Last Updated on July 4, 2024
Today, we’re going to be answering the question: is au jus gluten free? And taking a look at the typical ingredients you might find in au jus, and how to make your own gluten free au just at home. Au just is incredibly popular, particularly in French cooking and it adds great flavor to meat dishes you’re cooking. But is au jus typically gluten free? Let’s take a closer look.
Table of Contents
What Is Au Jus?
You may be familiar with the term “au jus”, particularly if you watch a lot of cooking shows like MasterChef, or enjoy eating out at fine restaurants. The term “au jus” simply means “with juice” in French cooking.
While meat cooks, it often secretes juices as it’s cooking. These juices are then used to make a gravy or broth, which the meat is then served in. It’s mainly used in meat dishes such as chicken, lamb and veal. It’s an easy, natural way to bring out the flavors of the meat, and enhance the dish.
Ingredients In Au Jus
Au just recipes can differ depending on which meat you’re cooking, and where in the world you’re cooking it, as many countries have different methods. However, most US recipes contain the following ingredients:
- meat juices
- soy sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- salt
- pepper
- white sugar
- garlic
- carrots
- onions
Nutritional Information Of Au Jus
You may be wondering what the nutritional value is when it comes to au jus. Each teaspoon of au just contains the following:
- Calories: 9
- Fat: 0.3g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 0.1mg
- Sodium: 348mg
- Potassium: 8.4mg
- Carbs: 1.4g
- Protein: 0.3g
Is Au Jus Gluten Free?
Au jus is typically gluten free. However, there are a few reasons why it may not be gluten free. One of the ingredients in the US recipes is Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire sauce can sometimes contain gluten, but is very easy to source gluten free. Another reason is that some people like to add flour to help make the gravy thicker. Wheat flour is usually the flour of choice, which is of course, not gluten free.
If you’re making au jus from scratch, it’s super easy to make gluten free. However, if ordering au jus at a restaurant, or buying from a store, always be sure to check with your server and check the ingredients.
Gluten Free Au Jus Brands
While there are a few popular au jus mixes that are gluten free, the one I most often use is the Knorr Professional Instant Au Jus Gravy Mix. It’s not just gluten free, it’s also dairy free, no added MSG and no artificial colors or preservatives.
The ingredients in this product are:
- maltodextrin
- modified corn starch
- hydrolyzed soy protein
- yeast extract
- salt
- onion powder
- caramel color
- brown sugar
- beef fat
- lard
- natural flavors
- citric acid
- beef extract
- disodium guanylate
- disodium inosinate
Gluten Free Au Jus Recipe
If you’d like to make your own gluten free au jus, it’s super easy! And it goes perfectly with a French Dip. The recipe we’re looking at is inspired by one from Little Garden Girl. Let’s take a closer look.
Ingredients
The ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are:
for the Au Jus:
- 1 cup of gluten free broth of choice
- 1 teaspoon of gluten free Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons of tamari (or other gf soy sauce)
for the Sandwich:
- 1 gluten free baguette
- 1/2 lb of deli roast beef
- 1 tablespoon of horseradish sauce
- 1/2 cup of sautéed vegetables (such as onions, carrots etc.)
Step-by-Step to Make Gluten-Free Au Jus Recipe
Now all you need to do is:
Step 1: Prepare
Preheat your oven to 350F. Once preheated, place your baguette into the center of the oven and heat for around 5 minutes
Step 2: Make the Au Jus
Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce to a pan. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to allow to simmer. In the meantime, remove the bread from the oven and cut open. Add the horseradish to one side of your bread. Now dip your roast beef into the au jus for a few minutes and put the beef on top of the horseradish. Now add your sautéed vegetables on top of the meat.
Step 3: Serve
Your sandwich is now ready to eat! Pour the au jus into a bowl and dip in after every bite. Enjoy!
Conclusion
I hope this post has helped to answer the question: is au jus gluten-free? And give you an idea of how simple it can be to make your own Au Jus at home! Most grocery stores will offer an instant au jus gravy mix to make it even easier – so be sure to have a look!
FAQs
Hi, my name’s Zoë. I live in London, UK. I work full time as a freelance writer and critic for West End theatre. Writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I spend most of my free time at the theatre, or at conventions. I’m married to the love of my life, and live in a small apartment with my fur baby, Lillie. I run two of my own blogs: No Safer Place and Stage to Page: both of which have won awards. I also have a YouTube channel where I talk about all things stagey.