Au Jus Recipe
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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.
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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.
Laura says
I did not like this at all. All I could taste was butter and wine. I wanted to like it and the directions were very easy to follow but ultimately the taste was not what I was hoping for!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
We’re sorry you did not enjoy this recipe, Laura, but we do appreciate the honest feedback.
"Chef" Darlene says
This was the first time I made au jus. The au jus was darker and thicker than I thought it should’ve been. Once poured over the roast beef and it had a chance to marinate and meld with the beef it was perfect. This recipe was easy to prepare. I made this for a wedding of 350 people!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Wow! What a compliment, Darlene. Thank you so much for sharing!
8Bit Baker says
This really did not turn out for me: there is too much flour and when you use flour to make a roux base you get gravy, not au jus. The sauce never cleared up even after around 10 minutes of boiling, which is to be expected because flour doesn’t just magically disappear like cornstarch does to reveal clear liquid (that’s why gravy is opaque).
Definitely not my preferred recipe for au jus – and I have better gravy recipes as well.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
We’re sorry you had this experience, but appreciate the feedback.
Toddbud says
I made it with butter (no drippings) and beef broth instead of the wine for french dip. It was so intense, that my wife and I order prime rib every Thursday night, eat the outside, bring the inside home and make french dip for lunch the next day!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
Yum!
JANEY SMITH says
Delish! My only negative is I added a cab and it turned purple alright, even after cooking the recipe, it looks like slightly purple gravy! I love the flavor, so will try with cornstarch or leave out the wine. I will serve this with beef and noodles.Very delicious!
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you still enjoyed this recipe!
Lori says
Fantastic flavor. Simple. Makes the French dip sandwich pop.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
DMB says
Oh my goodness!!! So easy, so flavorful! Thank you
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Heinz says
Real timely and simple supplement to my first time prime rib dinner. Thank You.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
We’re thrilled you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Mary Olson says
Can aus jus be made the day before?
Megan | 40 Aprons Team says
It can, but it’s best fresh!
Kate says
I followed the recipe exactly, but it looked like a creamy thin gravy, not a clear, dark au jus. How do you get a clear result? It tasted good but wasn’t what I wanted to serve.
Anna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says
We’re sorry that happened, Kate! We strive to create delicious, high-quality recipes that are easy to make at home. They’re heavily tested by our team before being shared with our followers. Regardless, we hate you had this experience, and we appreciate your feedback. You need to cook it long enough that the flour dissolves.
Mare says
Tasted good, but I also got a thin paler gravy like look. Honestly though most au jus doesn’t call for flour at all, especially that much, so that makes sense it would be thicker and light colored.