Caramelised Onion Gravy
This caramelised onion gravy is incredibly rich & packed full of flavour! Best served with a roast dinner or with bangers & mash.
You really can’t beat a proper onion gravy & this stuff is next level! It’s great on a roast dinner, with bangers & mash or toad in the hole. It’s seriously rich & tasty and is surprisingly easy to make from scratch…
The key to a really good onion gravy is to cook your onions nice & slowly over a gentle heat, until they are soft, caramelised & sticky. It’s important not to rush this step though, it will take at least 15 minutes!
Once caramelised, we deglaze our onions with red wine, add in beef stock & some other flavourings (we’re talking fresh thyme, Worcestershire sauce & balsamic vinegar!) then thicken with cornflour & finish with a knob of butter (for a glossy finish). It’s really that easy!
For more sides & sauces, take a look at ever growing collection of side dish recipes! Or for something to serve your onion gravy with, check out our dinner recipes.
What You’ll Need
- Onions – I used red onions for my gravy but white onions or shallots will work as well.
- Red Wine – A good red wine works best for gravy but don’t worry about buying a super expensive one.
- Beef Stock – For this gravy, you can either use homemade beef stock or a stock pot/cube dissolved in hot water.
- Thyme – Finely chopped thyme leaves adds extra flavour to our gravy. Rosemary will also work!
- Sugar – Adding a small amount of caster sugar to our onions makes them even sweeter & stickier. Brown sugar would also work.
- Balsamic Vinegar – A splash of balsamic vinegar adds a touch of acidity to our gravy which cuts through the sweetness from the caramelised onions.
- Cornflour – Used to thicken our gravy. We’re making a cornflour slurry with cold water, which needs to be added to boiling gravy so that it cooks out properly.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Used to add a more savoury flavour to our onion gravy. You’ll only need a splash.
- Butter – Stirring a knob of butter into the gravy once it is cooked, gives it a glossy finish.
How To Make Caramelised Onion Gravy
The full, printable recipe card for this gravy can be found at the bottom of this post! Here’s a quick rundown of the recipe…
- Caramelise Onions
First, we thinly slice a couple of red onion, add them into a saucepan with a splash of veg oil then cook over a low heat until they are soft & caramelised. This will take at least 15 minutes. - Add Vinegar & Sugar
Once caramelised, we add 2 teaspoons each of caster sugar & balsamic vinegar to the onions then continue cooking them until they are golden brown & sticky. - Deglaze With Red Wine
Next, we pour red wine & chopped thyme leaves into the pan, bring to the boil then reduce until the wine’s sticky enough to glaze the onions. This will take around 3-4 minutes over a high heat. - Add Beef Stock
Once the wine has reduced, we add in beef stock then bring to the boil. - Thicken With Cornflour
Next, we add a tbsp of cornflour & a tbsp of cold water into a small bowl then mix together to make a slurry. We stir this into the gravy then continue cooking for another couple of minutes until thick. - To Finish
To finish our gravy, we add in a knob of butter & a splash of Worcestershire sauce then season to taste with salt & pepper.
Caramelised Onion Gravy Tips & Tricks
- Cook your onions nice & slowly, so that they caramelise properly. The onions should be golden brown & sticky once they’re cooked.
- Deglaze the onions with a good red wine, to give your gravy the best flavour.
- Add a splash of balsamic vinegar to your gravy, to cut through the sweetness from the caramelised onions.
- Thicken the gravy with cornflour, for a thick, luxurious texture.
- Season your onion gravy with salt & pepper, to taste.
What To Serve Caramelised Onion Gravy With
Caramelised onion gravy can be used the same was as red wine or beef gravy. Whether it’s as part of a roast dinner, with a toad in the hole or with bangers and mash. It even works in a beef burger!
Frequently Asked Questions
The key to caramelising onions properly is to cook them over a low heat for at least 15 minutes. Make sure to stir them every so often to prevent them burning.
We’re deglazing our onions with red wine but extra stock can be used instead if you’d prefer.
Stored in in the fridge, caramelised onion gravy will keep for 2-3 days. Make sure to reheat your gravy properly before serving, it needs to be piping hot!
Red onions, white/brown onions & shallots can all be used when making caramelised onion gravy. I personally like to use red onions!
Using beef stock will give your onion gravy the richest flavour. You can use homemade beef stock or a stock cube/pot dissolved in hot water.
More Sides & Sauces To Try!
- Red Wine Gravy
- 3 Cheese Cauliflower Cheese
- Sage & Caramelised Onion Stuffing
- Honey Roasted Carrots & Parsnips
- Goose Fat Yorkshire Puddings
- Duck Fat Oven Chips
- Braised Red Cabbage
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Caramelised Onion Gravy
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
- Small Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 Red Onions
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 2 tsp Caster Sugar
- 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tsp Finely Chopped Thyme Leaves
- 200 ml Red Wine
- 500 ml Beef Stock
- 1 tbsp Cornflour
- 30 g Unsalted Butter
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- Peel the onions, thinly slice them then place into a large saucepan with the vegetable oil & a good pinch of sea salt.
- Set the pan over a low heat then cook the onions until they are soft & caramelised, stirring regularly. This will take around 15 minutes.
- Add in the balsamic vinegar & the caster sugar then cook for another 3-4 minutes. At this point the onions should be a deep golden brown.
- Next, stir in the chopped thyme then increase the heat to high. Pour in the red wine, bring to the boil then reduce until sticky. This will take 3-4 minutes.
- Add the beef stock to the onions then bring back to the boil. In the meantime, add the cornflour into a small, add in a tbsp of cold water then stir to make a paste.
- Stir the cornflour into the gravy, cook out for a minute or two until thick then stir in the butter & Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt & pepper to taste then serve.
