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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This Au Jus is as good or better than any restaurant version ever! Easy prep and delicious with shaved left over beef tenderloin. YUM!
We all loved it, and it was easy to make! I was out of canned beef broth so I used Better Than Bullion Beef for the broth. Made French Dips. Used good sliced beef from the deli, put slices in the pan with the au jus for a minute or two to get the cold off, piled the beef on good bakery subs, topped with shredded mozzarella, put under the broiler for a few, served with a side of Au Jus. Easy and delish!
Did it differently. Melted lard, fried shallots, added garlic. Lard lubricated too well, nothing to deglaze with the wine. Used a cup of fond instead of stock. Strained and served. It was a browned shallot sauce. It was fine. Would probably do red onions next time.
We had leftover prime rib after eating out and I made this recipe last night. It was much better than what the restaurant served. This will be a go-to recipe when I need a quick au jus. Thank you.
Just made it. Used yellow onion, didn’t have red. And 1/8 cup of some homemade beef gravy to deglaze, since I didn’t have wine or juice. And used better than bouillon. Easy, fast and delicious.
Wanted something homemade minimal ingredients and this fit the bill perfectly – I will never buy the store garbage au jus packages again.
delicious. glad I found this. will for sure use this as a base from now on.
Love this recipe! I did add a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme. My husband loves it with our French dips, so dang good. Thank you!
we enjoyed this, will def make again!
Made your Au Jus and thought it was great. Using the garlic and onion to infuse flavor is a great idea and I think the Worcestershire gives the broth a deeper flavor. I have never tried an Au Jus powder packet so I can’t compare it to that, but this was easy enough to whip up whenever needed. We had it with smoked brisket french dip sandwiches. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I have to agree with Gary. Better than any we’ve had dining out. Thank you for sharing and this will be the our family
Recipe for all future French dips. I had to use red wine and it was yummy.
This is brilliant! Now I can buy the shaved beef at the grocery store and a loaf of French bread to serve with this jus! So easy! Thanks!