Are you looking for a foolproof recipe for turkey gravy to make your Thanksgiving feast special? Look no further! This easy tutorial will have you making perfect gravy every time. Whether you’re using turkey or chicken stock, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite. So get ready to impress your guests with your fabulous gravy skills! Happy Thanksgiving!
I think it’s safe to say that no matter what your favorite part of Thanksgiving is, a really incredible luscious homemade turkey gravy is an imperative part of the meal!
It’s the icing on the Thanksgiving “cake”. The thing that brings it all together. That extra oomph of flavor that you can never get enough of. It’s one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving and I have a fool proof recipe that’s going to be your new bff. You’ll be the star of the show with this recipe.
Growing up my sister and I used to fight about who got to sit next to the gravy boat at Thanksgiving. I mean, is that normal? Someone tell me yes! But we just can’t get enough! It’s that extra salty kick that makes everything better. Potatoes. Stuffing. Turkey. Carrots. I mean, the possibilities are endless!
Homemade Turkey Gravy
I think it’s safe to say that no matter what your favorite part of Thanksgiving is, a really incredible luscious homemade gravy is an imperative part of the meal!
Prep: 5min
Total: 15min
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 215 kcal, Carbohydrate 16 g, Protein 6 g, Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Trans Fat 0.5 g, Cholesterol 36 mg, Sodium 373 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 3 g, unSaturated Fat 5 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- Turkey drippings from the bird
- 3 cups chicken or turkey stock
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage (or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 2-3 cups chicken or turkey stock
Instruction:
- Once the gravy is thick, serve it immediately or keep it over very low heat until you are ready to serve. If the gravy develops a thin film on the top, just give it a quick whisk. Adjust salt and pepper if needed, but be sure to taste first as the drippings can be salty and you might not need any excess salt.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add the shallot and cook until soft, 5 minutes, then stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Stir in herbs and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook until golden brown. Then gradually whisk in 2-3 cups of stock. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat slightly and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. If the gravy is too thick, add more broth to smooth.
Homemade Turkey Gravy
Delicious homemade turkey gravy made with just four simple ingredients! This wonderful, simple turkey gravy recipe is easy to make and full of flavor. Perfect for adding to your favorite mains and side dishes on Thanksgiving!
Prep: 5min
Total: 20min
Yield: 6
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (or use whole wheat or all purpose gluten free flour)
- 3-4 cups turkey drippings/stock (plus additional chicken broth if necessary)
- Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste
- Extra herbs (rosemary + thyme), if desired
Instruction:
- First make sure you have enough turkey drippings + stock to equal about 4 cups. If you don’t have enough turkey drippings, you can always make up the difference by adding chicken broth to equal 4 cups total.
- Add butter to a large skillet and place over medium high heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in a little bit of flour and then slowly add in the drippings/stock, a little bit at a time, alternating with the flour and vigorously whisking away any lumps. I add in around 3-3 ½ cups to start, then see if I need to add more to make the gravy the perfect consistency.
- Bring the gravy to a simmer (not a boil) and allow it to thicken up for a minute or two, stirring occasionally. Add more stock to thin if necessary. Taste and add freshly ground salt and pepper, if needed. Sometimes I like to add an extra teaspoon or two of chopped herbs such as rosemary or thyme to add more flavor, it just depends what kind of gravy you like! Serves 4-6. Double if you want to serve more.
How to Make the Best Turkey Gravy
This is simply the most perfect gravy for your Thanksgiving turkey using pan drippings! So rich, so smooth and so easy!
Prep: 5min
Total: 20min
Yield: 8
Ingredients:
- Pan drippings from Easy Thanksgiving Turkey
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instruction:
- Strain pan drippings through a fine-mesh sieve; discard solids and reserve 2 1/2 cups pan drippings; set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and thyme until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in reserved pan drippings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve warm.
Classic Turkey Gravy
This simple homemade turkey gravy from Food Network Kitchen starts off with store-bought chicken stock enhanced with some giblets and vegetables. Then finish the gravy off while your turkey rests and everyone will be coming back for seconds.
