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Make the perfect easy homemade turkey gravy for Thanksgiving! Smooth, flavorful, and easy to make with pan drippings or without. All you need is butter, flour, black pepper, chicken or turkey stock, and/or drippings! Whether you use drippings or none at all, this recipe gives you rich, deeply flavorful gravy in about 10 minutes. It is perfect for feeding a crowd on Thanksgiving.
There’s nothing like rich, easy turkey gravy to tie your entire Thanksgiving dinner together! This easy, homemade turkey gravy recipe can be made with pan drippings or without and it comes together in about 10 minutes!
Years ago I used to be extremely intimidated of making gravy because for whatever reason, it seemed too complicated to make. I’m here to tell you that this homemade turkey gravy is one of the easiest recipes you’ll make for Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, Thanksgiving isn’t the only time when this turkey gravy will come in handy. You can use this any time of year. I tend to use it any time I am making my favorite mashed potatoes or roast chicken.
WHY THIS GRAVY RECIPE WORKS
This turkey gravy recipe works every time because it combines simple techniques with a few flavor secrets:
- Roux for perfect thickness: cooking butter and flour together forms a roux, which thickens the gravy while keeping it smooth and lump-free. This step ensures your gravy has a smooth texture that clings beautifully to your turkey and mashed potatoes.
- Pan drippings for deep flavor, but not required: Using the drippings from your turkey or chicken adds a rich flavor that can’t be replicated with stock alone, however, you can still achieve delicious gravy without!
- Gradual liquid addition: slowly whisking in drippings or stock prevents lumps and helps the roux absorb the liquid evenly.
- Season + taste: tasting the gravy at the end allows you to taste if the gravy needs any additional salt or black pepper.
- Simple and flexible: This recipe works whether you have a lot of drippings or none at all. The steps are easy to follow, even for beginner cooks, and you can make it ahead or keep it warm until serving.
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Pin It NowTurkey Gravy Ingredients
Part of what makes this the perfect turkey gravy recipe is how simple the ingredients are. For the measurement of each ingredient, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter can be used. Avoid substitutes like margarine for the best flavor. Real butter is where it’s at!
- Flour: Thickens the gravy by combining with the butter to make a roux. Cornstarch can be used but in my experience, flour gives a richer texture.
- Black pepper: Adds a flavor profile that compliments the gravy.
- Drippings or broth (turkey or chicken): The base and bulk of the gravy! If you are roasting a turkey or chicken, using the drippings (the liquid left after the meat is cooked) is a great way to add flavor to your gravy and use something that you would otherwise probably throw away. If you don’t have enough drippings or want to make gravy without them, use chicken broth. See more about this below.
- Optional flavor boost: 1-2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon if using stock alone, and no pan drippings.
How to Make Turkey Gravy (Step by Step Instructions)
Here is a brief overview of how to make homemade turkey gravy. The method is so simple and will take only about 10 minutes from start to finish. For the full recipe including all measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Melt your butter. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Then stir in the black pepper.
- Make a roux. Slowly add the flour, whisking to combine. Continue whisking until the flour is well incorporated into the butter.
- Add the liquid. Slowly add your drippings or broth, be sure to whisk constantly to combine. Wait to add more until what you’ve added has been absorbed. Continue until all of the liquid has been added.
- Cook the gravy. Allow the gravy to cook for several minutes so that it can thicken. Serve immediately or keep on low heat until ready to serve.
Turkey Gravy With or Without Drippings
This homemade turkey gravy recipe can be made with or without drippings, which is one of the reasons I love it. The “drippings” refer to the liquid and any pieces that are left in the pan or roaster after the chicken or turkey has been cooked. It is filled with delicious flavor from the combination of the meat slowly roasting, fat that has melted, and any pieces that have fallen off while cooking. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it!
If you are using drippings, pour the drippings into a fine mesh strainer then allow the drippings to cool a bit so that the fat rises to the top and starts to solidify. Use a spoon to remove the fat. I like to strain them into a large glass measuring cup so I can see how much I have and easily pour it into the gravy while whisking when that time comes.
If you are making this Turkey Gravy without drippings, you’ll need chicken or turkey stock. You can either make your own (here is my recipe for homemade chicken stock) or buy it from the grocery store. Make sure you are using a good quality stock because it will directly impact the flavor of the gravy.
Gravy Without drippings
If you do not have turkey drippings, I recommend using 1-2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon to give your gravy a rich, savory flavor more similar to using drippings. Better Than Bouillon is a concentrated paste made from real meat, vegetables and seasonings. It adds a lot of flavor, especially when you don’t have pan drippings. Look for it in the aisle with soups, stocks and broth.
