Sour Cream Gravy

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 11/16/22
Spiced pork roast with sour cream gravy
Diana Rattray
Prep: 4 mins
Cook: 7 mins
Total: 11 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 2 cups

Whether the gravy goes on a holiday turkey or weeknight mashed potatoes, you want it to be flavorful yet easy to make. Despite its importance as part of a meal, too many cooks neglect the gravy and leave it to be an afterthought. When proper attention isn't paid, the gravy can turn out lumpy, thin, or bland.

The key to great gravy is to start with a roux, which is a mixture of fat—in this case, butter—and flour that's been whisked to form a paste. It not only forms a silky base for the gravy but also keeps it nice and thick. The technique for making the roux is more important than using the exact measurements for each of the ingredients, so feel free to tweak the recipe to suit your tastes. The sour cream provides a creamy texture to the gravy that's hard to beat.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1/4 cup flour

  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

  • 8 ounces sour cream

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.

  2. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until shallots are tender. Whisk in the flour to make a roux, stirring constantly so it's well combined.

  3. Add chicken broth and continue cooking, whisking frequently, until bubbly and thickened.

  4. Stir in the sour cream and cook, stirring, just until the gravy is hot and begins to simmer. Do not boil.

  5. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

Tips

  • Whisking constantly might make your wrist hurt, but it's vital to ensure the gravy is free from lumps. When adding the stock to the roux, pour it slowly and whisk until the roux is completely incorporated.
  • Add the chicken broth slowly, starting with just a half cup. Add more as you need it, rather than dumping it all in at once, which will make the gravy too thin.
  • Heat up the broth before adding it to the gravy. The heat will allow the liquid to incorporate to the roux more easily, leading to a smoother gravy.
  • Make sure before you add the sour cream that the gravy comes to a near-boil. You want the taste of the flour to be cooked off. However, once you've added the sour cream, turn down the heat. Bringing the mixture to a boil again could cause the cream to curdle.
  • Season the gravy only at the end of the cooking process. The sauce reduces as you cook, so seasoning too early could lead to an overly salty finished product.

Recipe Variations

  • Vegetarian variation: Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. To make it vegan, use non-dairy sour cream.
  • Mushroom gravy variation: Sauté 8 ounces of diced fresh mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter before starting the rest of the recipe. Remove from the pan and begin the recipe as directed. Add the mushrooms to the gravy between Steps 3 and 4.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
160 Calories
13g Fat
9g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 160
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 39mg 13%
Sodium 342mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 51mg 4%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 121mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)