I’ve been watching my mother make homemade Turkey Gravy for years. It always came together so quickly and easily. And the flavor of homemade is 10x better than store-bought! All it requires is a little fat or pan drippings from your roasted turkey, some flour, and broth, and in less than 15 minutes, you have the most delicious gravy to serve with your Thanksgiving or holiday meal. And the best part is that it costs a whole lot less than those store-bought packets. Even if you only have a little bit of pan drippings from a roasted turkey breast like I did, making this gravy from turkey drippings is still absolutely worth it!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make the best turkey gravy recipe:
- Turkey Pan Drippings: This is the liquid and fat left in the roasting pan after cooking your turkey. It’s full of flavor and makes the best base for your gravy. You’ll never want to waste those pan drippings again after making this recipe. ;)
- Butter: I use a mix of turkey fat (from the drippings) and make up the total amount needed with butter. If you have more turkey fat, use less butter, and vice versa.
- All-Purpose Flour: To make a roux with turkey fat/butter. A roux is an equal mix of fat and flour that is used to thicken soups, sauces, and, of course, gravy!
- Chicken Broth: My family never eats a full turkey on Thanksgiving, so I usually get a turkey breast roast. This means I end up with only a small amount of pan drippings. To make up the difference, I use chicken broth made with Better Than Bouillon. You can also use turkey broth if you have it on hand.
- Black Pepper: My sauce was already pretty well seasoned from drippings and broth, so all it needed was a little extra black pepper. You can season yours to taste, using salt if needed.
Do I Have to Use Pan Drippings?
If you’ve bought a pre-cooked turkey, or you want to make this recipe ahead of time, no worries! You can still make an easy turkey gravy by using all butter and turkey/chicken stock as the base. The flavor won’t be quite as rich, but it’ll still be tasty. I’d also be tempted to add some minced garlic and poultry seasoning to make up for the missing flavor from the drippings. Don’t forget to season to taste!
Recipe Tips!
- I cook the flour and fat together until it’s lightly golden and smells slightly nutty, which takes about 2 minutes. This removes the raw flour taste and adds a delicious depth of flavor.
- Pour the pan drippings/broth into the roux slowly and whisk like crazy to avoid lumps! If you do end up with lumps, don’t worry; just strain them through a fine mesh strainer before serving.
- This recipe will also work with the pan drippings from a whole roasted chicken or beef roast!
- Believe me when I say this turkey gravy will continue thickening as it cools. Friends, don’t be tempted to add extra flour unless absolutely necessary. I’d recommend simmering for a little longer if you want it thicker. But, if for whatever reason, your sauce is looking a little thin, mash a small amount of flour with equal parts softened butter and whisk into the gravy. Only do this as a last resort! Mine thickened up the perfect amount after cooling slightly.
- On the other hand, if it’s looking a little too thick, slowly add some extra pan drippings/broth and whisk to thin it out to your desired consistency.
Storage Instructions
Keep any leftover homemade turkey gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It’ll thicken as it cools, so you may need to add a little broth when reheating. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop, mixing in more broth if needed. Water will also work, but I prefer broth as it doesn’t dilute the flavor as much.
Serving Suggestions
You already know I’ll be pouring this delicious turkey gravy on my Thanksgiving roasted turkey (which I always brine before baking—it makes the meat SO tender), with mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans. Add a side of candied yams, cranberry sauce, and dinner rolls, and I’ll be in Thanksgiving food heaven! But honestly, once you taste this gravy, you’ll want to put it on everything all year round.
Turkey Gravy Recipe
Servings 8 servings (¼ cup each)Ingredients
- ½ cup turkey pan drippings* ($0.00)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.28)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour ($0.10)
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth** ($0.22)
- pinch freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
Instructions
- Collect the drippings from the turkey and strain them through a fine mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup. I only had ½ cup of pan drippings leftover from our roasted turkey breast recipe (note: You will need a total of 2 cups of pan drippings, or you can make up the difference with chicken broth).
- Discard the rest of the contents in the strainer. Let the pan drippings rest in the measuring cup for about 3-5 minutes or until the fat contents start to rise to the top.
- Spoon off the fat from the top of the drippings and measure it. You will need about 3 tablespoons of fat. I only had 1 tablespoon of fat from my drippings and made up the rest with butter.
- Add the turkey fat to a medium saucepan along with the butter (if needed). Heat over medium heat. Once the butter and fat are melted, add the flour to the pan and begin to whisk until the flour is well incorporated. Continue whisking until the mixture starts to turn golden brown, about 1 ½ – 2 minutes.
- Now, slowly pour in the rest of the pan drippings and the chicken broth into the saucepan, a little bit at a time. Continue whisking while you pour. The flour will start to thicken as you whisk.
- Bring the gravy up to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Continue to whisk often while it simmers. Taste the gravy and add a pinch of salt or pepper if needed. Mine had plenty of salt, so I only needed to add a pinch of freshly cracked black pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and serve. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
how to make Turkey Gravy From Drippings – step by step photos
Collect the drippings from the turkey and strain them through a fine mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup. I only had ½ cup of pan drippings leftover from our roasted turkey breast recipe (note: You will need a total of 2 cups of pan drippings, or you can make up the difference with 1 ½ cups chicken broth).
Discard the rest of the contents in the strainer. Let the pan drippings rest in the measuring cup for about 3-5 minutes or until the fat contents start to rise to the top.
Spoon off the fat from the top of the drippings and measure it. You will need about 3 tablespoons of fat. I only had 1 tablespoon of fat from my drippings and made up the rest with butter.
Add the turkey fat to a medium saucepan along with 2 Tbsp butter (if needed). Heat over medium heat. Once the butter and fat are melted, add ¼ cup flour to the pan and begin to whisk until the flour is well incorporated.
Continue whisking until the mixture starts to turn golden brown, about 1 ½ – 2 minutes.
Now, slowly pour in the rest of the pan drippings and the 1 1/2 cups chicken broth* into the saucepan, a little bit at a time. Continue whisking while you pour. The flour will start to thicken as you whisk. (note: You will need a total of 2 cups of pan drippings/broth. I had 1/2 cup of pan drippings and made up the difference with chicken broth).
Bring the gravy up to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Continue to whisk often while it simmers. Taste the gravy and add a pinch of salt or pepper if needed. Mine had plenty of salt, so I only needed to add a pinch of freshly cracked black pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and serve. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Now, all you have to do is pour it into a gravy boat, let everyone drizzle it over their holiday plates, and wait for the compliments to roll in!
