What Is Gravy? Roast Gravy, Granules and Jus Explained
What is gravy? Gravy is a savoury sauce made from the juices meat gives off as it roasts, usually mixed with stock and thickened with a little flour. In the UK it is poured over a Sunday roast, sausages and mash or chips. Quick versions are made from gravy granules such as Bisto, stirred into boiling water.
At a glance
- Basicsmeat juices, fat, flour and stock
- 1908Bisto's first instant gravy powder
- 4.7gcarbs per 100g made-up granules (CoFID)
- 65.2gcarbs per 100g dry granules (CoFID)
On this page
No roast dinner feels finished without it, but what is gravy, exactly, and how is it different from a jus or a jug of Bisto? This guide explains what gravy is made of, the main British and American types, how gravy granules and gravy browning came about, where the word comes from and how the carbs compare. If you're here for a recipe, our keto gravy made without flour is the one to try.
What is gravy?
BBC Food describes gravy as a savoury sauce made from the meat juices left in the pan after roasting or frying. Excess fat is usually spooned off, then a liquid such as stock or wine is added and stirred hard to lift the caramelised juices from the tin, a step called deglazing. Sometimes flour is cooked in the fat first, which gives a thicker gravy.
Wikipedia gives a similar definition: a sauce made from the juices that run from meat and vegetables during cooking, often thickened, and sometimes coloured and flavoured with gravy browning or stock cubes. Powders, granules and ready-made gravies do the same job when there is no roast to make it from.
Wikipedia notes that in Britain and Ireland, and in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, gravy means only the meat-based sauce made from meat juices, stock cubes or gravy granules, not other thickened sauces. In the southern United States, "white gravy" is a milky sauce served with biscuits, and in India "gravy" can mean the liquid part of a curry.
What gravy is made of
A classic roast gravy has four parts: the juices, a little fat, a thickener and a liquid. BBC Food's traditional gravy, which serves 6 to 8, uses the meat juices from the roasting tin, 2 tablespoons of the liquid fat, 30g plain flour and 570ml stock, with 2 teaspoons of gravy browning as an option.
- Skim the juices. Pour the roasting juices into a jug and let the fat rise to the top, then spoon it off and keep it.
- Cook the flour. Put the tin on the hob, add some of the fat, stir in the flour and cook for about a minute.
- Add the liquid. Stir in the meat juices, then the stock, scraping the browned bits from the tin.
- Simmer and season. Bring it to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, then season and add browning if you like.
Method summarised from BBC Food's Traditional gravy. Checked 7 November 2026.
Without a roast, onions do the work. Justine Pattison's easy gravy on BBC Food fries a sliced onion for about 10 minutes until golden brown, stirs in 2 tablespoons of plain flour, then adds 400ml just-boiled water, a stock cube, a tablespoon of tomato ketchup and dark soy sauce or a few drops of gravy browning.
The roux: flour and fat
Cooking flour in fat before adding liquid makes a roux. Wikipedia describes a roux as flour and fat cooked together, typically in equal parts by weight, and lists gravy among the sauces it thickens. For meat gravies the fat is often the fat rendered from the roast. Cooking the flour for a minute or two takes away its raw taste, and a longer cook gives a darker colour.
Other thickeners
Flour is not the only option. Wikipedia notes that brown gravy can be thickened with a thin mix of water and either wheat flour or cornflour, and that vegetarian gravy is sometimes thickened with cornflour whisked into stock. Some gravies, such as American red-eye gravy, are not thickened at all.
Types of gravy
Most British gravies are brown and made from a roast or from onions and stock. Wikipedia lists several types, some of them mainly American:
| Type | Made from | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Brown (roast) gravy | Roasting juices, flour or cornflour | Roast meat or poultry |
| Onion gravy | Slowly cooked onions, stock or wine | Sausages, Yorkshire puddings, chops |
| Giblet gravy | Turkey or chicken giblets and stock | Roast turkey or chicken |
| Vegetable gravy | Vegetable stock, flour, butter or oil | A meat-free alternative |
| White (cream) gravy | Meat fat, flour roux and milk | Biscuits, chicken-fried steak (US) |
| Red-eye gravy | Ham drippings and coffee, unthickened | Ham, grits (US) |
Based on Wikipedia's Gravy entry. Checked 7 November 2026.
