Really Incredible Turkey Gravy
There’s nothing like a luscious, homemade turkey gravy to bring your holiday meal together. This turkey gravy uses turkey drippings, homemade turkey stock, fresh thyme, and a hint of white wine to create a velvety sauce you’ll want to douse your entire meal in. It’s a delicious staple for any Thanksgiving table.
Erica Notes
Want to know the ultimate secret ingredient for the best gravy ever? Turkey stock. Homemade turkey stock. Why? Because using the turkey parts and turkey bones to create a rich, aromatic broth is going to give your gravy a hundred times more flavor than any storebought broth.
I don’t know about you, but I make gravy once a year… for Thanksgiving turkey. And turkey gravy should have flavors of turkey! Here’s the issue though. I generally make stock from the leftover turkey carcass. BUT, if we want turkey stock in time to make gravy to serve with turkey, then we need to make it ahead of time.
Here’s my solution:
- I spatchcock my turkey which is the process of removing the backbone and flattening the bird so that it cooks quickly and evenly and produces a roast turkey with juicy meat and crispy skin.
- I use the turkey neck, giblets and backbone to make a roasted turkey stock.
- Then I have 2-3 quarts of turkey stock to use on Thanksgiving Day to make amazing gravy, stuffing and any other recipe that calls for broth!
This has been my process every single year for over a decade. It is a bit of work upfront, but getting my turkey and turkey stock prepped ahead of time saves so much time and stress when making my big holiday meal. And this flavorful gravy is SO GOOD drizzled all over turkey breast, mashed potatoes and stuffing.
I hope this is as helpful for you as it is for me, enjoy!
What You’ll Need to Make Turkey Gravy:
Turkey drippings: turkey drippings are the flavorful juices, fat, and bits of caramelized turkey that collect in the roasting pan as the turkey cooks. You’ll want to use a liquid measuring cup or fat separator to seprate the fat from the drippings.
Wondra flour: Wondra flour is a finely milled, pre-cooked flour designed to dissolve quickly in liquids without clumping, making it ideal for gravies and sauces. I always buy Wondra for making gravy because it is so smooth and results in the silkiest gravy. You can find it at any grocery store in the baking aisle next to the other flour.
White wine: white wine adds a lovely depth of flavor and is ideal for scraping up any flavorful browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
Fresh thyme: Thanksgiving time is for thyme! I like to buy a huge bunch of thyme at the grocery store (some grocers will carry larger packages this time of year) because I use it in nearly every single one of my holiday dishes!
Turkey stock: prep this make-ahead turkey broth 1-2 days before the big meal and you’ll be set! You roast up the leftover turkey parts with veggies and fresh herbs and then fill a stockpot with cold water, salt, black peppercorns and bay leaves and simmer until reduced by a third.
Red wine vinegar: red wine vinegar adds the final pop of acidity to balance out the richness of the gravy.
Salt and black pepper: you will likely not even need salt, as the turkey stock and drippings are incredibly flavorful. But you can always taste and season with a pinch as needed.
Equipment You’ll Need:
How to Make this Easy Turkey Gravy Recipe:
Prepare the Drippings
Once your turkey is roasted, pour the pan drippings into a fat separator or a liquid measuring cup. The fat rises to the top and the flavorful drippings will settle below. In a medium saucepan, warm the turkey stock over medium-low heat. This ensures it integrates seamlessly into the gravy.
Make the Roux
Choose your pan: you can use the roasting pan that the turkey was in (this is what I do) or a skillet. Set the pan over medium-low heat (you will probably need two burners if working with a roasting pan). Skim ¼ cup of turkey fat from the drippings and add it to the pan. You can discard any excess fat but keep the rest of the drippings. Once sizzling, whisk in ⅓ cup Wondra flour until completely smooth. Cook for about a minute to eliminate any raw flour taste.
Incorporate wine and stock
Pour in the white wine, whisking constantly, and let it bubble and reduce for about 60 seconds, scraping all of the stuck or browned bits at the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the thyme sprigs and remaining flavorful turkey drippings to the pan. Gradually ladle in the warm turkey stock, one ladle at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition. Allow the gravy to thicken slightly before adding more stock.
Simmer and Season
Once all the turkey stock is incorporated, bring the gravy to a low simmer. Cook for a few minutes until it reaches your desired consistency. Stir in 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar for brightness. Taste and season if needed with pinches of salt and pepper.
Strain and Serve
For an ultra-smooth gravy, strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a gravy boat. Serve warm with roasted turkey and your favorite holiday sides!
Expert Tips for Perfect Turkey Gravy
- Use Wondra! Its fine texture helps thicken the gravy without any lumps or clunkiness.
- Keep an eye out for the right consistency. You may need a little more or less turkey stock than what worked for me. You can always thin the gravy out with more stock.
- Strain it! For a super smooth, lump-free gravy I pass it through a fine mesh sieve straight into the gravy boat.
FAQs
Yes, simply deglaze the pan with turkey stock.
Yes, you can use equal parts all-purpose flour.
You can use chicken broth, chicken stock or vegetable broth.
Yep! Gravy has a high-fat content and will gelatinize as it cools. You can re-warm it in the microwave or in a small saucepan.
Store leftover turkey gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can use butter instead of turkey fat.
To make gluten-free gravy use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend instead of Wondra flour.
Serve this homemade turkey gravy recipe with:
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
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Really Incredible Turkey Gravy
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups gravy 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
The most flavorful and silky smooth turkey gravy you’ll ever make! Perfect for any holiday dinner menu.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup turkey fat + remaining turkey drippings from a whole roasted turkey (about 3/4 cup drippings)
- 1/3 cup Wondra flour
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 bunch thyme
- 4 cups turkey stock
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- Pinches of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place turkey drippings in a fat separator or liquid measuring cup, the fat and drippings should gently separate. Place turkey stock in a medium saucepan and warm it on the stove over medium-low heat.
- You can make the gravy straight in the roasting pan or in a skillet. Set your pan over medium-low heat (if you’re using the roasting pan, you’ll likely need to use two burners).
- Skim ¼ cup turkey fat from the drippings. If you have a fat separator this is easy, if not just use a large spoon to scoop the fat from the top and add to the pan. You can discard the remaining turkey fat but reserve all the drippings. When the fat is sizzling, add the Wondra flour, whisking until completely smooth. Cook for a minute or so.
- Pour in the white wine and let it sizzle out, whisking constantly for 30-60 seconds.
- Whisk in the remaining turkey drippings and add the thyme sprigs. Keep the heat at medium low. Use a ladle to add the warm turkey stock, a ladleful at a time, whisking constantly. Let the gravy thicken slightly before each addition.
- When the turkey stock is fully incorporated, whisk until smooth and bring to a low simmer, allowing the gravy to thicken a little more. Turn off the heat. Stir in the vinegar. Taste and season with a pinch of black pepper and salt, if needed. It will already be very flavorful from the stock and drippings.
- Strain gravy through a fine mesh sieve into a gravy boat.
- Serve with turkey and mashed potatoes! MUAH!
Notes
Refer to above blog post for expert tips and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup gravy
- Calories: 60
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 308.6 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.2 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 0.9 g
- Cholesterol: 11.8 mg
