neushimo

For the holidays, my mom and I went grocery shopping at SM Savemore to prepare food for our Christmas Eve feast (noche buena). I was specifically looking for a breading mix because I planned to cook some chicken drumsticks. There were plenty of options, but we usually go with Ajinomoto Crispy Fry for fried chicken, though I mix in a bit of all-purpose flour since I find it a little salty on its own.

While browsing, next to the breading mixes were a bunch of gravy mixes and I spotted the Ajinomoto Crispy Fry Gravy Mix. I don’t think it’s new, but this was honestly the first time I realized they had a gravy mix to go along with their breading.

What’s Instant Gravy Mix?

Instant gravy mixes are ready-to-cook, seasoned gravies that usually just require adding hot water to dissolve the flour and cornstarch in the mix. Once prepared, they’re served alongside dishes like fried chicken, roast beef, pork, or mashed potatoes, just like regular gravy.

Ingredients

Checking the sachet’s label, the mix contains wheat flour, cornstarch, iodized salt, breadcrumbs, flavor enhancers (monosodium glutamate and disodium ribonucleotides), artificial flavors, garlic, spices, refined palm oil, and caramel color. When I checked Ajinomoto’s official website, I also found that they list chicken fat as one of the ingredients even though it isn’t listed in the sachet.

I’m already familiar with MSG, but disodium ribonucleotides was new to me. Also known as I+G, it’s a common food additive that enhances umami flavor, similar to MSG. It’s often used in instant noodles and chips and can be derived from fish, animals, yeasts, or plants.

How to Cook It

It’s fairly simple, though slightly different from other brands. Unlike the McCormick Chicken Gravy mix for example, where you just add hot water and stir, this one requires cooking on the stove:

1. Add the gravy mix to a saucepan with 1 cup of water
2. Cook on high heat while stirring continuously until smooth
3. Once it starts boiling or bubbling, lower the heat and simmer for 1 minute

Expectations vs Actual Taste

I expected it to be salty and taste similar to Ajinomoto Crispy Fry Original breading. Surprisingly, it was actually quite pleasant. It wasn’t overly salty, and the flavor was noticeably different from the breading mix.

The closest comparison I can think of is KFC gravy, specifically the free gravy from the gravy station, not the one served with meals. If you’ve eaten at KFC in the Philippines, you’ll know those are two slightly different gravies. This one tastes like a slightly spicier version of the free gravy, with a very similar consistency and appearance.

That said, it does have some downsides. The flavor profile feels a bit lacking. There’s no noticeable pepper taste, which I personally enjoy in gravy, and you don’t see any black pepper bits either. Since it’s instant, it also lacks that rich, fatty depth—no buttery or margarine notes, which are usually key flavors in gravy. It also tends to develop a goopy skin on top after it cools down.

How I Usually Cook My Gravy

For comparison, this instant version falls short of how I normally make gravy for fried chicken. I usually eyeball the measurements, but this is my general process:

1. On medium heat, I add some oil used from frying the chicken, plus a bit of margarine
2. Once the margarine melts, I add some of the leftover breading mix to make a roux (usually Ajinomoto Crispy Fry Original mixed with all-purpose flour)
3. I deglaze with water, add a Knorr beef cube, and bring it to a boil
4. After boiling, I simmer and season generously with black pepper, plus a bit of paprika, garlic powder, and chili powder

Compared to that, this instant gravy mix tastes plain and slightly underwhelming, which really highlights the lack of pepper and buttery flavor.

Is It Healthy?

Well, it’s gravy—we’re not exactly eating it for the healthiest reasons but still, here’s a quick look at the nutrition facts.

Nutrition Facts Summary

Serving Size: 5 grams

No. of Serving per Container: 4 (20 g)

• Calories per Serving: 15 kcal (1 kcal from fat)
• Sodium: 384 mg (~17% of daily limit)
• Carbohydrates: 4g (~1% of daily limit)
• Total Fat, Cholesterol, Sugar, Fiber, Protein: 0

It’s fine to eat occasionally, but nutritionally it doesn’t offer much. I won’t dive into debates about MSG or I+G since those can get controversial. The bigger concern here is sodium, pair this with fried chicken and a generous amount of gravy on rice, and it’s very easy to exceed your daily sodium limit.

Where to Get it?

I bought this at Savemore for ₱8 per sachet, which is about four times cheaper than McCormick gravy (around ₱36 per pouch) in the same store. Both of the brands yield the same amount of 250 ml gravy.

You can find this in most local grocery stores in the Philippines or order it online through grocery delivery services like Waltermart or Pick.A.Roo, as well as shopping platforms like Shopee and Lazada.

Final Rating

Overall, I’d give this a 7 out of 10. It’s good enough for the price and convenient for quick meals.

Would I make it again? Yes, but mostly on days when I feel too lazy to make gravy from scratch. And even if I do, I’d probably add margarine and a lot more black pepper to boost the flavor.

How do you make your gravy at home? Would you try this out?