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Home » Recipes » Sauce Recipes

Easy Homemade Turkey Gravy

Published: Nov 18, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

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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.

Table of Contents:
  • Ingredients to make Turkey Gravy
  • How to make Turkey Gravy
  • Recipe FAQ’s
  • More Recipes You’ll Love!
  • Recipe: Easy Homemade Turkey Gravy

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!

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    Dry Brine Turkey Recipe
  • side view of white bowl of stuffing with spoon
    Homemade Stuffing Recipe
  • mashed apple butter sweet potatoes, Thanksgiving Recipes
    Thanksgiving Recipes- Side dishes for your holiday table
  • overhead partial shot of a bowl fo cranberry sauce
    Homemade Cranberry Sauce – An American Classic

partial view of saucepan with turkey gravy and a whisk

Easy Homemade Turkey Gravy

Chef Dennis Littley
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.
5 from 37 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 16
Calories 36 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4-6 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 4 cups turkey broth or chicken broth
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or sage optional

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: 36kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 218mgPotassium: 14mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 89IUCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.1mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!

Comments

    5 from 37 votes (36 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Kirk says

    November 28, 2024 at 4:50 pm

    5 stars
    Chef Dennis,
    I’ve tried making gravy before, and actually thought there’s no use trying anymore. This recipe was simple and very informative. My gravy turned out superb with both poultry seasoning and sage added. Very complimentary to the dry brine turkey recipe.
    Thank you! Absolutely 5 stars!!!

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      November 29, 2024 at 8:25 am

      You made my day with your comment. I’m glad you were able to make delicious turkey gravy to make dinner even more delicious.

      Reply
  2. Joanne says

    November 27, 2024 at 9:42 am

    Can you use cornstarch instead of flour?

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      November 27, 2024 at 10:47 am

      If you prefer it as a thickener. If you do use cornstarch, you don’t need the roux.

      Reply
  3. rosemary says

    November 09, 2024 at 11:00 am

    what do you mean when you say “get the shine off the roux”

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      November 09, 2024 at 2:26 pm

      The butter will make it look shiny. You want to add enough flour so it looses the shine and has more of a dull appearance.

      Reply


My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. 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.

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