Once you make this easy Homemade Onion Gravy with Red Wine, it will soon become your favourite.
Caramelized onions and red wine combine to make a rich sauce. This gravy is made from scratch without meat drippings. Skip the store-bought canned and dry mixes. You don’t need Bisto either. Pair them with Gramma’s Drop Biscuits.
Elevate meals with this flavourful gravy with onions. This is the perfect onion and red wine sauce for everyday or holidays. Think steak with onion gravy. Perfect gravy for bangers and mash. This recipe is a must-try. I promise you will love it!
Here is my fool-proof recipe for perfect gravy every time! I use it for all the holiday dinners. Super easy, even beginner cooks will master it the first time!
Hubby wanted steak for dinner. Let me rephrase that, hubby wanted barbecued steak for dinner. Pepper steak is his favourite. He also loves using a great meat marinade too.
I was thrilled. He gets to stand out in the cold and grill the meat. I get to stand in the kitchen (with a glass of wine) and watch him LOL. I was nice, I opened the door and offered him a glass of wine too. This turned out to be THE MOST DELICIOUS steak dinner we have ever made.
Pepper steak has been kicked up at least 2 notches in our house with this caramelized onion gravy. Rich and savory, a true touch of class to any meal.
Since he was so nice to cook my dinner, I wanted to make it a little extra special with a great red wine gravy. You know Julia Child’s saying, “I love to cook with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food”.
Are you a gravy lover? I am! Turkey, beef, and mushroom. They are all delicious. I also love cranberry sauce (my version contains bourbon).
So does my Bourbon Caramelized Onion Jam! The BEST onion jam for burgers, sausages, pulled pork, brisket, and more!!
Now, if you are a pierogi lover, I have you covered too. This Pierogi Sauce is the BEST pierogi topping EVER!
Since red wine and steak go hand in hand, I wanted to make the perfect steak topping. This is hands down the BEST ONION GRAVY recipe you will ever make. Hubby has been telling everyone about it. Maybe I should sell it?
Best Onion Gravy Recipe Ingredients
- onions
- beef broth
- red wine
- flour
- mustard
- olive oil
- butter
- pepper jelly
- salt & pepper
Homemade gravy is so much better than pre-made versions from cans, pouches, packages, or however else you can buy it. Some people are so intimidated when it comes to making gravy from scratch. After all, you can’t serve gravy with lumps at holiday dinners.
You are in luck! This is meant to be lumpy!!
I will say, that the MOST IMPORTANT part of this onion sauce (besides a good quality wine) is caramelizing the onions. You cannot rush this part.
How To Caramelize Onions
I know you are probably thinking, is this REALLY necessary? YES!
Have you ever tried a French pissaladiere pizza? A wonderful pizza topped with caramelized onions and olives. It just might be my favourite pizza of all. Even French onion soup needs some great slow-cooked onions.
Caramelizing onions is time-consuming, but NOT difficult. I get this process started WELL before I need to use the onions in the recipe. Once they are cooked, you can reheat them when you are ready.
Step One: You start by thinly slicing the onions (while trying not to cry). Using a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook for about 10 minutes or so to get them soft and translucent (mixing often).
Step Two: At this point, you can turn the heat down to low. Add the butter, mix, and place a lid on the skillet. Continue to cook (mixing a few times) until the onions are golden and soft. This can take anywhere from 40-60 minutes depending on the amount of onions.
Believe me when I say caramelized onions are WORTH the effort, I promise. If you don’t want to spend the time you can always check out Gordon Ramsay’s recipe for Shallot and Red Wine Sauce, or Nigella Lawson’s recipe, but my hubby thinks you will like my recipe better.
Homemade Onion Gravy From Scratch
It is super easy and comes together quickly once the onions are cooked.
I got this idea from a recipe for classic British Cumberland Sauce. Since we love our food on the spicy side, this worked fantastically. Any wine jelly (or hot jelly if you like the heat) will work. Alternatively, if jelly is not your thing, add tomato paste instead.
- To the cooked onions add the jelly, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir until the jelly melts.
- Add the flour and mix well.
- Add the wine, then the broth. Stir well.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce, and cook until it thickens.
In a few minutes, you will have the best brown onion gravy ever!
What Do I Put Onion Gravy On?
