This savory, smoky Ham Gravy recipe is the much anticipated bonus to your ham and mashed potatoes holiday dinner. It’s lightly rich and creamy, and so easy to make with ham drippings!
Whenever I make my Crockpot Ham and Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes – for the holidays or any time we’re craving ham – you can bet I’m saving the drippings to make this flavorful Ham Gravy to serve with this meal – my family demands it!
Why It’s Worth Saving Your Drippings for Ham Gravy
I’ve watched (in horror!) as ham drippings have been discarded after someone has cooked a ham. If only they knew how easy it truly is to make ham gravy. This simple sauce adds SO MUCH to a ham dinner. I love to swipe up every last drop with tender Rhodes Rolls or Cream Biscuits!
- The most flavorful gravy. Ham is one of the most flavorful meats since, by definition, it’s cured and often smoked too. So it follows that ham gravy is also super flavorful — savory, smoky, with a light touch of sweetness.
- Rich and creamy. Using whole milk, butter, and those ham drippings gives you a gravy that’s perfectly delicious. And you can make it as thick or as thin as you like.
- Easy to make. There’s no reason not to make ham gravy when ham is on your holiday menu! It’s made with pantry staples and it comes together on the stovetop with minimal effort.
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need
There’s a short list of ingredients for this ham gravy recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
- Ham drippings – Collected from the pan or crockpot after the ham is done cooking, and separated into fat and juices.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter, since ham is salty to begin with. You can always add more saltiness if needed.
- Flour – This thickens the gravy.
- Milk – Whole milk gives a rich, creamy gravy that’s not overly rich.
- Soy sauce – This is optional, for some umami, depth, and added saltiness. It also offers a touch of darker color.
- Black pepper – For a lovely bit of warmth.
How to Make Ham Gravy
Ham gravy is easy to make. Here’s a step-by-step guide, let’s go!
- Separate the fat and juices. After collecting the juices from the pan or crockpot, use a fat separator or pour the juices into a liquid measuring cup and let the fat rise to the top. Measure 1/4 cup of fat and 1 cup of juices; the rest can be discarded or reserved for another purpose.
- Start the gravy. Combine the ham’s fat and butter in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, whisking occasionally, for a minute.
- Stream in the liquids. Increase the heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in the juices, followed by the milk.
- Keep cooking. Continue to cook the gravy until it reaches your desired thickness, or about 3 minutes.
- Season to taste and serve. Add salt or soy sauce if desired and whisk in black pepper, then serve.
Tips for Perfect Ham Gravy
These additional pointers will give you the perfect ham gravy!
- Make sure you have enough drippings. If you aren’t able to collect enough drippings from the pan to equal the amount of fat and juices needed for this recipe, here’s a simple way to adjust: If you’re light on fat, just add in some melted butter to equal 1/4 cup of fat. If you’re light on juices, add some chicken broth or water until you have 1 cup of juices.
- Adjust the consistency. If you prefer a thinner gravy or your gravy has thickened a little more than you anticipated, whisk in a bit more milk or some chicken broth to thin it out.
- Be careful with salt and soy sauce. It’s really important to taste the gravy before adding any salt or the optional soy sauce. Ham gravy can be salty and you don’t want to add more without knowing what you’re working with first!
Serving Suggestions
Ham gravy begs to be paired with sliced ham and mashed potatoes – try my Creamy Mashed Potatoes or Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes. Fill out your plate with Pineapple Casserole, for some sweetness.
If you’re a fan of Biscuits & Gravy, try ham gravy in place of the usual sausage gravy. This is where I first fell in love with making homemade gravy!
How to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze extra ham gravy in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm the gravy in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, or heat it in the microwave. Add a little milk, water, or chicken broth if it is thicker than you like.
More Awesome Sauce Recipes
Ham Gravy
Yield: 12 servings
This savory, smoky gravy is rich and lightly creamy, and easy to make with ham drippings. Serve it with sliced ham, mashed potatoes, and more!
Print
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fat from reserved ham drippings
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup juices from reserved ham drippings
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce or fine sea salt, optional (use more or less, until desired flavor is achieved)
- ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Instructions
- First, collect the drippings from the bottom of the slow cooker of a Crockpot Ham or the pan of a baked ham. Then separate the fat from the juices. A fat separator works really well. Otherwise, pour everything into a measuring cup and let it sit until the fat rises to the surface – you will see a distinct line of fat and juices. Measure out ¼ cup of the fat for this recipe and discard or save the rest for later use. Then measure out 1 cup of the juices and set aside. (See Notes below)
- In a medium-size saute pan over medium heat, add reserved fat and butter, and whisk until evenly combined. Sprinkle flour over the top, whisking to combine into a paste. Cook for 1 minute, whisking occasionally.
- Turn heat up to medium-high and then slowly drizzle the reserved juices into the flour mixture, whisking all the while to incorporate smoothly. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly to break down any flour clumps.
- Cook until gravy is perfectly smooth and thickened, whisking occasionally, about 3 minutes or so. If you desire a thinner gravy, add a bit more milk or some chicken broth.
- Now taste test. Ham gravy is typically on the salty side, but the amount of salt will very much depend on your ham. If desired, add some soy sauce for additional saltiness and a touch of darker color, as much as you like. Or just add some fine sea salt instead. Whisk in black pepper. Serve hot.
Notes
If you aren’t able to collect enough fat, just add in some melted butter to equal 1/4 cup of fat. If you’re light on juices, add some chicken broth or water until you have 1 cup of juices.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 251kcal Carbohydrates: 3g Protein: 1g Fat: 26g Saturated Fat: 11g Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g Monounsaturated Fat: 11g Trans Fat: 0.04g Cholesterol: 28mg Sodium: 45mg Potassium: 34mg Fiber: 0.1g Sugar: 1g Vitamin A: 62IU Calcium: 26mg Iron: 0.1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
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