This homemade turkey gravy is so simple to make and uses only a few ingredients. Delicious on just about anything from biscuits to turkey to mashed potatoes to Thanksgiving dressing. You'll never buy store-bought gravy again!
Try this easy turkey gravy recipe with my Cheesy Mashed Potatoes or Easy Homemade Biscuits, and dress the top of your sliced turkey and dressing this Thanksgiving! So quick, this will be your last step before calling your hungry crowd to the table. I recommend also serving these dishes with my Crockpot Green Bean Casserole.
Great all year long, this basic homemade gravy isn't just for gravy from turkey drippings. You can use any type of broth or stock or meat drippings and get amazing results! Chicken, turkey, beef, ham - any broth or drippings you have makes a delicious, easy homemade gravy using this method.
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💖 Why You'll Love This Gravy Recipe
- Quick - Takes only about 15 minutes from start to finish.
- Simple Ingredients - Using only meat drippings (or broth/stock), butter, flour, salt, and pepper, you likely have all you need in your kitchen already.
- Easy - Along with the simple ingredients, the straight-forward instructions make this one of my easiest recipes to whip up.
- Better than store bought - Try it, and I think you'll agree that homemade turkey gravy is far superior to store bought any day, and you get to control what's in it!
🥘 Ingredients
What You'll Need:
Ingredient Notes:
- Broth: Use turkey broth, stock, or drippings. Drippings are the best and most flavorful and highly recommended. Simply drain the meat juices from the bottom of the roasting pan after your turkey is cooked. This is your "drippings" that you will use to make your gravy.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour. If you use cornstarch, be aware that you will need less to thicken your gravy, as it has more thickening power (more starch).
(See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions)
📖 Substitutions / Variations
- Broth: You can use broth, stock, or drippings. I prefer drippings, as the flavor is much more intense. If you don't have drippings or don't have enough for the full recipe, feel free to add canned or boxed broth/stock to supplement. You can utilize any drippings, broth, or stock that you choose with this recipe, including chicken, ham, or beef roast.
- Cornstarch: You can use cornstarch or arrowroot powder in place of the flour, but you will need less. I would start with half the amount and then add more if you need it thicker (just sprinkle a little at a time over top and whisk in, seeking to prevent clumping).
- Seasonings: If you're using drippings, you likely won't need any extra seasonings. However, if you're making gravy from canned or boxed stock, you may want to add some herbs to spruce up the flavor. I would add a teaspoon or two of a blend of crushed dry herbs such as oregano, marjoram, basil, or Italian seasoning blend when you add the butter and let it simmer for a short time (about a minute) before adding your flour.
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
How to Make Turkey Gravy:
Step 1: In a large skillet, melt butter on low-medium heat until bubbly.
Step 2: Sprinkle flour over butter and use whisk to mix together.
Step 3: Add half of the broth slowly and whisk together (still with heat on low-medium) until all lumps are gone.
Step 4: Add the rest of the broth and whisk with heat turned up to medium. Let gravy steam and bubble a bit while whisking to prevent sticking until thickened (5-10 minutes). Makes about 2 cups of gravy.
(Scroll down for full recipe and print capabilities)
💭 Expert Cooking Tips
- Add the broth slowly. This makes it easier to get the gravy smooth.
- Add warm broth to your pan not cold. If it's cold, your gravy is more likely to clump.
- Don't salt until the end. Taste, and only add salt if needed.
🧐 Recipe FAQs
The best way to make turkey gravy is with the drippings or meat juices produced during the roasting process in your oven. After your turkey is done, you will pour off this golden liquid and reserve it to make your delicious homemade gravy.
You start with a "roux," which is basically butter and flour whisked together in a heated skillet, then add the drippings and whisk over medium heat until smooth and thickened.
For the best turkey gravy, use the freshest ingredients, including flavorful turkey drippings, butter, and flour. Adding just the right amount of thickener (flour) and the right amount of drippings in the right proportions is the key. I use ¼ cup flour to 2 cups drippings, and it turns out nice and thick but still pourable.
A gravy from turkey drippings recipe is the best turkey gravy, in my opinion, as the flavor is over-the-top delicious. You're getting concentrated meat juices as well as the seasonings used when cooking your turkey.
To make gravy from drippings, you will simply make a "roux," which is a butter/flour mixture heated in a skillet, and add your drippings to it, whisking together until smooth and thickened. Then you will add salt and black pepper as needed. This is the simplicity of delicious gravy from drippings. See the full recipe for step-by-step instructions.
Turkey gravy can be frozen for up to 3 months since all the ingredients are okay to freeze, and it is almost as good as fresh once thawed and reheated.
🦃 More Thanksgiving Recipes
If you tried this Homemade Turkey Gravy or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📋 Recipe
Homemade Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt butter on low-medium heat until bubbly.
- Sprinkle flour over butter and use whisk to mix together.
- Add half of the broth and whisk together (still with heat on low-medium) until all lumps are gone.
- Add the rest of the broth and whisk with heat turned up to medium. Let gravy steam and bubble a bit while whisking to prevent sticking until thickened (5-10 minutes). Makes about 2 cups of gravy.
Notes
- Add the broth slowly. This makes it easier to get the gravy smooth.
- Add warm broth to your pan not cold. If it's cold, your gravy is more likely to clump.
- Don't salt until the end. Taste, and only add salt if needed.
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