Gravy Without Flour: Perfect for Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, and Keto

Sneak Preview: This gravy without flour is the perfect recipe if you follow a low-carb, Keto, or gluten-free diet. Pureed caramelized onions are the only thickener.

gravy without flour being poured over potatoes in a dish.Pin

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If you think cutting carbs is the end of your gravy train, then I have good news for you. I will show you how to make gravy without flour.

Three Reasons Why You Should Add This Recipe To Your Collection

  1. Caramelized onions provide fabulous flavor.
  2. Check out the hints for preparing the onions ahead of time and painlessly.
  3. Take a look at the nutrition facts–low carb and gluten-free.

Recipe Inspiration

In my last post, I discussed eating mashed cauliflower and suggested using gravy to make it more appealing. However, because of the carbs in traditional gravy, I avoid using flour, cornstarch, or arrowroot to thicken it.

I tried coconut flour, but the texture felt gritty on my tongue. Same with chickpea flour. Most gluten-free flours are pretty high in carbs, so that wasn’t an option either.

Then it hit me.

I remembered my recipe for Roasted Rosemary Chicken with “Instant” Gravy. Baked onions are the only thickening agent in the gravy.

It occurred to me that caramelized onions should work the same way, and sure enough, they make a delicious and flavorful no-flour gravy.

How Do Onions Make a Sauce Thicker?

When using onions to make a sauce thicker, cook them down to access the natural gelatin within. I’m no food scientist, but my experience bears this out.

The caramelizing process will accomplish this in addition to giving the onions extra flavor as they brown. Unfortunately, this will take time.

caramelized onions in a black skilletPin

Caramelizing onions on top of the stove can take up to an hour. Use LOW heat so that the onions won’t burn. Stirring the onions occasionally will help them brown evenly.

An hour? Who has that time for that?

Two Ideas for Making Caramelized Onions at Your Convenience

  1. Use a slow cooker. No stirring or babysitting is required. On the other hand, the flavor doesn’t seem as concentrated because not as much liquid is lost in the slow-cooker process.
  2. Fortunately, caramelized onions can be prepared ahead of time on the stove, and then frozen. I nearly always have a few packages of prepared onions in the freezer for recipes like this. Pick a time when you know you’ll be in the kitchen for a while anyway.

Do Mushrooms Make Everything Better?

no-flour gravy with mushrooms addedPin

I think so. 😁 You can leave out the onions if you don’t agree.


Ingredients and Substituion

The flavor of your gravy will depend at least 99% on the quality and richness of your broth.  Check the taste before adding salt if you use bouillon or canned stock. If you have juices left from a roast or baked chicken, use that.

1. No broth in the pantry?

Use the same water you used to deglaze the pan in which you caramelize the onions. All those browned bits will add flavor and color to your gravy.

2. Looking to add more flavor?

Depending on your tastes and dietary limitations, try adding a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, or Kitchen Bouquet. (Check labels. These might add sugar or grains with gluten.)

If you are strict about no extra sugar or grains, try adding herbs such as thyme or parsley, unflavored Greek yogurt, or sour cream.

Disclaimer:  If cooked onions affect you adversely, this probably isn’t your recipe.


Recipe Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.

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Gravy without flour being poured over potatoesPin
Yield: 8 servings

How To Make a Gravy Without Flour Using Onions

A gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free gravy packed full of veggies that’s perfect for a Keto diet.

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5 from 17 votes
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Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 (220 g) medium onions, peeled and sliced thinly
  • cups (341 g) water or broth chicken, beef, or veggie (see notes)
  • 1-2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Pre-heat a medium to large size skillet over medium heat on the stove. The heavier the skillet, the better. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then 2 (220 g) medium onions, peeled and sliced thinly, stirring frequently, especially during the beginning and the end, until they caramelize and turn brown. This may take between 30-45 minutes and can be done ahead of time. The onions should have cooked down to approximately 1/2 cup.
  • Place onions into a blender. Add 1½ cups (341 g) water or broth of your choice to the same skillet you used for onions. Boil until all brown bits have dissolved into the water or broth. Add water or broth to blender containing onions saving back about a fourth cup.
  • Starting at a slow speed and progressing to high, blend until smooth. Open the blender and clean the sides with a spatula. Add 1-2 tablespoons butter for smoothness. Keep blending. Add more liquid if the gravy is too thick for your taste. If you add herbs, sour cream, or yogurt, do it last and blend until smooth.
  • Add ½ teaspoon table salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste. (If your broth is extra salty, you may not want to add any salt) My husband requires lots of pepper so there’s that, too.

