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Silky turkey gravy in a gravy boat

The Best Homemade Turkey Gravy

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Makes 9 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup), (optional)
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups of turkey drippings, from a roasted turkey and/or turkey broth
  • 1 tablespoon cognac, brandy or white wine
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream, optional
  • Chopped fresh parsley, thyme or sage, to garnish
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste, optional

Turkey Broth (optional)

  • Turkey neck and giblets from 1 turkey
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth

Instructions

  1. If using turkey drippings, discard any vegetables or herbs from the roasting pan and pour the turkey pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Allow it to rest until the fat rises to the top. Skim off the fat. 
Add enough broth to have 2 1/2 cups of liquid total.
  2. Sauté Onions: In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. If using, cook the onions until they become soft and translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
  3. Make a roux: Add the flour whisking constantly. Cook this mixture for 2-3 minutes stirring frequently.
  4. Add drippings/broth: Slowly, pour the broth, whisking constantly and vigorously to prevent any lumps. Add the cognac and mix to combine.
  5. Simmer: Lower the heat and simmer, stirring as needed for about 4-5 minutes or until the gravy thickens. Stir in the heavy cream (if using). Season to taste with ground black pepper if desired and garnish with fresh herbs. Transfer to a gravy boat and serve.

To Make Turkey Broth (optional)

  1. In a heavy saucepan place the turkey neck and giblets (the liver should only be added during the last 15 minutes of cooking). Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery and bay leaf. Pour water and broth over and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until reduced to about 4 cups. If using, add the turkey liver during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Strain the stock and reserve.
  2. If you like to add bits of turkey neck meat and/or giblets into your gravy, pull the meat from the turkey neck and chop the meat and giblets finely. Reserve.

Notes

  • For your convenience, we are including a homemade turkey broth recipe. This is an optional step as you can use store bought chicken or turkey broth if preferred.
  • If you don’t have any turkey drippings, use 2 1/2 cups of turkey broth.
  • The gravy will continue to get thick as it sits. Add additional broth to thin it out if needed.
  • If you like, you can add the finely chopped giblets and turkey neck meat to the gravy at the same time that you add the cognac.
  • For a silky smooth gravy, strain the pan drippings before adding them to the gravy.
  • This recipe yields about 3 cups of turkey gravy. each serving is approximately 1/3 cup
  • If making homemade turkey broth: If using turkey liver, add it only during the last 15 minutes of cooking time.
  • For your convenience, we are including a homemade turkey broth recipe. This is an optional step as you can use store bought chicken or turkey broth if preferred.
    This recipe yields about 3 cups of gravy. 
Serving size is 1/3 cup
 per serving

Nutrition

Calories: 160 kcal, Carbohydrates: 4 g, Protein: 1 g, Fat: 16 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g, Trans Fat: 0.3 g, Cholesterol: 22 mg, Sodium: 61 mg, Potassium: 25 mg, Fiber: 0.3 g, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 258 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg, Calcium: 7 mg, Iron: 0.2 mg
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