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Classic Hamburger Gravy

This quick and simple classic Hamburger Gravy recipe is creamy, meaty, and bursting with flavor. A comforting dish that makes the perfect weeknight dinner along with your favorite pasta or potato dish. With only a few ingredients dinner can be ready and on your plates in less than 30 minutes!

Close up of a white plate with a black rim filled with mashed potatoes topped with sausage gravy with a side of green beans.

Old-Fashioned Hamburger Gravy

This Hamburger Gravy recipe is a life saver in our house. Much like my One Pot Hamburger Helper, we love it because it’s so quick and easy to put together and it has saved the day on many last-minute meal occasions!

Made from ground beef, beef bouillon, and steak sauce, as well as a few other simple pantry staples, it’s ready in just 15 minutes.

There’s a cheat version of this recipe that uses hamburger meat and mushroom soup, but this one is fresh and from scratch. This also makes it way more creamy and flavorful, while still being super easy for even a beginner home cook to make.

This scratch recipe for hamburger gravy is so versatile, it goes with anything you would normally have with beef and more. Try it with southern biscuits, pasta, or any kind of potatoes.

Serve it with different kinds of vegetables for a balanced meal, or with mushrooms, and it becomes a deconstructed beef stroganoff the whole family will love.

Ingredients on a worktop including: Ground beef, All purpose flour, Onion powder, Garlic powder, Beef bouillon, Steak sauce, Milk, Salt, Pepper, and 
Parsley.

Ingredients Needed

Ground beef – I usually use lean ground beef (93/7) but use what you have. You can also use ground turkey, ground chicken or pork.

Spices – Onion powder & garlic powder.

Beef bouillon –  Better Than Bouillon is my favorite brand, but any is fine.

Steak sauce – I like A1 Sauce for this, but choose any steak sauce you like.

Milk – I prefer whole milk, but 2% is fine.

Kitchen Staples – All purpose flour, salt, black pepper, parsley.

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How to make Hamburger Gravy

First: Brown the ground beef in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up all the large pieces so there are mostly small bites.

Second: Sprinkle flour over the meat, then add onion powder, garlic powder, beef bouillon, and steak sauce. Add the milk to the meat mixture and stir well.

Third: Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently until the gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Fourth: Sprinkle with parsley and serve over potatoes, rice or toast.

For the full recipe and detailed baking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

Close up of a large pan with hamburger gravy in it and a wooden spoon being held in mid-air filled with a spoonful of hamburger gravy.

How do I store Hamburger Gravy?

This is a great recipe for making ahead. Leftover hamburger gravy will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Store in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap. Reheat in a pan on the stove for best results.

Can I Freeze it?

You can freeze hamburger gravy if stored in a freezable container, but I would recommend substituting the milk, as dairy doesn’t freeze well.

Top view of a white plate with a black rim filled with mashed potatoes topped with sausage gravy with a side of green beans.

What to Serve with Hamburger Gravy

Hamburger gravy is delicious over basically any carb. Try it over southern biscuits, mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, white rice, pasta like egg noodles, or bread for dinner, or even some toast for a filling breakfast.

It is also great with vegetables like Smothered Green Beans or salad like this Italian Chopped Salad.

Close up of a fork filled with sausage gravy hovering over a white plate with a black rim filled with mashed potatoes topped with sausage gravy with a side of green beans.

Tips for No Leftovers

  • You can make hamburger gravy quicker from frozen by putting the beef straight into the frying pan from the freezer. To do this, add some water or beef broth to the pan and cover it. As the ground beef thaws, flip it frequently and chop it into smaller pieces to cook through.
  • Use leftover hamburger steaks and skip the first step!
  • Substitute milk for broth . This will make the gravy more brown than white. 
  • Broth can be substituted with beef stock or beef bouillon cubes diluted in water. Just make sure to adjust the salt as necessary.
  • If it’s not thick enough, you can add in a cornstarch slurry.
  • For best results, make sure to really chop up all the beef pieces very small.
  • Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce when cooking the beef for added savory flavor.
  • Want to stretch it even more? Add a can of cream of mushroom soup or a bit of heavy cream.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!

Close up of a white plate with a black rim filled with mashed potatoes topped with sausage gravy with a side of green beans with a text box on top saying "Creamy Hamburger Gravy".

Make this quick and easy Hamburger Gravy recipe is the ultimate comfort food for a delicious dinner on busy weeknights, or as part of a southern table spread. You can’t have a comfort food meal without a creamy gravy!!

Hamburger Gravy

Make this quick and easy Hamburger Gravy is the ultimate comfort food for a delicious dinner on busy weeknights, or as part of a southern table spread.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 358kcal
Author: Jennifer Stewart

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon beef bouillon Better Than Bouillon
  • 2 tablespoons steak sauce
  • 2 cups milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Parsley for garnish optional
  • For serving: mashed potatoes pasta, rice, or bread

Instructions

  • In a large skillet or pan, brown the ground beef over medium high heat, Be sure to break up all the pieces so they are small.
  • Stir in the flour, then add onion powder, garlic powder, beef bouillon, and steak sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw flour flavor.
  • Slowly add the milk, stirring continuously. Cook on medium heat until the gravy thickens.
  • Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Sprinkle with parsley and serve over potatoes, rice or toast

Notes

  • You can make hamburger gravy quicker from frozen by putting the beef straight into the frying pan from the freezer. To do this, add some water or beef broth to the pan and cover it. As the ground beef thaws, flip it frequently and chop it into smaller pieces to cook through.
  • Substitute milk for broth. This will make the gravy more brown than white.
  • Broth can be substituted by diluting beef bouillon cubes in water. Just adjust the salt as needed.
  • For best results, make sure to really chop up all the beef pieces very small.
  • Add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce when cooking the beef for added savory flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 761mg | Sugar: 7g

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