Notes

*I prefer to use homemade broth or stock so I know exactly what’s in it.
*If adding sour cream and yogurt, start with a couple of tablespoons.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 41kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 190mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 138IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

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12 Comments

  1. Michelle (Mickie) says:

    I have just found your website. I have many food allergies due to an autoimmune disease. I am finding that preservatives are my enemy, that causes me to become ill. I have a reaction to Xanthum Gum. It swells my mouth and sometimes my throat. I am so very happy to have found your site! I can make homemade condiments and dressings and not fear that I will get sick! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 💖💖💖

    1. You’re welcome, Mickie. I’m glad you found a recipe that might work for you.

  2. One of my cooking hobbies, is comparing two seemingly different foods that really are the same. I like the idea of your Caramelized Onion gravy. I have made a similar thing, and called it …… French Onion Soup. I had never thought of using it as a gravy.

    1. Perhaps I should have called this recipe “French Onion Gravy”. Has a nice ring to it.

  3. Mary Wilson says:

    Pork skins are either no or low carb. Kind of stinky but when you want crunch that help. Good with salsa and cheese dip.

    One other thing I learned recently if you like artificially sweetened tea is that Sweet and Low has .9 carbs. I have switched to liquid purchased on Amazon

    This may not be important unless you are really watching carb intake and love your tea sweet.

    1. Hi Mary,
      I have heard this about pork skins and even bought a bag to try but never did it before they went out of date.
      You must be a southerner or maybe you grew up in the south or maybe Texas? Seems like that’s where most lovers of sweet tea hang out. I like a little bit of sweetness in my coffee so I understand. I wish I didn’t have to but a little pinch of Stevia makes the coffee so much better.

  4. Mary Paulsen says:

    Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. We love the Cauliflower Cream recipe & can’t wait to try the Caramelized Onion Gravy. I actually have a question about another recipe, but when I went to your contact page it said I couldn’t reach you that way. I want to make your Rosemary Parmesan Foccacia but I don’t have any deep dish pizza pans. Do I need to use a deep sided pan? Also, how wide is your pan? Thanks, in advance!

    1. Mary,
      I just noticed I didn’t answer all your questions. You can contact me at the email address under the contact tab but the @ part is written out so you have to change that. It’s to throw off the ever-lurking scammers.

      My pizza pan is is about 14 inches but I don’t usually make my Foccacia as big as the pan. The dough would be too thin. After you make it once, you’ll see what I mean. Hope you love it.

  5. Well, thank you, Paula, for that cheese head pizza crust idea! Yes, it looks like a treat, but I do indulge in treats at times, and I am not trying to avoid calories so much as sugars, grains, bad fats, and processed foods. (It has been my experience that avoiding these things usually leads to less calories anyway.)

    The latest herbal tea that actually seems to satisfy my sweet tooth is Super Lean Green from Republic of Tea. It purports to have some magical appetite and fat burning attributes because it contains garcinia cambogia fruit. I don’t particularly believe these claims, but I received a sample in their latest catalog, and the flavor of the tea seems to let me forget that I haven’t had dessert in the evenings. Go figure, I have never had a green tea I like, but this one is pretty good. I have ordered a tin of it because every little bit of support to my will power is worth it. I am toying with the idea of homemade mayo and other condiments, and I don’t find it daunting as much as wasteful since I am sure just the two of us would not eat it up before it went south.

    You are right, I feel much better when I eat mindfully, but the effort seems to be a drag occasionally. Feel free to share any recipes or ideas that you have in this regard. Your clever kitchen ideas are always appreciated!

    1. Hi Becky,

      I can see your reply on my computer. No worries.

      I’m not much of a green tea fan but I will try the Super Lean Green on your recommendation. My favorite tea at the moment is Sweet and Spicy by Good Earth, the caffeine-free variety.

      I can relate on the homemade-condiments-for-two-people issue. Same here.

      I am constantly looking for ways to convert my favorite recipes to low-carb so stay tuned.

  6. Paula, this is a fabulous idea! Yes, like a lot of people these days, I am trying to cut out carbs for health reasons. It has been challenging in the most surprising ways! Keeping up with food science can be a drag, but necessary if we care about our health. What have been your biggest challenges? For me it has been contemplating giving up oatmeal in the morning and sweets at the end of dinner. I gave up sweet drinks ages ago, and most other grains don’t tempt me. I am going to try substituting buckwheat porridge for the oatmeal, and I have had some success drinking herbal teas after dinner. Thanks so much for this recipe!

    1. Hi Becky, Good questions. The most challenging for me was pizza. I do not like most of the low-carb substitutes. However, cheese head pizza crust (just google it) is amazing but rather high calorie so it has to be a treat. I cut out oatmeal for a year but added it back after I got rather distressing numbers on my cholesterol count. I still don’t do any other grains. It was hard to cut out bread but had to be done. Desserts were also difficult to give up but they are a slippery slope for me. My homemade Greek yogurt with powdered peanut butter is our standard dessert now. Very filling. Other “slippery slopes” include white potatoes and French Fries specifically, as well as all other chips. Trying to be strict about sugar in processed products so end up making a lot of condiments from scratch. I have found that all this makes me feel so much better and I have much less trouble controlling my weight, not to mention less guilt for sliding down those slippery slopes.

      I have also tried the herbal teas. What are your favorites?