Easy Caramelised Onion Gravy (Quick & Thick)
Jump to Recipe
This deliciously easy onion gravy recipe is made with caramelized onions, offering a yummy flavor for your favorite recipes. This rich brown onion gravy is delicious and smooth, so it’s great for a roast, Sausage Tray Bake, Yorkshire puddings, shepherd’s pie, or a simple gravy for sausages and mash. This is one gravy you’ll want to keep in your recipe repertoire!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Make ahead: This onion gravy freezes incredibly well! Just let the gravy cool completely, then keep it in the freezer for up to three months. If you love freezing your recipes, try my 30-Minute Cream of Mushroom Chicken next.
- Easy recipe: You only need simple ingredients and about 20-30 minutes to learn how to make onion gravy from scratch.
- Fabulous Flavour: The sliced onions, rosemary, beef broth, and butter add a delightful flavour, making this the best onion gravy to pair with Cheesy Mashed Potatoes.
This gravy would go well with any roast dinner recipes like The CRISPIEST Roast Potatoes, Fluffy Yorkshire Puddings and Honey-Roasted Carrots & Parsnips.
Summarise this recipe on
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Onions: Part of what gives this tasty onion gravy its lush flavour. You can use other onions if you prefer, like sweet, yellow or red – this swap works well for most onion gravy recipes if you want a subtle change. If you need a time-saver, you can even use frozen sliced onions to speed up the prep.
- Fresh rosemary: Adding fresh rosemary to this caramelised onion gravy really elevates the flavours. Other fresh herbs, like thyme and dill, will also work perfectly with a Cast Iron Chicken Breast.
- Flour: This ingredient helps create the lush, thick consistency this gravy offers. Instead of flour, you can use cornstarch to help thicken the gravy for a gluten-free option, perfect for pouring over Braised Steak.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
Try these adaptations for an even more delicious onion gravy:
- Add wine: Add a small amount of red wine or meat drippings for a rich brown onion gravy. This step will help elevate the flavour for a special dinner.
- Vegetarian option: To make the best onion gravy recipe for vegetarians, simply swap the beef stock for a rich vegetable broth.
- Fresh herbs: Don’t be afraid to experiment with thyme, rosemary, sage, and garlic. You can use whatever herbs you have in this Easy Sausage Meat Stuffing as well.
- Dijon mustard: You can also include a bit of Dijon mustard for a tangy flavour boost, which tastes amazing in my Tonkatsu Inspired Pork & Cabbage Salad too.
How to make this Easy Onion Gravy
- Start by thinly slicing the onions (Image 1).
- Then add the olive oil and butter into the pan over a medium/low heat (Image 2).
3. Once the butter has melted, add the onions into the pan (Image 3).
4. Season with salt and pepper gently fry over a low heat (Image 4).
5. Fry for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (Image 5).
6. After this time the onions should be nicely browned and caramelised (Image 6).
7. Then add the flour into the pan and cook for 2 minutes stirring the whole time (Image 7).
8. Then slowly pour the beef stock into the pan whilst continuously stirring (Image 8).
9. Add the rosemary sprigs, Worcester sauce, red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper (Image 9).
10. Heat and stir until your gravy has thickened to your desired consistency (Image 10).
Serve hot in a gravy boat & enjoy!
This onion gravy would go perfectly with chicken or sausages. Here’s some tips on reheating and cooking: How to Reheat Rotisserie Chicken, Cooking Frozen Sausages in an Air Fryer and How to cook frozen chicken breast in the air fryer.
Tips for the best results
- When adding the stock to this simple onion gravy, pour it in a little at a time. This step ensures your mixture comes out lump-free and velvety.
- The best way to create a smooth result, similar to a nice red onion gravy, is by using an immersion blender. Blitzing the gravy with this blender helps break up all the onion pieces, though this is a matter of preference!
- While the onions, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce add a lot of flavour, creating the best onion gravy for sausages requires you to toss in salt and pepper. Be sure also to include fresh herbs for the best flavour.
Serving Suggestions
This onion gravy is incredibly versatile and pairs with almost any comfort food. It has a savoury depth of flavor similar to a french onion gravy, making it perfect for Sunday roasts, simple weeknight sausages, or even poured over fries.
- Creamy Mushroom, Leek and Aubergine Vegetable Pie with Puff Pastry
- Parmentier Potatoes
- Mini Chicken Pot Pies with Puff Pastry Crust
- Chicken Pot Pie with Stuffing Crust
Storage and Reheat Instructions
If you have any leftover onion gravy, allow it to cool fully before storing to ensure it keeps fresh.
Refrigerator: Pour the cooled gravy into an airtight container and refrigerate. It can stay good in the fridge for up to three days, ready to use on the Crispiest Diced Potatoes in Air Fryer.
Freezer: This onion gravy for sausages is a great make-ahead option. Simply follow the directions, allow the gravy to cool fully, then pack it in an airtight container or baggie and freeze.
Reheat: When you’re ready to use your gravy, let it defrost overnight in the fridge. Then, you can zap it in the microwave or reheat it on the stove.
FAQs
If your onion gravy is bitter, you may have used an old onion. Another culprit may be something that got burnt along the way. Be sure to use fresh ingredients and keep a watchful eye on the onions as they cook.
The best way to thicken an onion gravy recipe quickly is by adding flour or cornstarch to the recipe. If you’ve already created the gravy, make a slurry with the flour before adding it to the mixture to avoid lumps.
If your gravy is too thick, add a small amount of beef stock to help loosen the gravy.
Yes, you can buy onion gravy at the store. However, I find a homemade version much more delicious and flavourful. Plus, you can adjust the herbs and seasonings to your liking more easily when you make this onion gravy recipe UK version at home.
Here is some advice on reheating other recipes: The Best Way To Reheat Salmon or The Best Way to Reheat Baked Ziti.
If you tried this Easy Onion Gravy recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Easy Caramelised Onion Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced (£0.20)
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (£0.60)
- 1 tbsp butter (£1.69/10)=(£0.17)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (£1.30/10)=(£0.13)
- 1 tbsp Worcester sauce (£1.70/10)=(£0.17)
Cupboard Essentials
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp flour
- 800 ml beef stock
Method
- Start by adding the olive oil and butter into the pan over a medium/low heat. Once melted, add the onions into the pan. Season with salt and pepper gently fry over a low heat.
- Fry for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are nicely caramelised.
- Once the onions have caramelised, add the flour into the pan and cook for 2 minutes, then slowly pour the beef stock into the pan whilst continuously stirring. Add the rosemary sprigs, Worcester sauce, red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Heat until your gravy has thickened to your desired consistency. Serve hot in a gravy boat & enjoy!
Notes
- Gradually add liquid to flour mixture while whisking to prevent lumps in gravy.
- Pour stock slowly into onion gravy while stirring to avoid lumps.
- If you want a smoother gravy, use an immersion blender/hand blender ensuring all onion pieces are broken up.
Nutrition
- Weekly meal plans with a £20 budget
- 150+ exclusive recipes
- Personal dashboard
- Exclusive step by step videos
- Shopping list tools
- Advert Free experience
