Hamburger Gravy

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Our easy Hamburger Gravy recipe is the ultimate budget-friendly comfort food and it's ready in just 20 minutes. We like it served over mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, or bread for a hearty weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

Old-Fashioned Hamburger Gravy Dinner That Feeds Everyone

Classic, old-fashioned American recipes like this easy Hamburger Gravy recipe never go out of style. It's the kind of meal my grandma made when she needed to feed a crowd without spending a fortune, and there's something really special about passing that down. All you need is Ground beef, and a handful of pantry staples, and 20 minutes is genuinely all it takes to prep and cook.

Our family serves it over mashed potatoes, but my grandma always served it over a thick slice of white bread. You could also use rice or pasta. And for a leaner hamburger gravy you could substitute ground turkey or chicken.

Try more of my 30-minute meals, like Lettuce Wraps, Chicken Avocado Wrap, Sloppy Joes, Mongolian Noodles, and Lemon Chicken Pasta!

How to make Hamburger Gravy:

Brown Meat: Cook ground beef in a large skillet, breaking it up with a meat chopper or wooden spoon as it cooks over medium-high heat. Dump in onion and sauté for a few minutes until soft.

Finish Gravy: Stir in butter and flour then add milk and seasonings. Stir the gravy as it cooks until it is thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve this homemade hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes with a side of green beans or roasted vegetables. Enjoy!

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5 from 137 votes

Hamburger Gravy

Author: Lauren Allen

Hamburger Gravy is a classic American comfort food made with seasoned ground beef in a rich, creamy milk gravy. It takes 20 minutes to make with ingredients we always have on hand.

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Cost: 9

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Equipment

• Meat Chopper
• Pan

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

0.5x1x2x?

• ▢ 1 pound lean ground beef*
• ▢ 1/3 cup chopped onion
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, , minced, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons beef bouillon paste , , or 2 beef bullion cubes
• ▢ 2 ½ cups milk
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground sage
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ salt and pepper, , to taste
• ▢ crushed red pepper flakes, , to taste, optional

Serving ideas:

• ▢ Over Mashed potatoes, Pasta, Rice, Biscuits. Bread or toast, Breakfast potatoes
• ▢ Green beans or roasted vegetables.

Instructions 

• Cook meat: Add ground beef to a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, crumbling into small pieces, until browned. Remove most (but not all) of the grease. Add onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  1 pound lean ground beef*, ⅓ cup chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic
• Gravy: Add flour and butter and stir to coat the meat. Add milk and seasonings. Cook, stirring frequently, until gravy is thickened, 5-10 minutes. Taste and add additional seasonings, as needed.
  1 tablespoon butter, 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons beef bouillon paste , 2 ½ cups milk, ⅛ teaspoon ground sage, ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
• Serve warm over mashed potatoes, biscuits, bread, noodles, rice, or breakfast potatoes.

Notes

Ground Beef: I like to use half ground beef, half ground pork sausage. Add chopped bacon for even more flavor. Could also use ground turkey or ground chicken. 

Flour: Add 1 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch instead of flour.

Dairy-Free: Omit butter and substitute beef broth instead of milk. Add 1 Tablespoon additional flour to thicken the sauce, if needed.

Veggies: Add sautéed mushrooms, frozen peas, or corn to the gravy.

Sour Cream: Add a scoop of sour cream at the end to make the gravy creamier.

Storage Instructions: Keep leftover hamburger gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Heat in the microwave or stovetop, adding a little milk or broth if you need to thin it.

Freezing Instructions: Follow the recipe to cook the meat and add spices. Let it cool completely then transfer to a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then heat in a skillet with butter, flour, and half and half. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve Hamburger Gravy Over:

• Mashed Potatoes
• Pasta
• Rice
• Biscuits
• Bread or Toast
• Breakfast Potatoes

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 396mg, Potassium: 629mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 336IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 210mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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I originally shared this recipe December 2020. Updated September 2024 and June 2026.