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I absolutely love to serve my family a hearty meal. Sausage and mash, with onion gravy, is ALWAYS a hit. This is my ultimate onion gravy recipe and it is the best onion gravy for sausages.
You can make this a gluten free onion gravy, by switching the flour, and it still packs a brilliant flavour.
What I love about this onion gravy is that I can make it in advance, even freeze it in batches, and then it is on hand when I want to give my family a flavoursome meal without much effort.
This onion gravy goes great with toad in the hole, air fryer mashed potatoes, roast dinner, a Ninja Foodi roast chicken, air fryer sausages and so many other delicious dinners.
When the nights are still cold I really enjoy eating comfort food. Cooking a nice meal for my family is my way to de-stress after a long day. I’ll put some good music on, get a nice cup of tea and serve up a feast that I know my family are going to enjoy.
I love to prepare this in advance, and give it a little warm through before serving too! It is a great way to have dinner half prepared when the witching hour starts post school!

Ingredients for onion gravy recipe:
15g butter
1 large onion (sliced)
1 tsp sugar
15g plain flour (or gluten-free flour)
350ml beef stock
A splash of Worcestershire sauce (can be left out if need be due to allergies) You can even replace this with a little tiny bit of Marmite if you like that instead! Marmite roast potatoes are delicious too!
Method for onion gravy:
Melt the butter in a pan and then add your onions in.
Cook for 1-2 minutes then sprinkle over the sugar.
Stir regularly over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the onions have soften and are caramelised.
Sprinkle over the flour. Give it a stir to coat all of the onions evenly. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Pour in your stock. If you’re using a stock cube then just crumble this over the onions and then add your water. If you want to make this a rich onion gravy you can add a little red wine!
Bring the gravy to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes until the gravy thickens up. Add the Worcestershire sauce if using, or Marmite. Season with a salt and pepper to taste.
Can you make rich homemade onion gravy without flour?
Personally I feel that the flour is really needed to add a richness to this dish. if you’re happy with a thinner sauce then you could leave this out. You could also use cornflour or even Xanthan Gum to help thicken this up, but it may be a little stringy if you use too much Xanthan Gum.
Want to make a gluten free onion gravy?
Just use your favourite gluten free flour! I’ve used Doves Farm gluten-green plain flour for this before and added a tiny tiny pinch of Xanthan Gum to help it thicken up a little. It works really well.
Want to add some extra flavour?
I love to use thyme, rosemary, mustard, onion chutney or even a little Bisto want I want to make a cheats onion gravy.
Can you make onion gravy with Bisto?
Absolutely. If you’re looking for more of a cheats onion gravy then caramelise the onions and then add Bisto. You can make it nice and thick by adding less water and it’s a great way to make onion gravy with less hassle.
How to cut onions for onion gravy?
I love to slice onions in half and then I will slice downwards, from near the root, as this makes lovely slices that stay together well.
In the photograph on this recipe I sliced them across, and as you can see they’ve held up very well and are still delicious.
What is the secret ingredient for good gravy?
I love to add a little Marmite to mine. This packs a punch of flavour and I also find that even people that aren’t Marmite fans will enjoy my onion gravy when it contains a 1/4 teaspoon of Marmite.
Why does gravy go bitter?
If you let the roux burn a little then you’re going to have a bitter aftertaste to your gravy. You can avoid this by keeping a close eye on the pan.
How to make onion gravy:

Onion gravy
A delicious, rich onion gravy that goes perfect with a roast dinner
Ingredients
- 15 g butter
- 1 large onion
- 1 tsp sugar
- 15 g plain flour
- 350 ml beef stock
- Splash Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
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Melt the butter in a saucepan or frying pan then add the onions in.
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Cook for 1-2 minutes then sprinkle with the sugar.
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Stir regularly while cooking on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes. You’ll know when the time is up as the onions will be soft and they will have become caramelised thanks to the butter and sugar.
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Sprinkle the flour over the onions. Give it a stir to ensure that all the onions are coated. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
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Pour in your stock if using fresh. If you’re using a stock cube then save yourself some effort by crumbling the stock cube in and then measuring in the required water.
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Bring the onion gravy to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the onion gravy to thicken up. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce. If it needs a little more seasoning then add a grind of fresh black pepper.
Note: All calorie information is for demonstration purposes only and is based on the specific uncooked ingredients that I used when creating the recipe.
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Marianne
Tuesday 21st of April 2020
Next time I’m omitting the sugar. I felt like it ruined it for me even though it was just a tsp. Also I had to add better than bouillon because without it there wasn’t enough flavor.
katykicker
Saturday 25th of April 2020
Thanks for sharing your feedback. I hope next time the recipe is more successful for you.
Also, bouillon is what I refer to as stock in the recipe, made with a cube, I think perhaps you're in the US?
melanie
Saturday 28th of March 2020
can you make ahead (in large quantities) and then freeze in smaller batches?
katykicker
Sunday 29th of March 2020
Yes, absolutely! I've made 4x the recipe before and then froze with no issues. When re-heating make sure it is piping hot and you can re-heat from frozen as long as you keep an eye on the saucepan to prevent bubbling over.
Maria
Thursday 20th of February 2020
Loved it! I tried another recipe before this one and tossed it out. This was so rich and creamy. So much flavor! Thank you!!
katykicker
Friday 21st of February 2020
I'm so pleased to hear that - thanks for letting me know! x
Wednesday 26th of June 2019
Most defiantly will make again...
katykicker
Tuesday 2nd of July 2019
Thanks so much!