Well, let me tell you there are many ways to use this thick and rich homemade onion sauce. The ultimate for comfort foods. Let’s start with biscuits and gravy. Don’t stop there, here are a few suggestions:
- Mashed potatoes
- Roast (beef, pork, or lamb)
- Chicken
- Steak
- Pork Chops
- Meatballs
- Poutine
- Bangers and Mash
FAQ’s
This is a personal preference for sure. I always say if you won’t drink it, don’t cook with it. Great choices would be Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel.
You have lots of choices here. All will work well. Experiment and see which you like best. Yellow, sweet, red, and even leeks work great.
Caramelizing is a much slower process. It takes roughly an hour over medium-low heat. Sautéing is done in a matter of minutes over medium-high heat.
Yes, it can. Warm it up in a saucepan when you are ready to eat. Store the cooled gravy in the refrigerator, in a covered, non-metallic container, for up to 3 days.
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Red Wine Onion Gravy
Ingredients
- 11 ounces white onions (thinly sliced)
- 2 cups beef broth (sodium reduced)
- ⅓ cup dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoons hot pepper jelly (or to your taste)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onions.
- Warm the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Adds the onions, stir and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Mix during the cooking process. Onions should be soft and translucent. Do not burn them.
- Turn the heat to low. Add the butter, salt and pepper. Mix well, and place the lid on the pan.
- Cook over low heat until the onions are nicely caramelized. Stir several times. It will take about 40-50 minutes for the onions to nicely brown and get very soft.**NOTE** You can cook the onions ahead of time, and just warm them when it is time to make the gravy.
- When the onions are done, turn up the heat to medium.
- Add the hot pepper jelly and mustard. Stir until everything has melted into the onions.
- Add the flour and mix to combine well.
- Add the wine and beef broth. Mix.
- Turn the heat to high and bring mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, and cook until the gravy thickens and reduces slightly. This should take about 15-20 minutes.
- Pour gravy into a serving vessel.
Jeri
I just had to come back and rave about this Homemade Onion Gravy! I followed it to the letter and the result was absolutely delicious. I’ve even used it on my pork roast!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
YAY!! This really is a wonderful gravy for so many delicious dinners.
nancy
what a delicious gravy recipe. We love this on pasta and even fries!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Yup this is the perfect gravy for everything.
Tiffany
This is a tasty way to use my bone broth! It goes so well over roast and mashed potatoes! Thank you
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are welcome. This is by far our most favourite gravy recipe.
Elizabeth
Love a good homemade gravy! The added onion was delicious!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
The caramelized onions make this gravy so delicious.
Padma
Oh I love a good gravy with my baked potatoes. Love the flavors here!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This onion gravy is perfect for baked potatoes and more!! ENJOY!
Suzy
The perfect gravy for sausage and mash. This was the best I’ve made and one of the easiest. Thank you.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
We love the onion gravy….and it is so good on many things. So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Allyssa
This taste so delicious and really flavorful! So easy to make as well, thanks a lot for sharing this amazing onion gravy recipe! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This is such a great gravy for so many things. We love it on steak.
Jennifer
I love onion gravy on my swiss steaks but I also like to keep some for leftover pasta noodles 🙂
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I would for sure eat this on pasta too. ENJOY!
Natalie
The texture is just amazing. So are the flavors. I’m going to give your recipe a try. It will be the perfect addition to the beef I’m making for dinner tomorrow.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I can eat this onion gravy by the spoonful. ENJOY!
Christine
I don’t have pepper jelly. Can you suggest a substitution?
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
The pepper jelly adds a bit of heat. You can always try just grape jelly and some cayenne?
Natalie
This gravy looks amazing. I bet the red vine elevates the taste to another delicious level. SO good! I’m making a steak for dinner tomorrow. This gravy will be a perfect addition.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This is our go to gravy for so many recipes. I know you are going to love it.
Sam
Wow this sounds pretty amazing! I have never had onion gravy but I have onions in everything so I already know what I want to put this on… everything! Excited to try it.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
We love this gravy. Perfect for any meat dish or casserole.
Tracy
Now THIS is our kind of gravy – the onion loaded kind! We love it and make it to put on steak, chicken, and mashed potatoes! It’s our favorite!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
OMG this is the ultimate gravy for mashed potatoes. ENJOY.
Debra
So much easier than I thought…and totally worth the effort. Such a nice build up of flavors…it was really delicious.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
The onions take the most time….but so worth the effort.
Tara
Thank you so much for this onion gravy recipe! I love caramelized onions and am excited to give this a try. I know your step by step instructions will be super helpful!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This onion gravy is really easy to make. I know you will love the results.