗
I have failed at making country gravy my whole life…. UNTIL YOUR RECIPE!! I followed the recipe to a T!! Everyone in my family was raving about it!! THANK YOU!!!
Jen!!! This made my day!!! I am so glad you finally had success! Thank you for trying it and thank you so much for taking the time to comment and let me know!!! I love to hear when things work out and love hearing when recipes are enjoyed!! I hope your Holidays are wonderful and filled with loved ones, good food and maybe yummy gravy 😉!❤️😘
My family asked that we make this gravy again. They loved it!
Hi Denise! Thank you so much for trying the gravy! I am so happy to hear your family liked it! It is really so yummy and simple! Thanks for the sweet comment and for taking the time to let me know…I appreciate it!❤️❤️❤️
Solid recipe! We are a soymilk family, and I usually keep whole milk around for this kind of thing but today I didn’t have any. I made it with plain soymilk and it was very sweet. I added a cube of chicken boullion seasoning, salt, pepper, and a bit of hot sauce and it was perfection!
Hi Paige! I am so happy to hear it turned out good even with soy milk! Thanks for trying the recipe and the sweet comment! I love hearing from people that have tried my recipes…so thank you so very much!!! And hot sauce sounds tasty in it…. I will definitely be trying that! 😘❤️
So simple, and delicious!
Patsy thank you for trying it… I am so glad you liked it! It is so easy and yummy and so much better than the packets you can buy at the store! Thanks for the sweet comment!❤️😘
I think this turned out really well, but the recommended amount of salt was really high!! It made it so salty and I had to add a ton more milk and flour to offset the salt. Otherwise, very tasty! I will just add less salt next time 🙂
Laura thank you for trying it for the feedback! ❤️ I prefer a little more salt in it but I know that’s not for everyone! Kosher salt vs regular salt is very different… did you use kosher salt? If you used regular salt it definitely will be way too salty … kosher salt is easier to season with and control the salt flavor… while the little grains of salt pack a punch! Salt is definitely one of those things that needs be added to taste and I can easily change the recipe to reflect that! Thanks again!😘
Tried this recipe it was very the only thing I didn’t have flour so I used pancake mix and it is very good.
Bridget I am so happy you liked it! Pancake mix is a genius substitution! ❤️
Hi many year old betty crocker cook book has this in think as white sauce light med. Or thick i made think med. put on cooked vegetables think has you boil for a min.made many times with many compliments times added cheese to also let people pour own on out of a measure cup
Hi Pat! This recipe is how I’ve made it for years and I love it! I haven’t ever put it on vegetables… but that sounds amazing and I will be doing that next time for sure..yummy! Adding cheese sounds right up my alley… I will definitely be trying that too! Thanks for the comments and support! It means the world to me!❤️😘
Hi Mickey! Did you melt your butter and add the flour first to make a roux? (It’s kind of like a flour paste) Then you will let the butter and flour cook for a few minutes before adding the milk… then it will thicken making the gravy…. Also you have to keep the heat on while its thickening … it should be hot (but not boiling hot) but should be more hot than warm.
Hey! So I think that I didn’t let the butter/flour mixture cook long enough, my gravy is so thin!! I added more flour which didn’t help, so I added cornstarch. It’s cooling now, so fingers crossed! I’ve been really excited to try this recipe, my hubby doesn’t like the store bought stuff haha
Let me know how it turns out…. it really is so yummy and so much better than store bought!! You made the right choice with cornstarch…any time any sauce, soup or gravy won’t thicken you can mix up in a little dish equal parts cold water and cornstarch (I usually start with 1 tablespoon of each), stir it together and then slowly add it to your boiling or bubbly sauces soups or gravies and stir it in… it should thicken pretty fast…. you can make more and add more of the cornstarch mixture until it’s as thick as you like it!!! Let me know how it turns out!!! Thanks for trying it!❤️😘
Hey, it thickened it just as much as I needed it to!! I added the salt and pepper, and my husband and I agreed that it is missing something, just a tiny bit more flavor. Do you have any suggestions on what else we could add to it to give it more? Thank you!!
I’m so glad to hear it thickened!! As far as seasoning you can adjust the salt and pepper to your liking or try adding some garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and a dash of chili powder for a kick or even some seasoned salt … I also love adding a little Worcestershire sauce to my brown gravies so that could be something you could try too!!! Hopefully we can get the seasoning down for you!!! Let me know what you try and if it works!! 😘🤗
Hi Anna & Beth, I love Beth’s recipe, but you might try a pinch (teeny pinch) of nutmeg, it was the basis of my Mom’s Swedish Meatball roux.
Hi Susan!!! That sounds amazing… thank you so much for sharing…. I will be trying Nutmeg next time for sure! Thanks for stopping by and for commenting…. I love hearing from all of you!😘❤️
PERFECT simple recipe and totally fool-proof. My boyfriend LOVES biscuits and gravy, and I love making his favorites. I tried this recipe this past weekend and he said it was WAY better than the store bought packages I usually get. This recipe is officially the only white gravy recipe I will using from now on!
Alyssa I am so happy that it turned out so great! It really is so simple but so good!!! Thanks for the sweet comment!😘
Thanks for the easy recipe! It turned out great. I used 3 cups of milk and did 1 1/2 times the other ingredients, I also added sausage. It came together well, and the peppery flavor was perfect.
I am so glad to hear it turned out great!!! It is really so easy and so delicious!!! Thanks for the comment!😘❤️