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 add 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 gravy 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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Plan to make this for Thanksgiving. Sounds terrific & most impressive reviews.
QUESTION…..Can you make ahead & refrigerate?
I’m late, but in case you’d like to know for next year, you can definitely make this ahead of time and refrigerate it(I did). Just make sure to let it fully cool before refrigerating and reheat it very slowly on the stovetop while stirring frequently.
I don’t get that much of drippings. But, I do the same and add water or turkey broth now
I make turkey broth by simmering the gizzard in water for 2 hours or while cooking turkey. I use this broth to make the gravy.
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?
You can but the general rule of thumb is to use HALF the amount if you’re using dried herbs since the flavor is much stronger than fresh. So (obviously) if the recipe calls for 2 tsp fresh, use 1 tsp dried.
how do you manage to get 2 and 1\2 cups of dripping I never even have a cup with a 20 lb turkey
Did you put any water in the bottom of the pan? You must have the driest turkeys in the world! Lol
it depends on how you make your Turkey. I use Oilless fryer and the turkey is super jucy. I get about a cup maybe slightly more of drippings. Not everyone bakes it in the oven
You are so incredibly rude.
This recipe calls for using their turkey recipe which calls for 1/2 cup of butter plus 2 cups of liquid added to the roasting pan. I was surprised to see the 2 cups of drippings also but that would come from the added liquid. It doesn’t mention anything about removing any of the fat either. Maybe Steve knows
No more package gravy mixes for me. Tastes just like my Mom use to make. My family loved it !!
Thank you! I have never had luck with turkey gravy. Made this today for a practice Thanksgiving meal and it is soooooo delicious! Will be my go to from now on. Also, I have never written a review before so you can be sure I love it!
It is the best turkey gravy that I had in the last 9 years. I am addicted to it. It is a must to make this gravy every 2 week in my house. Thanks for great recipe.
Made this recipe on the 5th of July for a un-traditional Turkey dinner and it was a big hit with the neighbors. This will definately be my go to gravy from now on. I can’t wait to try out your other recipes!
I added the Thyme when I was melting the butter. This really brought out it’s flavor and aroma!
I have struggled for 20 years to make a good turkey gravy and this recipe nailed!
It truly was the best turkey gravy I have ever had thank you very much I’ll make it over and over again
Damned Delicious,
I have made this recipe twice this year:
1.) Thanksgiving and now
2.) Christmas Dinner
Both times the outcome has been very warmly received.
Thanks
the gravy is excellent and easy, thanks!
I haven’t made it yet but have a question. Do you not separate the fat out of the drippings?
I’ve done it both ways and both ways were delicious. I guess it just depends on wether you’re going for something slightly lighter in calories and/or have the time to cool your drippings enough to separate the fat.
The turkey and gravy were delicious!
The gravy was as advertised… Easy and good! Loved it! I have added it to my Thanksgiving recipe file as well as the turkey (altho we fried ours this year!)
I’m 52 years old and have never attempted to make my own. Your recipe was my first attempt and WOW, am I glad I stumbled on your recipe first!! This turned out amazing, my teenagers and husband were raving over it, and that’s a huge win in my book! Thank you for sharing your cooking talent with the rest of us who have none! That’s a blessing to be thankful for 🙂
This is so foolproof, I’m going to keep it as my go-to gravy recipe for Thanksgiving from now on. I simmered the turkey giblets in water and used some of the broth to reach the 2-1/2 cup mark for the pan drippings. When the gravy was done, I added the diced heart, gizzard, and liver like my mother does. So easy and so good!
Great gravy recipe! I added about 1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning to add body to it. Family loved it. Thank you for sharing!
This recipe came out perfect. It was super easy. I made stock from neck and giblets then used the drippings from the turkey.
Melted butter then sifted flour, whisking continuously. After a minute or so started adding liquid in batches. Wonderful!
I finally got it on the third try but it was hard it never really browned and it was creamy I had to struggle for it not to turn into dough I had to keep whisking and lowering the heat at the right time and I think I didn’t put enough drippings but it was yummy I will try again there is still lots of turkey!
You really don’t have to “brown” it. Just constantly whisk while it is almost bubbling. I think brown was the wrong word. Should be more like slightly tanned.