9 Easy Ways to Fix Salty Gravy and Save Your Meal (2024)

Add Dairy

Milk can go a long way in solving the salty gravy (or sauce) problem. The creaminess in milk and other dairy products desensitizes your taste buds, making the sauce taste less salty. Using dairy adds richness, too.

Try the following add-ins:

• Milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half: Stir in 2 tsp of one of these dairy products to the gravy to reduce its saltiness.
• Yogurt: Add 1 tsp of plain yogurt to salty gravy.
• Sour cream: A dollop of sour cream can help balance the flavor of over-salted gravy.

The total amount of dairy you add will depend on how much gravy you have. Try adding a dollop (or spoonful) at a time. Taste and add more if needed.

Increase the Liquid

If you like leftovers, this method to make gravy less salty is right up your alley. Add water or, ideally, unsalted vegetable or chicken stock to neutralize over-salted gravy. Start with 1/4 cup and increase if necessary.

While adding more liquid will help with the salty taste, it will thin out the gravy, too. To compensate for the added liquid and help thicken your gravy, add a thickener—like flour or cornstarch. Try 1/4 cup of either at a time until the gravy returns to the desired consistency.

Make More Roux

Similar to increasing the liquid in gravy, adding more roux (a butter and flour mixture) can help decrease the salty taste of gravy. Here's how to make more roux to help fix your sauce.

Combine equal parts of butter and flour in a saucepan and heat until it has a golden-brown color. Add the roux to your gravy; this increases the amount of gravy and will alleviate the overly-salted flavor. This method may create thicker gravy—if so, balance it out by adding more unsalted broth or water until a desired texture is achieved.

Try Pureed Beans

Adding pureed beans is another great way to fix salty gravy. They neutralize the saltiness and thicken the gravy. It's also a wonderful hack for gluten-free gravy lovers who can't use flour as a thickening agent.

Follow these steps:

• Puree 1 cup of drained, low-sodium, or no-salt-added canned white beans or chickpeas with 1-2 tablespoons of water until smooth.
• Stir the mixture into your gravy, 1/4 cup at a time, adding more puree as needed.

Adjust the Salt of Accompanying Dishes

This trick won't make gravy less salty, but it will help your overall meal. If you're serving gravy with turkey, mashed potatoes, or other sides, consider under-seasoning them as a precautionary measure. Overly salty gravy will blend in with the less-seasoned dishes on the plate, balancing out the meal.

Serve With Semi-Dry Wine

As it does with fiery spices and bitter flavors, sweetness acts as a balancing agent on your tongue. Try serving the French white wine, Vouvray, or a semi-dry Riesling with your meal.

It won't repair the saltiness of the gravy, but it will pleasingly distract your palate. Plus, you get two great wine pairings for your meal.

Use Citrus or Vinegar

Acid—from a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of vinegar—can nudge the flavor of salty gravy back to the land of deliciousness and adds a pleasant tangy zip. Integrate acidic ingredients a little at a time and sparingly so they don't overwhelm other flavors.

Add Sweetness

Incorporating a touch of sweetness into your gravy can help balance out the salty flavors. You'll need to add a small amount and taste as you stir so that the gravy doesn't become too sweet.

Try adding a spoonful of either sugar or honey to salty gravy. Stir, taste, and add more if necessary.

Don't Add Potatoes

Let's debunk one of the most commonly purported but incorrect solutions: Adding potatoes to overly salty gravy or soup doesn't solve the problem. In his book What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained ($17, amazon.com), Robert Wolke, professor emeritus in chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, conducted multiple controlled experiments with potatoes in unsalted and overly salty water. While the potatoes absorbed the water, they didn't cut the salty taste of the liquid one bit.

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