Here’s how to make the best silky, savory, homemade turkey gravy recipe ahead of time or on the day of your Thanksgiving feast.
Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be the same without a perfectly pillowy pile of my favorite mashed potatoes dripping in gravy alongside the best moist and juicy turkey. Go ahead. Gravy the turkey too. There are two ways you can go about making homemade turkey gravy that tastes the most like turkey. The most traditional option is to use the pan drippings from your Thanksgiving day roasted turkey to make gravy not long before your meal. But if you’re looking for a more stress-free cooking situation, you can make it ahead of time with the drippings from roasted turkey parts, then simply warm it up on the big day. Both of these gravy-making techniques deliver a super-infused turkey gravy thanks to the flavoring of homemade turkey stock with all the savory succulence only roast turkey drippings can provide. No matter when you make it, follow this recipe and your guests will forever be raving about how you are the queen clucker who makes the best gravy.
What’s in This Turkey Gravy Recipe
Almost all gravy is made with three basic essentials:
- First, fat. In this recipe use the pan drippings the meat renders as it cooks, butter, or a combination of the two.
- Next, a savory broth or stock made from the type of meat it’s mirroring.
- And finally, a thickener or roux, typically made of flour mixed into the melted fat.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this turkey gravy recipe:
- Turkey pan drippings with liquid (also known as schmaltz or fond) made with:
- The drippings from a whole roasted turkey if making the day of
OR
drippings you make from turkey drumsticks and/or turkey wings if doing ahead, roasted with: - carrots
- celery
- onion
- garlic
- fresh herbs, like thyme or sage, or both (could also use rosemary)
- butter (or just reserved skimmed fat)
- water
- wine
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- The drippings from a whole roasted turkey if making the day of
- Butter
- The strained drippings and separated fat
- All-purpose flour
- Turkey stock (homemade adds the most flavor)
What is the Secret to Good Gravy?
Gravy is only as good as its parts. Making turkey gravy from your roast turkey’s pan drippings is the secret to a good gravy. Here’s how:
- Strain the pan drippings from your roast turkey into a large measuring cup or fat separator and let stand for 5-10 minutes for the fat to rise to the top. Separate or spoon off the fat and set aside. Pour the liquid drippings into a large measuring cup and add turkey stock to make 5 cups and set aside.
- Place the empty roasting pan on the stove over two burners on medium heat. Melt 3 tablespoons of reserved fat and 2 tablespoons of the reserved butter in the pan. Whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of flour at a time, whisking constantly while picking up all of the browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and nutty.
- Gradually whisk in the reserved drippings (at least 1 cup) and the turkey stock. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
How to Make Do Ahead Turkey Gravy
The finished product of this gravy recipe makes about 4 cups. Feel free to double it if you need more.
The beauty of this do-ahead turkey gravy recipe is you can make it ahead of time and save yourself some last-minute stress. Here’s how:
- Roast. Season turkey parts and roast with veggies, herbs, wine, and water (or chicken stock) at 400°F for about an hour. The turkey should be golden and the liquid reduced by half or more, to about 1 ½ – 2 cups.
- Select. Remove the turkey parts and vegetables, pressing out any of the golden elixir. Save the turkey parts for making turkey broth, or discard them with the vegetables. I usually save the reserved meat, carrots, and celery for my pupper’s dog food.
Prep the Drippings
- Strain. Strain the pan drippings into a 4-cup glass measuring cup or fat separator and let stand for 5-10 minutes for the fat to rise to the top.
- Separate. Spoon off the fat from the drippings. Reserve the fat and the drippings separately.
- Refrigerate. At this point, you can refrigerate the fat and the drippings where they will thicken and congeal until you’re ready to make the gravy, or go ahead and make it now.
Make the Roux
- Melt 3 tablespoons of the reserved fat with the butter over medium heat. You can use all reserved fat if you like, but I like the flavor adding butter imparts.
- Sprinkle in 1-2 tablespoons of flour at a time, whisking well until each addition is totally incorporated and smooth. This is the start of your roux.
- This is my favorite whisk for making gravy. The silicone balls on the ends get into the corners of the pot and it doesn’t scratch non-stick pans.
- Whisk continuously while cooking the roux for 4-5 minutes until deep golden brown and smelling nutty. It should be the consistency of pancake batter and will thicken slightly as it cooks.
- If the roux clumps like cookie dough, add more fat or butter to thin it out.
- Gradually whisk in the reserved drippings. Then slowly add the turkey stock, about ½ cup at a time, stirring and whisking so the gravy doesn’t get lumpy. It will expand as you add the liquid and should be loose and bubbly.
- Cook the gravy for 5-10 minutes until it thickens and covers the back of a spoon.
- Taste for seasoning. If it needs a more turkey flavor, add more drippings.
- Cool then refrigerate for up to 1 week.
How to Reheat Gravy
Warm the gravy in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through. Cover until ready to serve.
Tips for Making the Best Turkey Gravy Recipe
To make a flavorful gravy, you need to create strong base notes with its pan drippings and turkey stock.
Reap the benefits of a fatty, flavorful fond. Wait. What’s fond? As meats with skin or fat cook, the fat renders and drips off into the liquid with all the little meaty bits in the bottom of the pan. This is the fond, drippings, or schmaltz. Discard the veggies and herbs, pressing any moisture locked within, and separate most of the fat from the liquid—I like to keep some of it for flavor. When cooled the mixture creates a gelatinous mixture that acts as a natural thickener for gravy. If making from a whole turkey, add more liquid as the turkey cooks so the bottom of the pan doesn’t dry out and burn, or you’ll find yourself fond-less.
