Our Best Turkey Gravy
- PREP 5min
- COOK 1hrs 15min
- TOTAL 1hrs 20min
Our delicious turkey gravy recipe is made from scratch with roasted turkey pan drippings. It’s packed with incredible flavor, making it the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving turkey.
Assume 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of gravy per person. This gravy recipe makes enough to serve 16 people.
You Will Need
Turkey offal and neck, see notes
4 cups (950 ml) chicken stock
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 to 4 cups (950 ml) broth from the roasting pan, strained and skimmed
1/2 cup (120 ml) turkey fat from the roasting pan, strained and skimmed
10 tablespoons (80 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream or more, optional
8 twists black pepper
Salt, to taste
Scallions or chives, chopped, optional
Directions
Make Broth
To make the base broth for gravy, add the offal, turkey neck, onion, thyme, and bay leaf to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Remove the offal and neck, saving them if you plan to chop the meat for gravy. Discard the thyme stems and bay leaf.
You can make the broth ahead of time. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, ideally while the turkey is brining.
Prepare Pan Drippings
After your turkey has finished roasting, strain the pan drippings to remove any large vegetables or herbs.
Use a fat separator to strain and separate the fat from the broth. (See our video for reference.) You will need 1/2 cup of fat and 4 cups of broth. Save leftover fat/broth in the fridge for another dish.
Make Gravy
Add the turkey fat to a small skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until it forms a smooth paste. Turn the heat down to low and allow the roux to cook slowly to remove any graininess from the flour. It should still look blonde — 2 to 3 minutes.
Bring the onion broth made earlier to a simmer and pour in 3 cups of broth saved from the pan drippings. Once simmering, whisk in the roux and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened and silky. We like our gravy on the thinner side, so we add the remaining cup of broth.
Taste the gravy, and then season with salt and pepper. Depending on how salty the pan drippings were, you will need to add 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of salt, possibly a bit more.
Add the meat from the turkey neck and offal (optional). If you saved them, remove and chop the meat. Stir them into the gravy.
Add chopped scallions or chives (optional).
Storing Gravy
Let the gravy cool completely. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Or store in a freezer-safe container and freeze the gravy for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen gravy overnight in the fridge before reheating. Reheat gravy over low heat, whisking often.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Turkey offal and neck: Many fresh or frozen whole turkeys come with the neck and offal inside the cavity. Remove them before brining or roasting. We use these ingredients to add turkey flavor to the gravy. After they are cooked, you can pull meat from the neck, chop it up, and chop up the offal. This meat can then be added to the gravy.
- Gluten-free gravy: Use cornstarch. Use 5 tablespoons of cornstarch and mix it with 10 tablespoons of cold water or broth until it is smooth before whisking into the hot gravy. Simmer for 10 minutes. I still add most of the turkey fat for flavor.
- No fat separator: Let the pan drippings sit in a measuring jug for a few minutes so that the fat floats to the top. Use a turkey baster to suck up the fat and squeeze it into another container.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.