Our Favorite Turkey Gravy
- PREP 5min
- COOK 1hrs 15min
- TOTAL 1hrs 20min
My favorite turkey gravy 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 ⅓ cup to ½ 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 chicken stock (950ml)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 to 4 cups broth from the roasting pan, strained and skimmed (950ml)
½ cup turkey fat from the roasting pan, strained and skimmed (120ml)
10 tablespoons all-purpose flour (80g)
¼ cup heavy cream or more, optional (60ml)
8 twists black pepper
Salt, to taste
Scallions or chives, chopped, optional
Directions
1Make onion broth: To make the base broth for gravy, add the offal, turkey neck, 4 cups chicken stock, 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 to add to the gravy later. 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.
2Prepare 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 ½ cup of fat and 4 cups of the separated broth. Save leftover fat/broth in the fridge for another dish.
3Make roux: 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.
4Make gravy: In a medium pot, combine the onion broth made earlier with 3 cups of the broth saved from the pan drippings and the heavy cream. Bring to a simmer. 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.
5To finish: Taste the gravy, and then season with salt and pepper. Depending on how salty the pan drippings were, you will need to add ¼ to 1 teaspoon of salt, possibly a bit more. Stir in the chopped scallions or chives (optional). You can also add the meat from the turkey neck and offal, if you saved them, remove and chop the meat, then stir into the gravy.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: 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.
- Reheating: Reheat gravy over low heat, whisking often.
- 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.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.