Turkey Gravy Recipe

Whether you’re gearing up for the holidays, planning a cozy Sunday dinner, or just craving a taste of home, this Homemade Turkey Gravy Recipe is your ticket to savory, soul-warming deliciousness. Who knew making your own gravy was so easy? This rich, velvety gravy is the perfect topping for your Thanksgiving turkey and fluffy mashed potatoes, and can be made with or without pan drippings. So, let’s whip up a batch together!

I’ll admit in the past I’ve been reliant on a powdered mix or jarred gravy from the store, mostly due to my own lack of planning. I didn’t realize how simple it is to make the best turkey gravy right from the pan drippings from your turkey. Now that I’ve had Mary’s flavorful and perfect brown gravy, I just can’t go back to anything else!

Complete Your Thanksgiving Meal with Gravy

Gravy is a beloved Thanksgiving meal component for several reasons.

Flavor Enhancement: Sometimes turkey can be a bit dry, so gravy adds moisture and flavor to the meat.

Easy to Customize: It’s easy to adjust the flavors and consistency to your liking. You can season it with fresh herbs, spices, and even a splash of wine or Worcestershire sauce for a unique twist.

Unifying Element: There’s a lot on your Thanksgiving plate, and gravy helps unify all the flavors. Many people serve gravy right over the top of their turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and even vegetables to bring it all together. This is the ONLY time of year when I look forward to all my foods touching. haha

Tradition: Thanksgiving is a holiday full of traditions, and for many families, it’s just an essential tradition to serve a particular gravy recipe with the meal. It’s a comforting element that adds nostalgia to a family gathering.

It just isn’t Thanksgiving dinner without gravy, in my opinion!

Ingredients to Make Turkey Gravy From Scratch

You only need your turkey pan drippings, plus a handful of simple ingredients to make this easy turkey gravy recipe:

2 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons corn starch

¼ cup turkey pan drippings *see note below

2 tablespoons pan drippings or butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 garlic cloves, minced

20 ounces low-sodium beef broth

10 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Salt to taste

** Note** If you’re making this recipe without a freshly cooked turkey, or if you don’t have enough drippings, you can substitute butter for the turkey drippings.

How to Make The Best Turkey Gravy Recipe

This homemade brown gravy is simple to make and tastes amazing! Here’s how to make it:

First, mix the water and cornstarch together in a small bowl, then set it aside for later.

Next, place the two tablespoons of pan drippings or butter in a large saucepan and heat/melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 5 minutes to make a roux, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until golden brown. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds or so.

Slowly whisk the broths into the flour mixture and bring it to a boil. Add the turkey drippings. Stir the cornstarch mixture again, then add it to the saucepan. Finally, add the poultry seasoning, pepper, and salt. 

Reduce to medium-low heat and let the gravy simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened. If there are lumps in your gravy, pour through a fine mesh sieve. Transfer to a gravy boat to serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes about four cups of gravy. Feel free to adjust the recipe for the amount of gravy you need.

You can use beef and chicken stock instead of broth if desired, just make sure it is low-sodium in case the drippings add extra salt. Add more liquid for a thinner gravy.

You can substitute ½ teaspoon each of dried sage, rosemary, and thyme, plus a pinch of nutmeg, for the poultry seasoning.

How to make Turkey Gravy without pan drippings

Making homemade turkey gravy without pan drippings is easy and just as delicious!
You only need to substitute the same amount of butter for the amount of pan drippings called for.
In this case, you would substitute 6 tablespoons of salted or unsalted butter for the 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of pan drippings, and adjust the salt to taste.

How to Store Homemade Gravy

If you love gravy but don’t make it that often, you don’t want to waste a single drop of this brown gravy! Here are the best ways to store gravy:

Gravy lasts for 1-2 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. However, you can use it for up to a week if you bring it to a boil again before serving it.

If you don’t plan on eating the gravy within a week, freeze it! This gravy recipe will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Transfer gravy cooled to room temperature to a freezer-safe container or bag, or even ice cube trays if you only plan on using a little at a time.

To reheat turkey gravy, put it in a medium saucepan, add a splash of water or broth, and heat the sauce until it is warm throughout, just before boiling.

What if the gravy separates?

You can still eat gravy if it has separated. Just add some more liquid and whisk to combine. 

How to use Leftover Turkey Gravy

This homemade brown gravy tastes amazing with lots of different dishes. Here are some suggestions:

Serve it over leftovers from your Thanksgiving meal, or any leftover meat you have in the fridge.

Simmer homemade or frozen meatballs in gravy and serve with rice or noodles.

Make thin hamburger patties and simmer them in the gravy for a take on Salisbury steak.

Leftover gravy is great with biscuits and eggs for breakfast!

Complete your Thanksgiving Dinner!

I’d be honored if you used my recipes for any part of your Thanksgiving meals! I have suggestions for everything from the turkey to the pie. Use any (or all!) of these Thanksgiving recipes to complete your holiday meal:

Main Dish

Herb Roasted Turkey:  If you’re hosting the big holiday this year, you’re going to want to put a tasty bird on the center of your table and this juicy roast turkey recipe is guaranteed to impress!

Not feeding a crowd and keeping it small this year? Then this Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken is perfect for 4 people or less.

Stuffing Recipes

Turkey Stuffing Recipe: This easy stuffing recipe will quickly become a family favorite when it appears on your Thanksgiving table. Combine boxed stuffing mix, butter, celery, onion, chicken broth, and fresh herbs to make it your own.

Here’s a recipe for semi-homemade Pomegranate Stuffing that’ll help with that HUGE Thanksgiving day meal! The color of the pomegranate looks festive mixed in with the green of the herbs and the brown of the stuffing. 

Potatoes

You can’t go wrong with the most popular potato recipe on my site! These easy Easy Roasted Smashed Potatoes with CHEESE are a winner with everyone who’s made them.

Mashed Potatoes: Try these Vanilla Mashed Potatoes–your classic mashed potato recipe made even more tasty with some mascarpone and vanilla paste for a unique twist! 

I also love these Cheesy Mashed Potatoes: This easy mashed potato recipe walks you through how to make the best ever cheesy potatoes for your holiday meal–or any occasion!

Try Twice Baked Potatoes for something different. These potatoes are baked, then mixed with cream cheese, Greek yogurt, cheese, butter, and, of course, bacon, and baked again! 

You sweet potato fans will love these Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes, tossed with olive oil and herbs, drizzled with pure maple syrup, and roasted to perfection.

Other Sides

This savory Corn Pudding is a tasty and easy side dish you will want to serve for your dinners or family gatherings this holiday season.

Add the things you’re grateful for to these delicious Thanksgiving Rolls for a fun, tasty tradition!

Roasted Butternut Squash is a true favorite at our house and it’s a side that our Thanksgiving table is never without.

Dessert

My most favorite of ALL the Thanksgiving desserts is my Aunt’s EASIEST Apple Cream Pie. It truly is THE easiest and one of the most delicious apple pies ever.

Fragrant pecans, fresh whipped cream, and a warm, flaky crust make this the Best Ever Pecan Pie.

No Bake Pumpkin Lush is a fun, updated version of the classic Pumpkin Pie! I’ll take this over a slice of pumpkin pie any day, and you don’t even need any oven space to make it.

This Chai Spiced Pumpkin Cake is so moist and delicious, it will be the center of your fall dessert table.

Which Thanksgiving recipe will you be making this year? Happy baking!

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