Sharing tips and tricks for insanely flavorful, foolproof turkey gravy recipe. You’ll never make gravy any other way, because it takes minimum effort for an impressive result!
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Turkey is the king of Thanksgiving table, yes. But without gravy, it’ll be pretty sad Thanksgiving. Am I right?
Personally, I think, gravy is the best part of all things. And if you’re making my special champagne turkey, then your turkey gravy is going to be out of this world! Because, you know, the champagne reduces and flavors concentrate, soaking up all the turkey juices in the process.
And that turkey dripping is GOLD! It’s bold, tangy (sour almost, but in a good way), and oh-so-powerful in terms of flavor. That’s what makes this turkey gravy even more special. It adds ton of flavor to the gravy!
But if you have a go-to turkey recipe and that’s what you do year after year, then don’t you worry. You can still make this turkey gravy and you won’t be disappointed. Because this turkey gravy from scratch is foolproof, my friend.
We’ll start the gravy making process with roux. Roux is when you roast equal amount of fat and flour until golden brown color with nutty aroma.
2 things to note about roux here:
- When making a roux, make sure to pay undivided attention, whisking it constantly! It’s so easy to burn it, because it literally takes seconds from perfectly nutty to burning. And once roux is burned, you’ll need to start over, because you don’t want that burnt flavor in your gravy. And if you don’t roast the flour well enough, you’ll taste raw flour and no one wants that. (Ok, I’m not trying to scare you away. Armed with these tips, you’ll be making perfect gravy every time. I promise!)
- Now, let’s talk about what kind of fat to use. In my recipe below, I called for butter, because it’s easily accessible. But to be quite honest, I really love using bacon fat! Because more flavor!!!
Now, once the roux is perfectly golden brown, slowly pour in the liquids, while whisking constantly. I’d say if you can whisk stuff, you can make a gravy. Haha It sure takes a lot whisking, but boy, is it worth it!
A quick note about pan drippings, if you’re using my champagne turkey recipe.
Because the flavors are super concentrated, you may not want to add all of the drippings. I’ve got about 10oz of pan drippings out of my turkey. And I suggest you add about 5-6oz of pan drippings into your gravy, and add the remaining little by little to your taste.
OMG, this’s a liquid gold. I could literally drink the stuff. 🙂
Hope you’ll make and enjoy a homemade turkey gravy to go with your amazing Thanksgiving spread! Thanks for visiting!
Foolproof Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- Up to 1 cup of pan drippings Note 1
- ¼ cup (55g) butter or bacon fat
- ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (720ml) low sodium chicken stock
Instructions
- Pour the turkey drippings into a fat separator. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter (or bacon fat) over medium high heat.
- Add flour and roast the flour, whisking constantly, until golden brown with nutty aroma, about 2 minutes. (Note: It’s so easy to burn the roux, because it literally takes seconds from perfectly nutty to burning. So don’t get distracted here.)
- Slowly pour in pan drippings through a fine mesh strainer, leaving the layer of fat in the cup, and chicken stock, while continuously whisking.
- Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer until desired thickness is reached, whisking occasionally. Keep in mind, gravy also thickens as it cools.
- Serve immediately.
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
Have made champagne turkey and gravy at least 5 times never fails to impress. Turkey is always very moist and tender. The gravy has just the right tang. Put the roasting pan on top of the stove with the carrots and apples and boil to get the brown bits and concentrate the juice.
I made your foolproof turkey gravy today. It is 5 days before Thanksgiving. Should I freeze it or just refrigerate.
Hi, Mary Jo! Woohoo, you’re on top of it!! 🙂 Yes, go ahead and freeze the gravy. And transfer it into the fridge the day before Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving!
Can you make this in an electric roaster?
Hi, Ann. I have no experience with electric roaster. So, unfortunately no advice.
This recipe sounds amazing. Have anyone ever tried making it gluten free? We have a couple of family members with Celiac. I don’t always know how best to modify recipes. Thanks! Can’t wait to try this.
Hi, Janice. Since you can’t use roux (roasted flour and fat mixture) as thickening agent, I suggest using cornstarch instead. I’d boil the chicken stock and drippings. Mix cornstarch with a little bit water to make a slurry and add it when the stock boils. (Note, cornstarch activates when it’s added to boiling mixture.) Since I haven’t tested this method for turkey gravy recipe, I can’t provide exact measurements though.
This looks divine! Making in advance and will add drippings day of but wondered if I could use homemade turkey stock vs. chicken?
Hi, Theresa. Yes, you can definitely use turkey stock instead of chicken. Enjoy!
THIS GRAVY WAS DELICIOUS!!!!! Especially with the matching turkey!! Ohhh my word i can’t wait to make this again next week!! i also just made some potato pancakes with left over mashed potatoes and put some of this gravy on top and when i tell you my taste buds went wild I’m not joking !!! Best gravy ever!!
Oh my gosh, Brittany, gravy over mashed potato pancakes sounds amazing!!!! And yes, this gravy is beyond delicious!
You make turkey gravy look so good and easy to make! Can’t wait to give this a try!
Thank you, Shawn!!
This turkey gravy looks amazing!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks, Jocelyn!
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for- foolproof AND delicious. Cannot wait for turkey (&gravy) day to get here!
Me too, Karly. Even though I had like 3 faux Thanksgivings so far this year (#foodbloggerproblems), I’m still looking forward to the actual Thanksgiving. Haha