Ham Gravy

The Gravy You Didn’t Know You Needed

This Ham Gravy is the easiest way to turn those flavorful drippings into something truly special to serve alongside your ham. It comes together quickly with simple ingredients and is perfect over slices of ham, mashed potatoes, or anything that needs a little extra comfort.

Every year when I make a ham, I find myself hovering over the pan more than I probably should. Catch me sneaking little tastes of that salty, meaty liquid that collects in the bottom, because it would be unacceptable to drink it right?

It’s always been my favorite part, especially those little meaty bits that settle in there.

I finally thought, why am I not turning this into an actual gravy? Ever since then, I’ve made it a point to save those drippings.

It is now one of my favorite parts of the whole meal. Something about it just feels extra comforting, especially when over mashed potatoes.

If You Do Not Have Enough Drippings

If you’re worried about not having enough drippings, you can use Better Than Bouillon ham base as a backup or boost. Just mix it with hot water according to the package directions.

You can use it in place of your drippings to build a really flavorful gravy. This is the same ingredient I use in my Ham Stuffing Recipe.

Use The Right Pan & You Will Have The Drip

One of the biggest mistakes people make is using a roasting pan that’s way too big. When the pan is oversized, all of that liquid from the ham spreads out into a thin layer across the bottom, so instead of staying pooled around the meat it spreads and dries up.

Once it’s spread out like that, it evaporates much faster in the heat of the oven, and you can even start to lose it to scorching before you realize what’s happening. That means you’re losing moisture that keeps your ham juicy.

You’re also losing the very drippings you need for a good gravy. Using a snug-fitting pan keeps the liquid concentrated, slows down evaporation, and helps build those rich, flavorful juices that make the whole dish better.

Make Sure The Drippings Have Flavor

These ham drippings have a little extra flavor because the ham is warmed with Coca Cola and prune juice. This gives them a subtle sweetness and that rich, almost molasses-like base.

When you turn that into gravy, it creates a really balanced sweet and savory flavor. If you prefer your gravy a little sweeter to match your ham, add a pinch or two of brown sugar to taste.

Friendly Reminder

No matter how you are warming your ham, whether it’s in the oven, a slow cooker, or a Nesco, you always want to have some type of liquid in the bottom. This helps keep the ham moist as it heats.

It will also prevent it from drying out. It definitely creates those flavorful drippings you can use for gravy.

Where Are The Juices Coming From?

As the ham warms, it naturally releases its own juices because it’s already been cured and fully cooked. The heat gently pushes that moisture out of the meat.

It then mixes with whatever liquid you have in the bottom of the pan or roaster. This is what creates those rich, flavorful drippings to make the gravy.

It is essentially concentrated ham flavor made as the ham heats. Keeping some liquid in the bottom helps build even more of it.

Avoid The Dryness

Most spiral sliced hams that people are buying, especially around Easter, are already fully cooked when you get them. That means you are not actually cooking the ham from raw.

You are simply warming it through so it’s hot and ready to serve.

Because of that, you don’t need high heat and you don’t need to rush the process. In fact, using lower, gentler heat helps keep the ham juicy.

It will also prevent it from drying out or becoming overly salty. This can happen if you overheat it trying to “cook” something that’s already done.

The only exception would be if you specifically purchased an uncooked or fresh ham. This is less common and will be clearly labeled.

In that case, you would need to fully cook it to a safe internal temperature. But for the typical spiral sliced holiday ham, think of it as reheating, not cooking.