Everything you need to know about making a simple delicious pan sauce! Whether it’s for steak, chicken, fish or mushrooms, you’ll love our easy basic method.
Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you’ve lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that’s good. ~ Elizabeth Edwards
Often, the difference between a good dinner and an unforgettable one is surprisingly simple-a quick pan sauce. Rich, silky, and packed with flavor, it transforms everything from steak and chicken to fish, tofu, mushrooms, and roasted vegetables into something truly special.
As a chef and caterer, I can’t tell you how many times this simple technique saved the day. And at home, married to a man who always asks, “Is there any sauce?” (and looks like a deflated puppy if there isn’t!), it’s become one of my favorite kitchen tricks. The best part? It only takes a few minutes.
This is a great recipe that can easily be adjusted to your taste preferences or depending on what meat you just cooked. I added a bit of garlic to mine and the suggested lemon. It was very tasty.
Once you learn how to make a pan sauce, you’ll never let those flavorful browned bits left in the skillet go to waste again. Those caramelized bits-called fond-are packed with incredible flavor. With a splash of wine or broth and a little butter, they transform into a silky, restaurant-worthy sauce that elevates just about anything. We love it paired with this lion’s mane mushroom recipe!
Why you’ll love this Pan Sauce recipe!
A simple chef technique anyone can master. Learn how to turn the flavorful browned bits left in the pan into a rich, silky sauce in just a few minutes.
Endlessly customizable. Make it with chicken, steak, pork, lamb, fish, or vegetables using whatever broth, wine, herbs, and aromatics you have on hand.
Ready in under 10 minutes. While your protein rests, your pan sauce comes together quickly with just a handful of ingredients.
Big flavor with simple ingredients. Butter, shallots, herbs, wine, or broth are all you need to create a restaurant-worthy sauce at home.
No two sauces are ever the same. Mix and match aromatics, herbs, and finishing ingredients to create your own signature pan sauce every time you cook.
Naturally adaptable. Make it dairy-free with vegan butter, add cream for extra richness, or brighten it with lemon, mustard, vinegar, or fresh herbs.
Pan Sauce Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil: For sautéing the shallots.
- Shallot: For aromatic depth, complexity, and sweetness! Or use garlic.
- Liquid: Use broth, stock, white wine, or water. Water works just fine, especially when butter is whisked in. If using wine, let it cook off before adding broth, reduce by half, then whisk in the butter.
- Butter: For rich flavor and a creamier texture. Use unsalted butter, then taste and adjust for salt to your preference. Vegan butter will work too.
- Optional herbs: Thyme, Italian parsley, sage, and rosemary.
Pan Sauce Recipe Variations
- Steak Pan Sauce – Use a combination of red wine (or white wine) and chicken or beef stock for the liquid. Add sage or thyme.
- For Lamb Pan Sauce – White wine and chicken broth with rosemary! Either shallots or garlic or a combo works.
- For Chicken Pan Sauce – Use a combination of white wine and chicken stock for the liquid. Feel free to swap out garlic for the shallot. Thyme works great here.
- For Fish Pan Sauce – Use garlic or shallot, and white wine with a little lemon juice for the liquid. Fresh Italian parsley is a nice touch.
- Aromatics – Use garlic, shallot, onion or leeks. Shallots will add sweetness while garlic is more punchy and pungent. Add fresh herbs like thyme, sage, rosemary, parsley, basil, or tarragon.
- Liquid additions – Keep in mind, you can simply use water, broth or white wine. Or experiment with a splash of brandy, vermouth, sherry wine, marsala wine, ruby port, or even champagne works.
- Additional flavor enhancers – A few drops of any of the following can add flavor: Worcestershire sauce, miso paste, soy sauce, Tabasco, squeeze of lemon juice, lime juice, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar.
- Make it creamy – Add a swirl of heavy cream if you like! The richness in the butter is enough for me, but you do you.
- Make it vegan. Use vegan butter to emulsify. Or thicken with flour-which is truthfully more like a “gravy.” A few drops of soy sauce or liquid aminos will add umami flavor and depth.
How to make Pan Sauce
1. Warm your skillet. It’s best to use the same skillet you used to sear the meat, tofu, or veggies. Remove excess fat, but don’t wipe out the skillet. You want those flavorful browned bits (called fond).
2. Add aromatics. Add the shallots and just enough oil to sauté them. Bring the pan to medium heat, stirring until golden. Toss in herbs if using.
