How to Make Turkey Gravy from Drippings

Don’t let all the seasonings and juicy pan drippings from your turkey go to waste. Use all those delicious brown bits at the bottom of your roasting pan to make the best turkey gravy recipe ever!

I don’t know about you but if there’s a good gravy on the dinner table, you can bet that I’m love pouring it ALL OVER my plate, not just on the meat. Gravy on the mashed potatoes, gravy on the green beans, gravy on the Brussels sprouts, gravy everywhere! That’s when you know it’s good.

And this turkey gravy is that good.

Making turkey gravy from drippings is one of the easiest and best ways to make a flavorful and rich gravy that enhances the flavor of that Thanksgiving turkey you worked so hard to make. And best of all, you can make it while your turkey is resting and cooling down so it can be carved.

Turkey Gravy Ingredients

After you’ve transferred your turkey to a carving board to rest, here’s what you’ll need.

• drippings from 1 roasted turkey
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups turkey stock (or chicken stock)
• salt and black pepper, to taste

How to make turkey gravy from drippings

1. Carefully pour turkey drippings through a strainer and into a large glass container or two. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to let the fat rise to the top and solidify a bit.
2. Remove the drippings from the fridge, scoop out 2 tablespoons of fat and discard the remaining fat (or transfer to a storage container to use later). You should now have only the liquid turkey drippings remaining.
3. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of reserved fat, all-purpose flour and whisk together until smooth. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until bubbly and light to golden brown.
4. Add in 1 cup of turkey drippings, 1 cup stock and whisk together until completely smooth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until the gravy has thickened to your liking. Season with salt and black pepper and serve.

Tips for making the perfect turkey gravy recipe

• Use unsalted, low sodium turkey or chicken stock if possible. Since the pan drippings may already be pretty salty, I suggest you use low sodium and unsalted stock if you can find it. Then you can taste the finished gravy at the end and add salt and black pepper, to taste.
• Pour the pan drippings from the turkey through a colander or strainer. This will help separate any meaty bits and will keep your gravy as smooth as can be.
• If your gravy has thickened too much, whisk in some turkey or chicken stock 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s thinned out to your liking.
• If your gravy isn’t thickening for some reasoning, a quick fix is to whisk in a little bit of cornstarch.
• The color of your gravy can vary from light to dark brown depending on the spices and seasonings used to make your turkey.

What to serve with Turkey Gravy

• Herb Roast Turkey Recipe
• Chipotle Citrus Thanksgiving Turkey
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
• Green Chile Corn Casserole
• Easy Honey Cranberry Sauce