• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Chef Dennis
  • Recipe Index
  • On the Road
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Sauce Recipes

    Easy Homemade Turkey Gravy

    Published: Nov 18, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

    39 shares
    • Facebook
    • Yummly
    5 from 35 votes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest image for turkey gravy

    Homemade Turkey Gravy couldn’t be easier to make. Using the turkey drippings from the roasting pan and basic pantry ingredients, you’ll make the best turkey gravy you’ve ever had.

    Turkey gravy in a small pot with wire whisk

    My turkey gravy recipe is easily adaptable and can be made to suit your taste preference. Simple additions of honey, red wine, white wine, heavy cream, and herbs can add flavor and depth to your gravy. Add your favorites to come up with your signature turkey gravy aka Sauce Supreme.

    Ingredients to make Turkey Gravy

    ingredients to make recipe

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Turkey Gravy. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.

    Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Chef Tip:

    turkey broth in a glass bowl

    *Turkey bones, skin and fat can be used to make delicious turkey stock. Pick up an extra turkey leg or thigh to add to the stock to enhance the turkey broth.

    Chicken broth can be used if you don’t have turkey broth.

    If you are spatchcocking the turkey, you can use the turkey back to make the broth. My Dry Brine Turkey recipe is my favorite, but you won’t have the extra bones. Roasting a whole turkey will give you more drippings and they will be more flavorful.

    How to make Turkey Gravy

    roux started in small pan
    • melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
    • add flour to the melted butter and whisk until well blended
    finished roux in small saucepan

    Add additional flour to get the shine off the roux. *add it one tablespoon at a time until it thickens and it looks dull rather than shiny.

    Allow the roux to cook over medium to medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes to cook the flour. You may start to notice a nutty smell, almost like bread baking.

    roux after one cup of turkey stock has been made.

    Add two cups of stock to the roux, one cup at a time, whisking until well blended.

    sheet pan with turkey drippings
    • Pour off the drippings from the roasting pan
    • To get the most flavor out of the turkey drippings, add one cup of water to the pan and place it on the stovetop over medium heat.
    • Scrape all the tasty bits off the pan and let them mix with the drippings and water.

    I didn’t have as much dripping as I usually do for two reasons. I was testing a new recipe for spatchcocking a turkey. Roasting a spatchcocked turkey takes about half the time of conventional roasting, so there weren’t as many drippings as I normally have. The other reason was this was just a test, so I used an inexpensive Butterball turkey (which I deeply regretted) to get a feel for how the recipe would work.

    drippings added to the pan

    Add the drippings to the turkey gravy, and whisk until completely blended in.

    *If the turkey gravy is too thick, you can add more of the turkey stock (or chicken stock). I love using this gravy with my Turkey Croquettes.

    Turkey gravy in a small pot with wire whisk

    Since I didn’t roast the turkey as long as conventional roasting, the drippings weren’t as dark as they would’ve been, since they didn’t have as much time to caramelize.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    How can I fix gravy that is too salty?

    With dry brining, the drippings can be salty. If your turkey gravy is too salty, don’t despair; it’s an easy fix.
    Mix a small amount of roux (butter and flour) and add this to the gravy, whisking it in.
    Add water (or low-sodium chicken broth) to thin out the gravy. This will help cut the salty taste.

    My turkey gravy looks too light

    If you like darker turkey gravy, that’s an easy fix. Add a little kitchen bouquet to the gravy. It won’t affect the flavor and will darken the gravy, making it look richer.

    More Recipes You’ll Love!

    • side view of a dry brine roasted turkey on a Thanksgiving platter
      Dry Brine and Roast Turkey | Chef’s Secret Recipe
    • side view of white bowl of stuffing with spoon
      Homemade Potato Bread Stuffing Recipe
    • mashed apple butter sweet potatoes, Thanksgiving Recipes
      Thanksgiving Recipes- Side dishes for your holiday table
    • cranberry sauce in a glass bowl
      Homemade Cranberry Sauce – An American Classic

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    partial view of saucepan with turkey gravy and a whisk
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 35 votes

    Easy Homemade Turkey Gravy

    It couldn't be easier to make homemade turkey gravy. Whether you use drippings from the roasted turkey or buy ready made turkey or chicken broth. This gravy will take you minutes to make and is so much better than store bought.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 36kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
    • 4-6 tbsp all purpose flour
    • 4 cups turkey broth or chicken broth
    • ¼ tsp black pepper
    • ½ – 1 tsp poultry seasoning or sage optional
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Melt the butter in a medium saucepan
    • Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk until well blended.
    • Add additional flour to get the shine off the roux. *add it one tablespoon at a time until it thickens and it looks dull rather than shiny.
    • Allow the roux to cook over medium to medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes to cook the flour. You may start to notice a nutty smell, almost like bread baking.
    • Add two cups of stock to the roux, one cup at a time, whisking until well blended.

