Copycat McCormick Brown Gravy Mix (Just Add Water)

Make a homemade Copycat McCormick Brown Gravy Mix in 5 minutes with pantry staples, a dry mix you store in a jar and turn into rich, savory brown gravy with nothing but water. No drippings, no roast, no last-minute trip to the store for that little packet. It tastes like the original, costs pennies, and skips the caramel color and flavor enhancers on the back of the bottle.

If you’ve ever stood at the stove with a finished meatloaf and realized you’re out of gravy mix, this recipe is about to live permanently in your pantry. Whisk up a jar once, and you’ve got instant brown gravy on demand for mashed potatoes, hot roast beef sandwiches, Salisbury steak, and everything in between.

Want a from-scratch version with a roux and real depth? Try our Texas Roadhouse Brown Gravy instead. But when you want the grab-and-go convenience of the packet, this is the one.

Why You’ll Love This Brown Gravy Mix

• Just add water. Exactly like the packet. Whisk the dry mix into cold water, simmer, done in 5 minutes.
• Cheaper by the jar. A McCormick packet runs around a dollar and makes one cup. One homemade jar makes six-plus batches for about the same money.
• No mystery ingredients. No caramel color, no hydrolyzed corn gluten, no flavor enhancers. Just spices, flour, and beef bouillon.
• You control the salt. Cut it, skip it, or use a low-sodium bouillon. The packet has roughly 230 mg of sodium per tablespoon. Yours doesn’t have to.
• Make-ahead friendly. Mix a big jar and keep it on the shelf for months.

What’s Actually in the McCormick Packet?

Flip the bottle over and the label reads, in order: enriched wheat flour, wheat starch, salt, onion, palm oil, caramel color, beef fat, corn syrup solids, milk, spices (including white pepper and celery seed), garlic, paprika, and flavor enhancers.

Translated for a home kitchen, that’s a flour-and-starch thickener, salt, beef flavor, onion and garlic, and two spices most copycats forget: white pepper and celery seed. Nail those two and you’re 90% of the way there.

Ingredients & Why They Work

• All-purpose flour: the thickener and the body of the gravy, just like the packet’s wheat flour.
• Cornstarch: a small amount mirrors the wheat starch and gives that glossy, smooth finish.
• Beef bouillon powder (or beef base): the secret ingredient. This replaces the rendered beef fat AND the flavor enhancers in one move, delivering the deep, savory, umami backbone that makes it taste like the bottle.
• Onion powder: savory depth, since onion sits high on the real label.
• Garlic powder: rounds out the savory base.
• Ground white pepper: the distinctive warm bite. White, not black, is what gives it that classic diner-gravy flavor.
• Celery seed, ground: the quiet “what is that?” note that separates a real copycat from a generic brown sauce.
• Paprika: stands in for the “extractives of paprika” and adds a touch of color.
• Sugar (optional): a tiny pinch mirrors the corn syrup solids and balances the salt.
• Salt: to taste. Start light, because the bouillon is already salty.

How to Make Copycat McCormick Brown Gravy Mix

Step 1. Make the dry mix. Add all the dry ingredients to a small bowl and whisk for 30 seconds until the color is completely even and there are no lumps of cornstarch or bouillon.

Step 2. Store or use. Use it right away, or funnel it into a clean, dry jar and store it in the pantry.

Step 3. Turn it into gravy. Whisk the mix gradually into 1 cup of cold water in a small saucepan, since cold water first prevents lumps. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute. It will thicken further as it stands. That’s it.

Tip: For richer, more restaurant-style gravy, whisk in 1 tablespoon of butter at the very end. For the deepest flavor of all, swap ¼ cup of the water for ¼ cup of beef pan drippings.

Single Batch (Equals 1 Packet, Makes About 1 Cup of Gravy)

• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1½ tsp beef bouillon powder (or 1 tsp beef base paste)
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ⅛ tsp ground white pepper
• ⅛ tsp celery seed, finely ground
• ⅛ tsp paprika
• ⅛ tsp sugar (optional)
• Salt to taste (start with ¼ tsp, or omit if your bouillon is salty)

Big-Batch Jar (About 6 Packets’ Worth)

Multiply everything by six and store it in a pint jar. Shake before each use, since the heavier ingredients settle.

