How to Make the Best Turkey Gravy
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This is simply the most perfect gravy for your Thanksgiving turkey using pan drippings! So rich, so smooth and so easy!
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I promised you a gravy recipe, didn’t I? I always keep my promises. Plus, this isn’t just any ordinary turkey gravy recipe.
Nope. This is the world’s easiest, quickest, less-than-2o-minute recipe conveniently using the pan drippings from your foolproof turkey.
Which means, hello, this is also a foolproof gravy!
You just can’t go wrong here. All you have to do is strain your pan drippings and combine it with some butter, flour and fresh herbs.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and boom. You’re done.
Ingredients
Pan drippings
Using pan drippings from your bird is key here! It will add so much flavor to your gravy.
Chicken or turkey stock
Good quality chicken or turkey stock is highly recommended 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 a lovely 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. Add 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.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS
- Pan drippings. Gravy can be made with or without pan drippings, but we highly recommend using pan drippings for optimal flavor.
- Use good quality stock. If you do not have enough pan drippings from your turkey, you can use chicken or turkey stock to make up for the difference but your gravy is as good as your stock. Use homemade or good quality stock, if using.
- Whisk constantly. Whisking constantly is key here for lump-free gravy.
Tools For This Recipe
Saucepan
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. It allows for more control and consistency.
You can replace 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/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
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.
Gravy freezes very well (or at least this one does)! Once cooled completely, you can freeze the leftover gravy in individual freezer bags (or ice cube trays), thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop. (Gravy recipes with milk or cream will not freeze well as it will tend to separate when frozen.)
How to Make the Best Turkey Gravy
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
Equipment
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.
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I can’t express how thrilled I am that this recipe was a success! Recently, I’ve been longing for the comfort of Thanksgiving dishes, and to my family’s relief, we needed a change from our usual chicken routine. Fortune smiled on us when I found turkey slices on offer at Sprouts. They were delightfully lean, prompting me to improvise with chicken broth and a hearty sprinkle of turkey rub in place of the usual poultry seasoning. I must say, the gravy was the star of the show – it turned out absolutely delicious! It was the perfect twist to satisfy our cravings and bring a dash of holiday spirit to our table.
Are 2.5 cups of liquid really going to cook out of a turkey breast? That number seems a bit hopeful. What if you don’t have that much?
There will be a lot more than 2.5 cups.
I ended up with 5 cups.
I made my first turkey this year and needed a gravy recipe. This was amazing!!! I should also mention that I’ve always had trouble making gravy but this worked perfectly. Thank you so much!
This is the best recipe for Gravy yet!
Yum! So good, thank you!
Do you separate out the fat?
100% Delicious. I needed to ‘practice’ making this, so I took the drippings from a Costco chicken that collected in the container and combined it with homemade chicken broth (Ina Garten’s recipe) and this was easily the best gravy I’ve ever had, bar none. I did add in a tablespoon of butter at the end for silkiness. Can’t wait to make this again!
Always looking fir good gravy recipe. Trying today.
Can’t wait to try it. I tend to have trouble with lumpy gravy but I think this recipe will be great. Is it possible to double the recipe? Or how many people would this serve?
I forgot to review this. Made this for Thanksgiving last year, and use the same method for my beef roasts (which I make frequently,) using beef broth for the liquid. I never had enough gravy for my “hot’ sandwiches before this recipe. Thanks for posting.
Absolutely Awesome! Exactly like My Mom made. But forgot & had to look up. Only 1/4 cup of drippings from my turkey breast. So even out with Better than bullion. My Mom used bullion cubes Lol. Anyways too salty…but my bad/Everything taste salty to me lately. Thickened up nicely after a bunch of boiling & stirring. Happy I made this instead of the enclosed gravy pkg!
Bullion is the problem. Use chicken stock and stir, stir!
So simple and straightforward, perfect gravy for turkey dinner. Love this! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Honestly the best gravy ever
Amazing!
The seasoning was amazing! This was super easy. The only tweak I made was based on my family’s preference for milk in gravy. We added an extra 1/2 tsp of flour and 2 T of milk. Best gravy, better than my mom’s scratch Thanksgiving gravy!
Thee best tasting turkey I’ve ever made. Even the turkey haters enjoy it. The white meat was moist and tender as it should be. I’m thrilled it turned out so delicious. The tenting method- on point. I even prepared some yummy turkey gravy. It was a lip smacking meal. Ohhh.. I had a few issues removing the back, but I did it! And that too was DELICIOUS . I’d just bake a pan full of turkey backs if I could find some. Thanks again.
It’s simple and convenient!
Very Nice .. so easy ill never forget how to make Great gravy against Thanks!
Best turky gravy i ever made and ate. Thank you.
Going try this one for Christmas. Question… I have a great turkey recipe that has me put a qt or so of apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan, anyone ever do that and make this gravy? If not, do you think it’ll come out as good as the reviews I’m seeing here? I’m thinking it’ll be pretty awesome but wanted to ask. Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Made this last night for a ladies evening and hands down the best gravy I have ever made, or maybe even had. Delicious and easy. Yum!