Quick & Easy Pan Sauce Recipe

Nothing jazzes up chicken, steak, pork or salmon like a savory pan sauce. Pan sauce sounds so gourmet, yet it’s so easy to make. You don’t need a degree in the culinary arts to make this basic pan sauce recipe. 

Get creative and add lemon, white wine, or fresh herbs to add your own flair.

Why I Love Making Pan Sauce

We raise chickens for meat on our homestead, and using the entire bird allows us to get the most from our financial and time investments. After a savory meal of roasted chicken with lemon reduction sauce, I use the chicken carcass to make nourishing bone broth.

This habit of making bone broth has led to experimenting with variations, such as bone broth with a secret immune-boosting ingredient. 

And because we have a large family, it’s not uncommon to have quite a bit of bone broth made on hand. To extend its shelf life, I pressure can the bone broth to make getting three homemade meals on the table each day easier.

While it’s important to have bone broth in a well-stocked pantry, knowing how to use it is equally important. 

A jar of bone broth makes it easy to whip up bread soup for a quick lunch, add a depth of flavor to homemade chicken pot pie and tangy sorrel sauce, or put together a versatile pan sauce to make any dish a little extra.

What Is Pan Sauce

The terms pan sauce and gravy are often used interchangeably, but they are technically different. Flour or cornstarch is a thickener used to make gravy, whereas a pan sauce is cooked down or reduced to make it thicker.

The natural juices, browned bits and fat left behind generated from the cooked protein are the base for a good pan sauce. 

Ways to Use Pan Sauce

This recipe is versatile enough to suit almost any flavor profile. Use pan sauce to top your roasted or pan-fried beef, chicken, fish or pork. 

Pan sauce also pairs well with rice, couscous, potatoes and vegetables. It’s amazing how just a drizzle of the pan sauce over rice and asparagus can take the meal to new heights of flavor.

Sometimes a pan-seared pork chop (or any seared meat) needs a savory pan sauce to add flavor and finish. If the meat is overcooked, a good pan sauce can help restore it to a moist, flavorful cut of meat. 

In the Homestead Kitchen

This recipe was featured in issue No. 3 of In the Homestead Kitchen Magazine. If you’d like access to more recipes like this, you can sign up to receive this monthly digital Magazine here.

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Grab your subscription today, and together we will fill our pantries, feed our families, and change our culture.

Supplies Needed

• Heavy Bottom Skillet – I recommend purchasing cast iron, but stainless steel works well. Homesteading Hack: The secret to cooking with cast iron is knowing how to properly season a cast iron pan.
• Wooden Spoon – Scraping up the bits of meat and stirring the pan sauce occasionally after the sauce has reduced will keep the right consistency.
• Wire Whisk – To create a sauce that is smooth and silky.
• Serving Bowl – Stop the cooking process and hold the pan sauce until you ladle it over your meal. 

Ingredients Needed

• Pan Drippings (or fat) – Cooking oil (such as coconut or avocado oil) can also be used or added if you don’t have enough fat from the protein of choice.
• Small Onion, Minced – Whatever you have on hand and prefer will work. If you substitute chopped shallots, use 3-4 shallots. Homesteading Hack: Grow onions from seed and learn the best way to store onions for the best flavor.
• Juice (wine or broth) – Use apple juice for white meat or red juice, such as cranberry or grape, for red meat (we often substitute white or red wine, or more broth)
• Broth – Vegetable, beef or chicken stock, plus extra, as needed.
• Butter – We like to use our homemade butter, but any butter will do. If you’re using salted butter, you may not need to add as much salt when seasoning. Homesteading Hack: Adding some cream to the sauce can add another layer of richness, especially for chicken and fish.
• Salt and Pepper – Depending on the meat and stock, taste it after it’s reduced and add salt and pepper accordingly. 

Variations

Feel free to add any of the following:

• 1 Cup Thinly Sliced Mushrooms – Any popular type of mushroom, such as Button, Crimini, Oyster, Portobello, etc., works well.
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Minced Herbs – Add herbs when cooking the onion for the best flavor.
• 2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard – I add this with the butter or cream (great with pork!)
• Squeeze of Lemon Juice – This adds a nice flavor finish to the sauce before serving.

How to Make Pan Sauce – Step by Step

1. After cooking your meat, pour off all but two tablespoons of leftover cooking oil or rendered fat from the pan. Homesteading Hack: If you are making your sauce in a new pan, melt your two tablespoons of fat in the pan.
2. Sauté the onion until golden brown, about 2 1⁄2 to 3 minutes.
3. With the pan on medium-high heat, pour in the juice (or wine or additional broth). 
4. As the liquid reaches a simmer, scrape any crispy browned bits from the bottom of the pan with the spatula.
5. Let simmer for about 3 minutes or until reduced by half.
6. Pour the remaining stock into it and stir until combined. 
7. Let the sauce come to a rapid simmer.
8. Reduce the liquid by half to about 1 cup. This should take 3 to 5 minutes.
9. Once the liquid is reduced, lower the heat to medium-low and stir in the butter or cream. Whisk gently until the butter has completely melted.
10. Continue to simmer until slightly thickened.
11. Pour your sauce into a serving cup and add salt and pepper to taste. 
12. This sauce will be best when used right away.

Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. Then snap a photo of your pan sauce (including any unique variations) and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

• Instant Pot Bone Broth
• Homemade Chicken Bone Broth (Immune Boosting Ingredient) 
• 13 Tips for Making Broth
• Canning Bone Broth
• Michele’s Skillet Supper
• Freeze-Dried or Frozen Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
• How to Get 3 Home Cooked Meals on the Table Every Day