Whether you call it a brown mushroom gravy, Jäger sauce, Jäger Soße, or a German hunter’s sauce, this rich and thick mushroom sauce is both super tasty and highly versatile. Easy to make, and with a rich depth of flavor no packet or jarred sauce can match, Jäger sauce can ramp up many different dishes from good to amazing.
While buying pre-made gravy can be a time-saver and usually tastes ok, there’s no beating a fresh and homemade version. In 30 minutes or less, you can make this mushroom gravy from scratch that completely blows away anything you’d buy at the store.
What is Jäger Sauce?
In German, jäger means “hunter” and soße is the word for “sauce”, so basically, “jäger soße” is a “hunter’s sauce.” Originally served over wild game, the sauce was made with the mushrooms hunters would pick while hunting in the forest. And just to be clear, no, the sauce has nothing to do with Jägermeister.
One of the most famous uses for this sauce around the world is when it tops a schnitzel. This sauce is what makes a schnitzel a Jägerschnitzel, and not the type of meat used (usually pork).
What Do You Serve Jäger Soße With?
The most obvious answer would be schnitzel, but a rich, brown mushroom gravy goes well with pretty much any protein, especially things like roast beef, meatloaf, or serve with a steak.
Other great options are as a sauce for pasta. It pairs very well with spätzle, a German egg pasta.
You could even make German gravy fries and use it to cover a plate of bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes) or plain French fries and mashed potatoes.
Ingredients for Mushroom Gravy
Bacon – Optional, but I love the extra flavor it adds to the sauce. Use the drippings to cook the onions and mushrooms as well. If you omit the bacon, add 2-3 tablespoons of a neutral oil to the pan for the onions.
Onion – You can use diced yellow or sweet onions, or even shallots for this.
Mushrooms – This tends to be personal preference, but typically white or button mushrooms, sliced. Some people also add porcini or cremini mushrooms chopped small, or dried ones pulverized into powder for an extra umami kick.
Garlic – Optional, I use about 2 minced cloves.
Flour & Butter – After cooking down the onions and mushrooms, melt some unsalted butter and mix with all-purpose flour. This will thicken the sauce without the need for a cornstarch slurry at the end and tastes better.
Tomato Paste – Also optional, but I like the added richness and color it adds.
Balsamic Vinegar – Optional and I don’t always use it myself, but I find it adds another level of depth to the sauce.
Seasoning – Salt, pepper, and thyme is typically all you need. I also like to add sweet paprika to mine, but that’s totally optional. I don’t list an amount for salt in the recipe card because I like to add it near the end and adjust for taste. Depending on the ingredients you use or omit and the brand or type of broth/stock you use can radically change the amount of salt you may want to add. Keep that in mind as you cook.
Beef Broth – I like to use about 2 cups of a low-sodium beef broth. You can also use a vegetable broth if you prefer that.
Parsley – An optional topping for a pop of color.
How to Make Brown Mushroom Gravy
Add four slices of bacon to a large pan and place over medium heat, turning as it cooks until crispy. Once cooked, remove, and set on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb excess grease.
While the bacon is cooking, prepare the vegetables. If using whole mushrooms, wash them and then slice into bite-sized pieces. Dice a medium yellow or sweet onion (or two shallots) and mince two cloves of garlic, set everything aside.
Once the bacon has been removed, add the diced onion to the bacon grease, and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost softened, about 3-5 minutes (if omitting the bacon, add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to the pan on medium heat and add the onions once the oil is hot). Add the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking until they begin to shrink some, about 5-6 minutes.
Once the mushrooms begin to shrink, add the minced garlic and butter until it melts. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Now add the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, thyme, and sweet paprika (if using). Stir to combine and allow everything to toast up for a minute.
Slowly pour in the beef broth and stir to combine as you pour. Reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer until reduced and thickened to your desired amount, usually 5-10 minutes. When ready to serve, stir in the reserved, chopped bacon and top with chopped parsley.
Variations in the Jäger Sauce
Wine – Before adding the beef broth, deglaze the pan with some white or red wine. Red wine adds color and depth to the recipe. I use balsamic vinegar instead. If you’d prefer a red wine mushroom sauce, omit the vinegar, and replace with 2 tablespoons to a ¼ cup of red wine.
Cream – If you like a creamy mushroom gravy, wait until the sauce is nearly done and add between 2 tablespoons and a ¼ cup of heavy cream, half and half, or milk.
Gluten-Free – If you need a gluten free version, skip the flour and butter roux part. When the gravy is almost finished, make a cornstarch and water slurry, and add it in until thickened to the desired consistency.
Vegetarian –Omit the bacon and use a neutral oil instead and replace the beef broth with a vegetable broth. You can also go vegan and skip the butter and flour and use a cornstarch slurry near the end to thicken the sauce, and do not add cream.
📋 Recipe
Brown Mushroom Gravy (Jäger Sauce)
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, , optional
- 1 medium yellow or sweet onion, , or 2 shallots
- 8 ounces white or button mushrooms, , cleaned and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, , minced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste, , optional
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, , optional
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, , or ¼ teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, , optional
- 2 cups low-sodium beef stock or broth
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, , chopped, for garnish
Directions
- Add four slices of bacon to a large pan and place over medium heat, turning as it cooks until crispy. Once cooked, remove, and set on a paper-towel lined plate to absorb excess grease.
- While the bacon is cooking, prepare the vegetables. If using whole mushrooms, wash them and then slice into bite-sized pieces. Dice a medium yellow or sweet onion (or two shallots) and mince two cloves of garlic, set everything aside.
- Once the bacon has been removed, add the diced onion to the bacon grease, and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost softened, about 3-5 minutes (if omitting the bacon, add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to the pan on medium heat and add the onions once the oil is hot). Add the sliced mushrooms and continue cooking until they begin to shrink some, about 5-6 minutes.
- Once the mushrooms begin to shrink, add the minced garlic and butter until it melts. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Now add the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, thyme, and sweet paprika (if using). Stir to combine and allow everything to toast up for a minute.
- Slowly pour in the beef broth and stir to combine as you pour. Reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer until reduced and thickened to your desired amount, usually 5-10 minutes. When ready to serve, stir in the reserved, chopped bacon and top with chopped parsley.
Equipment Used
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Lori
Hello, I am wondering your thoughts on making this sauce a day ahead?
Chris Pezzana
That should be perfectly fine. The sauce should be good for a few days refrigerated and you could reheat in a microwave, though I would suggest putting it into a pot and reheating over medium-low to medium until hot. I've saved leftovers plenty of times and it was still tasty.