Turkey Gravy Wellplated Com

Of all the dishes on our Friendsgiving menu, gravy is the only one that I truly dreaded cooking. Roast turkey? No biggie. But standing over a hot stove to fuss over gravy that may or may not thicken, after I’ve already gone to the work to make said turkey? No thank you. And then…I made this easy turkey gravy and everything changed. The secret to good gravy is to use plenty of flour and really take your time stirring and cooking it in butter before whisking in the drippings and stock. Years when my gravy was too thin or too lumpy, I realized I had used too little flour or cornstarch, or I had become impatient and poured the liquid in too quickly. It’s hard to be patient, but this old-fashioned turkey gravy is WORTH IT. It’s so good, I once caught one of my guy friends eating it with a spoon.

How to Make Turkey Gravy

Turkey gravy comes together in 4 basic steps. You can remember them as S-S-S-S.

Separate Fat from Drippings

If you don’t separate the fat from the drippings, your gravy will be greasy. By far the easiest way to remove fat is with a fat separator like this. I finally bought one last year and the frustration saved is worth it. To separate turkey pan drippings without a fat separator, use a turkey baster or a ziptop bag:

Turkey Baster. Let the drippings rest for several minutes until the fat rises to the top; suck out the fat with a turkey baster.Ziptop Bag. Place a gallon-sized ziptop bag in a large bowl. Carefully pour the drippings into the bag and seal. Let stand for several minutes, until the fat rises to the top. Lift the bag over a cup or bowl, cut a small hole in the corner, and strain the de-fatted liquid into a liquid measuring cup with a spout. Stop pouring when the fat almost reaches the bag opening. Discard solids (aka the remaining fat).

Sauté the Onion with Butter and Flour

Gravy is like making a roux, and that starts with cooking butter and flour.

Option 1: Make Mushroom Gravy, which I cooked for years before getting over my dripping phobia. You can cook it well in advance, then just reheat it.Option 2: Make this turkey gravy with stock entirely and omit the drippings. It will not be nearly as flavorful, but it will still be tasty and satisfy those who must have gravy on their Crockpot Mashed Potatoes.

I like to add an onion for more complexity. To make sure your gravy has great flavor:

Take your time sautéing the onion. Let it get nice and soft. You can do this while the turkey is still in the oven, or even earlier in the day.Cook the flour for AT LEAST 1 full minute. Seriously, set a timer. Raw flour taste will ruin your gravy.

SLOWLY Add the Drippings

You’ll need 2 cups of liquid to make turkey gravy.

Start by measuring the drippings (if you follow my How to Cook a Turkey, you’ll have lots of yummy wine in yours!), then top them off with stock until you reach 2 cups. If you are making a Spatchcock Turkey, you will have fewer drippings.Splash in the drippings a little at a time, whisking CONSTANTLY.Slow addition and lots of whisking will make sure your gravy is smooth.If your gravy is lumpy, see “Troubleshooting Gravy” below for a fix.

Simmer

Let the gravy simmer at a steady pace, but not a rolling boil, adjusting the heat as needed.

Flour gravy better holds its consistency as it sits and when it is reheated, making it my preference for turkey gravy. Unless you have a guest who cannot have gluten, use flour to make gravy, not cornstarch.Cornstarch does work for gravy (and will make the gravy gluten free), but gravy made with it tends to thin out when it cools and is reheated. If this happens, whisk in a cornstarch slurry to thicken it back up.If you use cornstarch instead of flour, reduce the amount of cornstarch by 1 tablespoon, as cornstarch thickens more powerfully than flour does, because it is a pure starch.Or, you can swap flour for the same amount of a 1:1 gluten free flour blend like this.

Whisk very often to make sure the gravy is smooth (some say to whisk constantly, but I find that I can take little breaks to ready other things in the kitchen while it cooks, as long as I check in frequently to give it a stir). How thick or thin you’d like your gravy is up to you. For a rich, creamy gravy that is still easy to spoon, simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.

Bonus Ingredients

While you need little beyond onion, flour, butter, and turkey drippings to make stellar gravy (especially if you are using the drippings from my roast turkey with wine), I like to add two bonus ingredients to take my gravy over the top.

Sage. A classic Thanksgiving herb that tastes yummy with everything at the table.Brandy. A splash or two gives the gravy a well-rounded complexity.

Troubleshooting Gravy

My Gravy is Lumpy

To fix lumpy gravy, puree it with an immersion blender in the pan or in a regular blender until smooth.

My Gravy is Too Thin

If your gravy is thin, slowly whisk in a cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons water mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch). Heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. If it’s still too thin, add another cornstarch slurry.DO NOT add dry cornstarch directly to hot gravy or it will seize.

My Gravy is Too Salty

If your gravy is too salty, add more liquid. Unsalted stock is ideal, but if you don’t have it, water will work in a pinch (do not use regular stock, which will make it even more salty). This will thin out your gravy, so if needed, whisk in a cornstarch slurry (see “My Gravy is Too Thin” above for guidance).You can also add a little bit of acid, such as a squeeze of lemon juice or teaspoon of white wine vinegar, to help rebalance flavors. Add slowly so you don’t accidentally overpower the gravy.

More Recipes to Serve with Gravy

Drop BiscuitsSweet Potato HashSmothered Pork ChopsAir Fryer Fried ChickenAir Fryer SteakGrilled Portobello Mushrooms

Ideas for Leftover Gravy

Pork. Try it on Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin (Roasted Carrots would be perfect on the side).Fried Chicken. Gravy would be scrumptious on my Baked Fried Chicken or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.Meatballs. Cranberry Turkey Meatballs + gravy = perfection!Stuffing. Make Leftover Stuffing Cakes extra special with some gravy.Poutine. Turn leftover gravy into a major crowd-pleaser by pouring it over some cheese curds (or diced Mozzarella) and Baked French Fries or Air Fryer French Fries. Try it with leftover turkey too.

Storage Tips

To Store. Refrigerate gravy in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days. To Reheat. Gently rewarm leftovers in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. You can also reheat gravy in the microwave. To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Saute Pan. Perfect for making turkey gravy.Whisk. This small whisk helps mitigate splashing.Fat Separator. A worthy purchase for those who plan to make gravy again in the future.

It’s all gravy from here!

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

30 mins

Roasted Green Beans

30 mins

Spatchcock Turkey

2 hrs Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe. Don’t miss a minute of Well Plated Turkey Week! Sign up HERE to receive a FREE Thanksgiving survival guide, including cooking countdown so you know exactly what to cook when.