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In this sourdough gravy recipe, we use active starter or discard to replace flour (as the thickener) and lemon juice (for tart flavor).
Thickened only with sourdough, this flavorful pan gravy is glossy but not gloopy with a rich, tangy, savory flavor and velvety-smooth texture. It’s easy to customize, and great for roast chicken, roast beef, meatballs, or just about anything else you could want to serve with gravy.
And if you like the idea of a quick and easy pan gravy made without drippings but you don’t keep sourdough starter on hand, my 5-minute pan gravy thickened with roux is for you!
What Makes This Recipe Special
- It’s ready in 15 minutes. If you want a quick and easy pan gravy recipe that doesn’t require drippings, this is it.
- Customizable. Whether you’re serving this with chicken or beef, you can customize the recipe with a couple simple swaps.
- Economical. This recipe is a great use for sourdough discard to help reduce kitchen waste.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter – We sauté the onion in butter to create a rich base flavor.
- Onion and garlic – For savory flavor and aroma.
- Chicken stock – Or turkey stock, and if you’re making this gravy to serve with beef, you’ll need beef stock. Alternatively, instead of using stock, you can use pan drippings from making a roast beef, roast chicken, or roast turkey.
- Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire adds complexity, which is important because this gravy is quick-cooking. A little goes a long way with this umami fermented condiment.
- Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and poultry seasoning – Even though we’re adding fresh onion and garlic, don’t skip the onion powder and garlic powder because they have significantly different flavor profiles. We need both fresh and powdered for rich, deep savory flavor. Salt and pepper make sure the gravy isn’t bland. Poultry seasoning (which usually contains the following: sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, and nutmeg) is a classic pairing with chicken and turkey. (TIP: Poultry seasoning is potent, so a little goes a long way. Start with less and add more to taste.)
- Rosemary and thyme – Earthy, citrusy thyme and woodsy, piney rosemary help create a well-balanced, complex flavor profile and cut through the gravy’s richness.
- Bay leaf – If you don’t have a bay leaf on hand, it’s not the end of the world. However, if you have it in your pantry, it’ll add just that little bit more complexity to this gravy.
- Sourdough – You can use active starter or discard here; discard will yield a tangier gravy (which is my preference).
How to Make Sourdough Gravy (Using Active Starter or Discard)
- Create the base flavor. Add the butter to a 3-quart pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and cook until starting to caramelize, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to low, stir in the garlic, and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Simmer. Stir in the chicken stock and all remaining ingredients except the discard. Turn the heat up to medium, bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute.
- Incorporate the discard. Put the discard in a medium-sized heat-safe bowl. Starting with just a couple drops at a time, whisk 3/4 cup of the hot stock into the discard. After that, slowly whisk the discard mixture back into the pot. Cook 3 minutes, whisking constantly and adjusting the heat down as necessary so it stays at a gentle boil.
- Strain. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and serve hot.
Storage
Cool to room temperature, and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tips For the Best Sourdough Gravy
- If you want to use pan drippings to make this gravy but you don’t have two full cups of drippings, you can supplement with stock to make up the difference.
- For beef gravy, use beef stock, omit the poultry seasoning, and add 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
- I recommend cooking the onion a little past the point of just softening it, and instead letting it start to caramelize. This draws out the sweetness and natural sugars in the onion, and helps balance tangy sourdough.
- You can use sourdough starter or discard for this recipe, just know that your gravy will be tangier if you use discard.
- I like my sourdough gravy on the light, glossy side rather than thick and gloopy (because sourdough has the tendency to be heavy and otherwise I find the gravy too rich and filling). If you prefer thicker sourdough gravy, increase the sourdough starter or discard by 3 tablespoons. And if it ends up too thick, it’s a quick and easy fix – simply add more stock!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Sourdough discard works really well as a gravy thickener instead of a flour slurry or roux.
There are multiple ways to thicken gravy; it really depends on your desired result. A few good thickening agents are: roux (equal parts butter cooked with flour), flour slurry (1:1 ratio of cold water:flour), cornstarch slurry (1 part cold water to 2 parts cornstarch), and even cream cheese. Here we use active sourdough starter or discard as the thickening agent, which works similarly to a flour slurry, but with the added complexity of sourdough.
What to Serve With Sourdough Gravy
- Dutch Oven Roast Chicken
- Stuffing Mix Meatloaf
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Yorkshire Pudding
- Sourdough Brioche Stuffing
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15-Minute Sourdough Pan Gravy Recipe With Starter or Discard (Poultry or Beef)
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small-medium yellow onion (diced; 1 small-medium onion is a slightly scant 1 cup diced)
- 1 clove garlic (crushed)
- 2 cups chicken stock (or turkey stock, or use pan drippings instead)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 64 grams sourdough discard (or active starter for less tangy flavor; 64 grams is about 1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Create the base flavor. Add the butter to a 3-quart pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and cook until starting to caramelize, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to low, stir in the garlic, and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Simmer. Stir in the chicken stock and all remaining ingredients except the discard. Turn the heat up to medium, bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute.
- Incorporate the discard. Put the discard in a medium-sized heat-safe bowl. Starting with just a couple drops at a time, whisk 3/4 cup of the hot stock into the discard. After that, slowly whisk the discard mixture back into the pot. Cook 3 minutes, whisking constantly and adjusting the heat down as necessary so it stays at a gentle boil.
- Strain. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and serve hot.
Notes
- For Beef Gravy: Use beef stock, omit the poultry seasoning, and add 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 1 3/4 cups of gravy, or 7 (1/4-cup) servings.
- A Note on the Thickness: I like my sourdough gravy on the light, glossy side rather than thick and gloopy (because sourdough has the tendency to be heavy and otherwise I find the gravy too rich and filling). If you prefer thicker sourdough gravy, increase the sourdough starter or discard by 3 tablespoons. And if it ends up too thick, it’s a quick and easy fix – simply add more stock!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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