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Home / Pantry/Kitchen Basics

Creamy Peppered White Gravy

4.88
/5
12 minutes
127 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 06/07/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This classic White Gravy is ultra creamy, and speckled with plenty of black pepper. Perfect on chicken fried steak, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits and more! Easy to make with only 7 ingredients (including salt and pepper!). #gravy #whitegravy #peppergravy
This classic White Gravy is ultra creamy, and speckled with plenty of black pepper. Perfect on chicken fried steak, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits and more! Easy to make with only 7 ingredients (including salt and pepper!). #gravy #whitegravy #peppergravy

This classic White Gravy is ultra creamy, and speckled with plenty of black pepper. Perfect on chicken fried steak, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits and more! Easy to make with only 7 ingredients (including salt and pepper!).

This is part of a series of recipes here on the site that I’m calling “Back to Basics“.  In this series you’ll find recipes that are common building blocks for beginner cooks, as well as homemade versions of pantry/store-bought staples, such as cream of mushroom soup, pie crust, garlic bread, etc.  With easy to follow instructions, detailed notes, and step by step photos, you’ll be on your way to being a master in your kitchen in no time! 

overhead view of white gravy in bowl sprinkled with black pepper
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If you’ve only ever had white gravy or pepper gravy from a packet, then you’re in for a treat! It’s so easy to make at home, you get to control the salt content and quality of ingredients, and I know you’ll love the down-home flavor!

This recipe has been on the site for quite a long time… since January of 2015 to be exact. It was a part of a double recipe post, but you all love it so much I thought it deserved it’s very own post.

I’ve added a few tweaks to the recipe after years of tinkering, but don’t worry, the original recipe will be right below in the “Chef’s tips” section.

We love to have a little dish of this white gravy on the side to dip our fried chicken or chicken tenders in, but it’s also great with a classic comfort food recipe that’s coming up soon here on the site… country fried steak!

How to make peppered white gravy?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

These photos were taken after making country fried steak, and I opted to leave the browned bits/drippings in the pan for extra flavor. You do not have to do this; it can be made with just a clean pan and still taste amazing!

step by step how to make white gravy - image collage
  1. Add butter. Heat the pan over medium heat and melt the butter.
  2. Add flour and seasonings. Whisk the flour and spices into the melted butter, until no flour streaks remain.
  3. Cook. It’s important to cook the flour/butter for 1-2 minutes, otherwise your gravy could taste like uncooked flour. Whisk occasionally as it cooks.
  4. Add milk. I like to add my milk about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking really well during and after each addition. This helps give you a lump-free gravy.
  5. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the gravy is smooth and thickened to your liking.

Helpful Tip!

I definitely recommend using whole milk for this gravy recipe. During testing, I found milks with less fat content just didn’t turn out as creamy and have that beautiful velvety mouthfeel.

stirring white gravy in pan

Variations of this recipe

  • Pan drippings – I wrote this recipe for when you DON’T have any pan drippings, but by all means, if you have some, use them!
  • Garlic – sometimes I like to add a little bit of garlic powder (1/4 to 1/2 tsp) to this recipe.
  • Simple – for a simple, pared down version of this recipe, omit the thyme and cayenne pepper.
  • Evaporated milk – You can use an equal amount of evaporated milk for this recipe if you don’t have whole milk. You’ll want approximately 16 oz.
  • Non dairy milks – I haven’t specifically tested this gravy with alternative milks like almond, soy, oat, etc, so I can’t say exactly how they’ll turn out. I would think they’d work just fine though.
pepper gravy on wooden spoon

FAQ’s

What other names for white gravy are there?

I’ve seen white gravy called pepper gravy, white pepper gravy, country gravy, sawmill gravy, etc.

How is white gravy thickened?

There are two main ways to thicken a gravy: a slurry and a roux. For more information about those methods, be sure to check out my Cooking Terms page! This recipe uses a roux.

How to make a lump-free gravy?

I’ve found that most lumps happen when the milk is added all at once. I highly recommend adding the milk about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking well after each addition. This will give you a perfectly creamy and smooth gravy, every time!

Making peppered white gravy ahead of time

This gravy recipe can be made completely ahead of time if you’d like!

When gravy is refrigerated, it tends to be super thick. I suggest reheating it in a saucepan with an extra splash of milk to loosen it back up.

white gravy on chicken fried steak

Freezing

You can technically freeze white gravy, however since it contains dairy, the freezing/thawing process can change the consistency and texture.

I recommend using evaporated milk if you plan to freeze this gravy, since it tends to hold up to the freezing process a bit better.

Make sure the gravy has cooled completely, then transfer to freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop, adding a bit more milk or water as needed.

