When you need gravy fast, this Chicken Gravy Mix keeps the job simple. Stir the dry mix together, cut in the butter, then use just 1/2 cup mix with 1 cup cold water for a quick pan gravy that thickens in about 3 to 5 minutes.
It’s handy next to roast chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits, or anything else on the plate that looks a little too dry and knows it. Keeping the butter fully blended into the mix helps it cook up smooth without the usual last-minute gravy drama.
Ingredients for Chicken Gravy Mix
- 1 1/3 cups instant nonfat dry milk powder
- 3/4 cup instant flour
- 3 tablespoons instant chicken bouillon granules
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
To prepare the gravy, you’ll also need:
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup chicken gravy mix
How to Make Chicken Gravy Mix
- Combine the milk powder, instant flour, chicken bouillon granules, thyme, sage, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well.
- Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is evenly blended.
- Transfer the finished mix to an airtight container and keep it chilled until you’re ready to use it.
- To make chicken gravy, whisk 1 cup cold water and 1/2 cup gravy mix together in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Continue whisking until the gravy is smooth and thick, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Tips for Best Gravy
Start with cold water. That small step helps the mix dissolve before the heat hits it, which means fewer lumps and less muttering at the saucepan.
Whisk from the moment the mix goes into the pan until it thickens. Instant flour is designed to dissolve quickly, so steady whisking gives you a smoother finish than stirring only when things already look suspicious.
If your gravy gets thicker than you want, whisk in an extra tablespoon or two of water at the end. If it seems too thin after 5 minutes, let it bubble gently for another minute while whisking.
If you prefer a slightly deeper savory flavor, pair this with roast chicken or turkey drippings instead of plain water in part of the liquid. For another pantry version, take a look at Chicken or Turkey Gravy Mix.
Variations
- Use margarine instead of butter: The mix was written for either one, so use what you keep on hand.
- Make it more herb-forward: Add a pinch more thyme or sage to your cooked gravy if you want a stronger poultry-seasoning flavor.
- Turn it into a shortcut sauce: Spoon the finished gravy over baked chicken, mashed potatoes, rice, or open-faced sandwiches.
- Try a related homemade pantry mix: If you want a richer scratch-style option, MYO Chicken Gravy Mix is worth keeping in rotation too.
Storage
Because this mix contains butter, store the prepared dry mix in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best quality, use it within 2 weeks. You can also freeze the mix for up to 3 months. That freezer window is a practical quality estimate based on the butter in the mix, while cooked gravy follows standard leftover guidance.
Once cooked, refrigerate leftover gravy within 2 hours and use it within 3 to 4 days. Reheat it until hot and steaming. The USDA notes that cooked dishes and gravy keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and should be reheated to 165 F, which is a good rule to follow here.
Serving Suggestions
This gravy belongs anywhere roast chicken, potatoes, biscuits, or stuffing show up. It also works well over skillet-fried chicken, especially with Southern Fried Buttermilk Chicken when you want a full comfort-food plate.
You can spoon it over shredded chicken and toast for a quick hot sandwich, or serve it with rice when dinner needs stretching without looking stretched.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Chicken Gravy Mix
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- Instant Nonfat Dry Milk, 25.6 oz
- Quick Mixing Flour, 13.5 oz
- Chicken Bouillon Granules, 4 oz
- Ground Sage, 0.7 oz
- Thyme Leaves, 0.75 oz
- Ground Black Pepper, 3 oz
- Salted Butter, 16 oz
- Chicken Gravy Mix, 0.87 oz packet
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chicken Gravy Mix
You can. The mix was written for butter or margarine, so either will work. Butter gives you a slightly richer flavor, while margarine still provides the fat needed to help the gravy thicken and cook up smoothly.
Quick-mixing flour is the closest match, and that’s usually what you’ll find on the shelf. If all you have is regular all-purpose flour, whisk extra well in the cold water before heating because it won’t dissolve as easily and lumps love to show off when given the chance.
It makes about 1 cup of finished gravy, enough for roughly 4 small servings at 1/4 cup each. That’s a good amount for a family dinner side, but you can double it if mashed potatoes are involved and everyone suddenly becomes generous with their ladle.
Absolutely. Keep the same ratio of 1/2 cup mix to 1 cup cold water, then cook it over medium heat while whisking. For a double batch, use 1 cup mix and 2 cups water so the seasoning and thickness stay balanced instead of drifting off course.
Lumps usually mean the mix hit warm liquid or sat too long before whisking. Start with cold water, whisk before the pan goes fully hot, and keep whisking through the thickening stage. If needed, press the finished gravy through a fine sieve and move on like it never happened.
Whisk in a little extra water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it loosens up. Gravy can go from perfect to wallpaper paste faster than seems reasonable, so add liquid gradually and whisk well after each addition.
It’s best over roast chicken, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, biscuits, or rice. It also works for open-faced hot sandwiches, which is a nice way to make leftover chicken look far more intentional than it really was.
You can, but use a lightly seasoned broth if you go that route. The mix already includes chicken bouillon, so a full-strength salty broth can push the flavor too far and not in a charming way.
Yes, freeze it in a tightly sealed container in portions you’ll actually use. Thaw it in the refrigerator when possible, then reheat slowly and whisk well since gravy can separate a bit after freezing.
Use part pan drippings or a splash of roasted chicken juices in place of some of the water when you cook the gravy. That gives you deeper flavor fast without changing the stored mix or throwing off the thickening ratio.
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🖨️ Print-Friendly Chicken Gravy Mix
Chicken Gravy Mix
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups instant nonfat dry milk powder
- ¾ cup instant flour
- 3 tablespoons instant chicken bouillon granules
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- ⅛ teaspoon ground thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- To make chicken gravy
- 1 cup cold water
- ½ cup chicken gravy mix
Equipment
Instructions
- Combine the milk powder, instant flour, bouillon granules, thyme, sage, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well.
- Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is evenly blended.
- Store the mix in an airtight container in the refrigerator until needed.
- To make gravy, whisk 1 cup cold water and 1/2 cup gravy mix together in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Continue whisking until the gravy is smooth and thick, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Serving estimate: 25 prepared 1-cup batches, or about 100 quarter-cup gravy servings total.
Prep time is estimated from measuring, mixing, and cutting in the butter.
Because the mix contains butter, store it refrigerated for best quality and use within 2 weeks, or freeze up to 3 months.
Refrigerate cooked gravy within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days.
could someone please explain “instant flour”.
Instant flour is a low protein, pregelatinized granular flour that dissolves quickly in any type of liquid, hot or cold. Unlike cornstarch which must first be dissolved in COLD water because it can only thicken once. Instant flour has a very smooth texture which helps prevent lumps of any kind as well. A common name brand of Instant flour is “Wondra”.