Have homemade turkey gravy ready in minutes with this simple recipe! Rich and creamy gravy made with the flavorful turkey drippings; a Thanksgiving dinner must have.
Looking for more classic Thanksgiving dinner recipes? Make all the classics like green bean casserole, mac and cheese, and cranberry sauce!
HOMEMADE TURKEY GRAVY RECIPE
Skip the store-bought gravy mix and make this easy turkey gravy in minutes with the drippings from your Roasted bird or turkey breast! With just 5 basic ingredients, you can have this flavorful, rich and creamy turkey gravy ready to pour over your mashed potatoes or turkey. Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner or a weeknight dinner, this simple and quick gravy is the cherry on top!
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Butter– The base for the roux is your fat, which for this recipe is butter! You can use either salt or unsalted butter.
- Flour– To thicken this homemade turkey gravy, you want to use all-purpose flour.
- Turkey Drippings– All the flavors for this gravy comes from the delicious turkey drippings! Turkey drippings are all the juices that are at the bottom of your roasting pan from roasting a whole bird or turkey breast. Don’t throw it out, it’s perfect for turkey gray!
- Liquid– I use water, since the turkey drippings are rich in flavor. For a richer gravy, you can use chicken or turkey broth.
- Pepper– Since the turkey drippings are full of flavor you typically don’t need to season the gravy, but I love adding a little bit extra black pepper! Once the gravy is made, and it seems bland, you can add some additional salt to taste.
HOW TO MAKE TURKEY GRAVY
Skip the turkey gravy powder mix and make this homemade version in about 5 minutes!
- Once your Roasted Turkey is ready and on its serving platter, pour the turkey drippings from the pan through a sieve into a bowl or large measuring cup.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour.
- Cook until the flour mixture starts to brown, whisking continuously to avoid burning.
- Pour in the turkey drippings and whisk until there are no more flour lumps.
- Add the water (or broth) and pepper and bring it to a simmer.
- Simmer until the gravy thickens and remove from heat.
- Transfer to your gravy bowl and serve immediately.
TURKEY GRAVY WITHOUT DRIPPINGS-
Want to make a batch of turkey gravy, but don’t have turkey drippings? No worries! You can still make homemade turkey gravy. You will just need chicken or turkey broth or stock!
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour.
- Cook until the flour mixture starts to brown, whisking continuously to avoid burning.
- Pour in some of the turkey gravy and whisk until there are no more flour lumps.
- Add the rest of the broth and pepper and bring it to a simmer.
- Simmer until the gravy thickens and remove from heat.
- Transfer to your gravy bowl and serve immediately.
SERVING IDEAS
There are many ways to enjoy this flavorful thick and creamy turkey gravy recipe!
- Mashed Potatoes– The most popular way to enjoy this rich turkey gravy is over creamy mashed potatoes!
- Turkey– You can’t forget to drizzle your juicy turkey with some of this homemade gravy.
- KFC Bowls– Swap the brown gravy for this homemade turkey gravy in the popular KFC bowls.
- Fried Chicken– Pour some turkey gravy over crispy fried chicken or fried pork chops, so delicious!
- Sandwiches- Use this gravy as a sauce for your hot turkey sandwiches or sliders.
- Stuffing– If you love stuffing, try it with some of this gravy.
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
If your gravy is too thin, you just need to thicken it! Whisk together some flour and water to create a thick slurry. Then pour it into the simmering gravy and whisk together and allow it to thicken. Keep doing this until it’s at desired consistency.
If you want a thinner gravy, just add a little bit more broth until the gravy reaches desired consistency.
Be sure to whisk the flour in with the butter first then add the broth. You also want to make sure you add a little bit of liquid at a time and continue whisking until there are no flour lumps!
To avoid overly salty gravy, I like to use my turkey drippings and water. If you are using turkey drippings and broth, it might be a little overly salty, so you can add some water to even out the saltiness.
Once the gravy is fully cooled, the gravy will thicken. Store in a container or in the saucepan in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! This homemade turkey gravy freezes great! Transfer the cooled turkey gravy to a freezer sage container or plastic bag and freeze for up to 3-4 months. Thaw overnight and reheat and serve.
If you want to make turkey gravy without drippings, you just need turkey gravy powder! You can use either turkey gravy or turkey bouillon powder. You can find it at your local grocery store or amazon. You can also use chicken broth or bouillon instead.
OTHER CLASSIC THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES-
Make all the classic Thanksgiving side dishes for the ultimate dinner!
Homemade Turkey Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup turkey drippings strained
- 1 cup water or chicken or turkey broth
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper or to taste
Turkey Gravy without Drippings-
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cup chicken or turkey broth
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Transfer the roasted turkey to a serving platter and then carefully pour the turkey drippings from the roasting pan or casserole dish into a large measure cup or bowl, running it through a sieve. (Be sure to run it through a sieve for a clear, smooth gravy.)
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter on medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add the flour to the pan and whisk until combined.
- Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, until the flour mixture turns slightly golden. (Be sure to keep whisking to avoid burning.)
- Pour the turkey drippings into the pan and whisk until well combined and there are no lumps. (For gravy without turkey drippings, you would just pour some of the turkey or chicken broth.)
- Add the water (or chicken or turkey broth) and black pepper to the pan and whisk to combine.
- Bring to a simmer on medium high heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the gravy has thickened.
- Remove it from heat and transfer it to your gravy dish and enjoy.
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