If you have drippings from the turkey but not enough to equal four cups, no worries. You can always make up for what you don’t have by adding in store-bought stock. For example, if you have 2 cups of drippings from your turkey, just add in 2 cups of chicken stock so that you have 4 cups of drippings/stock total.
Making a Roux
To make this gravy thick and creamy, we make a roux using a fat (butter) and flour. Like in my Ultimate Loaded Baked Potato Soup, this creates a thickening agent and is an important step in achieving the ideal consistency of the gravy. It is important to continue whisking when adding the flour and to add the liquid very slowly, allowing it to be absorbed by the mixture before adding more. This process only takes a minute or two, but you do not want to rush it. Do this until all of your drippings or broth has been added. This recipe comes together quickly but isn’t one you want to walk away from until it is done.
How to Thicken Turkey Gravy
While some recipes for turkey gravy call for cornstarch as the thickening agent, I like to use flour. Make sure that after you add the flour, you whisk really well so that it fully incorporates into the butter.
If you want to thin your gravy a bit after it is done cooking, add a little stock or extra drippings until the gravy reaches your desired consistency.
Turkey Gravy for a Crowd
Are you cooking for a crowd this Thanksgiving? No problem. You can easily double or triple this recipe for lots of extra delicious turkey gravy. And the best news is that it can be made ahead of time and warmed up right before you eat. I don’t know about you, but when I’m cooking for a crowd I like to prep ahead as much as possible and this recipe works great for that!
Serving Gravy
I typically like to make the gravy shortly before we eat dinner, but you can always make it ahead of time and warm it up right before dinner. Is there anything better than warm, delicious gravy from scratch? Serve it atop your mashed potatoes, turkey stuffing, and whatever else you put gravy on!
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat over low heat or in the microwave.
To freeze your gravy, allow it to cool and place it in a freezer safe bag or container, leaving about an inch at the top for the gravy to expand. It can be kept in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw the gravy in the refrigerator overnight and heat over low heat when ready to serve to best prevent the gravy from separating.
This recipe has not been tested with gluten free flour, however, it can be made with cornstarch instead of flour or a gluten free flour that is meant to replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 ratio.
Remove the cooked meat (chicken or turkey) from the pan or roaster that you cooked it in. Strain the remaining mixture in the pan to remove any pieces and some of the fat. I like to strain the drippings into a large glass measuring cup so I can see how much I have. It is also easy to pour into the gravy while whisking.
Turkey gravy can be made with either, but I like the flavor better with flour. With that being said if you need to make a gluten free gravy, I would recommend using cornstarch.
This homemade turkey gravy recipe yields about 4 cups which is plenty of gravy to feed a crowd. It can be easily doubled or tripled if you need more, just be sure to double or triple all ingredients.
Other Thanksgiving Recipes
To round out your meal, serve your perfect turkey gravy with the following dishes:
- Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
- The Best Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole {Like Ruth’s Chris}
- Turkey Stuffing
If you make this perfect turkey gravy recipe or any of my other recipes, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment. I love hearing from you and how you like my recipes!
Perfect Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter cut into 8 pieces
- 1 tsp coarse black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups pan drippings OR 4 cups stock (turkey or chicken)
- 1-2 tsp Better than Bouillon if using only stock, without pan drippings
Instructions
- Prepare the drippings (if using): Strain: pour the hot drippings from your roasted turkey or chicken through a fine mesh strainer into a measuring cup.Separate the fat: Let it cool for a few minutes so that the fat rises to the top and begins to solidify.Remove the fat: Skim off the fat with a spoon until you have mostly liquid.Measure: If you don't have a full 4 cups of drippings, add turkey or chicken stock until you reach 4 cups total liquid.
- If not using drippings: Use 4 cups turkey or chicken stock.
- Make the roux: In a large saucepan, melt ½ cup butter over medium-low heat. Add 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper and whisk to combine. Sprinkle in ½ cup all-purpose flour and whisk continuously for 1-2 minutes. The mixture will form a smooth paste (roux). Don't let it brown too much – just long enough to remove the raw flour taste.
- Build the gravy: Slowly pour in the drippings or stock, a little at a time, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- Once all liquid has been added, turn heat to medium and continue whisking until the gravy begins to thicken, 3-5 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning: taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste as needed.
- Serve immediately or keep warm over very low heat, whisking occasionally .
Notes
Recipe from
CenterCutCook
