Au Jus Substitute

A last-minute au jus substitute won't be hard to find if you take a look at this list of easy au jus alternatives. This beefy sauce is rich and full of flavor, so don't let your meal suffer just because you don't have any au jus on hand. There are plenty of options that are just as good for dipping, dunking, or slurping.

If you are looking for my tried and true au jus recipes, take a look at my beef au jus, my prime rib au jus, or my red wine au jus.

Jump to:

• What Is Au Jus?
• Why Do You Need An Au Jus Substitute?
• 1. Au Jus Gravy Mix
• 2. Beef Stock Powder Sauce
• 3. Beef Bouillon Granules
• 4. Beef bone broth powder
• 5. Beef Bouillon Cubes
• 6. Store Bought Beef Broth
• 7. Homemade Beef Broth
• 8. Onion Soup Mix
• 9. Beef Consomme
• 10. Brown Gravy
• 11. Brown Gravy Mix
• 12. Demi-glace
• 13. Chicken broth (homemade or store bought)
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What Is Au Jus?

The term “au jus” means “with juice” in French. It refers to meat that is served with its own juices. The au jus that is served with the meat is made by creating a broth with the drippings from the pan the meat is cooked in.

Typically, these are the drippings from roast beef or prime rib. However, au jus can be made and served with turkey and chicken as well. The drippings are combined with beef broth and several herbs and spices. In addition, some chefs also add wine to enhance the richness of the au jus. 

Why Do You Need An Au Jus Substitute?

Finding a substitute for an ingredient usually is a result of not having that ingredient available or not disliking an ingredient. Sometimes you may also need a substitute due to an allergy.

Another reason to seek out a substitute is to save time. Certain foods like au jus take time to prepare. Moreover, a traditional au jus can’t be created without first roasting meat. Therefore, you must consider the time of cooking the roast and making the au jus.

With this particular flavor enhancer, another reason you may need a substitute is if you don’t have enough drippings. Depending on the cut of meat you bought it may not provide as many drippings as you anticipated. Therefore, to get the au jus, you desire you may need to reach for a substitute.

1. Au Jus Gravy Mix

If you are looking to simply save time, then an au jus gravy mix is your easiest and best substitute. These packaged mixes are similar to a dry gravy mix except they do not contain cornstarch. Therefore, you will get a thinner juice that resembles a true au jus (rather than a thick gravy). 

This is a great choice if you want to make au jus for roast beef sandwiches, but you are not going to cook the beef yourself. An au jus gravy mix will give you that same rich and savory flavor for dipping, without the time or hassle of roasting the beef.

Look for an au jus mix in the gravy or sauce aisle of the grocery store. Simply follow the direction on the package to prepare. Use in the same way you would use homemade au jus.

2. Beef Stock Powder Sauce

Since au jus is made from beef broth you can make a tasty substitute using almost any beef flavoring substitute. Including beef stock powder.

The beef stock powder is essentially dehydrated beef stock. Since beef stock is made from simmering beef bones and meat scraps, it has a similar rich flavor that au jus gets from the meat drippings. Therefore, it is a perfect flavor substitute.

While you can use beef stock powder on its own as a substitute, you will get the closest flavor substitute by adding herbs and seasonings. Try this mixture to get a delicious au jus substitute.

• 1 cup of water
• ¼ cup beef stock powder
• ¼ cup onion powder
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Dash black pepper
• Corn starch (mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup of water to create a slurry)

Mix the water and beef stock powder in a small saucepan until the powder is dissolved. Add the seasonings and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer. Slowly add the corn starch until you reach the desired consistency (you may not use all of the slurry).

Use the reconstituted beef stock powder alone or with seasonings in a 1:1 swap for au jus in any recipe.

3. Beef Bouillon Granules

If you can’t find beef stock powder look for good old beef bouillon granules. Beef bouillon granules (or powder) are also made from dehydrated beef stock. Therefore, you can use it in the same way as mentioned above.

4. Beef bone broth powder

Beef bone broth powder is almost identical in flavor to beef stock powder. Therefore, you can also use it as a substitute for au jus. Simply follow the directions above for making beef stock powder sauce but replace the beef stock powder with beef bone broth powder.

5. Beef Bouillon Cubes

If you don’t want to hassle with adding additional seasonings to your substitute then reach for beef bouillon cubes. Beef bouillon cubes are concentrated dehydrated beef stock that has been combined with spices.

