We Tried a Dozen Store-Bought Turkey Gravies, and No One Saw the $1 Winner Coming (It Tastes Homemade!)
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Heaping piles of mashed potatoes! Savory Sunday roasts! Classic Thanksgiving turkey! These are a handful of our favorite dishes with which to enjoy a rich, heaping spoonful of turkey gravy. While it’s always preferred to have homemade on hand, for the days that we’re in a rush (or don’t have 2 to 4 pounds of turkey bones lying around), that’s not always realistic. In those moments, store-bought turkey gravy is a convenient alternative.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we made it our mission to taste as many jars and mixes as we could — 12 in total! — to determine which ones deliver the ideal umami-rich texture, consistency, and taste for all of our dinner plans this season.
The Best Turkey Gravys at-a-Glance
Best Turkey Gravy Mix: Pioneer Roasted Turkey Gravy Mix
Runner-Up: Signature SELECT Gravy Mix Turkey
Honorable Mention: McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix
Best Turkey Ready-Made Gravy: Signature SELECT Gravy Home Style Turkey
Runner-Up: Heinz Roasted Turkey Gravy
Honorable Mention: Williams Sonoma Turkey Gravy Base, Classic Recipe
From premade mixes that come together with water to the jarred-stuff that just needs a little heat, there’s a surprisingly near-endless supply of turkey gravy options at the grocery store. For this test, we sourced a variety of name- and store-brand turkey gravies based on availability and price, and divided them into two distinct categories: mixes and ready-made. We also requested input from our editorial team to round out the list of 12 competitors. The brands ranged in price (from $1 all the way up to $17, though most were around $3 at the time of this tasting).
Our team of five tasters was a bit timid at the idea of sampling that much turkey gravy in such a short amount of time, so to sweeten the deal and create a more realistic tasting experience a we picked up a huge container of Wegmans Mashed Potatoes (which, reader, are excellent). At first glance, we noticed that the bulk of the turkey gravies looked nearly identical — with slight variations in brown tones.
In the end, one turkey gravy mix and jar stood out, each with deep-umami flavor and just-right viscosity that rivals the ones from scratch.
Best Turkey Gravy Mix: Pioneer Roasted Turkey Gravy Mix
If you’re looking for a stellar turkey gravy that tastes just like homemade, Pioneer’s Roasted Turkey Gravy is your mix. At just $0.92 — one of our more affordable contenders — it won high praise from nearly all of our testers, including Ali, our associate groceries editor who described it as tasting “gourmet-like.” Its “really tasty flavor has a strong turkey taste, and additional notes of onion and garlic that I absolutely love!”
Greg, our people operations manager, also found it to be “on the thicker side” with spot-on flavor that, and we quote, “tastes like it was made from turkey.” Kayla, our senior manager for special projects, echoed the sentiment: “Looks and tastes homemade.” No notes!
What’s So Great
“Gourmet-like”
Incredibly flavorful
Budget buy!
Good to Know
N/A
Buy: Pioneer Roasted Turkey Gravy Mix $0.92 for 1.4 ounces at Walmart
Runner-Up: Signature SELECT Gravy Mix Turkey
Just a smidge away from taking the crown, the Signature SELECT Gravy Mix Turkey thoroughly impressed our testers, snagging the runner-up spot. Ali got “major Thanksgiving vibes” from this popular store brand sold at Albertsons-owned stores, like Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, and yes, Albertsons, and even went as far to say that she “won’t, but would drink it. It’s that good.” She wasn’t alone either; Katie, our director of recruiting, really enjoyed its “nice herb-savory flavor” that made her double-check that the gravy wasn’t actually homemade.
So how come it didn’t take the top spot? Some testers, like Mara, our senior groceries editor, weren’t fond of its “gelatinous-like” texture that took away from its flavor. Despite this, it’s still an excellent option that we highly recommend.
What’s So Great
Tastes homemade
Nice herby flavor
Good to Know
Sold exclusively at Albertsons’ family of stores
Buy: Signature SELECT Gravy Mix Turkey, $0.89 for 0.87 ounces at ACME
Honorable Mention: McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix
Tasters were split on McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix, but those who enjoyed it feel strongly it deserves an honorable mention. Katie found its “great turkey and herb flavor” to really shine through, landing it high marks on her overall ranking.
Taste, of course, is subjective because Mara and Greg both agreed that this was a really good gravy, but found it to be on the saltier side. In fact, Mara shared that it “would’ve placed higher if it wasn’t so brine-y.” Despite this, it still placed pretty high among the ranks and deserves a shout-out for its relatively affordable price tag and savory taste.