Prep: 0 30min0
Total: 0 3 0
Yield: 8 cups
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion or leek, or 2 shallots, sliced
- Neck and giblets from your turkey (discard the liver)
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 sprigs thyme, parsley, rosemary and/or sage
- 1 bay leaf
- Turkey drippings from your roasting pan
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons cold Flavored Butter, recipe follows (optional)
Instruction:
- When your turkey goes into the oven, start the broth: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and turkey neck and giblets; cook, stirring, until the giblets are browned, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken broth, herb sprigs and bay leaf; cover and simmer while the turkey roasts, about 2 hours. Strain the broth and keep warm; reserve the neck and giblets, if desired.
- When your turkey is done, transfer it to a cutting board and pour all the pan drippings into a degreasing cup. Add 1/2 cup of the prepared broth to the roasting pan and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. (If the bits are stuck, put the pan over a low burner to loosen them.) Add the bits and liquid to the degreasing cup.
- Let the fat rise to the top of the degreasing cup, then spoon off 1/2 cup fat and transfer to a large saucepan over medium heat. Make a roux: Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the flour browns slightly, about 4 minutes.
- Gradually add the hot broth to the roux, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Pour the dark roasting juices from the degreasing cup into the gravy, discarding any remaining fat. If desired, chop the giblets and shred the neck meat; add to the gravy. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the flavored butter, if desired.
- Start with cold heavy cream and mix on high speed.
- After about 3 minutes, you’ll have whipped cream; continue mixing.
- After about 6 more minutes, the butter will clump and separate from the liquid. Strain and wrap the butter in cheesecloth, then squeeze out the liquid.
- Tip: To make perfect rounds, shape flavored butter into a log using parchment paper; wrap and chill, then slice.
- Pumpkin
- Mash 1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin, 1 stick softened butter, 1/4 teaspoon orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon each sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt.
- Spiced Cranberry
- Simmer 1/2 cup cranberries with 1 tablespoon water, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 strip lemon zest, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 clove, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard the zest, cinnamon and clove; let cool. Pulse in a food processor with 1 stick softened butter and a pinch of salt.
- Bourbon-Raisin
- Microwave 1/2 cup raisins with 1 tablespoon bourbon, covered, 45 seconds; let cool. Pulse in a food processor with 1 stick softened butter, 1 tablespoon chopped chives and a pinch of salt.
- Sage Brown Butter
- Melt 1 stick butter over medium heat and cook until browned. Add 1/4 cup sage and fry 30 seconds; drain on paper towels, then chop. Let the brown butter cool; mash with 1 stick softened butter, the sage and a pinch of salt.
How to Make Easy Turkey Gravy
FAQ
What is the secret to good gravy?
- Tip #1 – Remove excess fat.
- Tip #3 – To strain or not to strain the gravy.
- Tip #4 – Heat the liquid mixture, it needs to be hot!
- Tip #5 – Thickening the gravy.
- Tip #6 – Use a whisk to mix in the flour mixture.
- Tip #7 – If your gravy gets lumpy, strain it!
Which is better for turkey gravy flour or cornstarch?
Cornstarch does have more thickening power than wheat flour (because it’s pure starch, while flour has some protein in it). So usually you need a little less cornstarch than flour for the equivalent thickening power.
What can I add to turkey gravy to make it taste better?
- Stir in turkey drippings. Classic turkey gravy is made with the pan drippings from the roasted bird. …
- Brown up some butter. …
- Pour in the wine. …
- Roast a head of garlic. …
- Cheat with aromatics. …
- Boost with umami. …
- Add fresh herbs.
How does Paula Deen make turkey gravy?
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch.
- 2 heaping tablespoons uncooked and reserved from stuffing cornbread stuffing mix.
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes.
- chopped turkey giblets.
- 4 cups or broth or chicken stock or broth fresh turkey stock.
- 1/3 cup cold water.
- 1 hard boiled sliced egg.
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning.