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This quick and easy Whole30 and paleo gravy recipe tastes just like your favorite Thanksgiving gravy! You would never guess this was gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free! Just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes cooking time are required to make this healthy gravy recipe! Made with either tapioca starch or arrowroot powder.
Why This Recipe Works
When following a Whole30 and/or paleo diet, roasted meat and vegetables are my go-to recipe for entertaining in fall and winter. Obviously, I wouldn’t dare to serve these items without the quintessential part of every roast dinner: homemade gravy!
Ordinary gravy recipes wouldn’t work for a Whole30 or paleo diet since they require butter and flour, of course. But watching my guests smother their meat and veg with gravy while I nibble on sautéed string beans is not my idea of dinner party fun either.
I clearly had to find a paleo gravy hack for this problem. Even more so with Thanksgiving being only a couple of weeks away!
I started to experiment with paleo and low-carb substitutions to make my gravy Whole30 and paleo friendly. After many trials and errors, I came up with this Easy Paleo Gravy recipe. It is dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and Whole30 friendly! The best thing? You will not be able to tell the difference!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Tapioca starch and arrowroot powder a terrific gluten-free, paleo alternative for thickening sauces and gravy. Not only does is give this Whole30 Paleo Gravy its nice, glossy sheen but it also leaves zero floury aftertaste or chalky mouthfeel.
- This paleo gravy goes perfectly with any meat, be it a Thanksgiving turkey, or a simple beef pot roast. It’s also delicious with mashed potatoes!
- With just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes required, this paleo gravy is quick and easy to make.
- It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, grain-free and every bit as delicious as traditional gravy.
- You don’t need any drippings for making this easy Paleo Gravy recipe. Coconut aminos and poultry seasoning add the umami we need.
FAQ:
Can I make this Paleo Gravy vegan?
Yes, you can! Use coconut oil as a fat and simply substitute chicken broth with your preferred brand of organic vegetable broth. It’s also worth mentioning that no chickens are harmed in the making of poultry seasoning. Despite the name, it’s really just a blend of herbs and spices, making it vegan and gluten-free.
Do I have to use store-bought poultry seasoning?
Absolutely not! You can make your own spice blend from dried and ground marjoram, sage, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg and pepper. Here’s a great recipe with instructions! Add the coconut aminos and poultry seasoning and adjust the paleo gravy to your taste with more salt or pepper.
Now that you’ve got the perfect paleo gravy recipe, you’ve already pretty much nailed the quintessential part of a paleo Thanksgiving feast. For more healthy paleo recipes, check out my round-up of Whole30/Paleo Thanksgiving Recipes.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Instant Pot Whole30 Cranberry Sauce with Apples and Rosemary (Paleo, No Sugar)
- Whole30 Green Bean Casserole
- Whole30 Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
- Perfect Whole30 Turkey Breast and Gravy (Paleo Turkey Breast)
- Whole30 Sweet Potato Casserole
Whole30 Paleo Gravy
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons fat of choice like ghee, coconut oil, drippings, or lard
- 4 tablespoons tapioca starch or arrowroot powder
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock hot, but not boiling; or vegetable stock
- ½-1 tablespoon coconut aminos optional
- ¼-½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
Instructions
- Heat fat in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Sprinkle tapioca starch or arrowroot powder over fat and whisk vigorously until smooth.
- Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Mixture should be golden and bubbling.
- Slowly pour in warm stock while whisking constantly. Mixture will become slightly grainy and clumpy. Keep whisking until very smooth.
- Cook gravy for 2 to 4 minutes or until thickened, whisking regularly. Add coconut aminos and poultry seasoning. If necessary, add more salt and pepper to taste.
Video
- I like to use coconut aminos for a richness to the gravy, and it adds a beautiful color. However, you can easily keep it out, especially for chicken dishes, to keep the gravy a lighter color.
- Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
Approximate Information for One Serving
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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Mine turned into a gelatin…? I followed recipe to a tee
I’m so sorry you had that result, Marina! We didn’t have that happen when we developed the recipe, but we’ll definitely take a look at it again ASAP!
This was soooo delicious, a big hit! I made one change and swapped out chicken stock for beef stock. Over mashed potatoes, this was a meal in and of itself. Thank you for sharing this, it’s a keeper!
I’m so glad, Mary! Thanks for the review!
It was good for a gravy fix while doing Whole 30. HOWEVER 5 minutes is not accurate for prep time. It should also “start vigorous whisking and do not stop for one moment, even to wipe the sweat from your brow, from the time the tapioca starch is added.”The end result was not smooth and had a lot of smaller globs. But edible. Maybe the folks that had a big old gelatinous blob didn’t lose
So sorry you had that experience, Julie! We appreciate the feedback.
I got a huge gelatinous glob, using my fat choice and arrow root. I have no idea what I did wrong, But I sure wonder how people got it to be nice
We’re sorry you had this experience, Bonnie. 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.
Just made this tonight and wow! So easy to make, and absolutely delicious.
We’re thrilled you enjoyed it!
I tried this recipe twice and both times it ended up in a hot gluggy mess. The second I started slowly pouring (or rather dribbling) the stock in, the ghee-tapioca flour mixture started going far more gluggy and coagulated than simply “grainy and clumpy”. Both times before I had poured more than 10-20ml of the stock in, the entire mixture was a clumpy, gluggy mess stuck to the end of my whisk. I have no idea how this recipe worked for other people.
Tapioca starch does tend to be more gelatinous. Maybe cassava flour would work better? You could also try lowering the heat a smidge. Regardless, we’re sorry you had this experience back to back. Hope the third time’s the charm or you find a recipe that works well for you.
Have you tried to freeze this gravy? Looking for a gravy to use with leftovers and make a potpie with gravy for the freezer.
I personally haven’t tried it, but think it could work!
I made this using cassava flour and it’s delicious. There’s no way to tell this apart from using a wheat flour roux.
That’s great to hear!
I really enjoyed this recipe and it was great in order to make my part of our Thanksgiving dinner more enjoyable. I had a question about the gumminess that happens with the tapioca flour and I wondered if it was because I was using too much or if there is something that can be done about it because after the 1st cooking it seems like the gravy turns until like a blob of gelatin.
Frankly, that’s a characteristic of tapioca starch! If you want to reheat, you could place the gravy over the stovetop and whisk as it heats, potentially adding in a little more stock to help reduce that gelatinous texture.
This tastes like typical turkey or chicken brown gravy! I was impressed. I would make this again in a second.
Glad you liked it, Kara!