Mom's Hamburger Gravy Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

October 15, 2019November 18, 2023

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Mom’s Hamburger Gravy is our go-to dinner when we are short on time and starving.The ingredients for this simple ground beef dish are probably already in your refrigerator and pantry, and you can have dinner on the table in 20 minutes flat.

Ground Beef Gravy

There are some classics that take you back to your childhood.For my family these recipes include Tuna Noodle Casserole, Beef Stew, Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole, Salmon Patties and this easy hamburger gravy and biscuits recipe.

Instead of making biscuits and gravy with pork sausage, our mom typically made hamburger gravy and biscuits since we always had freezer full of beef. The recipe is simple; it includes staples of flour, salt and pepper, milk, and onions. The other great thing is that this old-fashioned gravy with ground beef takes less than 20 minutes. No wonder Mom made this dish so often.

Hamburger Gravy with Flour and Water

I love how economical this meal of hamburger gravy can be.The hamburger gravy is made with flour, water and milk, although in a bind, the milk could be substituted for water alone.

The main thing to remember is that the flavor is coming solely from onions, salt and pepper. Season the ground beef according to the recipe. If you do not season this dish well, your ground beef gravy will fall flat with the family.

My kids gobble up ground beef gravy just like we did as kids. Who doesn’t love salty, beefy gravy served over biscuits (or toast).

Want a shortcut recipe for hamburger gravy? Try our Hamburger Gravy with Cream of Mushroom Soup!

What can I do with leftover hamburger gravy?

Don’t throw away that leftover hamburger gravy.My frugal grandma taught me to waste not and re-purpose everything! Here are 5 new ways to use leftover hamburger gravy.

• Add frozen peas or other frozen vegetables, heat through and serve over toast.
• Add a tablespoon or two into the center of refrigerated biscuit dough to make turnovers.
• Make sloppy joes by adding a little ketchup, mustard and brown sugar.
• Layer the leftover ground beef gravy in the bottom of a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes to make a shepherd’s pie.
• Add some Velveeta and taco seasoning to make a quick Queso dip!

Mom’s Hamburger Gravy Ingredients

• Ground Beef
• Diced Onions
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• All Purpose Flour
• Milk
• Water

How To Make Easy Hamburger Gravy from scratch

Step By Step Instructions

1. Brown ground beef with diced onions in a skillet; season with salt and black pepper to your own taste. If needed, drain the excess grease; be sure to leave a little behind to absorb the flour.
2. Stir in flour, cooking for a minute to remove raw flour flavor.
3. Slowly add milk while stirring until thickened.
4. Add enough water to thin out gravy to desired consistency.
5. Serve over biscuits, toast, cooked egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Storage Instructions

Store cooled leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.

For the full recipe and ingredient amounts for great hamburger gravy, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

• This is a great hamburger gravy recipe! It can be made in less than 20 minutes, and it contains easy ingredients!
• Brown your ground beef in a large skillet like this one. Add the chopped onions in with the ground beef during the browning stage for great flavor.
• Whenever I’m browning up ground beef, I like to add just a little bit of water to the bottom of the skillet to help cook the hamburger and onions.
• It’s up to you on how thick or thin you want your creamed hamburger gravy.Start with 1/2 cup water and increase as desired.
• For more flavor, substitute beef broth for water. Or, add garlic powder, onion powder or Worcestershire sauce to the gravy.
• This easy hamburger gravy is delicious served over biscuits, toast, buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.

Can you freeze gravy that has milk in it?

Yes, any type of gravy can be frozen; however, the texture might not be exactly the same after it thaws, especially if it is a milk-based gravy.

What is hamburger gravy?

Hamburger gravy is an old fashioned staple. It’s a simple milk-based gravy made with ground beef (hamburger), onions, flour, milk and water. To flavor it, season generously with salt and black pepper, onion powder or garlic powder and/or Worcestershire sauce. Hamburger gravy is served over toast, biscuits, mashed potatoes or noodles.

What is the secret to good gravy?

One of the keys to a good gravy is leaving enough grease behind from the meat to give flavor. There’s so much flavor in the grease that comes from the meat as it’s cooking. Don’t throw it out. Use it to absorb the flour.

Other Gravy Recipes

Kids love all things gravy. Here’s three of our favorite gravy dinner options.

Easy Chipped Beef Gravy

Cubed Steak and Gravy

Pork Roast and Gravy

Creamed Chipped Beef

Crock Pot Cubed Steak and Gravy

What to eat with ground beef gravy?

Hamburger gravy tastes great over biscuits, toast, buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.If you’re looking for what to serve with hamburger gravy on the side, here’s 5 great side dishes that can be served with hamburger gravy.

• Simple Coleslaw
• Sour Cream Cucumbers
• Creamed Peas
• Fried Potatoes
• Pan Roasted Summer Squash

Our Mom’s Best Recipes

We share A LOT of our mom’s recipes here. Why? Because we still make them all to this day! Here are some of our favorites:

• Mom’s Tuna Casserole topped with Potato Chips
• Mom’s Poppyseed Bread
• Salmon Patties
• Mom’s Oven Baked Pork Ribs
• Wild Rice and Broccoli Soup – Mom’s Recipe

Linking up to Meal Plan Monday.