Turkey Gravy
Pour it over everything.
Serves8 to 10
Makesabout 2 cups
Prep10 minutes
Cook10 minutes to 15 minutes
Editor’s Note: If you’ve cooked this beloved recipe before, it might look a little different these days! We recently improved it to make it even easier to follow and more delicious.
There are many wonderful ways to make turkey gravy. You can make giblet gravy, or you can make it just with broth. You can even make gravy weeks ahead of time to save yourself some kitchen frenzy on Thanksgiving day.
My favorite is a classic, old-fashioned gravy that uses the pan drippings of a roasted turkey and is made just minutes before sitting down to the Thanksgiving spread. The deeply browned and glistening bits from the bottom of the roasting pan might not look like much when you first take the turkey out of the oven, but those drippings are pure Thanksgiving gold.
This turkey gravy recipe is as simple as it gets. It starts with a roux made from the drippings, requires only a saucepan and a whisk, and takes about 10 minutes. Follow this step-by-step guide to make rich and savory gravy that’s perfect for pouring over mashed potatoes and roasted turkey.
Our Turkey Gravy Recipe at a Glance
- This recipe uses the drippings from one 12- to 15-pound roast turkey.
- This gravy is thickened with a roux made from the turkey drippings.
- You’ll need up to 2 cups of low-sodium broth for finishing the gravy.
- This gravy can easily be jazzed up with flavorings like a splash of sherry or wine, or a teaspoon of minced herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage.
Why You’ll Love It
- It’s full of turkey flavor. This gravy starts with the super-flavorful drippings from a roast turkey and is made almost completely of turkey fat and juices. Every drop of gravy is bursting with turkey flavor.
- It’s quick and easy. Once you get the turkey out of the pan, the process for making gravy takes about 10 minutes and requires only a few pantry ingredients.
This Is a Turkey Gravy with Roux — But What Does That Mean?
Roux is a combination of fat — pan drippings, butter, and/or oil — and flour cooked together and used to thicken everything from gravy to béchamel sauce. Here are a few things you should know about making roux for better gravy.
- The standard roux ratio is equal parts fat to flour (in this case 1/4 cup each fat and all-purpose flour).
- Cook the roux until it smells nutty. You want to cook the flour until it has a cereal smell and looks dry.
- You can thin out a thick gravy, but it’s harder to thicken a thin gravy. In other words, start with less liquid than you think you need.
- Roux-thickened gravies continue to thicken as they cool, so keep that in mind as the gravy hits the table.
Key Ingredients in Turkey Gravy
- Turkey drippings: Drippings are the stuff left at the bottom of the turkey roasting pan and the juices inside the cavity of the turkey. The combination of fat, juices, and flavor is liquid gold!
- Fat: Spoon off the fat that rises to the surface of the drippings and use that to make the roux. If you don’t have enough turkey fat, add some vegetable oil or melted butter.
- All-purpose flour: This will help thicken the gravy.
How to Make Turkey Gravy
- Check the drippings. Take the roasted turkey out of the roasting pan, making sure to first tip it upright to let the juices on the inside run out into the roasting pan. If there are enough drippings to coat the bottom of the pan, move onto the next step. If not, pour in 1 cup low-sodium turkey broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat to loosen things up. Scrape up the drippings from the bottom of the pan.
- Pour off the drippings and separate out the fat. Pour the drippings into a liquid measuring cup. Let the fat settle on the top, then spoon the fat off and measure it. Add enough vegetable oil or melted butter as needed to have 1/4 cup fat. Add enough turkey broth to the remaining drippings to get to 2 cups.
- Make the roux. Heat the fat up in a saucepan, then whisk in all-purpose flour. Cook for a minute or two to cook the floury taste out.
- Add the drippings. Whisk in the drippings and simmer to the desired consistency. If you’ve been whisking diligently, you shouldn’t have any lumps in the gravy, but if you do, here are a few ways to fix lumpy gravy.
If you want to turn this into a giblet gravy, simmer the giblets and turkey neck in some salted water while the turkey is roasting until tender, about an hour. Drain, pick the meat off the turkey neck, and finely chop the meat and giblets. Add to the gravy after you whisk in the drippings.
Helpful Swaps
- If you don’t have enough turkey fat, make up the difference with vegetable oil or melted butter.
- Turkey broth will yield the most turkey-forward flavor in the gravy, but you can use chicken broth instead and it will still be tasty.
Storage Tips
The gravy can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and rewarm over low heat, whisking to recombine.
More Ways to Make Turkey Gravy
Turkey Gravy Recipe
Pour it over everything.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes to 15 minutes
Makes about 2 cups
Serves 8 to 10
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
Pan drippings from 1 (12- to 15-pound) roast turkey
Up to 2 cups low-sodium turkey or chicken broth
Vegetable oil or melted butter, as needed
- 1/4 cup
all-purpose flour
Optional extras: splash of sherry, splash of wine, 1 teaspoon minced fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
When the turkey is ready, tip it upright so the juices can run out of the cavity into the roasting pan. Take the turkey out of the pan and set it aside to rest. Look at the pan drippings left in the roasting pan (make the gravy while the drippings are still hot). If there are enough liquid-y drippings to cover the bottom of the pan, move on to the next step. If some parts of the pan are dry, pour in 1 cup of the low-sodium broth and place the roasting pan over medium-high heat (you may need to span two burners). Heat the drippings until they are simmering. Turn off the heat.
Scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Fit a fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl or liquid measuring cup. Pour the drippings through the strainer and discard the contents of the strainer.
Let the drippings sit until the fat settles on the top, about 10 minutes (speed up the process by putting it in the refrigerator or freezer). Ladle or spoon off the fat and measure it; you will need 1/4 cup. If you have extra, discard or save for another use. If you have less, make up the difference with vegetable oil or melted butter.
Measure the remaining drippings; you will need 2 cups. If you have less, make up the difference with low-sodium broth.
Heat the 1/4 cup fat in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Whisk in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and cook until bubbling and slightly darkened in color, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Whisk in a splash of wine or sherry if desired.
Pour in the drippings and 1 teaspoon fresh minced herbs if desired. Cook, whisking often, until it comes to a boil. If you'd like a thicker gravy, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and simmer for a few minutes to the desired consistency. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed.
Recipe Notes
Storage: The gravy can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and rewarm over low heat, whisking to recombine.