What’s So Great
“Great turkey and herb flavor”
Good to Know
For some, a little on the salty side
Buy: McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix, $1.99 for 0.87 ounces at Instacart
Best Ready-Made Turkey Gravy: Signature SELECT Gravy Home Style Turkey
When we pictured a deeply savory and wonderfully spiced turkey gravy, the Signature SELECT Gravy Home Style Turkey is exactly what we wanted. Even though it’s just $1.79, Mara said that this one “tastes EXPENSIVE” due to its delicate, layered spices and added that she would gladly “smother [her] plate in this stuff.” In fact, she loved it so much that it was not only her top pick, but also gave her an overall feast of the senses: “It smells wonderful and is giving me visions of stirring at the stovetop.”
Katie also admired its nice “peppery taste” and “close-to-homemade” quality. It checked all the boxes in terms of flavor, texture, and look, and is our top jarred turkey gravy pick.
What’s So Great
Feast of the sense
“Tastes expensive”
Budget buy
Good to Know
Sold exclusively at Albertsons Cos
Buy: Signature SELECT Gravy Home Style Turkey, $1.79 for 12 ounces at ACME
Runner-Up: Heinz Roasted Turkey Gravy
The turkey gravy competition was tight as there were a lot of fantastic finds, like this Heinz Roasted Turkey Gravy. Coming in at a close second, its taste really impressed our testers: “This one is not too salty, almost buttery — really good,” according to Ali. It’s “super yummy,” added Greg who questioned whether or not pan drippings were involved (which is high praise for a jarred gravy).
So where did this one fall short? Some testers, like Katie, found it to be a bit “too thin” and runny to stand out on their plate. That being said, it’s still an excellent fuss-free option for quick weeknight dinners, grand Thanksgiving spreads, and everything in between.
What’s So Great
“Almost buttery”
Tastes like its made with pan drippings
Good to Know
For some, a slightly too thin
Buy: Heinz Roasted Turkey Gravy, $3.79 for 12 ounces at Instacart
Worth the Splurge: Williams Sonoma Turkey Gravy Base, Classic Recipe
If you’re looking for an ultraluxe version of a classic turkey gravy, consider this lavishly priced Williams Sonoma Turkey Gravy Base. At $17, this turkey gravy was by far the most expensive on our list, but it earned high enough praise to (possibly) justify its steep price tag. Ali loved this one: It’s “really flavorful, honestly the most flavorful that I’ve tried from this bunch,” whereas Mara picked up on its “nice meaty smell” that translated to a rich, umami-forward sauce.
So where did it fall short? Ali, who praised it for its deep flavor, also noted that she could see it “overpowering [her] turkey or mashed potatoes.” Unlike some of the other instant options on this list, this jarred gravy is a concentrate and needs to be mixed with milk, so if you’re looking to splurge maybe add a tablespoon or so more milk than recommended to dilute it a bit.
What’s So Great
Incredibly flavorful
Smells great
Good to Know
More $$$ than others
Calls for milk milk
Sold exclusively at Williams Sonoma
Buy: Williams Sonoma Turkey Gravy Base, $16.95 for 18 ounces at Williams Sonoma
How We Tested Turkey Gravy Brands
We recruited five staff members to randomly taste 12 different turkey gravies sold at grocery retailers today. Each turkey gravy was prepared on the stovetop or warmed in the microwave, according to package directions by Maya, our studio assistant. Once ready, she heated each gravy and assigned each one a letter — from A through L — to conceal the brands’ identities.
Tasters were handed an empty plate and encouraged to sample turkey gravies in random order (to avoid giving any one gravy an advantage) before marking down their findings. We also had mashed potatoes and water, on hand for an enhanced tasting.
Tasters rated each turkey gravy on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = No, thanks; 2 = Meh; 3 = Pretty good; 4 = Really like; 5 = Yes, Please!) across four criteria — look, smell, texture, and flavor — and included any specific observations, tasting notes, and general opinions worth mentioning. They were also asked to answer, arguably, the most important question of all: Would you buy this turkey gravy?
Why You Should Trust Us
To choose the best turkey gravy in-stores, we recruited five volunteer testers who work at Apartment Therapy Media, our parent company, to evaluate 12 different store-bought turkey gravy options based on texture, look, smell, eagerness to repurchase, and of course, flavor.
Testers were unaware of the brands involved and sampled each one randomly. Each taster independently filled out a score sheet, scoring and ranking each gravy without larger discussion or influence from the group throughout the entirety of the test. It was only after all evaluations were completed that we tallied the scores to determine the winners.
Did your favorite turkey gravy brand make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Further Reading
Why People Are Ditching Their Seltzer After a Disturbing Study
The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About
