Homemade Au Jus Gravy Mix is a time saving special seasoning mix full of savory flavor. Whether you make a delicious gravy to serve with French Dip Sandwiches or roast beef or add to your crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast, you’re going to find yourself reaching for this pantry staple all the time.
What is Au Jus?
Traditional au jus sauce is a thin brown gravy made from deglazing pan drippings or rendered beef fat from roast beef or prime rib with beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and simmering with mirepoix (onions, celery, and carrots) before straining it. It is divine, but it requires that you’ve made a juicy roast in order to get the drippings and it’s a bit of a process.
It’s almost always served with prime rib, making it a staple of the steakhouse and premium restaurant scene. It’s also ubiquitous alongside french dip or french dip-inspired sandwiches.
Sometimes you just want to scratch that au jus itch and there are no meat dishes or beef drippings to be had and no time to make a roast. In those cases, you might reach for a McCormick au jus gravy mix seasoning packet.
The packets are not exactly the same as fresh au jus, but they have their own advantages. The powdered au jus gravy mix is shelf stable and just a couple tablespoons of au jus gravy mix adds flavour and body to your favorite dishes like soup and stew, and yields the most flavourful pot roast you’ve ever had.
But those McCormick gravy mix packets are not ubiquitous. There are quite a few markets globally that don’t carry them.
So what’s a cook to do? Why, make our own, of course! This is a mercifully easy thing to do, and once you have a jar of this in your spice cabinet, you’ll never want to be without it again!
Au Jus Mix
Here’s some good news! Our au jus mix is made from other pantry staples you’re likely to have on hand already. Here’s a quick list so you know what you’ll need to have handy.
- Beef Bouillon Powder or Stock Powder
- Corn starch
- Granulated Onion or Onion Powder
- Dried Parsley Flakes
- Granulated Garlic or Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper
No specialty equipment is strictly necessary for this recipe. That said, a food processor or blender will help you make a more even mixture that is closer to the McCormick Spices product. This list lets you know what you’ll need to make your au jus gravy mix.
- Measuring spoons
- a whisk, fork, blender, or small food processor
- a airtight container to store your mix (jar, food storage container, or zipper top bag.)
Be sure to pick a beef bouillon or stock powder that tastes good when rehydrated. It is going to be the real beefy presence in this au jus, so you want it to be good.
There’s more good news! If you’re a vegetarian or don’t eat red meat, you can still make your own version of au jus. Just swap out one of the beef bouillon in this mixture!
Simply substitute vegetarian bouillon powder for the beef if you’d like a vegetarian au jus. If you’re still a fan of juicy roasts but beef isn’t your jam, swap in chicken, pork, or lamb bouillon or stock powder. You’ll still get that lovely, savoury, unctuous au jus flavour that goes with and in so many dishes.
An important note to keep in mind: your homemade au jus gravy mix will not have the same depth of colour that the commercial mix does, as it will not have caramel color. If the darker colour is important to you, you can add a little browning sauce to your gravy.
Gluten Free Au Jus Mix
And the good news keeps on coming! As long as you choose a gluten free bouillon powder, this au jus mix is naturally gluten free because it uses cornstarch instead of flour for body.
Just look over the ingredients list carefully for allergen content if that is a concern for you. If you prefer to choose a bouillon that uses natural flavor vs. artificial flavors, be sure to be on the lookout for that as well.
If you’re avoiding gluten, are adding Worcestershire or soy sauce to your gravy when reconstituting it, be sure to choose your brand carefully. Soy sauce is almost always made with wheat & malt vinegar is a wheat derivative and often present in Worcestershire sauce.
Cornstarch has the added benefit of making your finished au jus glossy and shiny instead of opaque and dull looking like flour would do. When reconstituted, our au jus mix makes a thin gravy that’s ideal for dipping.
Should your preference run toward a thicker au jus gravy, you’re welcome to adjust the cornstarch upward to match your own tastes.
Au Jus Gravy Mix
Measure all of the ingredients into the work bowl/carafe of a food processor or blender fitted with metal blade. Pulse the mixture until the the mixture is even in colour.
If you do not have a blender or food processor, you can add all of the ingredients to a bowl and use a fork or whisk to evenly combine it. You’ll be able to see more recognizable spices and herbs in the final au jus when it is made into gravy, but it will work fine.
If using the blender or food processor, allow the dust to settle for a few minutes before opening the work bowl or carafe. Transfer the powdered au jus gravy mix to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark place.
One ounce of the finished mix is approximately 4 1/2 teaspoons. This is equivalent to one packet of McCormick Spice’s au jus gravy mix. To make au jus gravy, whisk 4 1/2 teaspoons into 2 cups of cold water in a small saucepan.
It is easy to make next level au jus gravy with your mix! Just use 1 3/4 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of red wine, plus 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire or Soy Sauce instead of 2 cups water.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. If making next level au jus, simmer for closer to 15 minutes to remove the raw taste from the wine.
Au Jus Gravy Mix
Rate RecipeEquipment
- 4 measuring spoons
- 1 blender or food processor
- 1 airtight container
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Beef Bouillon Powder or Stock Powder
- 4 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons Granulated Onion or Onion Powder
- 2 teaspoons Dried Parsley Flakes
- ½ teaspoon Granulated Garlic or Garlic Powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- If using the blender or food processor, allow the dust to settle for a few minutes before opening the work bowl or carafe. Transfer the powdered au jus gravy mix to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark place.
- One ounce of the finished mix is approximately 4 1/2 teaspoons and is equivalent to one packet of McCormick Spice’s au jus gravy mix.
To Make Au Jus Gravy:
- To make au jus gravy, whisk 4 1/2 teaspoons into 2 cups of water in a small saucepan. To make next level au jus gravy with your mix, use 1 3/4 cups of water, and 2 tablespoons of red wine, plus 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire or Soy Sauce instead of 2 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. If using the red wine and Worcestershire or soy sauce, simmer for closer to 15 minutes to remove the raw taste from the wine.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Reader's Thoughts...
Molly says
Wow! This is sooo tasty! I mixed this up and had an opportunity to use it right away. I prepared it the ‘next level’ way with wine and worcestershire and served it with vegetarian, gluten free Philly sandwiches. I’m already excited to have those again. This would be a great mix to add to many recipes for added flavor.
Someone may have been caught at the stove drinking the leftovers straight from the pan.🙄
Rebecca says
HAHAHAHA. Thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Aunt Molly! Was it *you* drinking from the pan??
Beatrice Packtor says
My husband drinks it after I’m done eating my French Dip sandwich.