    Deglazing the roasting pan

    • Pour off the drippings from the roasting pan and save for gravy.
    • Add one cup of water to the pan and place it on the stovetop over medium heat. Scrape all the tasty bits off the pan and let them mix with the drippings and water.
    • Scrape all the tasty bits off the pan and let them mix with the drippings and water. Leave this on the heat just long enough to get the bits warm up so they can be scraped easily.
    • Strain the broth and add it to the turkey gravy, whisking in until blended.
      *If the turkey gravy is too thick, you can add more of the turkey stock (or chicken stock).
    • Taste the gravy and reseason as needed.

    Notes

    What can I do if my gravy is too salty?
    With dry brining, the drippings can be salty. If your turkey gravy is too salty, don’t despair; it’s an easy fix.
    Mix a small amount of roux (butter and flour) and add this to the gravy, whisking it in.
    Add water (or low-sodium chicken broth) to thin out the gravy. This will help cut the salty taste.
    What can I do if my gravy is too light?
    If you like darker turkey gravy, that’s an easy fix. Add a little kitchen bouquet to the gravy. It won’t affect the flavor and will darken the gravy, making it look richer.
    What can I add to my turkey gravy to enrich the flavor?
    I have often added red wine and/or honey to the turkey gravy to add depth of flavor. Start with just a little to see if you like the taste.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

    More Sauce Recipes

    • Marinara sauce in pot.
      Classic Marinara Sauce
    • buffalo sauce in a glass bowl
      Three Ingredient Buffalo Sauce Recipe
    • chimichurri sauce in a glass bowl
      Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
    • Horseradish sauce in glass bowl.
      Creamy Horseradish Sauce

    About Chef Dennis

    Picture of Chef Dennis

    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar


    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Fan Favorites

    • loaf of homemade artisan bread on a wooden cutting board
      Almost No-Knead Artisan Bread Recipe
    • 2 Maryland crab cakes on a white plate
      Baked Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe
    • chicken parm with pasta on a white plate
      Chicken Parmesan Recipe
    • seasoned crispy chicken legs on a foil wrapped tray
      Best Baked Chicken Legs {Drumsticks}
    • side view of slice of bee sting cake being taken out of full cake
      German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich) Recipe
    • Tiramisu with a fork on a white plate
      Best Tiramisu Recipe {step by step}
    • overhead view of barbecued half racks of baby back ribs on a white platter
      Easy Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs
    • overhead view of veal parm and linguine on a white plate
      Restaurant Style Veal Parm Recipe

    Featured In

    logos of all the places chef dennis has been featured

    Popular Posts

    • crispy seasoned chicken leg quarters on a white platter
      Best Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
    • cropped-Gunniess-Beef-Stew-13.jpg
      Authentic Guinness Beef Stew Recipe
    • overhead shot of baked crab imperial on a white plate with sauteed greens and roasted potatoes
      Maryland Style Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial
    • close up of half a chicken salad sandwich on a white plate
      Best Chicken Salad – Deli Style
    • oysters rockefeller with a slice of lemon on a bed of rock salt on a white platter
      How to Make Restaurant Style Oysters Rockefeller
    • sliced dry rub roasted brisket with cilantro and tomatoes on on a white platter
      Easy Oven Baked Beef Brisket Recipe
    • rack of pork with end cut off
      Oven Roasted Rack of Pork {Pork Rib Roast}
    • sliced meatloaf with the rest of meatloaf on a white platter
      Best Meatloaf Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    INFO

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    SUBSCRIBE

    Sign Up Today and start getting my easy-to-make restaurant-style recipes!

    CONTACT

    • About
    • Contact
    © 2009-2023 · Ask Chef Dennis ·

    Proud Member of:
    Mediavine Publisher Network