Our Test Kitchen's Easy Trick to Making Your Gravy Less Salty (2024)

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When hosting holiday meals, it's not a proper feast without all the trimmings. In most cases, this includes a large boat of gravy alongside the centerpiece roasted turkey or chicken and mashed potatoes. But what happens if you go in for a taste test only to find the from-scratch pan gravy too salty to serve your guests? Not to worry! Our Test Kitchen has an easy fix if your gravy's too salty.

Read on to find out the pantry ingredient that can reduce saltiness. This works for any rich gravy, including chicken gravy or giblet gravy.

How to Cut Saltiness in Gravy

When making turkey gravy (or any pan gravy), avoid making your gravy too salty by waiting to add any salt until the end. The pan drippings from the bird and any added broth may be enough to properly season the gravy. However, if you've tasted it and it's already too salty, here's an easy trick on how to make gravy less salty:

• Chop a small potato and stir it into the gravy. Then, stir and simmer the gravy for about 15 minutes, removing the potato pieces. The potato will absorb the excess salt. Taste before serving.

There you have it! Now you know what to do if your gravy's too salty when you're in a pinch to avoid wasting any of those precious pan drippings. If the gravy becomes too thick during the extra cooking time or if you think the gravy is still a bit too salty, add a small amount of water to the pot.

Want to upgrade your homemade gravy game? Try our bourbon and cider pan gravy recipe.