Gravy is a really popular sauce, made from the juices of meats that run during cooking and thickened with flour or cornstarch. It can be made with many different ingredients and is commonly served with roasts, rice, mashed potatoes, and meatloaf.
Ending up with leftover gravy is a really common scenario, and no one really wants to throw away this delicious sauce. This is why we made this guide on how to reheat the gravy.
What’s the best way to reheat gravy? The best way to reheat gravy is to use a microwave if you want it done really quick, otherwise, if you want to preserve all the flavor and juiciness you can use a skillet or even a pot.
The Best Ways To Reheat Gravy
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Reheating gravy isn’t a difficult task, but the first thing to keep in mind is that it’s necessary to store the gravy correctly if you want to be able to enjoy it for the next few days.
Gravy begins to separate if you hold it for too much time, so, to preserve the quality, you need to refrigerate the gravy as soon as you can, and then use it within two days.
If you really want to reheat spoiled gravy that has been left in the fridge for more than two days, you can boil it for three minutes to kill any bacteria and eventually store it for a few other days.
You can also decide to freeze some of the gravy, instead of just putting it in the fridge: a really useful tip is to run the gravy really quickly through a blender before you put it in the freezer, to reduce the chance of separation of the ingredients.
You can also spoon the gravy into freezer bags or airtight containers so that it’ll be easier to reheat it later. Almost any kind of gravy can remain frozen in an airtight container for up to four months without losing its flavor.
You can then thaw frozen gravy in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it with one of the methods we’ve listed below the next day.
Don’t worry if your gravy looks a bit jiggly: bones and skin contain a lot of collagen, which can turn into gelatin when simmered for hours and then left to cool down. This is exactly what happens when you cook gravy and you store it in the refrigerator: you’ll just have to heat it correctly to get it back to its liquid state.
There are a few different methods you can use to reheat gravy, and the best one depends mostly on the kitchen appliances you can use. All the methods we’ve listed work well, so the decision is completely up to you!
You can reheat any kind of gravy with all of these methods, so it doesn’t matter if you have to reheat white gravy, if you have to reheat turkey gravy, or if you’re reheating sausage gravy.
We have prepared a handy guide to help you choose the best method to get the perfect consistency and flavor.
How to reheat gravy in a skillet
One of the best methods to reheat gravy is using a skillet: this means you’ll have complete control over how much you’re reheating your sauce, and you can make sure the gravy is reheating evenly and gently.
Use a pan with a thick bottom, or you’ll risk burning the gravy. For the same reason, it’s important to just keep whisking it, even if the gravy doesn’t look like it’s melting.
You should also remember to always keep a low flame and to keep whisking: the gravy needs to be brought to a temperature that can kill any bacteria, but doing this may cause the structure of the gravy to break down, so you need to keep whisking in order to avoid this.
If the gravy thins out too much keep reducing the sauce overheat, or add more of the same thickener you used to make the gravy. If the gravy has gotten a bit gummy, thin it out by adding warmed stock while whisking.
Here are the steps to reheat gravy in a skillet:
- Take the gravy out of the fridge and spoon it into the skillet: spooning can help you break up gelled gravy into smaller portions that are easier to reheat.
- Start with cool gravy in a cool pan, don’t pre-heat the pan.
- Keep the heat on low and reheat slowly.
- Whisk the gravy as you reheat it, to help it heat evenly.
- Keep whisking until the gravy is simmering.
How to reheat gravy in a pot
Another method, pretty similar to reheating gravy in a skillet, is to use a pot and double boil it: this way you can be even more in control over how much you’re reheating your sauce, and you won’t risk burning it.
You still have to whisk consistently and keep an eye on the temperature and the heat on low, but the chances of burning the gravy are definitely less.
You don’t even need to have a double boiler in your kitchen: you can just bring an inch or two of water to a simmer and place the bowl with your gravy over the pot with the boiling water. Make sure your bowl isn’t touching the water and you’re all set!
Here are the steps to reheat gravy in a pot:
- Fill your pot with two inches of water and bring it to a simmer.
- Place the bowl with the gravy over the pot, making sure it’s not touching the water.
- Keep stirring until the gravy comes together.
How to reheat gravy in a microwave
The third method you can use to reheat gravy is using a microwave: this is the simplest and quickest option, but you have to heat your leftovers at short intervals in order to reheat it correctly and evenly.
If you want to reheat gravy in a microwave, move the sauce to a shallow container or plate that is microwave safe and use short bursts of heat, stirring in between. Keep in mind that the microwave should also be on medium or medium-low heat.
You can reheat the gravy for as long as you like, but remember to keep stirring every now and then: stirring can help your gravy re-emulsify so that you won’t end up with separated ingredients.
Here are the steps to reheat gravy in a microwave:
- Take your cold gravy out of the fridge and put it in a microwave-safe container (choose something shallow in depth so that your gravy can reheat evenly).
- Use the microwave on medium or medium-low power.
- Heat the gravy for short 30-second bursts of heat and stir in between.
- Reheat the gravy for as long as you like, until the gravy is liquid and steaming.
Can you reheat gravy?
The answer to this question is yes, you can reheat your leftover gravy and you can enjoy this delicious sauce for a few days: you just have to remember to store it properly.
You can choose your preferred method between the ones we’ve listed above: each one works for different needs and based on the availability of your kitchen appliances.
The fastest way to reheat gravy is in the microwave: it’s easy and simple, and you just have to remember to use it on medium or medium-low heat and to stir occasionally, so that you can be sure to end up with an evenly heated gravy.
You can also reheat your leftover gravy in a skillet, provided that you use a heavy-bottomed skillet: you can easily control how much you’re heating your gravy, but you have to keep stirring in order to heat it evenly.
The third method you can use is to use a pot as a double boiler. Or you could just use a double boiler if you happen to have one in your kitchen! This is another amazing method to control just how much you’re heating the gravy, and it’s also very safe.
Whichever method you choose, keep in mind that your number one goal is to keep all the ingredients together and avoid separation: a whisk is your best friend!
This means you should be mindful of your portions: it’s better to just reheat a small portion of gravy and leave the rest in the fridge to be reheated on a different occasion. If you need to reheat the gravy a second time, make sure you brought it to a boil for about three minutes to kill off eventual bacteria.
Follow our step-by-step guide and you’ll get to enjoy this amazing sauce not only when you make it, but also in the next few days!
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