Gravy Master is a handy sauce to keep in your kitchen. It is a mixture of spices, starches, and fats that can be added to sauces or gravies to make them richer in texture. Gravy Master also adds flavor to your dishes, and can be used for other foods such as soups, vegetables, and meats.
7 Best Gravy Master Substitutes That Add Flavor to Your Dishes
If you love Gravy Master but fell into the situation where you can’t find any, do not worry. Instead of using Gravy Master, try Kitchen Bouquet, browning sauce, Bragg Liquid Aminos, maggi seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, or Japanese teriyaki sauce.
What is Gravy Master?
Gravy Master is a seasoning sauce that adds some extra flavor to virtually any meal. Its ingredients are vinegar, salt, soybeans, onion powder, and caramel coloring. It has a cornstarch base, making it a viable option for people who suffer from gluten allergies.
It can also be a cornstarch replacement in recipes. This sauce is sold in two types; granulated and paste. Gravy Master serves as both a thickener and a flavoring agent.
- One 12 oz. jar of Heinz HomeStyle Savory Beef Gravy
- Heinz HomeStyle Savory Beef Gravy enhances your favorite holiday recipes
- Brown gravy is made with real ingredients, including beef stock
- Our savory gravy jar contains no preservatives
- Serve with meat or potatoes for a savory meal
What are the Uses of Gravy Master?
Gravy Master can be used as both a thickening and flavoring agent. It enhances the flavor of whatever it’s added to, typically vegetables and meats. As the name suggests, Gravy Master is perfect for thickening gravy, but this is not its only use.
When grilling meats, Gravy Master can lock in the savory flavors and juices that you worked hard to get. It is also perfect for caramelizing vegetables, and gives an extra pungent kick to soups, marinades, and sauces.
What is the Difference Between Gravy Master and Kitchen Bouquet?
Kitchen Bouquet is Gravy Master’s top competitor. Many consider the two sauces to be the same, and though similar, they are not identical. Gravy Master arguably has a more rich flavor and texture.
Both sauces are made from natural ingredients and have been used for over a century because of their versatility. They certainly can be used interchangeably, and if you like Gravy Master but don’t want much to change, you can go for Kitchen Bouquet. But, if you can’t find either, there are plenty of other options.
What Can I Use Instead of Gravy Master?
1. Kitchen Bouquet
Aside from Gravy Master, Kitchen Bouquet is probably next in line to the most popular browning and seasoning sauces. It easily brightens the flavor of many dishes, and does not have the unnecessary additives and chemicals that Gravy Master has.
It’s not uncommon to see food colorings or flavor enhancers to be extremely processed with preservatives. Kitchen Bouquet is an exception to this, and is sure to enhance your next dinner without overwhelming the taste.
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2. Browning Sauce
Like Gravy Master, browning sauce can be used to add color and more flavor depth to foods. It is made from vinegar, various spices, and sugar, and can be used in any situation that you would use Gravy Master. The ingredients of browning sauce have been caramelized, so its smoky flavor is reminiscent of molasses.
Browning sauce has been used since the early 1800s to add a more decadent flavor to foods. Generic brands of browning sauce can easily be found at the store, but you can also make your own if you have the means to do so.
Its taste is savory yet simple, making it an easy alternative to Gravy Master that doesn’t become the only taste in your dish. Some of the most popular foods that browning sauce is used for are pork chops and beef stew.
3. Bragg Liquid Aminos
Bragg Liquid Aminos is a gluten-free substitute for Gravy Master that is made from all natural ingredients. Its taste is a little salty and very savory, and it is most often used for stir-fries, marinades, and soups.
To enhance the flavor of your next dish, try using the same amount of Bragg Liquid Aminos that you would have used of Gravy Master. Its flavor is more indistinct than Gravy Master, meaning it will bring out the taste of your meal without overpowering it.
While beloved, too much Gravy Master can easily get the better of your food. This isn’t the case with Bragg Liquid Aminos. Another bonus of using Bragg Liquid Aminos is that this sauce is lower in sodium than Gravy Master, so it is a healthier choice.
4. Maggi Seasoning Sauce
Maggi Seasoning Sauce was first created as an accessible way for working-class people to enhance their recipes. Nowadays, it is commonly used worldwide by people of all tax brackets who want to add flavor to their dinners.
Maggi is made up of a mixture of spices, vegetables and herbs. It is available in many flavor varieties, including chicken, beef, curry, and lemon and herbs. While Maggi will sufficiently add flavor to your dishes, it’s important to know that it does not do much in terms of thickening them.
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5. Worcestershire Sauce
Worcestershire sauce gets its name from the fact that it was created in the city of Worcestershire, in England. It is a fermented sauce that is mainly made of molasses, spices, vinegar, anchovies, and onions.
Its taste is different from Gravy Master’s, but it is still a decent replacement. The flavor of worcestershire sauce has elements of sweetness, saltiness, and spiciness. It can be used in salads, stews, meats, and even cocktails.
Worcestershire sauce is an easy all-rounder substitute for Gravy Master. It does contain anchovies, so people with fish allergies should avoid this condiment. However, vegan varieties of worcestershire sauce can be found as well.
6. Japanese Teriyaki Sauce
Teriyaki sauce is an immensely popular sauce used in Japan made from mirin, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Typically, teriyaki sauce is used as either a dipping sauce or a marinade. “Teriyaki” is a word that pertains to the cooking style of broiling or grilling food with a sugary glaze.
Some teriyaki sauces will have other spices or flavors added to them, such as ginger, honey, garlic, and brown sugar. In Japan, the most common flavor additive is mirin, which is a type of wine made of rice. This element makes Japanese teriyaki sauce unique.
Teriyaki sauce is often easily found at grocery stores, but you can also make it at home. To make it at home, mix together the ingredients listed above. Either way, it is a wonderful touch to meats. Try brushing your next salmon or chicken breast with teriyaki sauce before you grill it and see how the flavors explode.
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7. Barbecue Sauce
If you want to add more of a smoky flavor to your foods, try using barbecue sauce as a stand-in for Gravy Master. Barbecue sauce is a perfect alternative for vegetables especially, as it will bring bland flavors to life.
Barbecue sauce can also be used as a dipping sauce or marinade (as you probably know) and is very versatile, especially if you don’t have a problem with a little spice. Its texture is similar to that of Gravy Master, but its flavor is much stronger, so keep this in mind when using it as a replacement.
FAQs
Does Gravy Master thicken gravy?
Although it is not only for gravy, Gravy Master does an excellent job at thickening gravy. Its cornstarch base makes the ingredients in gravy cling to it, giving your gravy a thicker consistency. It also adds flavor, making it a common household sauce.
Does Gravy Master have to be refrigerated after opening?
According to the company themselves, the ingredients in Gravy Master do not spoil. Thus, it does not have to be refrigerated. To get the most out of it, just keep your Gravy Master in a cool, dry place.
How Long is Gravy Master Good For?
Gravy Master has an impressive shelf life. Most bottles do not have an expiration date, because this sauce can last for up to three years, and you’re more than likely to finish off the bottle before then.
Just know that, as with any sauce, it loses its potency as time passes. So while it may be safe to consume, a three-year-old bottle of Gravy Master won’t taste exactly the same as a brand new one.
Conclusion
Gravy Master is a popular flavoring and thickening agent for many different foods. It easily makes your veggies more exciting and flourishes your meats. But, Gravy Master can be hard to find, so running out of it can be extremely frustrating. Luckily, there are many other sauces that possess similar qualities and can be used as alternatives to Gravy Master.
