If you love biscuits and gravy, you’re going to love our hamburger gravy recipe. With a foolproof method and just a handful of easy-to-find ingredients, this quick comfort food will be an immediate hit.
For our hamburger gravy, we use ground beef as a base and cream of mushroom soup as a thickener. The thick sauce is usually served atop mashed potatoes, though you could use egg noodles instead in the vein of beef stroganoff. Either way, this recipe is sure to fill up the whole family. And, best of all, it comes together in a half hour or less.
Hamburger Gravy Ingredients
- Ground beef: This recipe calls for ground beef, and we recommend using an option with a higher fat content, such as the beef you use for burgers. Doing so will help keep the meat from drying out during the cooking process and ensure a flavorful final product.
- Cream of mushroom soup: Condensed soups act as a roux, so they’re a great thickening agent for gravies, chowders, casseroles and many other delicious creamy dishes.
- Milk: Milk is used here to thin out the condensed soup, which is condensed in both texture and flavor. You can use any type of milk or even half and half.
- Mushrooms: This hamburger gravy recipe calls for a can of mushrooms, using both the stems and the bodies. If you prefer fresh mushrooms, you can use those, but give them extra time to cook down.
- Bouillon: A compact cube of dehydrated stock, bouillon helps bring the delicious umami flavor that is so satisfying. We want the flavor without all the liquid, so we don’t recommend swapping in stock here.
- Mashed potatoes: Hamburger gravy is served over mashed potatoes. Make a fresh batch of mashed potatoes or make the hamburger gravy recipe to top off a leftover batch.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the ground beef
In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, until it’s no longer pink. Drain the meat.
Step 2: Add the other ingredients and simmer
Add the soup, milk, mushrooms and bouillon, and mix well.
Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve over mashed potatoes.
Recipe Variations
- Change up the protein: For a slightly lighter version, try this recipe with ground chicken or ground turkey. Or add some ground pork into the mix for a slightly different but still delicious flavor.
- Make your own roux: For that extra homemade touch, skip the condensed soup and make your own roux. You’ll need to make quite a bit of it to match what you’d get from a can of soup. And be sure to add extra mushrooms since you won’t have the mushrooms from the condensed soup.
- Try it with wild mushrooms: If you can’t get enough of mushroom recipes, you may want to try replacing the jar of mushrooms with some fresh wild mushrooms. Give them a good saute beforehand to cook out all the water inside the mushrooms.
How to Store Hamburger Gravy
Store any leftover hamburger gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can easily reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a touch of water as needed to thin it out.
Hamburger Gravy Tips
What can you serve with hamburger gravy?
Instead of mashed potatoes, you can try this hamburger gravy recipe over any type of rice or wide egg noodle. It would also be fantastic served over freshly baked biscuits, similar to biscuits and gravy. For vegetable servings, plate hamburger gravy alongside steamed lemon broccoli, green beans or any type of green salad.
Can you make hamburger gravy vegetarian?
Even though it’s called hamburger gravy, it is indeed delicious even without the hamburger. Add extra mushrooms to cook down when you would cook the meat, and you’ll have yourself a delicious mushroom-based gravy.
