This easy hamburger gravy is equally delicious with breakfast as it is with dinner. It’s excellent comfort food and is simple to prepare.
Traditional hamburger gravy is a simple and delicious recipe that can be served in a few different ways. This easy ground beef recipe is ready in 20 minutes and is sure to become a new family favorite.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Video: Making Hamburger Gravy
What Is Hamburger Gravy?
I grew up eating hamburger gravy just like this, usually for dinner served on mashed potatoes or egg noodles. It’s a bit like a beef stroganoff made with ground beef, but without any sour cream or mushrooms. It does have onion and garlic, along with beef bouillon, flour, and milk.
Since then, I’ve learned that hamburger gravy is often eaten in the South for breakfast on biscuits or toast. I learned that after my bacon gravy recipe went viral on TikTok and lots of people commented to tell me about their favorite gravies. There’s sausage gravy, white country gravy, tomato gravy, and this hamburger gravy got mentioned A LOT. So of course, I had to add it my gravy recipe lineup.
Try These Other Basic Gravy Recipes:
What Kind Of Beef Should I Use?
I use ground sirloin for this hamburger gravy recipe. I’d avoid a lean ground beef for this one because you want a bit of that fat to come out when cooking. That ends up being a good flavor base for the gravy.
Also, when we add the flour to the beef, it’s going to mix with that bit of fat to make the roux, which thickens the gravy.
Hamburger Gravy Without Milk
For a non-dairy version, oat milk is your best bet here. I prefer an unflavored and unsweetened barista blend because it’s thicker. Instead of the whole milk, you can use fat-free milk but the gravy won’t be as richly flavored.
If you’d prefer a non-creamy version, you could use beef broth instead. When going that route, be mindful of the salt content of your bouillon and broth. If both have salt, you may want to use water for part of your liquid.
Serving Hamburger Gravy
As I mentioned above, for dinner I like this dish served over potatoes or egg noodles. You could also serve it over rice. Then all you need is a veggie to complete the meal, green beans work well.
If you are going the breakfast or brunch route, try it over homemade biscuits or simply on top of toast.
More Ground Beef Recipes
If you love this ground beef gravy, you should definitely check out my full collection of ground beef recipes over here, and these are some of my favorites:
- Ground Beef and Potato Skillet
- Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta
- American Chop Suey
- Beefy Stuffed Shells Recipe
- Shepherd’s Pie Soup
Podcast Episode About Making Hamburger Gravy
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make these steak tips, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Traditional Hamburger Gravy Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
This easy hamburger gravy is equally delicious with breakfast as it is with dinner. It’s excellent comfort food and is simple to prepare.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 (12 g) beef bouillon cube*
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add the ground beef. Spread it out and let it cook undisturbed for 3 minutes.
- Flip it all over and then cook and stir, breaking it up, until mostly cooked through, about 2-3 more minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until softened, 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Sprinkle the beef bouillon over the beef and then sprinkle it all over with the flour. Stir well.
- Stir in the milk. Cook stirring frequently until it comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, until it’s thick.
- Remove from heat. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
*Alternatively, you can use 1 teaspoon of a bouillon concentrate or paste.
I made this tonight…and it was very tasty. Tho, I have to admit, I tweaked it a little. Because I love chili peppers, I added a half of a hatch chili. But with or with out the chili, it’s still delicious. This is a keeper!!
Thank you so much, Elizabeth! If you have a moment, I’d really appreciate you adding a 5 star rating which helps others find this recipe too.
I grew up eating this same meat over mashed potatoes a long time ago. It is still a winner. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Anita! It really is tasty!