Most people finish roasting a massive holiday ham, look at the bottom of the pan, and just see a sticky, watery mess. They dump it. That’s a mistake. Honestly, it’s a tragedy. You’ve got all that caramelized sugar from the glaze and the rendered pork fat sitting right there. If you know how to make gravy from a ham, you basically turn a dry side dish into the star of the plate. But let’s be real for a second. Ham gravy is tricky. Unlike turkey or beef, ham is cured. It’s salty. It’s sweet. If you just throw flour and water into those pan drippings, you’re going to end up with something that tastes like a salt lick dipped in syrup.
It’s about balance.
You need to understand the chemistry of what’s in that pan. Most hams you buy at the grocery store—the city hams—are injected with a brine of water, salt, and sodium phosphate. When that ham heats up, the brine leaks out. That’s your base. If you’re lucky, you also have "fond," those little brown bits stuck to the metal. That's where the flavor lives.
Why Your Previous Ham Gravy Probably Failed
Usually, people try to make ham gravy the same way they make chicken gravy. They make a roux, add the drippings, and wonder why it tastes like a chemical plant. The salt concentration in ham drippings is astronomically higher than in a roasted chicken. According to food scientists at the USDA, a standard cured ham can contain upwards of 1,000mg of sodium per 100g of meat. When that concentrates in the pan? Yeah. It’s intense.
You have to dilute.
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If you don't dilute the drippings with a low-sodium stock or even a bit of apple cider, you're doomed from the start. Also, stop using salted butter for your roux. Just don't do it. You’re adding fuel to the fire.
The Step-by-Step Reality of How to Make Gravy From a Ham
First, get the ham out of the way. Let it rest on a cutting board. Look at the pan. If you see a lot of liquid, pour it into a glass measuring cup. Let it sit for two minutes. The fat will rise to the top. This is important because ham fat (lard) has a lower melting point than beef fat, and it can get greasy fast if you don't manage it.
Building the Base
Take about two tablespoons of that ham fat from the top of the cup and put it back into a saucepan. If you don't have enough fat, use unsalted butter. Whisk in two tablespoons of all-purpose flour. You’re looking for a blonde roux here. Don't let it get dark and nutty like a Cajun gumbo roux; ham flavor is too delicate for that. It'll clash with the cloves or pineapple or whatever you put in the glaze.
Slowly—and I mean slowly—whisk in your liquid.
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What liquid? This is where you fix the salt issue. Use a 50/50 mix of your pan drippings and a low-sodium chicken stock. Or, if you want to be fancy, use some apple juice. The acidity in the juice cuts right through the heavy salt and pork fat. It sounds weird. It works.
Dealing with the Glaze
If you used a honey or brown sugar glaze, your drippings are going to be thick and sweet. This changes the game. You might not even need a roux. You might just need a cornstarch slurry. A slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water) keeps the gravy translucent and bright, which looks better with the pinkish hue of the ham than a heavy, opaque flour gravy.
- Simmer the drippings with a splash of liquid (water, stock, or cider).
- Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water.
- Whisk it into the boiling liquid.
- Watch it thicken in about 30 seconds.
The Secret Ingredient: Acidity
I’ve talked to dozens of home cooks who swear their gravy is "missing something." It’s usually acid. Ham is incredibly one-note: it's salty-sweet. To wake up the palate, you need something sharp.
A teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
A splash of apple cider vinegar.
Even a squeeze of lemon.
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These aren't just "chef-y" additions; they are functional. Acid breaks down the perception of saltiness on your tongue. It’s why we put pickles on burgers and vinegar on fries. In ham gravy, a tiny bit of mustard powder or prepared Dijon provides a back-end heat that balances out the sugar from the glaze.
Common Pitfalls and How to Pivot
What if it’s still too salty? Don't toss it. Add a splash of heavy cream. The fats in the cream coat your taste buds and physically prevent you from tasting the full intensity of the salt. It turns it into a "Creamy Ham Gravy," which is honestly incredible over mashed potatoes or biscuits the next morning.
Another issue is the "Red Eye" variation. If you’re doing a Southern-style country ham, you aren't making a thick gravy at all. You’re making Red Eye Gravy. This is basically just black coffee thrown into the pan drippings to deglaze it. No flour. No starch. Just coffee and ham fat. It’s thin, it’s bitter, and it’s meant to be soaked up by a gritty biscuit. If you were expecting a thick gravy and ended up with a watery coffee mess, you probably followed a Red Eye recipe by mistake.
Expert Tips for the Best Results
- Taste before you salt. Never, ever add salt to ham gravy until the very last second, and even then, you probably won't need it.
- The Sieve is your friend. Ham drippings often have bits of cloves, peppercorns, or charred skin. Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve before serving. It makes you look like a pro.
- Temperature matters. Gravy thickens as it cools. If it looks a little thin in the pot, it’ll be perfect on the plate. If it’s thick in the pot, it’ll be sludge by the time it hits the table.
Actionable Next Steps
To get started right now, check your pantry. You need a low-sodium liquid (chicken stock or apple cider) and a thickener (flour or cornstarch). When that ham comes out of the oven, don't let the pan go to the sink.
- Deglaze the pan with half a cup of water or stock while it's still hot, scraping up the dark bits with a wooden spoon.
- Strain the liquid into a jar so you can see the fat separation.
- Start your roux with unsalted butter if the ham fat looks too burnt or contains too much sugar.
- Whisk constantly. Use a silicone whisk if you're using a non-stick pan so you don't ruin your cookware.
- Add a dash of black pepper at the end, but skip the salt.
Making gravy from a ham is about restraint. It's about taking a high-intensity byproduct and mellowing it out into something velvety and balanced. Once you master the ratio of drippings to stock, you’ll never go back to plain ham again.