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Whether you’re hosting a hungry crowd for Thanksgiving, cooking for one or two, or simply bringing yourself to dinner across the street, you’ll probably be making something on Nov. 28: an appetizer, side dish, or dessert. And while there are some things on the menu every family insists on making from scratch—apple pie and cornbread stuffing over here—other items are just easier to pick up at the store.
If you’d rather skip dealing with giblets and making a roux minutes before sitting down to eat, there’s no shame in opting for a store-bought gravy instead. Of course, you’ll want to ensure your choice helps your beautiful bird shine (and doesn’t drown anything in salty goop).
I tasted six of the most popular packaged gravy brands at the grocery store, and believe me, this is one item you do not want to go blind on. I was shocked by the differences in flavor, texture, and looks between the six sauces I sampled. Before you stock up for the holiday, here’s what to look for in the best-tasting store-bought gravy.
Here are the six gravies I tested, ranked from worst to best.
McCormick Turkey Gravy
Calories: 25
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 280 mg
Carbs: 5 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein:
The well-known spice brand McCormick makes several gravies in cartons as well as dry mixes to whisk together your own sauce. I tested the turkey gravy, which is made from turkey stock, corn, and potato starch, plus flavorings. A 12-ounce carton cost me $3.39.
The look: This is a very thick, gelatinous gravy with a pale beige color. It’s shiny and uniformly smooth with no visible meat or vegetables.
The taste: To be frank, I could not stand how this gravy tasted. It’s earthy, to put it kindly, and the goopy, jelly-like texture is off-putting. It tasted and smelled like it had been inside that carton for far too long.
Heinz Homestyle Turkey Gravy
Nutrition: (Per 1/4 Cup Serving)
Calories: 25
Fat: 1.5 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 250 mg
Carbs: 3 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 0 g
Beyond its beloved ketchup, Heinz also makes three jarred gravies, including this simple chicken gravy. It’s made with chicken stock and fat and thickened with cornstarch and flour. The sauce is enriched with canola oil and flavored with onion powder and black pepper. A jar cost me $2.87.
The look: According to the ingredient panel, this gravy contains turmeric and caramel coloring, but it was the palest, most eh-looking gravy I tasted. It’s pallid and homogenous looking with a glossy finish.
The taste: Much like the look, this gravy was bland and forgettable. It didn’t have a trace of the herby, meaty flavor you want on a Thanksgiving table. Instead, it tasted mostly like salt.
Campbell’s Turkey Gravy
Calories: 25 cal
Fat: 1 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 270 mg
Carbs: 3 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein:
This store-bought gravy comes in a can. It’s made with a combination of chicken and turkey stock plus flour and starch. The flavor comes from added chicken and turkey fat, plus dried onions and dried chicken. A regular-sized can cost me just $1.52.
The look: Campbell’s gravy has a familiar beige hue and a glossy, thickened texture. It’s colored with caramel coloring and is uniform and smooth.
The taste: This gravy tasted like thickened, canned chicken broth, which is essentially what it is. The tin can leaves a bit of a musty flavor, and though it was plenty salty, the gravy was missing complexity and acid to make the flavors pop.
Williams Sonoma Gravy Base
Calories: 25 cal
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 280 mg
Carbs: 5 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein:
Unlike the other products I sampled, this was a gravy base. It has to be combined with an equal amount of milk and heated on the stove. The gravy base is made from turkey stock and fat, plus sunflower oil and caramel coloring. An 18-ounce jar cost me $16.95—far and away the most expensive item in this survey.
The look: Out of the jar, the gravy base is deep mahogany brown and very gelatinous, like a well-made, highly reduced bone broth. Once it’s combined with milk, it has a nice golden-brown hue.
The taste: This is a very tasty gravy, and I believe that the extra step of adding dairy makes it feel a touch closer to homemade. The milk gives it a fresh creaminess and the base itself has a deep turkey flavor with a touch of herbiness.
Primal Kitchen No Dairy Classic Gravy
Calories: 70
Fat: 4 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 280 mg
Carbs: 5 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein:
This gravy from Primal Kitchen touts itself as “no dairy,” but truthfully, most store-bought gravies are made without dairy. This jarred sauce is richer than most, thanks to the addition of coconut cream. It’s certified organic, keto, Whole30, and paleo. The 12-ounce jar cost me $5.99.
The look: Out of the jar, this gravy has the tell-tale sign of collagen-rich bone broth: it forms solid jelly-like chunks that tumble into your bowl. Once heated, the sauce mostly comes together, but it never becomes totally smooth.
The taste: This is a rich, full-flavored gravy. I didn’t notice a distinct coconut flavor. Rather, it’s deeply savory–bordering on too salty–and has a delicious, real turkey flavor. The gravy has a lot of body, but not in a weirdly gelatinous way like many of the other gravies I tried.
Le Sauce Thanksgiving Turkey Gravy
Nutrition: (Per 1/4 Cup Serving)
Calories: 30
Fat: 2 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 105 mg
Carbs: 3 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 0 g
This gravy, portioned in a pouch, is made with both turkey and chicken stock and is enriched with butter, and flavored with shallots, garlic, and fresh herbs. It also has a touch of sugar. The 8.8-ounce pouch cost me $6.89.
The look: This was the darkest gravy I sampled. It has a rich chocolate color and a shiny, glossy finish. The sauce is thinner and more pourable than most of the others, suggesting that it contains less thickener.
The taste: This was the closest to homemade gravy I found. The sauce is rich and meaty with the wintery herbs you expect at Thanksgiving–thyme and sage. It’s full of umami and tastes fresh, not canned. There’s a nice acidic finish to it that ties the flavors together and is much-needed on the largely rich and carby Thanksgiving plate. The gravy has a nice natural texture from finely-diced onions.
You could easily pass off this gravy as homemade.
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Lizzy Briskin
