How to Make the Best Turkey Gravy
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This turkey gravy is simply the best! Perfect for your Thanksgiving turkey using up all the pan drippings. Rich, velvety smooth, and so easy!
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Why you’ll love this Thanksgiving turkey gravy
- Easy, fool-proof recipe. This is the world’s easiest, quickest, 20-minute fool-proof Thanksgiving turkey gravy (using pan drippings)! All you have to do is strain your drippings and combine it with some butter, flour, and fresh herbs.
- So much better than store-bought. Say goodbye to powdered mixes and jarred gravy! The pan drippings from the turkey adds intense, maximum, rich flavors to your homemade gravy that store-bought gravy simply cannot match.
- Fully customizable. The beauty of making gravy at home is how flexible and giving it is! You can adjust the consistency, salt levels, and seasonings to suit what you have on hand as well as any dietary restrictions.
- This gravy freezes like a dream. Cream-based gravies will not freeze well as it will separate when frozen and thawed. But this flour-based gravy can keep in the freezer for at least 3 months, saving up any leftover gravy or preparing for big stressful holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter.
Key Ingredients
Pan drippings
Using pan drippings from your bird is key here! It will add all the deep rich flavors to your gravy.
Chicken or turkey stock
Good quality chicken or turkey stock is highly recommended (homemade is even better) if you do not have or have enough pan drippings.
Unsalted butter
This will help create the roux – the combination of flour and fat (butter) – which is the foundation of an excellent gravy.
Flour
All-purpose is best but gluten-free flour can also be substituted in a 1:1 ratio.
Thyme
Herbs – dried or fresh – are great to add flavor, adding as much or as little as desired. Rosemary, sage, and oregano can also be added here.
Salt and pepper
Season to taste as your pan drippings will already be seasoned quite a bit.
How to make turkey gravy from pan drippings
- Deglaze the pan (optional). Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and place the pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon or whisk to gently scrape up the caramelized, crusty brown bits stuck to the bottom.
- Strain the drippings. Pour the turkey pan drippings through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the solids and reserving 2 1/2 cups. Pro tip: add chicken or turkey stock, as needed, if you do not have enough pan drippings.
- Make the roux. Melt the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the flour and thyme (and any additional herbs) until lightly golden-brown.
- Add the pan drippings. Gradually whisk in the reserved turkey pan drippings, whisking continuously to prevent any lumps.
- Simmer and thicken. Lower the heat to a simmer, stirring frequently, until the gravy is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-10 minutes.
- Season and finish. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pro tip: you may not need additional salt as the pan drippings are already salted.
Tools For This Recipe
How to Make the Best Turkey Gravy: Frequently Asked Questions
You can use all of the pan drippings from the easiest Thanksgiving turkey recipe.
Unsalted butter allows you to add as much salt (or as little) salt in your dish, allowing for more control and consistency. But you can replace the unsalted butter with salted butter in a pinch, reducing the amount of salt indicated in the recipe and adding to taste.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. For example, the correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh parsley = 1 teaspoon dried parsley.
Yes! You can follow the recipe below, substituting chicken or turkey stock for the pan drippings, and adding in minced garlic, diced shallots and additional seasonings (ex. sage, rosemary and poultry seasoning), to taste.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, gently reheating on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water or broth, stirring constantly, until smooth and warmed through.
This flour-based gravy freezes very well! Once cooled completely, you can freeze the leftover gravy in individual freezer bags (or ice cube trays), thawing overnight and gently reheating on the stovetop.
How to Make the Best Turkey Gravy
Video
Ingredients
- Pan drippings from Easy Thanksgiving Turkey
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 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.
Equipment
Notes
- Pan drippings is key. Gravy can be made with or without pan drippings, but pan drippings will add maximum flavor to your turkey gravy.
- Separate the fat. Strain the turkey pan drippings through a strainer or fat separator to prevent a greasy, separated gravy.
- Deglaze the pan (optional). If the roasting pan from the turkey has a lot of browned bits stuck to the bottom, set the pan over medium heat and add a splash of water, stock, or white wine. Then use a wooden spoon to lift up all the caramelized bits (fond) before adding to the reserved pan drippings.
- Use good quality stock. If you do not have enough pan drippings from your turkey, you can add chicken or turkey stock to make up for the difference. But your gravy is as good as your stock! Use good-quality or homemade stock for the best results.
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are ideal here, delivering the best kind of flavor. This is also a great time to use up all the leftover herbs from your holiday turkey.
- Cook the roux. Whisk in the flour until it turns light golden-brown to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- Whisk constantly. Whisking constantly is key here for a lump-free gravy.
- Freeze as needed. Let the gravy cool completely before transferring to individual freezer bags (or ice cube trays). Label, date, and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and gently reheat on the stovetop until warmed through.
Did you make this recipe?
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A delicious addition to a turkey dinner. Or was the perfect consistency and flavor.
Easy peasy and damn delicious
Make this gravy with a small left over turkey from last year. Made it into a Hot Turkey Brown sandwich and it was delicious!
]do you remove fat from turkey drippings?
Thank you
Easy, Fast, Damn Delicious!!!
Was stuck and just finished two turkeys…always guessing what is the best way. This…this is the way. Came out perfect.
This recipe saved my life in a last-minute, oh-shizz-the-guests-are-early-and-my-mind’s-gone-blank gravy emergency, thank you very much.
What did I do wrong? I followed the recipe exactly, and I was stirring constantly for over 10 minutes and never saw any thickening. I had 2.5 cups of pan drippings. What ended up happening seemed to just be boiling broth (essentially) and what looked like some fat attached to my whisk at the end of it.
Family said this was the BEST gravy I’ve ever made. Highly recomend!
The best gravy ever!!! Seriously!!
Yummy yum yum!! Crowd pleaser. Easy peasy. Roasted my 14lb turkey (DD and damn delish) was a bit freaked at the lack of dipping in the pan, until I tipped the cavity taking the bird out. Fresh thyme is the key.
This recipe tastes too good! And only 3 steps–super easy to make!
I made this gravy tonight for Thanksgiving and it turned out perfect! I made a homemade broth by boiling the turkey neck in 8-cups of water, a bunch of thyme, a small bunch of sage, 2 sprigs of rosemary, a couple cubes of chicken bouillon, 1/2 white onion, and salt and pepper, for 1-hour. I strained this broth and then added the turkey drippings to the broth. This is the base I used for your gravy recipe. It turned out so delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe, this is a staple recipe to keep and pass on to generations!
Very easy to make. Tastes delicious!
I added finely chopped rosemary and sage alongwith the thyme and it turned out perfect
Awesome n easy
The BEST EASIEST MOST DELICIOUS GRAVY recipe ever!!!!
I’ve been making this turkey recipe for the last 3 years and it’s amazing. Everyone says my turkey is the best they’ve ever had so thank you so much!! I also make the gravy recipe, 10/10
Do you think I can use a chicken or a bone broth completely instead of the turkey drippings? My husband’s health requires a strict diet, so I’m trying to find a healthy gravy. I would use a broth and almond flour in place of the drippings and flour. I just don’t want to alter the taste
I think you can, especially if you cook the broth til it’s thicker. I see no reason you couldn’t. You can season it like you and your family like. It will be delicious!!!! I cook with almond flour all the time. How about thickening with tapioca flour? That’s probably what I will do. Happy Thanksgiving!!!