Description
This Easy Turkey Gravy recipe uses turkey drippings to take all of the rich, mouthwatering flavor from your roasted turkey & create a turkey gravy worthy of pouring all over your holiday dinner plate! This homemade turkey gravy is very easy to make – the perfect recipe for beginners! – & will complete your Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or holiday dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
- roasted turkey pan drippings (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry white wine (see Recipe Notes)
- 2–3 cups turkey stock/broth or chicken stock/broth
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Roast turkey according to Recipe Directions. Once roasted, very carefully transfer the turkey to a cutting board or large flat surface. Tent with foil & set aside to rest at room temperature while you prepare your easy turkey gravy.
- Turkey drippings: Transfer the turkey drippings from the roasting pan to a large liquid measuring cup. Use a spoon to skim off most of the fat & discard. If your turkey is butter roasted, there will be a lot of fat – leave some of it in for flavor, but you definitely don’t need it all for a rich turkey gravy. Remove any spent roasting vegetables or turkey bones from the roasting pan & discard.
- Cook the aromatics. Place the roasting pan over two burners on your stove over low heat. Add the butter & shallots. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened.
- Build & simmer the turkey gravy: Sprinkle the flour over the whole roasting pan and cook, whisking constantly, until a darkened roux forms, 2-3 minutes. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the white wine. Let the mixture bubble & reduce slightly. Pour in the turkey drippings & stock; you’ll want 4 cups total liquid so the amount of stock you use will depend on how much drippings you have (if you have 1 cup drippings, use 3 cups stock; if you have 2 cups drippings, use 2 cups stock, etc.). Continue to whisk until the gravy reduces to your desired thickness. Taste and season with salt and ground black pepper as needed; this will vary based on the amount of salt in your drippings & your stock so use your judgement.
- Serve: Turn the heat to low to keep the gravy warm until you are ready to serve; if a film forms at the surface just give it a good whisk & it will incorporate back into the gravy in no time. Enjoy!
Notes
- Turkey drippings: Since turkey drippings contain the best flavors from your roasted turkey & result in the most flavorful turkey gravy, you need turkey drippings for this easy gravy recipe. If you’re looking for an easy roasted turkey recipe, check out my Lemon Herb Butter Roast Spatchcock Turkey or my Spatchcock Maple Glazed Turkey. They’re both seriously amazing & result in the best drippings for turkey gravy.
- Troubleshooting Turkey Gravy: The nice thing about gravy is it’s pretty forgiving! You can play with a couple of variables to achieve just the right texture & consistency:
- My gravy is too thick! ⇢ You just need more liquid! Whisk in some of your turkey or chicken stock a few tablespoons at a time until it’s thinned out to your liking.
- My turkey gravy is too thin! ⇢ You simply need to thicken. If the gravy is slightly too thin, just crank up the heat, letting it simmer until it’s thickened up a bit – be sure to whisk constantly to prevent burning. If your gravy seems way too thin, add a thickening agent. The best option is prepping a quick cornstarch slurry by mixing cornstarch with cold water. Whisk the slurry into the gravy little by little – it only take a small amount to make your turkey gravy thicken up!
- Storage & Reheating: Leftover turkey gravy will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.