Homemade All-Purpose Gravy Mix for Your Pantry
If you rely on packaged gravy mixes, or you just want a shelf stable jar of real ingredients you can reach for anytime, this homemade gravy mix is the one to keep in your pantry. It gives you the same grab-and-go convenience as store bought packets, but without the additives, flavor enhancers, gums, or mystery ingredients hiding in the label.
This mix also solves another big problem. Gravy is not hard to make, but it can be stressful when everything else is happening at once. Having a ready-to-use mix in the pantry means you can pull together turkey gravy, chicken gravy, sausage gravy, or classic milk gravy in just a few minutes. No lumps, no scrambling, no guessing on flour measurements.
The best part is how versatile it is. The neutral base works for everything, then you can blend in the simple full-jar variations for chicken, turkey, or country gravy depending on what you make the most. I use it for weeknight dinners, holiday cooking, pot pie fillings, soup bases, or whenever the meal needs something warm and creamy on the side.
And because this mix is made from real pantry ingredients, it stores beautifully. It stays fresh up to 6 months and you can shake the jar before scooping to keep everything evenly blended. Make one jar or make all three flavor variations. Either way, your pantry just became a whole lot more helpful.
Why Make Your Own Gravy Mix
1. Clean ingredients
No MSG, no bouillon cubes with preservatives, no “natural flavors,” and no gums. Just flour, milk powder, spices, and your favorite clean broth or drippings.
2. Shelf stable and reliable
It sits in your pantry waiting for you. No last minute trip to the store.
3. Versatile
Turkey dinner, chicken and rice, sausage gravy, pot pie, mashed potatoes, veggie casseroles. One mix covers it all.
4. Saves time
You can thicken a pan of drippings in seconds, and dinner is on the table.
5. Budget-friendly
A single jar replaces a dozen store-bought packets, and it costs almost nothing to make.
How This Mix Works
This recipe gives you a neutral all-purpose base. From there you can:
Use it as-is for classic milk gravy or sausage gravy
Blend in the chicken variation to make chicken gravy mix
Blend in the turkey variation for holiday cooking
Use milk to make a quick cheese sauce
Use it as a cream soup starter
Use it for pot pie fillings
Combine it with roast drippings for beef gravy without using beef bouillon
One mix. Endless uses.
Tips for Success
Blend your dry mix in a food processor for the most even texture.
Store it in a sealed jar in a cool pantry.
Shake well before each use since flour and milk powder naturally settle.
Use milk for richer gravies or broth for lighter gravies.
Make the full jar variations for whatever type of gravy you cook most often.
Perfect For:
Turkey dinners
Chicken and rice
Biscuits and gravy
Sausage gravy
Pot pies
Broccoli cheese soup
Potato soup
Creamed veggies
Holiday cooking
Emergency gravy when the meal needs one more thing
Master All-Purpose Gravy Mix
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry milk powder
- 1/4 cup cornstarch (or arrowroot)
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tbsp black pepper (or reduce to 1–2 tsp for milder)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried parsley (optional)
CHICKEN GRAVY MIX
(Add the following ingredients to the Master Mix, blend, then store.)
- 4 tbsp clean chicken bouillon powder
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp white pepper (optional)
- 1 tsp turmeric for color (optional)
- Best liquids: chicken broth or milkBest fats: butter or chicken fat
COUNTRY / SAUSAGE GRAVY MIX
(Add the following ingredients to the Master Mix, blend, then store.)
- 2-3 tsp extra coarse black pepper
- 1-2 tsp white pepper (optional)
- pinch or more of red pepper flakes
- Best liquid: whole milk and or buttermilk Best fat: sausage grease or bacon fat
TURKEY GRAVY MIX
(Add the following ingredients to the Master Mix, blend, then store.)
- 2 tbsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tbsp ground sage
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tbsp dried cellery flakes
- 1 tsp turmeric (color enhancer—optional)
- Best liquid: turkey stockFinish with: ¼–½ cup turkey drippings
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender.Pulse until the mix is completely uniform.Transfer to an airtight jar and store up to 6 months.Shake well before each use, especially if the mix has been sitting — the flour and milk powder naturally settle over time.
HOW TO MAKE GRAVY (Universal Method)
- Melt 2 tablespoons fat in a saucepan(butter, bacon grease, sausage fat, turkey fat, drippings).Stir in 3 tablespoons of your chosen gravy mix.Cook 1–2 minutes until toasty.Slowly whisk in 1 cup liquid(milk, broth, stock, or drippings + broth).Simmer 3–5 minutes until thick.Season to taste.
OTHER USES
- ✔ Cheese SauceMake gravy with milk → add 1–2 cups cheese → melt.✔ Pot Pie FillingMake gravy with chicken or turkey mix → thin with broth → add meat + vegetables.✔ Soup BaseUse gravy as the cream base → add veggies → thin to soup consistency.✔ Beef Gravy (Using Drippings, No Beef Bouillon)Make gravy with beef stock → add roast drippings → simmer.