Use homemade turkey stock. A deep flavor is a key to making a killer gravy, and broth from a can won’t cut it. Make a homemade turkey stock from the picked-over roasted turkey parts (discard the cooked veggies) with fresh aromatics simmered in water for a few hours on the stove. The best part of making the turkey stock ahead of time is you can freeze it for 6 months to 1 year.
What to Add to Turkey Gravy to Make it Taste Better
Get the wrong proportions of flour, fat, and stock, and your gravy can turn out lumpy or greasy. Follow this recipe and you’ll skip both.
- Cook the flour and fat together until golden and smelling toasty (whisking constantly for about 5 minutes) so the gravy doesn’t have a bland, floury taste.
- Add umami—that rich, salty depth that makes foods savory—with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or MSG (found commonly as Accent in the spice aisle.)
- Add a tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon turkey base for more turkey flavor.
- The better your stock, the better your gravy—that’s why I’m a stickler for a homemade stock full of nuanced flavor and body.
- Be careful when using drippings from a brined or kosher turkey, since they will carry a lot of salt. Taste the gravy before seasoning to avoid a gravy that’s too salty.
Is Turkey Gravy Better With Flour or Cornstarch
Adding thickener can turn a silky smooth gravy lumpy in a heartbeat, and that’s something no cook wants. I prefer using flour to thicken mine, and here’s how I thicken the gravy and avoid any lumps:
- Place 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, Wondra, or cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Mix in 1-2 tablespoons of the thin gravy to make a paste. Add more gravy to thin it to a more liquid consistency, stirring until smooth.
- Slowly add the floury mix into the gravy, whisking with flair as you do. It should incorporate without any lumps. Cook for a few more minutes to thicken until it’s reached your desired consistency.
- If the gravy turns out lumpy, strain the lumps and discard, or mash to a paste and whisk back in.
How to Make the BEST Turkey Gravy Recipe (Do Ahead or Day Of)
Ingredients
- For the Drippings
- 4 pounds bone-in turkey wings and/or drumsticks
- 4 celery ribs cut into big chunks
- 2 medium yellow onions cut into big chunks
- 2 carrots cut into big chunks
- 1 head of garlic halved
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup white wine
- 3 cups chicken broth or water or combination
- 4 tablespoons butter
- olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the Gravy
- 3 tablespoons reserved separated fat from drippings
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon)
- 1 cup reserved drippings
- 4 cups turkey stock
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- How to Make Turkey Drippings
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the turkey parts in a roasting pan and nestle the vegetables around the parts. Add the white wine and chicken broth or water. Drizzle the turkey parts with olive oil and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Roast for 1 hour. The liquid should be reduced by half or more to make 1 ½ to 2 cups. Check midway through cooking and add more water or broth so the pan doesn’t go dry.
- Remove the turkey parts and vegetables, pressing out any liquid from the veggies. Save the turkey parts for making turkey broth if desired or discard with the vegetables. Strain the pan drippings into a large measuring cup or fat separator and let stand for 5-10 minutes for the fat to rise to the top. Spoon off the fat from the drippings, reserving the fat and the drippings separately. At this point, you can refrigerate the fat and the drippings where they will thicken and congeal until you’re ready to make the gravy, or go ahead and make it now.
- How to Make the Gravy Ahead of Time
- Melt 3 tablespoons of the reserved fat with the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in 1-2 tablespoons of flour at a time, whisking well until each addition is totally incorporated and smooth, similar in consistency to pancake batter. Whisk continuously while cooking the roux for 4-5 minutes until deep golden brown and smelling nutty. If the roux clumps like cookie dough, add more fat or butter to thin it out.
- Gradually whisk in the reserved drippings. Slowly add the turkey stock, about ½ cup at a time, stirring and whisking as you add the stock so the gravy doesn’t get lumpy. It will expand as you add the liquid and should be loose and bubbly.
- Cook the gravy for 5-10 minutes until it thickens and covers the back of a spoon. If it’s too thick, add more stock. If it’s too thin, make a paste from 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon flour mixed with ⅓ cup gravy, slowly whisked into the pan of gravy. Taste for seasoning. If it needs more turkey flavor, add more drippings or stir in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. To reheat, warm the gravy in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through. Cover until ready to serve.
- How to Make Gravy Just Before the Meal
- Transfer the roasted turkey to a platter to rest. Strain the pan drippings into a large measuring cup or fat separator and let stand for 5-10 minutes for the fat to rise to the top. Separate or spoon off the fat and set aside. Pour the liquid drippings into a large measuring cup and add turkey stock to make 5 cups and set aside.
- Place the empty roasting pan on the stove over two burners on medium heat. Melt 3 tablespoons of reserved fat and 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan. Whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of flour at a time, whisking constantly while picking up all of the browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and nutty. Gradually whisk in the reserved drippings (at least 1 cup) and the turkey stock. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste for seasoning and add 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce if needed.
Notes
Add a tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon turkey base for more turkey flavor.
The better your stock, the better your gravy—that’s why I’m a stickler for a homemade stock full of nuanced flavor and body.
