The best store bought gravy is savory, it actually tastes like meat—and it’s sitting on a shelf at the grocery store. Over the course of three taste tests, we tried some of the biggest brands of gravy mixes and brands making the best premade gravy in a variety of flavors to find the best store bought gravy to buy for all of your gravy needs.
We’re so lucky to have gravy. It’s like salty meat you can drink. Seriously, don’t park the gravy boat next to us at a big family dinner or you’re liable to find a suspicious lipstick stain on the rim. George Costanza once said he would drape himself in velvet if it were socially acceptable—well, that’s how we feel about gravy.
Here’s what we learned after tasting 26 different gravy mixes and premade gravies: If you’re going with store bought gravy rather than making gravy from scratch, a gravy packet is probably your best bet, although in our most recent taste test we found what we currently believe is the best gravy of them all, and it comes premade in a refrigerated plastic tub. AND it’s gluten free. Who woulda thunk? Read on to learn which gravy mixes and which brands of premade gravy you should be picking up if you’re looking for the best store bought gravy at the grocery store, whether you want the best store bought turkey gravy, the best country gravy mix, or the best chicken gravy mix to drink straight from the boat.
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- McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix
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This wasn’t the best store bought turkey gravy, but I can’t deny that it has all the appeal of hot meat juice all the same. If you want something a little more neutral to accompany a big bowl of instant mashed potatoes, something with less roasted turkey flavor, this packet hits the spot. If you’re making mashers from scratch, all that butter and cream you’re adding (please tell me you add lots of butter and cream to your mashed potatoes) can still shine through this mild gravy. It’s not the best store bought gravy we tried, but a totally solid option to have on hand in the pantry. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Walmart
- Knorr Classic Brown Gravy Mix
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We’ve all choked down dry meatloaf. I know plenty of people are content to moisten it with ketchup (no shame!), but if you’re serving meatloaf, I really think you should consider having some gravy on the table. Knorr’s Classic Brown gravy is the best brown gravy mix for meatloaf night. It lacks a little in the beefy-flavor department, but it would really complement a mound of ground chuck. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart
- McCormick Chicken Gravy
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While we weren’t enamored with any of the canned gravy brands we tasted, this ready-to-pour, shelf-stable box of chicken gravy really wowed us. It tastes like thickened chicken broth, which is what chicken gravy should taste like. It would be great over potatoes, but where it truly shines is as a shortcut for making pot pie. Buy a box or two of this chicken gravy before the holidays and you’ll be ready to turn leftover turkey into an incredible pot pie with very little effort. It’s the best premade chicken gravy out there, no cooking required. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- McCormick Chicken Gravy Mix
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McCormick’s chicken gravy mix didn’t quite live up to the best chicken gravy mix (see #3), but it’s delicious: salty and umami and with all the chicken flavor that was missing from its canned and jarred counterparts. This tastes like straight-up chicken bouillon, but with a wonderful silky texture. It doesn’t have the “roasty” quality that the best chicken gravy mix has, but it would be great with a bunch of freshly cracked pepper, poured over a gorgeous roast chicken thigh. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Target
- McCormick Brown Gravy Mix
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Brown gravy is kind of funny, if a gravy can be funny. It’s kind of like when you ask a kid what flavor candy they want and they say “red.” Brown isn’t a meat and it isn’t a flavor, but “brown” also manages to perfectly encapsulate the rich taste of this gravy, used largely for things like meatloaves and roasts. McCormick was the best brown gravy mix we tasted. It’s thick and beefy. If you like the packet of seasoning that comes with beef instant ramen, you’ll love this gravy powder. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Target
- Southeastern Mills Sausage Flavored Peppered Gravy Mix
