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This au jus recipe is so rich and flavorful and can be made with or without drippings! Perfect alongside my easy prime rib recipe, for French dip sandwiches, or over beef and noodles. So much flavor, quick, and easy.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Au jus recipes may seem intimidating, but I promise this one’s super easy. You’ll have no trouble at all making a delicious, savory sauce that’ll impress even the pickiest eaters.
- We use the fewest ingredients we can to get the most flavor possible! Some recipes might call for just drippings + broth + flour, which works for a very basic au jus. This au jus recipe, though, also uses a little red wine and Worcestershire to really put it over the top!
- You can make it with or without beef drippings! Sure, classic au jus starts from meat drippings, but you may not always have those handy, so it’s nice to have an alternative.
- It’s super easy to make paleo or gluten-free if you need to! Just swap out the all-purpose flour for a dietarily appropriate one, and if you’re gluten-free, make sure your Worcestershire sauce is compliant!
What Is Au Jus and How Do I Use It?
Au jus (pronounced like “zhoo”) is a French culinary term meaning “with juice.” It’s a perfect, easy way to enhance the flavor of your meaty dishes by using the meat’s own juice to create a sauce. What’s great about my recipe is that while it has the same rich, savory taste of a traditional au jus, you don’t need to use any beef drippings to make it. This makes it perfect for pre-made dishes or just when you want a dip for your sandwich!
Au jus is a basically a thin gravy, so you can use it in very similar ways. It’s perfect for serving with a meat dish like prime rib roast or roast chicken, over beef and noodles, or as a dip for beef sliders.
Chef’s Tips
- You don’t need an expensive red wine for the perfect au jus. I recommend something with a bit of body, like a malbec or shiraz. You can easily find one that’s perfect for cooking for under $5 a bottle.
- Be sure to keep whisking the au jus while you’re cooking it so it doesn’t get clumpy. You want it to stay nice and smooth.
- This au jus recipe is perfect for a make-ahead option. To store your au jus, keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze your au jus in an ice cube tray, then transfer to a sealable plastic bag or other airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- If you are on a strict gluten free diet, make sure your Worcestershire sauce is gluten free. It can contain malt vinegar, which contains wheat byproducts.
Other Incredible Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Easy Prime Rib with Au Jus Recipe and Perfect Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- Creamy Horseradish Sauce for Prime Rib
- Beef Consommé
- Garlic Butter Parsley Potatoes
- Easy Sous Vide Chicken Breast Recipe
- The Best Filet Mignon Recipe Ever with Garlic-Herb Compound Butter (Reverse Sear)
- Slow Cooker Garlic Butter Whole Chicken with Gravy
- Best Mushroom Swiss Burger Recipe
Au Jus Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter or beef drippings
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour see Notes for gluten free or paleo
- ¼ cup red wine or beef broth
- 2 cups beef broth divided
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt & pepper to taste
Equipment
- Saucepan
Instructions
- In saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter (or beef drippings) then sprinkle in flour. Whisk thoroughly until thin paste forms.
- Vigorously mix red wine into flour mixture. Mixture will likely become purple and gooey. Continue cooking over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until sharp alcohol smell is gone.
- Slowly pour in ½ cup of beef broth. Whisk vigorously to combine.
- Once beef broth is incorporated, pour in remaining broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring mixture to boil and cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Make it Gluten Free: Use 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour in place of the all-purpose flour. Make sure your Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free, too.
- Make it Paleo: Use 2 tablespoons cassava flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
Video
Nutrition Information
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Great recipe, but as you mentioned, “au jus” means “with juice”. “au jus” isn’t a noun, just call it “jus” so others will understand.
So sorry for any confusion! If you search Google for a “jus recipe”, you’ll see that most of the results call it “au jus”. While it may not be the literal translation, it’s not uncommon for people to use both “au jus” and “jus” to refer to the sauce made from the juices of the meat. That being said, we’ll definitely keep your comment in mind in case any other readers are confused by our wording.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed the recipe – thank you for sharing your review!
I added umami seasoning (Trader Joe’s brand)… used chicken broth instead of beef, since that’s what I had on hand. Buttered and toasted buns both sides. Excellent!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Corrine! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Came out exactly as picture. I ran into time constraints so cooked ob the low for3 hrs . Covered with foil for hr and half. Returned to oven at 3:25 for 45 minutes? Took out by internal temperature. Came out tender and medium rare. Ate with creamy horseradish
So glad you enjoyed it, Lori. Thanks for sharing! 😊
This is a really good recipe when you don’t have time or beef drippings. I use Better Than Bullion roasted beef base and omit the salt. Great for dipping your Philly cheese steak!
So glad you liked it, Daryl! Thanks for sharing 😊
Normally I buy dry powder, canned, or jarred au just. Well no more well I do that! This recipe out does anything I have ever tried before! My husband, who is not a sauce guy, actually had some of this on his French dip wonton which is highly unusual. It made so much I was able to freeze some of it for a later date. Thank you thank you thank you!
So glad you and your husband loved the au jus! Thanks for sharing, Marie 😊
Made this a day ahead of Easter dinner and its sooo good! I went with butter as Im gonna need the roast drippings for the Yorkshire pudding Im makin. I also made my own beef broth yesterday with beef shanks that I used in this Au Jus recipe.
So glad you loved the au jus! Thanks for sharing, Jerome 😊
I just made this, but cut recipe in half. It’s really good!! Full of rich beef flavor. I did add a wee bit of soy sauce too. Using for leftover London Broil. Definitely a keeper to my favorites and will make again. The packets out there taste so artificial and salty. Not this one. Thank you!
So glad you loved the au jus! Thanks for sharing, Barbara 😊
Great recipe. I cooked my Prime Rib Sous Vide so there we no drippings to use. I substituted Wagyu Beef Tallow (South Chicago Packaging) for the butter/drippings. The result was perfect!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Scott! 😊
This is a great recipe. Yummy flavor. I used arrow root powder instead of flour. I prefer the the flavor over flour & it does not clump like flour does. I also used 1 more cup of beef broth than the recipe called for. All in all this is a great aujus recipe. The wine totally makes it!
Interesting tip with the arrowroot powder- I’ll have to try that! So glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for sharing, Kimber! 😊
Family loved, LOVED this recipe. We think of ourselves as “au-jus connoisseurs” and this was A++.
Hi, Natalie! So glad this was approved by the family! Thank you for sharing! 🙂