Easy Ham Gravy
Easy ham gravy is a rich, savory homemade gravy that is the perfect finishing touch for ham dinners and all their sides. You can make it without a lot of work and it will bring out all the delicious ham flavor.
If you’re making a ham for dinner, don’t let those flavorful drippings go to waste because they can turn into the easiest homemade gravy.
Yes, just like you can make gravy from chicken, turkey, and beef drippings, you can make homemade ham gravy from ham drippings.
And it’s rich, savory, and packed with that delicious salty, smoky ham flavor.
It makes everything you pour it over taste even better- especially mashed potatoes, biscuits, and your other favorite sides.
Plus this easy ham gravy comes together super fast with ingredients you probably have in your kitchen.
It can be ready in minutes and will take your dinner to the next level of deliciousness!
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Butter– Unsalted. Ham drippings are very salty and you don’t want to add more salt unnecessarily.
- Flour– All purpose.
- Milk– Whole is best.
- Ham drippings– A full cup. If you don’t have a full cup, use what you have and use chicken stock so the liquid reaches a full cup.
- Salt and pepper– To taste. Remember to go easy on the salt.
How to Make
This easy ham gravy is super quick.
To do it, scrape any stuck on browned bits from the ham off the bottom of the pan and stir them into the drippings.
Set the drippings aside.
Then melt the butter in a medium skillet or sauce pan set over medium heat.
Once the butter melts, whisk in the flour until a golden, smooth paste-like mixture forms.
Slowly pour in the milk and drippings a little at a time, whisking constantly to combine.
When you have whisked in all of the milk and drippings, bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat.
As soon as the mixture boils, turn the heat down so it’s just simmering.
Let it simmer for 3-5 minutes or just until the gravy thickens slightly, stirring often.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve it warm and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftovers of completely cooled gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Keep in mind the gravy will thicken in the fridge.
Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring to recombine it.
If needed, stir in a little chicken broth to thin it back out to your desired consistency.
Tips and Tricks
- While I don’t usually specify if butter needs to be unsalted or not in most recipes, in this one I definitely recommend using unsalted since the ham drippings are already very salty.
- Stir the drippings and milk in a little at a time. You can’t stir too much, but you can stir not enough and wind up with a thicker or lumpy gravy.
- Be sure to scrape up any stuck on browned bites from the bottom of the pan and stir them in so they aren’t left behind. These are little flavor bombs you won’t want to miss including in your gravy. If you need to, pour in just a little broth and work a sturdy spoon against the bottom of the pan.
- If you need to use chicken broth or stock because you don’t have enough drippings, use low sodium if you can to help keep it from getting too salty.
- Give the gravy a taste before adding salt and pepper.
Other Ham Side Dishes
Easy ham gravy is the perfect way to finish a ham dinner.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other tasty ham side dishes?
Try these:
- Warm German Potato Salad
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Mississippi Green Beans
- Cheesy Broccoli Potato Casserole
- Creamy Scalloped Potato With Boursin Cheese
- Basil Pesto Green Bean Casserole
- The Creamiest Homemade Mac & Cheese
- Green Bean Almondine
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
If you’ve tried this EASY HAM GRAVY or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Easy Ham Gravy
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup ham drippings if not a full cup, use as all you have and measure chicken broth to finish filling the one cup measurement
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Scrape any stuck on browned bits from the ham off the bottom of the pan, then stir them into the drippings, and set aside.1 cup ham drippings
- Add the butter to a medium skillet, or sauce pan, set over medium heat. Once melted whisk in the flour until evenly combined, then saute for 60 seconds to cook off the flour taste.1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup flour
- Slowly pour in the milk and drippings a little at a time, whisking constantly to combine, making sure the gravy's come together and smooth after each addition before adding more.1 cup milk
- When all of the milk and drippings have been incorporated, bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, just until the gravy's thickened slightly.
- Season with salt & pepper, to taste.salt & pepper
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- While I don't usually specify if butter needs to be unsalted or not in most recipes, in this one I definitely recommend using unsalted since the ham drippings are already very salty.
- Stir the drippings and milk in a little at a time. You can't stir too much, but you can stir not enough and wind up with a thicker or lumpy gravy.
- Be sure to scrape up any stuck on browned bites from the bottom of the pan and stir them in so they aren't left behind. These are little flavor bombs you won't want to miss including in your gravy. If you need to, pour in just a little broth and work a sturdy spoon against the bottom of the pan.
- If you need to use chicken broth or stock because you don't have enough drippings, use low sodium if you can to help keep it from getting too salty.
- Give the gravy a taste before adding salt and pepper.
Nutrition