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We tried a couple of brands of country gravy mix in our second taste test and this white gravy mix from Southeastern Mills was by far the best. This peppered gravy mix turns into the creamiest, most peppery, just plain yummy country gravy. There’s even hints of sage. Gimme this white gravy on a biscuit with some grits, ASAP. It practically tastes like a bisque and, yes, I did enjoy a few spoonfuls well after I was finished with the taste test. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- McCormick Peppered Country Gravy
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This vegetarian gravy mix took the top spot in our ranking of the best vegetarian gravy you can buy. As Jordan Myrick put it in their review, “This white gravy is actually perfect. I do not have a single note. It’s thick and rich and creamy.” And it’s also very, very peppery—which is important for a country gravy mix. Pour this vegetarian gravy on anything from biscuits to vegan breakfast sausage to vegan turkey and everything in between. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Pioneer Roasted Chicken Gravy
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This. Gravy. Tastes. Like. Roast. Chicken. Skin. Incredible. And it’s so silky, which is truly impressive when you remember it started as a gravy powder. It’s extremely salty and savory in the best way—you do not need to pour a ton of it onto something in order to reap its flavor benefits. Keep it in your pantry to whip out whenever one of your culinary experiments ends up tasting bland. This gravy mix will come to the rescue. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Knorr Roasted Chicken Gravy Mix
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This Roasted Chicken gravy powder is delicious. I tasted this gravy mix alongside Campbell’s canned chicken gravy as well as Heinz’s jarred gravy and it’s really stunning how much more chicken flavor this gravy mix has. I think you can zhuzh this up with some herbs, but it already has chicken fat in the ingredients list. If you’re looking for something you can whip up quickly to moisten a batch of instant mashed potatoes (surprise! I love powdered potatoes too) on a weeknight, this is the best gravy packet for the job. As I said during our taste test, I would buy this on a regular basis. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart
- Knorr Roasted Turkey Gravy Mix
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The first time we tried this Knorr gravy mix, I was obsessed. It didn’t just taste like turkey, it tasted like roasted turkey, with a deep, rich, slow-cooked meat flavor. But things happen. When I tried this gravy mix again in our third gravy taste test, it just wasn’t quite as good as I remembered it being. Still good, but not the best gravy anymore (though it is the best gravy mix). This Knorr gravy packet is an excellent blank slate (and you won’t need to add salt; woof, there’s plenty of that). Toss in a bundle thyme and rosemary if you like an herbaceous gravy; add some pan drippings if you want a fatty pop. Or if you want something a little more like homemade, see our new #1 best gravy. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart
- Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Turkey Gravy
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Trader Joe’s turkey gravy is new—and it’s good. You’ll find it in the refrigerated section, right near the soups. When you crack open the plastic tub, it doesn’t look good. Like, at all. It’s very gloopy and lumpy—but you know what the gloop and lumps are?? Turkey fat, baby. And that’s all flavor. When I tasted this alongside gravy made from packets, this stood out because it’s not a total salt bomb. I mean, I’m sure it has its fair share of sodium, but it’s not just a hot, salty wet to drizzle over food—it’s going to complement the flavor of turkey in a way that lets you actually taste turkey. What a concept! This is the best store bought gravy because it really seems like gravy someone made in a kitchen. It’s also the best store bought gravy because more people can enjoy it since it’s gluten free gravy! Sadly, this is a Trader Joe’s product, so who knows if it will stick around, but we sure hope it does. Give it a shot this Thanksgiving. —Gwynedd Stuart
Best Gravy for Mashed Potatoes
Best Gravy for Meatloaf
Best Premade Chicken Gravy
Best Chicken (Runner-Up)
Best Brown Gravy
Best Sausage Gravy
Best Vegetarian Gravy
Best Gravy for Bland Food
Best Chicken
Best of the Best
Best of the Best
Other instant gravies we tried: Campbell’s Chicken Gravy, McCormick Chicken Gravy Mix, Heinz Homestyle Chicken Gravy, Heinz Roasted Turkey Gravy, Campbell’s Turkey Gravy, Primal Kitchen Classic Gravy, Campbell’s Beef Gravy, Southeastern Mills Country Gravy Mix, McCormick Turkey Gravy, Pioneer Country Gravy Mix, Pioneer Gluten Free Country Gravy Mix, Pioneer Country Sausage Gravy, McCormick Gluten Free Turkey Gravy, Better Than Bouillon Turkey Gravy
