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.
Servings: 8
Calories: 349kcal
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
Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 227IU | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 0.2mg