Au Jus – Easy Au Jus Without Pan Drippings
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Au Jus is such a delicious addition to the perfect French Dip Sandwich, you’re going to love our easy beef dip recipe!
Au Jus is easy to make, even if you don’t have drippings from a roast lying around! I’ve come up with a fantastically simple Au Jus recipe that can be made with or without pan drippings! And, bonus? You can freeze it in small batches to pull out whenever you’re craving a tasty French Dip.
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We serve this beef dip with our famous French Dip Crescents and a side of Potato Wedges!
Au Jus
Au Jus Ingredients
- Oil – I like a good full bodied olive oil to add to the flavor of the dish, but any vegetable oil or even bacon grease will do in a pinch.
- Onion – My go-to for this recipe is red onion, but any mild sweet onion will do well.
- Garlic – I’m a total cheater when it comes to garlic and use it from a jar. Fresh is great if you have it on hand though.
- Wine – We use a mild white wine for this, but you can substitute red or even grape juice if you don’t want the alcohol.
- Worcestershire sauce – A little bit of Worcestershire sauce really kicks up the flavor in this au jus recipe.
- Beef broth – You can use fresh drippings for your beef broth or store bought stock or broth. Even bullion cubes will work.
- Flour – Flour is used as a thickening agent if you like a little more body to your au jus. Alternatively, corn starch can also be used.
How do you make Au Jus
⭐ First, caramelize the onions in a small amount of olive oil. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two more.
⭐ Next, deglaze the pot with white wine, then add Worcestershire sauce and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add beef broth and bring to a light boil.
⭐ Then, reduce heat and simmer for about 3 minutes.
⭐ Finally, strain broth and then return it to pot. Add flour and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is au jus?
Au Jus is a French term meaning “with juice.” It describes the serving of red meat (often prime rib) with the drippings produced while the beef was cooking.
Commonly though, au jus is used to describe the beef broth dip served with French Dip sandwiches.
What is the difference between beef broth and au jus?
The difference between what we call an au jus sauce and beef broth is that “au jus” is the drippings from the meat being cooked, and beef broth is sometimes added.
Preparation and storage
How do you thicken au jus
To thicken au jus, stir in a small amount of flour. You’ll want to make sure you continue to cook the sauce for a few minutes after you add the flour to make sure it doesn’t have a raw taste to it.
If you want a gluten free version, you can use corn starch or tapioca starch instead. Create a slurry with cold water and a small amount of the starch before pouring it in – this will prevent clumping.
Can you freeze au jus
You can freeze au jus to save for later. I like to pour my leftovers into an ice cube tray, then when it’s frozen solid, put the cubes in a labeled freezer bag.
Frozen au jus will stay good indefinitely if kept continuously frozen.
Au Jus at Christmas
Can you guess what day of the year this recipe gets the most views? It’s Christmas! I guess everyone’s accidentally throwing out the roast juices and needing to make some au jus without it? I’m not sure, but I do love seeing that I’m able to help out with your holiday dinners!
Are you here on Christmas! Hi! Hello! I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday! And if it’s not Christmas – well, Hi! Hello! I hope you’re having a wonderful day!
Serving suggestions
More like Au Jus
Tools we love
- Fine mesh strainers – I use these in lots of recipes. One of my personal favorites is Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup!
- Stainless pots & pans – We ditched non stick a few years ago and have never looked back. I know you’ll love this set as much as I do.
- Small glass prep bowls – I use these as serving bowls for the dip too. Love them!
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How to make Au Jus
Au Jus
Ingredients
- olive oil just enough to saute
- 1/4 cup red onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced (I used jarred)
- 1/8 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon flour optional
Instructions
- Caramelize the onions in a small amount of olive oil. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two more.
- Deglaze the pot with white wine, then add Worcestershire sauce and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Add beef broth and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 3 minutes.
- Strain broth and then return it to pot. Add flour and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve with French Dips and ENJOY!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Making this during the holidays? Try our sugar cookie recipe too!
