How To Make Turkey Gravy With Drippings
Whether you’re roasting turkey for Thanksgiving dinner or Easter brunch, making turkey gravy with drippings is the perfect addition to your menu. It’s full of flavor and homemade goodness.
I love making turkey.
And one of the reasons why is because I really love gravy made with the turkey drippings.
It’s super easy to make and tastes so much better than the store-bought version.
This turkey gravy recipe is made with flour.
It creates a smooth, creamy texture that I like better than cornstarch (which many gravy recipes use).
And a little bit of sherry and some mushrooms makes it taste even better (although they are optional if you don’t want to use them).
Ingredients
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Here is your shopping list:
- turkey or chicken broth – 2 to 3 cups
- thickener – 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- flavoring – (optional) 1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
- seasoning – salt and pepper to taste.
- other additions – (optional) 8 ounce package (or 1 small can) sliced mushrooms, giblets from the turkey, 2 Tablespoons butter
You will also need the drippings from the turkey after it has finished baking.
Substitutions
- To make the gravy gluten-free, you can use measure-for-measure gluten-free flour instead of regular flour. It usually takes a little more mixing to get it to dissolve, but it will work.
How to make homemade gravy with turkey drippings
Prep work
If you are going to add mushrooms and/or giblets to your gravy, you’ll need to prepare them ahead of time.
I do this while the turkey is roasting so they are ready to go when it’s time to make the gravy.
Mushrooms
To prepare the mushrooms, start by melting 2 Tablespoons of butter in a small frying pan.
Then add the mushrooms and sauté until they are browned around the edges.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Giblets
To prepare the giblets from the turkey, bring 3 or 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan.
Reduce the temperature to medium-low and add the giblets and turkey neck (if there is one).
Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
Remove the giblets and chop into small pieces. Set aside.
Add flour to the pan drippings
When the turkey is finished roasting, remove it from the pan but keep the drippings.
I usually make the gravy in the same pan, but you can pour the drippings into a sauce pan if you prefer.
To make it in the roasting pan, put it over two elements on your stove.
Turn the stove element(s) on to medium.
Heat the turkey drippings until they are boiling.
Sprinkle the flour over the top of the turkey drippings.
Use a whisk to dissolve the flour into the juices.
Make sure to break up any lumps of flour. This can take a few minutes.
Mix in chicken stock
Add in 2 cups of the chicken stock.
Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Gradually stir in more of the chicken stock, letting it simmer between additions, until it is the consistency that you want it to be.
If it isn’t thick enough, simmer for a few minutes longer.
Pour in 1/4 cup sherry or white wine.
Add in mushrooms and giblets
Then add the mushrooms and/or giblets if you are using them.
Let it simmer a little while longer until the mushrooms and giblets are heated through.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper as needed. If you used store-bought chicken stock, this probably won’t be necessary since it comes already seasoned.
Serve
Add the homemade turkey gravy to a gravy boat to serve.
A ladle can make it easier for people to get the amount that they want.
Then pour it over roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, or pretty much anything else you like to eat with gravy.
Storage
Turkey gravy can be covered and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It will solidify.
Re-heat in the microwave or in a pot on the stove until it turns back into a liquid.
Other recipes you might like
Turkey Gravy
Equipment
- small frying pan (optional)
- Sauce pan (optional)
- measuring cups
- roasting pan or sauce pan
Ingredients
- Turkey giblets (optional)
- 8 ounce package Mushrooms (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons butter (optional)
- 2 to 3 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup dry sherry or white wine (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If you are using mushrooms, saute them with butter until cooked through in a small frying pan. Set aside.
- If you are using the turkey giblets, boil them in water in a 2-quart pot until they are cooked through. Chop into small pieces. Set aside.
- After removing the turkey from the roasting pan, move the roasting pan to cover two elements on the stove. Or pour the turkey drippings into a sauce pan and put it on the stove.
- Turn the stove element(s) on medium heat.
- Heat the turkey drippings until they are boiling.
- Sprinkle the flour across the top of the turkey drippings.
- Stir with a whisk while cooking over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Make sure that the flour has completely dissolved into the turkey juices so that there aren't any lumps.
- Gradually stir in the chicken stock.
- Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the turkey gravy is the consistency that you want.
- Stir the sherry into the gravy.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- If you are using giblets and/or mushrooms, add them to the gravy and cook until heated through.
Notes
- To make the gravy gluten-free, use measure-for-measure gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour. You will need to stir it longer to get the flour to dissolve but it will work.
- If the gravy is too thin, add a little more flour and simmer for a few minutes longer. If the gravy is too thick, add a little more chicken stock.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Comments or questions about how to make turkey gravy with drippings? Tell us in the section below.
This post was originally published on November 2, 2014 but was updated with new content on September 5, 2023.