While this may vary from brand to brand, most beef bouillon cubes include onion powder. Therefore, you can use these in place of au jus and get a similar savory flavor without needing to add anything extra.

Mix one beef bouillon cube with 1 cup of warm water to dissolve. For the best flavor, do this in a small saucepan and let simmer for a few minutes. For a thicker au jus, use ½ a cup of water for every cube. The reconstitute beef bouillon cube can be used as a 1:1 substitute for au jus in any recipe.

6. Store Bought Beef Broth

While beef bouillon powder and cubes take up less space in the pantry (or fridge) you may prefer to keep beef broth on hand. Beef broth (whether canned or in a carton) is another easy and tasty substitute for au jus.

The beef broth on its own has a less rich and savory flavor than beef stock or au jus. This is because it is not made from the flavor-rich drippings used in au jus or the bone used in stock. However, it still has a wonderful beef flavor that will work in any recipe that calls for au jus.

To bump up the flavor and make it even tastier, add the same seasonings mentioned earlier: onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, and black pepper. Add these seasonings to your beef broth and simmer slowly for several minutes.

• 1 cup beef broth (storebought)
• ¼ cup onion powder
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Dash black pepper

If you want a thicker au jus then add a little bit of cornstarch to thicken up your broth. Mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch with ¼ cup of water to make a slurry. Slowly add the slurry until you reach your desired consistency.

Your doctored-up beef broth (or regular beef broth) can be used in a 1:1 substitute for au jus in any recipe.

7. Homemade Beef Broth

Beef broth is very similar to au jus. In taste and preparation. Therefore, while it is not the quickest substitute it is a delicious one! If you have a homemade beef broth recipe you love, whip up a batch. Keep in mind that depending on what herbs and spices your recipe calls for it may vary slightly in taste.

Use homemade beef broth in a 1:1 substitute for au jus.

8. Onion Soup Mix

While it is called onion soup, the “mix” part includes a mixture of beef extracts. In addition, the onions in the onion soup mix are caramelized and dried. Therefore, they provide a richer flavor than raw onions.

Moreover, if you read the ingredients list of a traditional onion soup mix (like Lipton’s) you will see seasonings that are used in au jus are also used in onion soup mix - like dried parsley and black pepper. One flavor difference is the addition of paprika and celery salt.

Even though the onion soup mix includes some additional spices, the overall earthy and umami flavor of the soup is a wonderful substitute for au jus.

Prepare onion soup mix following the directions on the package and then use in 1:1 au jus substitute.

9. Beef Consomme

Beef consommé is a richer version of beef stock. The enhanced savory flavor comes from the addition of tomato paste. Therefore, while it has the same similar base as au jus its overall taste will be slightly different.

Due to its enhanced flavor, start with half the amount and as a substitute. Feel free to add more as desired.

10. Brown Gravy

Brown gravy begins the same way that au jus does – with the drippings from cooked beef. However, gravy is created using flour (or cornstarch) as a thickener. It also includes milk or cream. Therefore, the final result is a thicker and creamier sauce (rather than a juice).

While brown gravy may not be the ideal substitute for dipping a roast beef sandwich, it is a tasty option on top of roast beef, potatoes, and even steak. Start with ¼ to ½ serving as a substitute.

11. Brown Gravy Mix

Like au jus mix you can also find brown gravy mix at the store. This mix will have a similar beef flavor as an au jus mix, but with a thicker consistency.

Use it in the same way you would use homemade gravy as an au jus substitute.

12. Demi-glace

If you don’t have time to make homemade au jus, then demi-glace is probably not at the top of the list as a substitute. This French sauce can take anywhere from 8-16 hours to make!

However, if you love demi-glace or have a storebought version ready to use – give this extra rich and flavorful sauce a try. Keep in mind it will be quite thick compared to au jus, so it is best used in small amounts as a beef topping.

13. Chicken broth (homemade or store bought)

If you don’t have any beef broth or stock on hand but happen to have chicken broth you can use that as a substitute. The flavor will obviously be different than au jus since it is made from chicken rather than beef. However, this milder flavor can still be a delicious and lighter alternative. 

To create a richer flavor, use the same measurements and seasonings suggested above to doctor up your beef stock or broth. Use chicken broth in a simple 1:1 substitution for au jus in most recipes.

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