Recipe FAQS
What is au jus sauce made of?
Au jus sauce is made primarily of beef broth, often with the addition of onion, garlic, soy, Worcestershire and other complementary flavors.
Is au jus and beef broth the same thing?
Au jus and beef broth are not the same thing. Au jus has beef broth as a primary ingredient.
How long does au jus last?
Au jus will last 3 - 4 days in the refrigerator, or indefinitely in the freezer.
12.25.15, 1.2012
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What a genius idea! I love this and am going to keep it in mind for my next beef roast leftovers.
Too bad that I just finished off the last of our beef roast last week.
What kind of wine did you use to make this?
this sounds good but do you know if I could substitute the wine for white grape juice?
My husband can not have wine. What do you suggest I can use as a substitution?
I used chicken broth and it turned out great!
tea is an excellent substitute for alcohol when cooking. It tenderizes the meat without the worry when people have allergies. perhaps a black tea with berries? There are innumerable types of tea so it is possible to find a tea for any cooking style. Tip:Smoked teas add an extra layer when poaching fish!
If you do not want to add wine just leave it off…why would anyone add chicken broth?
I have seen other recipes where chicken broth or even water was substituted for the wine. I have not made this recipe, but I assume the same would be true for this recipe.
I was raised using grape juices as wine substitutes – white grape for white wine, and red grape for red wine. It has always worked for me. I have this simmering right now, so I'll let you know if it doesn't work, but it smells amazing!
Wouldn't that make the Au Jus on the "sweet" side???
I made this for lunch today and it is now a family fave! I even caught them trying drink the au jus when they were done…so yummy! I have used chicken broth in place of white wine on many occasions but today I used Regina's cooking wine that you find with the vinegar in the grocery store. I have a feeling I'll be making this a lot from now on! Thanks!
This is wonderful. I left the wine out but it was still wonderful.
I absolutely love this recipe. I made it the first time for a Super Bowl party this year, and now I'm making it again!!
I have one question, though… how long do you think it's okay to store the au jus in the fridge? It's okay to freeze, too, right? It would be nice to make a big batch and keep it on hand for nights I'm craving these… the au jus takes longer than the French dip crescents.
Thanks!
That is perfect… ice cube trays! You are awesome! Thanks!!!
It's almost done simmering, and I am so ready for these!! 😉
I could seriously drink this stuff! It's so good! I doubled the batch today and am planning on freezing some and using some for the french dip cresent rolls tomorrow night for dinner. YUM! Thanks so much for sharing this. I don't think I will ever buy packets of au jus again!
This sounds wonderful….I'd been using Lipton Beefy Onion dry soup mix w/boiling water, maybe now I'll try wine heated in microwave instead of water. For the horseradish sauce, I mix sour cream, horse radish & garlic salt or powder to taste & it's yummy
Could you please tell me how much this makes ?
Wouldn't it make the same as the amount of liquid in the ingredients list?
Science tells us that no, if you "Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes" the amount of liquid will reduce.
Just measured it. It makes just under one cup of juice after the simmering process.
I can't wait to make this but… how much does this make?
I used soy sauce instead of wine…great flavor profile.
When do you add the flour? Wouldn't it turn into little balls of flour in the hot liquid? Generally, flour has to be added to some form of oil, butter or some form of fat "first" to turn into a slight roux.
I always mix the flour or cornstarch with a tiny bit of the cooled juice or water, then stir a streaam into boiling pot
If you dissolve the flour in a small amount (1/4 cup or less) of room temp water, then wisk the flour/water mixture into the hot au jus, you will be fine.
Excelent! Simple as that.
I substituted 1T soy sauce and 1T dry sherry for the white wine – very good!
When working with beef, you can substitute some strong black coffee for the wine.
I used a few fresh sage leaves, a sprig of rosemary and a few sprigs of thyme and added some black peppercorns and substituted shallots for the red onion. I used dry sherry instead of white wine and it turned out great. I'll be making this again.