Dinner is not complete without a rich, homemade Turkey Gravy!
Our turkey gravy is quick, easy to make and absolutely delicious. Made with or without leftover pan drippings from your Roast Turkey or Roast Chicken, this is so much better than canned or instant gravy! Especially when those incredible roast flavours are infused through every mouthful.
Five minutes is all you need to make this easy, rich gravy!
GRAVY RECIPE
Nothing beats a classic, good old-fashioned turkey gravy with your Thanksgiving dinner. You can prepare it fresh before setting all the food on the table, OR make it slightly ahead and warm it up when dinner is ready!
The browned scrapings leftover on the bottom of the roasting pan from your Succulent Roast Turkey or Chicken might look bin worthy at first glance, but I promise you, those drippings are flavour gold — a Thanksgiving gift!
HOW TO MAKE TURKEY GRAVY (OR CHICKEN)
Whether you’ve roasted a whole chicken or a turkey, a rich flavourful gravy is about to hit your table using minimal ingredients and effort:
- Unsalted butter — chances are your stock has enough seasoning
- Flour
- Worcestershire sauce
- Black cracked pepper
- Turkey or chicken pan drippings (or stock).
The perfect Thanksgiving turkey gravy!
ROUX GRAVY
We love making our turkey gravy just before we eat, but you can make it ahead. Just warm it up right before dinner, adding a little extra stock if needed.
Strain pan drippings. Use a metal spatula to scrape any bits of meat stuck to the bottom of the roasting pan.
Melt butter in a small pot.
Add in flour to make a roux. Cook the roux for about a minute or two, until it starts to take on a browned butter smell (nutty aroma).
Slowly pour in your pan drippings. If you don’t have enough, you can top it up with chicken stock. Start with 1/2 cup or stock or pan juices, stirring between each increment, until reaching your desired texture. We love our gravy a little thicker and use 2 1/4 cups liquid. Remember: thick gravy can be fixed and thinned out, but its harder to thicken a watery gravy.
Season with salt and pepper (only if needed).
Add in Worcestershire sauce, herbs or other seasonings to suit your taste.
WHAT IS A ROUX
A roux is a combination of fat and flour used while cooking to make a thickened sauce or gravy — think homemade Béchamel (or white sauce or cheese sauce).
A classic roux recipe contains equal parts butter to flour (1/4 cup butter to 1/4 cup four).
Since our turkey gravy is a roux gravy, keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it cools. If it has thickened too much, just add a little more liquid before it hits the table.
Generally, gravy made with pan drippings does not need any more seasonings as all of those pan juices contain all the salt, pepper and flavour. It’s important to taste test it once it’s done and save adding any extra flavourings at the end.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH GRAVY
There’s nothing better than a warm, homemade delicious turkey gravy. Perfect with your mashed potatoes, stuffing, and whatever else you love with gravy!
How To Make Gravy: Watch the Video
Turkey Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
Homemade Gravy
- 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 cups pan juices (top up with chicken stock if needed)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper, if needed
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small pot over low-medium heat. Whisk in the flour and allow to cook for about a minute or two, while whisking.
- Pour in 1/2 cup of the pan juices from Roast Turkey or Roast Chicken and whisk until it forms a paste. Add remaining liquid in 1/2 cup increments, whisking in between, until the gravy is smooth.
- Allow to simmer over medium heat until thickened. Take off heat, stir in Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper (if needed). The gravy will continue to thicken as it cools.
PAULINE WHITTEN says
MY HUSBAND HAS A GLUTEN FREE FREE DIET AND HE MUST NOT A CRUMB AS HE IS COELIAC’I HAVE LOOKE AT THIS GRAVY .BUT IT HAS FLOUR .WOULD CORNFLOUR BE OK?PLUS HE IS NOT ALLOWED WOSTERSHIRE SAUCE BOUT I HAVE A GLUTEN FREE SOY SAUCE?
Karla M Kuhn says
Arrowroot is a good flour substitute. But the amount will need adjusting. A good health store should carry it and give you the equivalent. I haven’t used it in years. Hope this helps, plus keep the flavor truer. 🙂
-Azariah/SuburbaKnight
PS 20:1, 6-8; IS 43; IS 38:15-20; JOHN 14:11-21
Aimee says
I am also eating a gluten free diet. I substituted the flour with gluten free flour (Pamela’s artisan blend+whole grains) and just omitted the soy sauce. Everyone thought it was delicious and they didn’t even know it was gluten free. I had Tamara Sauce that I could have added but it was good without. Bob Mills also has a 1 for 1 flour.
JIllaine Gallagher says
I have used so many of your recipes and can’t believe how wonderful each one has turned out. You are the best writer out there. I love all of the details. I am known as a “good” cook but one must never stop learning and you have taught some new tricks. Keep up the great work.
Thanks