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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.

Au jus in a small dip bowl next to a French Dip sandwich on a plate.
Overhead view of a platter of sliced sous vide prime rib on a white table top.

We recommend pairing this simple jus with our perfect (and easy) prime rib recipe!

🥩 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 dipping 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, which works for a very basic jus. This recipe 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, a classic au jus starts from meat drippings, but you may not always have those handy, so it’s nice to have an alternative.

What is Au Jus and How Do I Use It?

Au jus (pronounced like “zhoo”) is a French culinary term meaning “with juice.” Not to be pedantic, but what we’re making here is the jus. Once it’s made, you’ll serve your entrée au jus – “with juice”.

Au jus is essentially like a thin gravy made from the meat’s own juices, and it’s a delicious and easy way to enhance the flavor of meaty dishes. Use it similarly to how you might use a gravy, with a meat dish like prime rib roast or roast chicken, over beef and noodles, or as a dip for beef sliders.

Rich au jus being poured out of a glass measuring cup in front of a white background.

👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips

  • You don’t need an expensive red wine for the perfect au jus. In fact, a red in the $5-$10 range is more than perfect for cooking. It should be something you enjoy the taste of, of course, but this isn’t the time to break out anything fancy. I recommend something with a bit of body, like a cabernet sauvignon, a pinot noir, or a merlot. Malbec or shiraz would also work, but be careful not to choose something with too much body.
  • The beef drippings obviously come from cooking beef. If you end up with beef remnants in the drippings, don’t worry! Pour the jus through a fine mesh sieve and into your serving container, that way you get all the flavor in a sauce that’s nice and smooth.
  • This au jus recipe is perfect for a make-ahead option. To store your jus, keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it in an ice cube tray, then transfer it to a sealable plastic bag or other airtight container and keep it in the freezer up to 6 months.
  • If you are on a strict gluten-free diet, make sure your Worcestershire sauce is gluten free. Some brands of Worcestershire use malt vinegar, which is made from a grain barley that contains gluten.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

A french dip sandwich  served au jus being dipped into a small bowl of jus.

🍳 Other Incredible Recipes You’ll Love

Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
4.94 from 83 votes

Au Jus Recipe (Made With or Without Drippings)

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Total 20 minutes
This rich jus is so simple and so flavorful. Since it's made with or without beef drippings, you can have any entrée au jus without needing to cook a large meal.
8 servings

Equipment

  • medium saucepan
  • whisk
  • serving container

Ingredients

For Jus From Drippings

  • 4 tablespoons beef drippings
  • 4 tablespoons red wine or low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • salt to taste
  • freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For Jus Without Drippings

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons red wine or low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste

Instructions

For Jus from Drippings

  • Place medium saucepan on stovetop over high heat. When saucepan is warm, add 4 tablespoons beef drippings, 4 tablespoons red wine, 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce.
  • Whisk ingredients together until incorporated, then bring mixture to boil. Once mixture begins to boil, reduce heat under saucepan to medium-low. Simmer mixture 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes, taste mixture and add salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. When satisfied with flavor, transfer jus into serving container. Note: if your drippings contained any remnants from the beef, strain the jus through a fine mesh sieve first, so you're left with a smooth liquid.
  • Serve warm with prime rib, French dip sandwiches, roast beef, or other meal as desired.

For Jus without Drippings

  • Place medium saucepan on stovetop over high heat. When saucepan is warm, add 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons red wine, 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
  • Whisk ingredients together until incorporated, then bring mixture to boil. Once mixture begins to boil, reduce heat under saucepan to medium-low. Simmer mixture 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes, taste mixture and add ½ teaspoon salt, onion powder, and/or garlic as desired. When satisfied with flavor, transfer au jus into serving container.
  • Serve warm with prime rib, French dip sandwiches, roast beef, or other meal as desired.
  • Red Wine: Use a medium-bodied red wine, like a cabernet sauvignon, a merlot, or a pinot noir. Malbec or shiraz would also work but be careful not to choose one with too much body.
  • Make it Gluten Free: Use a gluten-free Worcestershire and make sure your broth is gluten free.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1 serving au jus (without drippings)Calories: 63calProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 267mgPotassium: 44mgTotal Carbs: 1gFiber: 0.04gSugar: 0.3gNet Carbs: 1gVitamin A: 177IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.2mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
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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156 Comments

  1. 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!5 stars

  2. 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.5 stars

  3. 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!5 stars

  4. 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!5 stars

  5. This is a great recipe. Yummy flavor. I also used 1 more cup of beef broth than the recipe called for. All in all this is a great au jus recipe. The wine totally makes it!5 stars

    1. Hi, Natalie! So glad this was approved by the family! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

  6. I have used this recipe several times now for my beef dip sandwiches and it is the best a jus recipe I’ve ever runnacross

    1. We didn’t test it that way so I can’t say for sure, but if you try it, please let us know how it turns out!

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