Storage

White gravy should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within 3-4 days.

Creamy, thick, and delicious... try this gravy on your favorite chicken, mashed potatoes, anything you'd like!

Related Recipes:

fried chicken thigh on plate with potatoes and corn
Buttermilk Fried Chicken
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Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders
mashed potatoes with brown gravy
Classic Brown Gravy
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Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

This classic White Gravy is ultra creamy, and speckled with plenty of black pepper. Perfect on chicken fried steak, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits and more! Easy to make with only 7 ingredients (including salt and pepper!). #gravy #whitegravy #peppergravy

Creamy Peppered White Gravy

4.88 from 100 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Calories: 167
Servings: 6 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
This classic White Gravy is ultra creamy, and speckled with plenty of black pepper. Perfect on chicken fried steak, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits and more!

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme optional but recommended
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

  • Add butter, and melt over MED heat.  Once melted, add flour, salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne and whisk to combine.
  • Cook flour/butter mixture for 1-2 minutes.
  • Slowly pour in milk, about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking after each addition, until all milk has been added and no lumps remain.
  • Bring to a vigorous simmer, whisking frequently.  Allow to simmer for about 3 – 5 minutes, or until gravy is smooth, creamy and thickened to your liking.  
  • If gravy gets too thick, add a splash of milk or water to thin it out.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

This recipe has been updated due to reader requests and my own testing.
If you were a fan of the original recipe, here it is:
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • 1 cup milk, plus an optional additional 1-2 Tbsp (depending on your preference for a thinner or thicker gravy)
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  1. In a saucepan, melt butter.
  2. Once butter is melted, add the flour and whisk.  It will look like the consistency of wet sand.
  3. Slowly add the milk, and whisk to incorporate.  Whisk until smooth.
  4. Gravy will thicken, add in the additional milk if you want a thinner gravy.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
 

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. Vicky says

    Posted on 1/7 at 10:44 am

    I have made this using Oatley Barista milk and it turned out just as creamy and velvety.

    Reply
  2. J Pena says

    Posted on 12/27 at 2:49 pm

    Very good and easy recipe. The addition of thyme makes a pleasant difference. Next time will add the cayenne pepper.

    Reply
  3. Camielle Parent says

    Posted on 12/13 at 5:37 pm

    I prepared this as part of a special in my restaurant and everyone loved it! I tripled the recipe and it was a hit! Thank You! I gave credit to the site when asked about a recipe or where I got it!

    Reply
  4. Amy says

    Posted on 10/23 at 9:10 pm

    This is the perfect, classic gravy. Made it and loved it. I even made my first batch of biscuits the other day and they go great together. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Jon says

    Posted on 9/16 at 10:26 am

    It was very easy to make and turned out great. Very easy recipe to follow just wish there wasn’t so many ads on this site. Makes it hard to follow instructions when a ad pops up every few seconds.

    Reply
  6. Amber Brink says

    Posted on 9/6 at 12:08 pm

    I make this all the time. I grew up in Texas and gravy was a staple. It reminds me so much of Home. Can’t beat biscuits and gravy. This is the gravy you crave!

    Reply
  7. Alesha says

    Posted on 8/31 at 11:59 am

    Making the chicken fried steak first…would you drain the oil from that and save the bits in the pan to add the butter to? Also, could I use the seasoned flour I coated the meat with in this gravy recipe? Or would that be too many seasonings going on? Lol. Thanks for the feedback!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 8/31 at 9:18 pm

      Hi Alesha 🙂 Yes, I would drain the oil and save the bits (if you can). I’ve never made the gravy with the chicken fried steak seasoned flour, so I can’t say for certain if it would be too many seasonings or not. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out!

      Reply
  8. Sandy addison says

    Posted on 8/24 at 12:00 pm

    Do you ever use bacon grease or sausage grease

    instead of butter?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 8/24 at 2:32 pm

      I use bacon grease often, it’s delicious 🙂

      Reply
      • Paulette says

        Posted on 10/17 at 10:10 am

        Our family loves pepper gravy, and usually make it from the package. We tried your recipe this morning and will never use package again! Great on biscuits and grits!

        Reply
  9. Will says

    Posted on 8/17 at 6:35 pm

    LOVE LOVE LOVE 🥰 I just made this with dinner and oh my gosh so very very good highly recommend it

    Reply
  10. Lindsey says

    Posted on 8/3 at 1:14 am

    I tried this after my husband had disappointing experience with packaged pepper gravy. This was easy and delicious and needed no drippings to make.

    Reply
  11. Cynthia says

    Posted on 7/27 at 3:27 pm

    I just made this to go on my chicken fried chicken and it was delicious!

    Reply
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