Since creating homemade gravy for Thanksgiving dinner has always been the last thing on my mind when preparing a turkey, I’ve never considered posting a recipe for it. Using our standard Thanksgiving turkey recipe, you marinate and roast the bird and then use the pan drippings to make gravy, right?
However, I’ve learned that many people don’t share my casual attitude toward gravy-making, so I’ll be showing you how to make a rich, lump-free, delectable turkey gravy that your whole family is sure to enjoy today. We’ve got all the smooth, no-nonsense gravy, giblet gravy, and suggestions, substitutes, and variations we’ve accumulated over the years.
How to make a delicious Turkey Gravy?
This dish, like the best gravy, was a frantic dash on the night before Thanksgiving. After all, the finishing touch on your perfectly cooked turkey and savory side dishes is a generous helping of hot, bubbling gravy. As soon as the other dishes are set on the table, that’s when it gets made at our place.
All right, here’s the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup of turkey fat drippings from the roasting pan
- 2 to 3 cups of turkey or chicken stock
- 1 cup of vegetables from the roasting pan
- ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- Turkey giblets (except the liver)
- Turkey juices from the roasting pan
- Salt
- Cornstarch slurry: 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water
Instructions:
- Slowly transfer the drippings from the pan into the fat separator via the sieve. Now that the fat has been separated from the turkey fluids, you may measure them. You’ll need to add more liquid to the drippings at this point to acquire the 3 cups of liquid you need for the gravy. You can make more “broth” from the roasting pan by adding hot water and deglazing the pan after roasting. You can substitute 3 cups of liquid with a good quality chicken or turkey stock from the grocery.
- Then, using the strainer, transfer the remaining fat from the fat separator to a measuring cup until you have 1/3 cup. You can substitute vegetable oil or melted butter for the turkey fat if you don’t have quite a third of a cup.
- To a large skillet, combine the turkey fat, 1 tablespoon of butter, paprika, and freshly ground black pepper, and cook over medium heat. When the fat is hot enough to bubble, add the 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour and stir constantly until a roux forms. Keep the roux simmering for a further minute or two. The gravy can be made darker and more flavorful by allowing the roux to cook for longer.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and whisk the 3 cups of turkey drippings/stock into the roux. Gravy should be thick enough to coat a spoon after being whisked for an additional 2 minutes. If you’d like, you can add minced giblets or a blend of the vegetables from the roasting pan now. To taste, include soy sauces, salt, and more pepper.
- If the gravy is still too watery at this point, a slurry of water and cornstarch can be used to thicken it.
- Add more stock if the gravy becomes too thick. It’s important to remember that the gravy will appear watery when it’s first served and will thicken as it cools.
- The gravy is ready when it reaches the proper thickness. At this point, it should be poured into a gravy boat and served immediately.