15 Gravy Hacks That Make Store-Bought Taste More Like Homemade

Incorporate Drippings From the Roasting Pan

Relying on drippings—also known as “fond”—for homemade gravy can turn into a guessing game with the risk of falling short of the quantity you need. With a little help from store-bought gravy, you can ensure you have enough to coat everyone’s turkey, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

While heating your store-bought gravy on the stove, add drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan to make it more flavorful. The extra fat and flavorful little brown bits give it that store-bought gravy depth and complexity.

Infuse With Aromatic Herbs

Refresh store-bought gravy using fresh herbs like sage, thyme, rosemary, or bay leaves. Playing off classic Thanksgiving flavors, these fresh greens transform plain gravy into something special. To maximize the aromatic infusion, slowly simmer gravy and herbs in a small pot until flagrant and flavorful, then remove the herbs or strain the gravy before serving.

Liven Up With Alcohol

Enliven store-bought gravy with a splash of your favorite cooking wine or spirits like cognac, brandy, or sherry. As you reheat the gravy, add a few tablespoons of wine or liquor and simmer until the alcohol has fully evaporated. The result is a creamy, full-bodied gravy that rivals any homemade version.

Add Browned Butter

Browned butter is the golden-hued end product of butter melted over medium heat until the water cooks off. What remains are milk solids and butterfat, which turns out nutty, toasty, and warm. Add this golden goodness to store-bought gravy to make it rich, comforting, and just like homemade gravy.

Boost Flavor Profile With Umami-Rich Ingredients

Experiment by adding umami-rich ingredients to make ordinary gravy extraordinary. Umami, one of the five basic tastes, is often associated with meaty, earthy, rich flavor profiles.

To give your store-bought gravy the complexity it may be lacking, add ingredients like:

• Mushrooms
• Bacon lardons
• Prosciutto
• Caramelized onions
• Porcini mushrooms
• Truffle
• Black garlic

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.

When the veggies are sufficiently sautéed, stir in your jarred gravy and simmer on low. Before serving, strain those veggies out or use an immersion blender to incorporate them into your gravy.

Augment With Roasted Garlic

If you’re already using your oven, make room to roast a few cloves of garlic, too. Fresh or raw garlic is too pungent to add directly to store-bought gravy, but garlic softens to a silky paste when roasted, making it rich, sweet, and almost creamy.

To roast a few cloves of garlic:

• Set them on a small sheet of foil and form a pouch.
• Add a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, and then roast for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F. (Adjust the time for a hotter oven.)
• Allow the cloves to cool slightly, and then stir into jarred gravy while it’s being heated.

Muster up Some Mustard

Mustard is not just for hot dogs! A little punch of mustard—whether it’s Dijon-style, whole grain, or (in a pinch) the bright yellow stuff—brings a rustic tanginess to plain gravy from a jar. It lends a bite that can really brighten up gravy, as well as other savory sauces. 

Drizzle in Balsamic Vinegar

Similar to mustard, using a bit of balsamic vinegar as a finishing touch helps to boost the flavor of any jarred gravy. Adding a drizzle of balsamic to gravy while it’s heating up gives it a depth of flavor, almost like magic!

Complement With Cream

For an infusion of decadence, there’s hardly anything better than a splash (or two) of heavy cream, and that goes for gravy, too. If you’re worried about calories and fat, you could substitute with half-and-half for a less decadent (but still creamier than store-bought) treatment.

If you do use half-and-half, ensure it’s tempered before adding it to hot gravy so it doesn’t separate. To temper half-and-half, add a bit of hot gravy to it, stir, and then add a bit more. Once the dairy’s temperature is warmed up, you can add it to your gravy. Alternatively, add half-and-half to your jarred gravy, and then warm it up.

Punch up With Chili Peppers

Unless your guests are heat-adverse, try adding some finely chopped jalapeno or other chili pepper to your store-bought gravy. It only takes about 10 minutes for the peppers’ spiciness to penetrate your gravy, plus it adds a bit of texture and, of course, brings the heat.

Mix in Some Pork Sausage

Despite gravy’s long-held association with the holidays, don’t neglect it the rest of the year! Doctor-up store-bought gravy with additions like pork sausage to lather over freshly baked, warm biscuits.

Drizzle in Some Fish or Soy Sauce

Here’s another one: Add fish sauce and soy sauce. Serve the gravy over crunchy French fries and cheese curds to make poutine, a classic Canadian dish. The savory, salty gravy perfectly complements the crunchy fries and melted cheese, making it an irresistible combination.

Sweeten It Up

Add a teaspoon of maple syrup or honey for a subtle sweetness. Adding a touch of sweetness can balance out the savory, salty flavors. It’s a contrast that works especially well in gravies for dishes like roasted meats, turkey, or pork, enhancing their natural flavors without overpowering them.

Drop in Some Hot Sauce

Finish the gravy with a few drops of hot sauce or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a slightly hot punch. The mild spiciness gives the gravy a balanced kick without overwhelming the other flavors in it.

This hack works particularly well for a gravy that you pair with a hearty dish like mashed potatoes since the heat can cut through the heaviness and make the gravy more dynamic. Just remember: A small amount goes a long way.