How to Make Turkey Gravy –a simple, step-by-step easy turkey gravy recipe that teaches you how to make delicious gravy from your Thanksgiving dinner turkey drippings that is packed with flavor! Perfect with your Thanksgiving turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and green bean casserole!
How to Make Turkey Gravy (using the pan drippings)
Raise your hand if you think Thanksgiving dinner is one of the best meals of the year!! Yes! Us too! The turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes and then all the gravy on top!! Let’s be honest – it’s all about that gravy! Making the perfect turkey gravy is absolutely the key to a great Thanksgiving and we are here to tell you that it is SO EASY and it is made with all the delicious drippings you have from making your turkey!
Want to make it ahead of time – learn how with our Make Ahead Turkey Gravy recipe!
Why You Will Love This Turkey Gravy Recipe
- Holidays – a great holiday dinner really isn’t much without a delicious turkey gravy on top and this is just that! Use the pan drippings from your roast turkey, roast turkey breast, grilled turkey or smoked turkey to make this easy recipe!
- Easy – this tutorial on how to make turkey gravy will show you just how easy it is! It comes together in minutes and is better than anything you would buy from the store.
- Simple, real ingredients – you only need 5 real ingredients for this turkey gravy and one of them is all the delicious drippings from the turkey!
What You Will Need
- Butter: you can use dairy-free butter if you need to, for best results use regular butter.
- All-purpose flour: this will be our thickening agent so your gravy is creamy and delicious – you can use gluten-free flour here.
- Turkey drippings: you will find these in the bottom of the roasting pan – also remember to use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour into a measuring cup and let the fat separate from the liquid (discard solids that rise to the top).
- Chicken broth (or turkey broth): don’t worry if you don’t have enough drippings! You can easily add in some broth to finish off the recipe – note that chicken broth, turkey stock, turkey broth or chicken stock will all work here.
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper: everyone is different here so taste and adjust as you go.
- Add-ins: some people like to add in a little crushed rosemary, onion powder, parsley or bay leaf – I prefer to keep it simple and really let the turkey flavor shine through.
RECIPE FAQs & TIPS
- How to prep the turkey drippings? – once you have the drippings from the cooked turkey it is helpful to use a fat separator to separate the fat from your drippings or you can let the drippings sit for a few minutes and since fat rises it will float to the top and you can scoop most of it out with just a large spoon.
- Extra Flavor: want some extra flavor in your homemade gravy – you can easily up the flavor by adding in a splash of white wine or a few fresh herbs (thyme and sage do well here).
- Can I store leftover gravy in the fridge? – Yes! It stores really well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Can I freeze leftover gravy? – Flour-based gravy such as this one freeze really well actually! Freeze for up to 3-4 months in a sealed container or even an ice cube tray! So convenient for enjoying this delicious gravy for months to come!
Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Sausage Stuffing
- Cornbread Muffins
- Cranberry Sauce
- Green Beans Almondine
- Bacon Broccoli Salad
- Apple Yam Bake
How To Make Turkey Gravy
Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to make the best turkey gravy:
Measure out your flour and butter.
Measure out 2 cups of drippings from the turkey after removing some fat.
Melt the butter.
Add your the flour to the pan with the melted butter.
Whisk/stir the melted butter and flour together to make a paste called a roux.
Then slowly add the turkey drippings while constantly mixing. Once the drippings are added you will do the same thing with the broth – add liquid slowly and mix constantly.
Now you tailor it to your liking – you can add a pinch of salt to adjust the taste or you can add more broth if you want your gravy to be thinner.
Pour it over everything and enjoy! 🙂
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
- Smoked Turkey Breast
- Butter and Sage Roasted Turkey
- Classic Giblet Stuffing
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
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Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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How to Make Turkey Gravy
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Approx. 3 cups
- Category: Gravy
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
How to Make Turkey Gravy -a simple, step-by-step recipe that teaches you how to make turkey gravy from your turkey drippings!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups turkey drippings
- 1 cup chicken broth (or turkey stock)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a deep skillet or medium saucepan melt butter on medium-high heat.
- Once butter is melted, add in flour and whisk to combine. This will create a sort of paste (called a roux) and it should have an almost nutty smell.
- Then slowly add in the turkey drippings, whisking constantly. Continue slowly pouring in the turkey drippings, whisking all the while, until it is all added. Then do the same thing with the broth.
- Assess the consistency of the gravy – if you like it a little thinner add broth a little at a time, whisking to combine, until you have reached your desired consistency. If you want it a bit thicker let it simmer (a soft boil) for a bit and it will continue to thicken.
- Taste and add salt, as desired.
- Serve immediately.
- If gravy ends up having to sit for a bit and you feel it dries up a bit, just add a splash of broth and whisk to revive.
Notes
- Prepping Turkey Drippings: I would recommend using a fat separator to separate the fat from your drippings. You can also just let them sit for a few minutes and the fat will float to the top and you can scoop most of it out with just a large spoon.
- Drippings Amount: If you don’t have quite 2 cups of drippings just make up for the difference with broth.
- Storage: The gravy actually stores really well in the refrigerator! Store in airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Flour-based gravy such as this one freeze really well actually! Freeze for up to 3-4 months in a sealed container or even an ice cube tray!
Originally published October 18, 2020.
Mike says
So much better than a simple jar of gravy and not that much effort needed. Good instructions. Thanks
Ali says
Easiest best gravy I’ve ever made! Took the drippings from the grill smoked Turkey recipe and it came out amazing! Will become a keeper in our house!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Ali! And thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review! I appreciate it!
Hattie says
I had to modify the recipe since I made the turkey breast and didn’t have enough drippings, but it still turned out so good!!! Definitely will be using this recipe in the future for gravy!
Erin says
Thanks so much, Hattie! And I am glad it turned out so well – it is actually a pretty forgiving recipe so even if you don’t have exactly the right amount of drippings it still turns out 🙂 Thanks so much for the feedback – I really appreciate it.
Hannah says
I made this for Thanksgiving this year and it turned out amazing! It was my first time hosting thanksgiving and the gravy was one of the things I was most nervous about. This recipe was easy to follow and came together quickly and without a glitch! Would definitely use it again.
Erin says
Yay! Love hearing that. I know gravy can be intimidating so I am so happy you found it easy to follow! Thanks for the feedback – I really appreciate it!