Wikipedia also notes that gravy goes beyond the roast in the UK and Ireland, where it is commonly eaten with chips from the chip shop or a Chinese takeaway. In Canada, it is one of the three parts of poutine, alongside chips and cheese curds.
Gravy granules, Bisto and gravy browning
The first instant gravy was British. According to Wikipedia, Messrs McRoberts and Patterson created the first Bisto product in 1908: a meat-flavoured gravy powder that thickened gravies and gave them a richer taste, and it quickly became a bestseller. Bisto Granules, which dissolve in hot water, followed in 1979, and by 2005 they had over 70% of the British gravy granule market.
The brand is also known for its adverts. The Bisto Kids, two children in ragged clothes sniffing the smell of gravy on the breeze and sighing "Ah, Bisto!", were drawn by illustrator Will Owen and first appeared in newspapers in 1919. Bisto is now owned by Premier Foods, and the range covers beef, chicken, turkey, onion and vegetable granules, among others.
Gravy salt is a mix of salt and caramel colouring, and gravy browning is gravy salt dissolved in water, according to Wikipedia. A few drops darken a homemade gravy, but browning doesn't thicken it or add much flavour on its own.
Gravy vs jus
On restaurant menus you will often see "jus" instead of gravy. Wikipedia explains that au jus is French for "with juice" and refers to meat served with a light sauce made from the juices the meat gives off as it cooks. To make a natural jus, the cook skims the fat from the roasting juices and brings them to the boil with stock and water. Red wine jus adds wine to the juices.
The difference is mostly thickness. A jus is a light, thin sauce, while British gravy is normally thickened, often with flour cooked in the roasting fat, as BBC Food describes. Both start from the same browned juices in the tin.
Where the word comes from
Gravy has been on British tables for a long time. Wikipedia says one of the earliest recorded mentions is in The Forme of Cury, a 14th-century English recipe collection. The word comes from Old French: in 14th-century French manuscripts, the word for a meat or fish broth was written gravé or grané, and grané may be linked to "grain", in the sense of a sauce made from meat and served with meat.
Wikipedia links gravy's place at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in North America to the long history of English immigration there. In the southern United States, biscuits and gravy, usually made with sausage, flour, butter and milk, became a breakfast dish in Southern Appalachia in the late 1800s.
Carbs in gravy
Most of the carbohydrate in gravy comes from the thickener, whether that's flour, cornflour or granules. CoFID, the UK's food composition tables, lists gravy granules both dry and made up:
| Food (per 100g) | Carbs | Sugars | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravy granules, dry | 65.2g | 5.3g | 407 |
| Gravy granules, made up with water | 4.7g | 0.4g | 30 |
| Plain white flour | 80.9g | 0.6g | 352 |
CoFID 2021: Gravy instant granules (17-724); Gravy instant granules, made up with water (17-725); Flour, wheat, white, plain, soft (11-886). UK carbohydrate figures don't include fibre. Checked 7 November 2026.
For homemade gravy, the flour is the main source. BBC Food's traditional gravy uses 30g plain flour, which works out at about 24g of carbohydrate using the CoFID figure above, or roughly 3g to 4g per serving across 6 to 8 servings, before the meat juices and stock. BBC Good Food's make-ahead gravy, made with roasted chicken wings, vegetables, flour, a little sugar and balsamic vinegar, lists 15g of carbohydrate and 7g of sugars per serving, for 8 servings.
If you're cutting carbs
Because the carbs in gravy come mostly from the flour or granules, a lower-carb gravy keeps the roasting juices and stock and swaps the thickener. Our keto gravy recipe gets its colour and body from browned mushrooms, shallot, red wine and reduced beef stock, then thickens it with half a teaspoon of xanthan gum. It lists 2.0g net carbs per serving and makes enough for 6.
The Xanthan Gum product page suggests a small pinch at a time for sauces, gravies and dressings, sprinkled in while whisking to avoid lumps. Our Psyllium Husk Powder page also suggests starting with a small pinch for sauces and gravies, and notes that it keeps thickening as it stands. Whichever you use, add it gradually: too much makes gravy slippery rather than glossy.
