The Best Gravy | Slimming Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What to add to gravy to make it taste better? ›

Add an umami-rich condiment.

Just as you might add condiments like soy sauce, miso paste, Worcestershire sauce, or even a splash of sherry or cider vinegar to your favorite gravy recipe, incorporate them into store-bought gravy for a more complex flavor.

A make-ahead gravy that doesn't rely on turkey drippings or a roux. The gravy's depth of flavor comes from roasted poultry bones and—surprise! —a sprinkle of MSG, which has an umami-to-the-max effect.

Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.

Similar to flour, cornstarch is another ingredient that can be used to make gravy thicker. With cornstarch, making a slurry is also an option, but with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked into cold water. Again, you'll want to add the slurry in increments so you don't over-thicken the gravy.

But if you have time to spare, add pan drippings from turkey, bacon or bacon drippings, caramelized vegetables (like onions, leeks, carrots and celery), herbs or garlic. You'll want to simmer the gravy with these additions for a good 20 minutes to pick up the additional flavors (longer, if possible).

Supplement with Sautéed Vegetables

Soft, fragrant, sautéed vegetables lend a sweet, earthy, warm flavor to your store-bought gravy. Use any combination of onions, leeks, shallots, celery, carrots, and mushrooms cooked in butter, olive oil, or pan drippings.

Fats add tremendous flavor.

Butter, chicken fat, turkey, beef, pork, bacon, duck, goose…if it has fat, it'll add flavor. And that, Riene, will get you back on the gravy train. Now, go roast a chicken, save the drippings, and make some gravy! (We've heard biscuits to sop up all that gravy add a little extra flair too.)

Directions. Add the butter and flour to a skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, until melted together and well combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stream in the stock while whisking and continue to cook until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in a little shredded turkey.

Easy-to-access alternatives are wheat flour, arrowroot flour, and rice flour. These are good alternatives to cornstarch because they are more nutritious and contain fewer carbohydrates and calories. Xanthan and guar gum are much stronger thickeners than cornstarch, but they can be harder to obtain and use.

If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch. If you're substituting flour for cornstarch to thicken the sauce in your recipe, substitute two tablespoons all-purpose flour for every one tablespoon cornstarch.

What is the formula for gravy? ›

A traditional roux uses roughly an equal amount of flour and fat, but gravies often call for a bit more flour than that, to ensure the gravy is thick enough. (The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.)

If you do not stir constantly, the flour mixture could create lumps. The whisk helps to prevent lumps from forming. If lumps do form, the whisk will help to break them up. Tip #7 – If your gravy gets lumpy, strain it!

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful. Homemade stock, even made with chicken stock rather than turkey, will produce a superior gravy—so it's worth the effort.