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp beef bouillon powder
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1½ tsp garlic powder
• ¾ tsp ground white pepper
• ¾ tsp ground celery seed
• ¾ tsp paprika
• ¾ tsp sugar (optional)
• Salt to taste

To use from the jar: whisk 3½ tablespoons of mix into 1 cup of cold water and cook as directed above.

Variations

• Gluten-free: Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, or use 2 Tbsp cornstarch total and skip the flour. Confirm your bouillon is certified GF.
• Low-sodium: Use low-sodium beef bouillon and leave out the added salt entirely.
• Vegetarian: Use a vegetable or “no-beef” bouillon. You’ll lose a little of the beefy depth but gain a great all-purpose brown gravy.
• Creamy brown gravy: Prepare with ½ cup milk and ½ cup water instead of all water.
• Mushroom gravy: Stir 1 cup of sautéed sliced mushrooms and a pinch of dried thyme into the finished gravy.
• Onion gravy: Add 1 tablespoon of dried minced onion to the dry mix and simmer a little longer.

What to Serve It On

This is the gravy that goes on everything comforting:

• Mashed potatoes, of course
• Country Fried Steak, though that one comes with its own creamy country gravy, so brown gravy is a great swap
• Meatloaf and hot open-faced roast beef sandwiches
• Salisbury steak, meatballs, and hamburger steak
• Poured over a pot roast made with homemade Pot Roast Seasoning
• Biscuits, fries, and poutine

Storage

Keep the dry mix in an airtight jar in a cool, dark pantry, away from the stove where heat degrades the spices. It stays at peak flavor for about 6 months. Once prepared, store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of water, whisking until smooth, since it thickens as it cools.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much homemade mix equals one McCormick packet? About 3½ tablespoons of this blend equals one 0.87 oz packet and makes roughly 1 cup of prepared gravy.

Why cold water instead of hot? Whisking the mix into cold water first disperses the flour and cornstarch so they don’t seize into lumps when heated.

Can I make this without beef bouillon? You can, but it’s the ingredient doing the heavy lifting for that signature savory flavor. Without it, add extra onion and garlic powder and a splash of Worcestershire to the pot, or use beef broth in place of the water.

Is McCormick Brown Gravy Mix gluten-free? The standard packet contains wheat. This homemade version is easily made gluten-free, as noted in the variations above.

Can I freeze prepared brown gravy? Yes. Freeze it flat in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat over low heat, and whisk in a splash of water or a cornstarch slurry if it needs thickening.

My gravy turned out lumpy. What happened? The mix went into hot water, or it wasn’t whisked enough. Start with cold water, whisk constantly as it heats, and pass it through a fine strainer if needed to rescue it.

More Fork To Spoon Recipes You’ll Love

Pour this gravy over:

• Salisbury Steak and Gravy: tender beef patties already swimming in savory gravy
• Joanna Gaines Meatloaf: a classic cheddar-and-saltine loaf that loves a ladle of brown gravy
• Gordon Ramsay’s Meatloaf: a restaurant-style take on the comfort-food staple
• Cracker Barrel Mashed Potatoes: creamy, buttery, and built for a well of gravy
• Golden Corral Mashed Potatoes: ultra-fluffy copycat potatoes
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes: fast, fuss-free, and ready in under 20 minutes
• Air Fryer Mashed Potatoes: the creamiest no-boil method
• Air Fryer Pork Chops: juicy chops that turn into dinner with a spoonful of gravy

More homemade copycat mixes and blends:

• The Best Meatloaf Seasoning
• Homemade Pot Roast Seasoning
• Copycat McCormick Taco Seasoning
• Homemade Sloppy Joe Seasoning
• Copycat Montreal Steak Seasoning