Chicken Gravy Recipe - No Drippings Needed! (2024)

FAQs

Is cornstarch or flour better for gravy? ›

Cornstarch Versus Flour for Gravy

Cornstarch does have more thickening power than wheat flour (because it's pure starch, while flour has some protein in it). So usually you need a little less cornstarch than flour for the equivalent thickening power.

The simple answer is yes, it's usually okay to substitute vegetable stock with water. In most recipes that call for vegetable stock, its main advantage over water is that it provides flavor, which is especially important if you're making vegetarian or vegan food that's missing the richness from meat.

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

If you already have a favorite fried chicken recipe, try replacing a quarter of the flour with cornstarch. For example, instead of 2 cups of all-purpose flour use 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of cornstarch. If you are looking for a good recipe, we highly recommend this one.

Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together, then pour into your sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

(The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.) You can add other flavors to the mixture, swap out the stock for another liquid, or use cornstarch rather than flour to thicken your gravy.

You cannot make gravy with just water and flour. What you will get is a slurry, not gravy. To make gravy you mix equal parts of oil (or butter) and flour. Whisk them together until you have a smooth roux. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk together cold water and corn starch until dissolved. Pour into boiling beef broth and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

In most cases, stock and broth are interchangeable. If you're in the soup aisle and can't remember whether the recipe called for stock or broth, either will do for making soup, gravy, or a flavorful pot of rice or grains. Keep in mind that stock is unseasoned, and broth is seasoned.

Gravy is the juice that meat or poultry gives off while cooking. Stock is the liquid you make with leftovers or odd bits of animal or bird for which you can't think of any other use. And once you have a stock, well, your troubles with soups, sauces and stews are pretty much over.

Can I use chicken gravy instead of stock? ›

Can I use gravy instead of stock? Sure, if it's thin like chicken gravy. Add water if needed to thin it.

Probably you are using too much water. The gravies are various ratios of tomatoes and onions with spices. I would suggest to add some cashew paste(it helps in thickening) or some cream. They both add richness to gravy and also help to being down the heat to add spices accordingly.

Personally I'd choose a roux first, beurre marnier next, plain flour whisked in third and a cornstarch slurry at the end. A roux can give flavor and color to your gravy. Beurre marnier can give a richness and sheen to it. Plain flour can thicken it without affecting flavor.

The longer you simmer gravy, the thicker it will become, and it's easy to end up with a thick, gloppy gravy. The fix here is super simple: whisk in a little more broth or water until it's thinned to the desired consistency.

Cornstarch works remarkably well as a thickener in sauces, gravy, and pie fillings, and some prefer it to flour. 2 You won't be able to taste the cornstarch the way you sometimes can taste the flour. Be aware that these foods will be more translucent.

Because cornstarch is pure starch, it has twice the thickening power of flour, which is only part starch. Thus, twice as much flour is needed to achieve the same thickening as cornstarch. To thicken sauces, cornstarch is combined with cold water first, which is called a slurry.

Similar to cornstarch, the technique to thicken gravy with flour works best if you add a little water to your flour to create a liquid-like paste or slurry (you may also use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the dry flour into the hot liquid).

Both are cereal starches, but cornstarch is pure starch while flour contains gluten. The gluten reduces the thickening power of flour. One tablespoon of cornstarch thickens one cup (250 mL) of liquid to a medium consistency. It takes two tablespoons of flour—twice as much—to thicken the same amount of liquid.