At Christmas, gravy goes with everything on the plate. Our keto Christmas dinner guide walks through a flour-free turkey gravy and the carbs in each of the trimmings, and stuffing made with our Low Carb Keto Bread sits alongside it. Last order date for Christmas delivery is 18 December 2026.
Gravy granules and stock cubes vary by brand and flavour. Wikipedia notes that Bisto makes separate versions of its beef and chicken granules for people avoiding gluten, so if you're avoiding wheat, read the ingredients list on the pack.
Product details are as shown on each product page. Free delivery on orders over £30.
Traditional gravy is usually thickened with wheat flour, and standard stock cubes and granules can contain wheat, so check the pack. Our Low Carb Keto Bread contains cereals with gluten (wheat), soy and sesame seeds. Our Psyllium Husk Powder label warns that excessive consumption may cause a laxative effect. Always check the pack for full allergen information.
Key takeaways
- Gravy is a sauce made from meat juices. Usually mixed with stock and thickened with a little flour.
- In the UK it means the meaty kind. White gravy and curry "gravy" are other countries' uses of the word.
- Bisto made gravy instant. Its gravy powder came out in 1908 and its granules in 1979.
- Jus is thinner. It is the skimmed roasting juices, usually not thickened with flour.
- The thickener holds the carbs. CoFID lists made-up granules at 4.7g carbs per 100g.
Frequently asked questions
What is gravy made of?
Traditional British gravy is made from the juices and fat left in the roasting tin, a little plain flour to thicken it, and stock. BBC Food's traditional gravy uses the meat juices, 2 tablespoons of liquid meat fat, 30g plain flour and 570ml stock, with gravy browning as an option for a darker colour.
What is the difference between gravy and jus?
Jus comes from the French au jus, meaning "with juice". It is a light, thin sauce made from the meat's own cooking juices, skimmed of fat and simmered with stock or wine. British gravy is usually thickened, often with flour cooked in the roasting fat, so it is thicker. Both start from the same juices.
What are gravy granules?
Gravy granules are a dried instant gravy that dissolves in boiling water. According to Wikipedia, Bisto launched its granules in 1979, following the meat-flavoured gravy powder it first sold in 1908. CoFID lists dry gravy granules at 65.2g carbohydrate per 100g, or 4.7g per 100g once made up with water.
How do you thicken gravy without flour?
Sprinkle in a small pinch of xanthan gum while you whisk, as our Xanthan Gum product page suggests for sauces and gravies. Let it simmer for a minute before adding more, because too much makes gravy slippery. Reducing the stock first, or blending in browned mushrooms as our keto gravy recipe does, also adds body.
Is gravy keto?
Gravy can fit into a keto diet in small portions, but flour, cornflour and granules all add carbs. CoFID lists made-up gravy granules at 4.7g carbohydrate per 100g. A gravy made from roasting juices and stock, thickened with a little xanthan gum, has fewer carbs: our keto gravy recipe lists 2.0g net carbs per serving.
Sources
- BBC Food. Gravy recipes (definition and deglazing), Traditional gravy (ingredients and method) and Easy gravy by Justine Pattison (ingredients and method). Checked 7 November 2026.
- BBC Good Food. Make-ahead gravy (ingredients and nutrition per serving). Checked 7 November 2026.
- Wikipedia. Gravy (definition, gravy salt and browning, history and etymology, The Forme of Cury, types, UK and other uses, first instant gravy). Checked 7 November 2026.
- Wikipedia. Bisto (1908 gravy powder, 1979 granules, market share, Bisto Kids, Premier Foods, product range). Checked 7 November 2026.
- Wikipedia. Au jus (meaning and preparation) and Roux (definition and uses). Checked 7 November 2026.
- Public Health England / Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Composition of foods integrated dataset (CoFID) 2021 (codes 17-724, 17-725 and 11-886). Checked 7 November 2026.
- Groovy Keto product pages: Xanthan Gum, Psyllium Husk Powder and Low Carb Keto Bread (sizes, usage and allergens as shown). Checked 7 November 2026.
