Food Cooking Tips & Techniques Fix Lumpy Gravy—and Prevent It From Happening Again Try this easy fix to get lumps out of gravy and learn how to prevent clumping from happening in the first place. By Betty Gold Betty Gold Betty Gold is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines and Amy Zavatto Amy Zavatto Amy Zavatto is a New York City–based wine, spirits, and food journalist, restaurant consultant, menu developer, and book publisher. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 21, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Danielle Daly Some lumpy foods can be forgiven, while others are even desirable—textured mashed potatoes or bits of banana in your banana bread, anyone? At times, lumps lend a rustic mouthfeel of body and character to food, but when it comes to gravy, we should expect silky smooth. Gravy is often prone to last-minute flaws (like being too salty), but if you're wondering how to get the lumps out, all it takes is a whisk and a bit of stirring stamina. Vegetarian Gravy Recipe How to Fix Lumpy Gravy Here are the three best ways to smooth out your sauce. 01 of 03 Whisk It Getty Your first defense against a lumpy pot of gravy is a simple whisk. Use a pot holder to steady the pan with one hand, then simply break up those clumps with a vigorous bout of whisking, using a circular motion. Make sure to whisk well and into the edges of the pan. 02 of 03 Use a Sieve Getty If the lumps in your gravy are proving too stubborn for even the most vigorous whisking technique, you can still make gravy without lumps. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium-sized bowl. Pour the gravy through the sieve, pressing gently with a rubber spatula to strain that thick, gravy goodness into the bowl. Pour the strained no-lump gravy back into your pan and give it a little whisk to make sure all the lumps are gone and your gravy is smooth. 03 of 03 Give It a Whirl in the Blender Getty A high-tech lumpy gravy fix: Pour the gravy into a food processor or blender. Press liquefy or whip on a blender; for a food processor, turn it to "on" (not pulse) and use the spinning of the blades to get lumps out of gravy. How to Prevent Lumpy Gravy Wondering how to make gravy without lumps in the first place? First, smooth out your thickener (see how to thicken gravy) by mixing it with water to make a slurry before adding it to pan drippings and other ingredients. To make a slurry with cornstarch, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 cup of cool liquid (water or stock). If you want to use flour, mix 2 tablespoons of flour per 1 cup of cool liquid. Whisk the slurry until it is smooth and lump-free, then add about 1 tablespoon at a time to your hot pan drippings and liquid mixture, using a whisk to thoroughly combine. Instead of making a slurry, you can also use a sifter or a fine-mesh sieve to sift flour or cornstarch. Add the flour or cornstarch directly, a little bit at a time, to the hot drippings and liquid. Thoroughly whisk until the thickener is fully incorporated. 5 Best Store-Bought Gravy Hacks to Make It Taste Homemade Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit