This flavorful and delicious Turkey Gravy recipe is a breeze to make, with or without turkey drippings, and takes just 5 simple ingredients and 15 minutes to make. It’s perfect to use on your main dishes or side dishes for Thanksgiving Dinner!
We always serve this with Smoked Turkey or Sous Vide Turkey Breast and garlic mashed potatoes.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You probably already have all the ingredients on-hand, therefore making it inexpensive and easy to make.
- You can make this gravy ahead of time to make the holiday less chaotic!
- This classic turkey gravy can be made with drippings or without making it extremely flexible.
- Once size fits all! This will pair well with all your thanksgiving recipes that pair well with gravy.
Ingredients
To make turkey gravy without drippings, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter- Butter is used in place of the fat from the turkey drippings. I highly recommend using unsalted butter so you don’t end up with uber salty gravy.
- All Purpose Flour- Flour is used as the thickening agent.
- Turkey Broth – You can use turkey broth or chicken stock (homemade bone broth is great here). In a pinch you can use vegetable broth, however you’ll lose the meaty flavor. If so, I recommend adding a pinch of poultry seasoning to increase the “classic turkey gravy” flavor.
- Garlic – Finely mince a clove of garlic to throw in or even garlic paste for a smoother consistency.
- Poultry Seasoning – Poultry seasoning has all the classic Thanksgiving flavors in one. You can replace with ground thyme or rosemary instead.
- Salt and Black Pepper – Do not add salt if you’re using salted butter or turkey stock. You’ll want to add it at the end after tasting.
To make turkey gravy from drippings, you can still use this recipe! Just sub in the fat from the drippings for the butter! If you’re making a whole turkey, you should absolutely have enough to make the gravy with drippings recipe.
How To Make Turkey Gravy Without Drippings
Here’s a quick overview on how to make this homemade turkey gravy recipe. It’s as easy to make as our Prime Rib Gravy. For the full set of directions, see the recipe card below with helpful notes I included for easy reference.
Make a Roux- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture turns a light golden brown. “Toasting” the flour removes the raw flour taste and serves as the thickening agent. Any good gravy starts with a roux.
Add Liquid- Slowly add the broth to the flour mixture and continue to whisk constantly to prevent lumps.
Season and Reduce- Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the gravy has thickened to your desired consistency. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve it with the roasted turkey and side dishes!
Turkey Recipes
Thanksgiving gravy can be used on so many things. Slather it on Smoked Turkey Wings to make it a turkey wing gravy. Whip up a batch on the grill when making Smoked Turkey Breast to make a smoked turkey gravy.
Over the years, we’re used this delicious gravy on quite a bit of non-turkey recipes with success as well: Sous Vide Chuck Roast, Smoked Beef Tenderloin, Sous Vide Ribeye and even dinner rolls.
Tips
- Watch The Sodium- Do not use full sodium broth or salted butter unless you omitted salt from your turkey rub. The resulting gravy will be way too salty.
- Chicken Broth Substitute– I keep a list of substitution ideas on hand when cooking, however none of them have been tested. As such I don’t advise using a replacement when making this easy homemade gravy.
- Boost The Flavor- If you want to boost the flavor of your gravy without drippings, throw in some finely fresh herbs, diced shallots, onions, or celery in the melted butter and sauté before adding the flour.
- Adjust the Thickness- Adjust the thickness of your gravy by adding more broth, a tablespoon at a time, if it’s too thick or cooking it longer if it’s too thin.
Recipe FAQ’s
How Far In Advance Can I Make This?
Gravy can be made up to 3 days in advance of serving. Just re-heat in a saucepan until warm.
Do I Need A Fat Separator?
No fat separator is required to make this gravy recipe. If using drippings, just let it cool and skim off the fat that’s floated to the top of the liquid and use.
How Do I Fix Lumpy Gravy?
If you find your gravy is lumpy, run it through a mesh stainer before adding it to the gravy boat. Problem solved – no lumpy gravy.
How Do I Store Leftover Gravy?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also place cooled leftover gravy in a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to three months.
Related Resources & Recipes
- Best Wine With Turkey
- Turkey Rub
- Best Wood For Smoking Turkey
- Smoked Turkey Brine
- 20 Tips For Smoking Turkey
- Turkey Injection Recipe
Ingredients
Gravy Without Drippings
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (*Note 1)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low sodium turkey broth or chicken broth (*Note 1)
- ½ tsp poultry seasoning
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼-½ tsp sea salt (*Note 2)
Gravy With Drippings
- ¼ cup turkey drippings
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low sodium turkey broth or chicken broth (*Note 1)
- ½ tsp poultry seasoning
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼-½ tsp sea salt (*Note 2)
Instructions
- Pre-heat a medium sized saucepan or skillet over medium heat and add the butter (or turkey drippings, if using). Once melted, add the garlic and saute until aromatic (approx. 30-60 seconds).
- Vigorously whisk in the flour and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden in color.
- Slowly add the stock to the roux while vigorously whisking. Add the stock slowly as this is where the lumps can happen! Keep whisking until there are no lumps.
- Add the poultry seasoning, 1/4 tsp of sea salt and black pepper and bring to a gentle boil, before lowering the heat to a simmer.
- Simmer and whisk constantly, until it begins to thicken, approx. 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer to a gravy boat and serve.