3. Deglaze the pan. Add liquid of choice and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits with a spatula. Reduce by half.
4. Add the fat. Whisk in butter, emuslifing the sauce, reducing heat to low. Once incorporated, turn off the heat.
5. Season. Taste and adjust for kosher salt and black pepper. If you used water, add a couple of drops of soy sauce for depth. For acidity, add 1-2 drops of vinegar or lemon juice.
Chef’s Tips
- Use the same pan you used for searing meat, tofu, or veggies. This way you can keep any browned bits (fond) to enhance the flavor of the sauce. Keep your main dish in a warm oven while you make the sauce!
- Use a cast iron skillet. Or a heavy-bottom braiser or stainless steel skillet.
- Don’t be afraid to just use water! Once the butter is whisked in, it actually makes a nice sauce.
- If using wine, I prefer to cook it off first before adding stock or broth. Then reduce the broth by half before whisking in the butter.
- If your pan sauce breaks or over-reduces, whisk in a little water while continuing to heat the pan.
Storing Pan Sauce
Store leftover pan sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
FAQs
Pan sauce is made using a liquid with the tasty browned bits leftover from cooking meat or veggies, emulsified with butter.
Gravy is similar to pan sauce, but it is usually thickened with flour and sometimes dairy.
Use broth, stock, white wine, or just water. You can always add other liquid flavor enhancers like a splash of brandy, vermouth, sherry wine, marsala wine, ruby port, or even champagne.
Love this easy Pan Sauce recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
More Sauce Recipes to Try
Pan Sauce Recipe (Steak, Chicken, Fish or Mushrooms)
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Category: cooking basics, sauces
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Everything you need to know about making a simple delicious pan sauce! Whether it’s for steak, chicken, fish or mushrooms, you’ll love our easy basic method. Vegan- adaptable.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely diced (3–4 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup liquid (broth, white wine or water, see notes)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional herbs: thyme, Italian parsley, sage, rosemary
Instructions
- Heat a skillet (preferably the same skillet you used to sear the meat or veggies.) Fee free to remove excess fat- but don’t wipe out the skillet- you want those browned bits (called fond).
- Add aromatics. Add the shallots and just enough olive oil to saute them. Saute over medium heat, stirring often, until golden. Toss in herbs if using.
- Deglaze. Add the liquid, and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce by half.
- Add the fat. Whisk in the butter, lowering heat to low. Once incorporated, turn off the heat.
- Season. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. If you used water, a couple of drops of soy sauce will add delicious depth. If you want some acidity, add 1-2 drops of vinegar or lemon juice.
Notes
- Use a cast iron skillet or heavy bottom stainless steel skillet for the best results.
- You can make a pan sauce simply by adding water to the pan and whisking in butter. Shallot adds beautiful complexity and sweetness.
- When using wine, I prefer to cook it mostly off first, then add stock or broth, reduce by half, before whisking in butter.
- If your pan sauce breaks or over reduces, whisk in a little water, while heating it.
- To make vegan pan sauce, use veggie broth or water and whisk in vegan butter. Or thicken with flour, by making a roux (use extra olive oil), however, this is more like a gravy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ tablespoons
- Calories: 57
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.4 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 7.6 mg
This is a great recipe that can easily be adjusted to your taste preferences or depending on what meat you just cooked. I added a bit of garlic to mine and the suggested lemon. It was very tasty.
Glad you gave it a try Lynn!
I plan on making this sauce tomorrow and I have a question concerning serving. Although not stated I am assuming the herbs noted are fresh. Can I use dried herbs and if so how much. Please advise on measurements. Sometimes fresh herbs are not available and when they are available they can be pricey. Thank you in advance.
Hi Loretta, Generally 1 tablespoon fresh herb = 1 teaspoon dried. Start with a teaspoon or two and add more to taste.
Very simple and fool proof!
Great to hear! I’m so glad you gave this a go!
Hi there . I too know that question – is there a sauce ?! One thing I always want to ask about pan sauces is the timing . After you eg cook steak it can rest but surely not for 15 minutes which is yr timing for yr sauce . And if you need the morsels in the pan you can’t do ahead 🤔. Advice please :). Thanks
Great question Rosemary! I place the meat in a low warm oven- like at 150-200F- while I make the sauce. It helps to slightly undercook it and let it finish in the oven.