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Rich, creamy, and ready in minutes, this turkey gravy is pure holiday comfort. Once you pour it over your turkey and mashed potatoes, you’ll never skip making it from scratch again.
The Secret to Perfect Turkey Gravy
- Real Flavor: Made with flavorful pan turkey drippings for that deep, roasted turkey taste you can’t get from a packet.
- Smooth Texture: My classic roux technique makes it perfectly thick and lump-free every time.
- Easy and Customizable: Works with or without drippings. Just use turkey stock for the same cozy, homemade flavor.
Homemade Turkey Gravy Ingredients
- Cornstarch or flour? Substitute cornstarch for your flour if you prefer. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water.
- Customize: This gravy can be customized with fresh minced herbs or a splash of wine.
- No drippings? No problem. Use turkey stock or broth for flavor, then add flour or cornstarch to thicken, and follow the same steps. Your gravy will still taste amazing!
How to Make Turkey Gravy From Scratch
Making homemade gravy couldn’t be easier. Just a couple of ingredients and a few steps to follow before you are drizzling this gravy on top of everything this Thanksgiving! Or make my giblet gravy for a fun flavor-packed twist!
- Deglaze Pan: Add 1 cup chicken broth to the roasting pan with pan drippings. Heat over medium-high heat to deglaze, using a whisk or wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the pan. Skim off any large pieces of fat.
- Thicken: Whisk in the flour, then continue simmering until the lumps have dissolved and the gravy has thickened. Add an additional ½-1 cup of chicken broth to reach the desired thickness, then salt and pepper your turkey gravy to taste.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Smooth gravy: For a smoother gravy, strain the pan drippings. Whisking your gravy is a key step to achieving a smooth texture. If it is lumpy, pour it through a sieve before serving.
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Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- pan drippings from a 12-14 pound turkey
- 1 ½-2 cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk in 1 cup of the 1 ½-2 cups chicken broth to the roasting pan, with the pan drippings from a 12-14 pound turkey, then heat over medium-high heat to deglaze. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the pan, and skim off any large pieces of fat.
- Whisk in ¼ cup all-purpose flour, then continue simmering until the lumps have dissolved and the gravy has thickened. Add an additional ½ – 1 cup of chicken broth to get the desired thickness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Storing & Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
- Freeze: Transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm on the stove over medium heat, or microwave in 30-second increments until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Must-Make Holiday Sides
Getting ready for your holiday dinner? Don’t forget the sides! Try these favorites: Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potatoes, or this easy Stuffing.
Hello! This looks like a great recipe. Can’t wait to try it. I am far from being an expert in the kitchen, so I do have one question….how do you “allow for the drippings to deglaze”. Thank you!
Deglazing is the act of adding liquid to a pan and heating it to be able to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. The way the first step is worded is confusing, sorry about that. I changed it to this instead:
Whisk in 1 cup chicken broth to the roasting pan and heat over medium-high heat to deglaze. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the pan, and skim off any fat.
I hope that makes more sense!
Thanks can’t wait until Thanksgiving day to serve those delicious recipes put together Thanks John Casey Jones
Your recipes that I have tried so far is wonderful! Thank you for sharing them with me
I love your recipes and am now looking at your Thanksgiving menu. I am not sure if you have tried this, I’m sure you have, but the best thing I learned is to cook the turkey 1 to 2 days before the big day. Cook the turkey as you normally do, I like my stuffed. Take it out of the oven 30 to 45 minutes before it is done. (still red/pink around the bone). I let it cool, remove the stuffing and microwave it so no raw juices are left in it, about 6 minutes. Cut the breast down against the back bone and across the bottom in one big chunk. Slice the breast starting from the small end. This comes so much juicer.
Lay all your pieces back into the baking pan and make it pretty. Remove some of the best juices for your gravy. Add can chicken or turkey broth to cover most of the turkey, cover the turkey and keep cold. Thanksgiving day, just pop into a hot over 425 degrees and finish cooking. Your turkey, gravy, stuffing and I pre make my mash potatoes are done and no mess Thanksgiving day. I use a large foil pan to cook and serve in and double it up with another foil pan so if it gets picked with a fork, no juices are spilled. Best thing I ever learned.
Thank you and love your posts.
You can also use the gizzard to make a gravy as well. Usually just reserve 1-2T of the herb butter, and make sure to sear the gizzard before everything. Then add your desired amount of chicken stock depending on how much you are looking to make. 2-4 C is usually fine. Ones it comes to a simmer, I add the herb butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Can also add a little more of the herbs if you do so desire, but you can also add the drippings from the turkey directly into the premade gravy and let it simmer for 15 min.
All purpose flour is much better for the roux as cornflour dies not stay thick when reheated
I use turkey broth rather than chicken (either homemade or Better than Bouillon) to keep keep the flavor profile all turkey.
We are going away for thanksgiving this year. Can I make this ahead of time and freeze either just the drippings or even a completed gravy?
Yes, just slowly warm it up when reheating so it does not get too hot and separate. Enjoy!