Can You Freeze Gravy?

5 minutes

Thanksgiving turkey (or a nice roast dinner) just wouldn’t be the same without the gravy. If you’ve got some gravy left over after “Turkey Day”, you can freeze it for later following these simple steps.

Looking for a full list of Thanksgiving foods you can freeze? Here it is!

How To Freeze Gravy

Great news for those who love homemade gravy but don’t always like to make it. You can freeze it! There is a ‘but’ to this, though – it works best for flour and fat-based gravy and not as well for cream or milk-based gravy sauces. But it does still work!

You can freeze it in portion-sized amounts or you can make gravy ice cubes for those times when you want to add a little bit of that gravy flavor to a recipe.

How To Freeze Portions of Gravy

If you have a lot of leftover gravy or simply want to make gravy in bulk to save yourself time and hassle at a later date, then it’s pretty easy to do.

1. Cool: Let your gravy cool completely to room temperature before freezing. This prevents any condensation from forming inside the container, which reduces bacteria growth and freezer burn.
2. Prepare Container: Find a suitable freezer-safe container. This can be a rigid airtight container or a freezer bag made for holding liquids. Ensure you label any soft bags first, as it can be very difficult to do when it’s full of liquid.
3. Portion Gravy: Add the gravy to the container and seal it. Place the container into the freezer – make sure you keep it upright or you could end up with gravy spilled all over your freezer.
4. Optionally Bag Up: If you want a little extra security, you can add an extra bag tied around your container for extra protection against spills.

How To Freeze Gravy Ice Cubes

Ice-cubed gravy is so useful to have around. They act as stock cubes or a great base for sauces to add a little extra flavor. It’s a good idea to reduce gravy if using this method so that the flavor is concentrated and can be diluted when defrosted:

1. Cool: Allow your gravy to completely cool. As a reminder, this prevents any condensation from forming inside the container, which reduces bacteria growth and freezer burn.
2. Portion Into Ice Cube Tray: Grab yourself some ice cube trays. Pour the gravy into each cube. Do NOT fill the cubes right to the top. You need to allow a little space for the gravy to expand when it freezes (yay, science).
3. Freeze: Put the trays flat into the freezer. Placing them on a baking sheet can help with this and catch any little spills.
4. Bag Up: Once the cubes have frozen completely, you can pop them out of the tray and transfer them to a labeled and dated bag.
5. Freeze Again: Return the frozen cubes in their bag to the freezer. 

3 Tips for Freezing Gravy

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got 3 tips that we strongly recommend following for the best results:

Consider Portions
If you’re a large family who all love gravy, then freeze large portions. If you live alone and rarely host family, freeze gravy in single portions in an ice cube tray. 

Cream-Based Gravy
Cream does not freeze well so this whole process works best with broth and flour-based gravy. However, it does work with cream-based gravy as well. If you want to make sure your gravy is creamy after thawing, then freeze it without the cream and add the cream when reheating it. Or, add a little extra cream while whisking during reheating.

Label It Clearly
Make sure you write clear labels for your gravy to know exactly what it is. Once frozen, it’s difficult to tell the difference between melted chocolate and gravy! Both are delicious, but we’re going for gravy on Thanksgiving leftovers!

How Long Can You Freeze Gravy?

Your gravy will last up to six months in the freezer. However, 2-3 months is the sweet spot where most people don’t notice any degradation of flavor. Your leftover gravy should be as tasty when it comes out of the freezer as it did when it went in!

How Do You Thaw Gravy & Reheat It?

Gravy has a bit of a reputation for being difficult both in the fresh and frozen versions! But as long as you follow the freezing and thawing guidelines, you should be fine.

Thaw the gravy the night before by placing it into a bowl in the refrigerator. Let it defrost overnight.

When it comes to reheating it, you will need to reheat it slowly over low heat. Don’t try and speed this process up as you could end up with gravy that is clumpy and separated. And don’t forget to whisk the gravy during reheating!

Can You Refreeze Gravy?

We don’t recommend refreezing ANY gravy.

Whether it contains dairy or is made with turkey drippings, chicken, sausage, or beef, we recommend you NOT refreeze it. You’ll find that the gravy splits when refrozen and defrosted again. Plus, your chance of illness from bacteria is much higher.

You’ll often find that the fat freezes at a different rate, which will split your gravy. When you refreeze it, you’ll speed up this process and be left with a grainy gravy – not what you want!

Does Gravy Freeze Well?

Gravy made using a flour base does freeze exceptionally well. As long as you follow the instructions, you should be able to freeze and reheat gravy without having too many problems.

Cream-based gravy doesn’t freeze quite as well. They can sometimes experience texture changes when frozen and thawed. because the fat in the cream may separate, causing the gravy to become grainy or separate.

To minimize this, you can try gently stirring or whisking the gravy as it’s reheated and adding a little extra cream or milk during reheating to restore its consistency.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing gravy or gravy in general, then these may help: