Substitute for au jus gravy mix? In this post, you’ll learn about the types of replacements for au jus gravy mix.
How to create them, and how they might alter the taste and texture of the food you’re making. Keep reading!
Beef Broth, Beef Stock Powder Sauce, Brown Gravy, Onion Mix Soup, and Bouillon Cubes Sauce, are good replacements for au jus gravy mix.
What Can I Substitute for Au Jus Gravy Mix?
Because not everyone has the luxury of time to produce au jus, recognizing the best replacements is essential.
You may use any or all of the following alternatives in replacement of the au jus gravy mix if you don’t have any on hand or can’t find any:
1. Beef Bouillon Cubes Sauce
Beef bouillon cubes are simple to make and include spices and herbs that improve the overall taste, making them a great beef au jus replacement.
These cubes are flavored with onion powder, beef extract, potato starch, parsley, carrots, celery seeds, and caramel syrup, among others.
The umami flavor of bouillon makes it a great complement to soups, quick pots, stews, and rib roasts.
You may use beef consommé in place of ground beef if you like.
How to Prepare Bouillon Cubes:
You may use the cubes in your meal or create a broth from them and transform it into a sauce.
If you want a thicker broth, melt the cube in half a cup of water and bring it to a boil.
A cup of water should be enough if you want a lighter texture and consistency.
You may then add herbs to your broth to increase the taste. To improve the flavor, we suggest adding black pepper and fresh parsley.
There is no need to add cornstarch since the potato starch in the cubes works as a thickening agent.
2. Brown Gravy
This dish is another excellent alternative to au jus. It is highly rich and thick, unlike Au jus, which is lighter.
To increase the broth’s flavor, add butter instead of meat drippings.
How to Prepare Brown Gravy:
You must proceed with great care since an Au jus substitute requires absolute perfection.
Brown gravy has a high likelihood of forming lumps, which you do not want in your meal.
It is necessary to have the following elements:
- Broth
- Salt
- Heavy cream
- Butter
- Bouillon cube
- Flour
- Worcestershire sauce
- Pepper
Combine flour and lard to produce a thick paste. The paste should then be cooked over low heat to enhance its flavor.
This paste is a necessary component of your gravy. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour mixture and simmer for a minute.
Stir in the beef broth gently to prevent lumps. Add another cup of broth and whisk once more.
At this point, the mixture should have thickened and thinned. Add pepper, meat, bouillon, and Worcestershire sauce to taste.
Serve with a drizzle of heavy cream as a finishing touch.
3. Onion Soup Mix
Another simple au jus substitution is the onion soup mix. The major component of this replacement is onion, as the name suggests.
However, since most packaged onion mix soups include beef extracts, they are a good substitute.
The onion soup mix often contains onion powder, onion flakes, beef bouillon cubes, parsley, paprika, celery seed, and black pepper.
The caramel flavors of the onion give the soup a rich taste that makes it suited for any meal.
How to Prepare Onion Soup Mix:
Onion mix soup may be made in about 15 minutes. If you have the packaged mix, follow the directions on the container.
If you don’t have a soup mix, you may create your own using this recipe:
- ¼ cup onion flakes
- Two tablespoons of beef bouillon granules
- Garlic powder
- Parsley
- Paprika
- Celery seed
- Onion powder
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in the mixture. After 5 minutes, you'll have the ideal au jus alternative.
4. Beef Stock Powder Sauce
The most well-known alternative to au jus gravy mix is beef stock powder sauce.
Even though there are little amounts of beef in these powders, the flavor is so subtle that you won’t be able to tell the difference.
Add onion powder, black pepper, dried parsley, garlic powder, and cornstarch to thicken the mixture.
Whether you’re making prime rib au jus, stir-fries, steak, Mississippi pot roast, or baked goods, this sauce works well in any recipe that calls for au jus.
How to Prepare Beef Stock Powder Sauce:
Mix two tablespoons of beef stock powder with half a cup of water. Heat the mixture first.
Black pepper, onion powder, dried parsley, and garlic powder may be added to the mixture to taste.
We recommend combining three teaspoons of cornstarch with six tablespoons of water for the cornstarch.
Remember to start with a little quantity of water in a bowl of cornstarch and gradually increase the amount of water while stirring until well combined.
You may like your sauce to be thinner than gravy, similar to au jus, so begin with two tablespoons of the mixture and add one tablespoon as required.
Make certain that there are no clumps.
5. Beef Broth
Beef broth is the most similar to beef au jus. Even the ones listed above are prepared using beef broth.
Like making au jus, the beef broth takes time and a few ingredients.
If you want to cut cooking time, use a pressure cooker rather than a slow cooker.
How to Prepare Beef Broth:
You’ll need the following ingredients:
- Meaty beef bones
- Salt
- Onions
- Pepper
- Celery
- Carrot
- Dried herbs
- Garlic cloves
- Water
Brown the meaty beef bones and season them with salt and pepper.
You may prepare it in a pressure cooker. Cut the onion, carrot, and celery into small pieces.
Include it in the mix. After that, add water and simmer for 50 minutes.
After it has cooked, strain the liquid and discard the remaining components. Your broth is now ready to serve.
6. Demi-Glace
Demi-glace is a classic French condiment.
This rich brown sauce is an excellent alternative to au jus gravy mix, made by reducing the broth until it’s thick and aromatic.
While the French recipe calls for veal stock, you may substitute beef, chicken, or veggie stock.
Although demi-glace has a rich taste and is similar to au jus in many ways, the biggest disadvantage of this alternative is the lengthy preparation time.
While au jus sauce is ready to use immediately, demi-glace must be reduced for 7-18 hours.
Traditional demi-glace recipes involve brown sauce, but if you’re looking for an au jus replacement, you may use beef stock alone.
Here’s what you’ll require:
- Dried bay leaf, one teaspoon of dried thyme, parsley, and peppercorns (placed in a cheesecloth)
- 5 cups of high-quality beef stock
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- ¼ cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup chopped onions
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Sauté the carrots, celery, and onions in butter in a saucepan. Cook until the flour is just browned, then add the beef stock.
Place the herbs (wrapped in cheesecloth) in the mixture and cook for 20-30 minutes before removing the veggies.
Continue to cook until the mixture has been reduced by half. If you don’t want to use a slow cooker, a pressure cooker should cut the cooking time in half.
7. Chicken Broth
As an au jus substitute, use chicken broth if you don’t have beef broth on hand or prefer chicken.
Chicken broth is easier to prepare than beef broth. Alternatively, you may use store-bought chicken stock or broth.
While both are prepared using the same method, chicken broth is made from chicken flesh, while chicken stock is made from chicken bones.
Here is the full list of ingredients:
- Chicken bones or chicken meat
- ½ cup chopped celery
- Bay leaves
- Dried thyme
- Two medium onions, chopped
- Pepper
- Water
- Rosemary
- 3/4 cup chopped carrots
In a slow cooker, combine all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 hours, or until the liquid has decreased.
Final Verdict
Substitute for au jus gravy mix? If you like your meat dishes with Au jus but lack time to prepare them properly, you may replace the recipes above.
They are the ideal substitute, tasting as delicious as Au jus but taking less time to prepare.
You also don’t have to worry about the quality of the components since you produced these Au jus alternatives yourself.
Artificial preservatives that are harmful to your health will also be eliminated as a possibility. Thanks for reading!