Description
Is a holiday feast truly complete without a boat brimming with rich, velvety gravy? This Easy Turkey Gravy recipe debunks the myth that gravy is complicated. It’s incredibly simple, requires just three main ingredients, and tastes infinitely better than anything from a jar. Using the flavorful drippings from your roasted turkey as the base, we create a sauce that is smooth, deeply savory, and the perfect consistency.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 1/2 cups Strained Turkey Drippings (top up with broth if needed)
- To taste Black Pepper
- To taste Salt (likely won't need much)
Instructions
-
Prepare the Drippings: Pour the juices from your turkey roasting pan through a fine-mesh sieve into a large liquid measuring cup. You don’t need to separate the fat. If you don’t have enough liquid to make 2 ½ cups, top it up with turkey or chicken broth.
-
Make the Roux: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once bubbling, sprinkle in the flour. Whisk continuously for 1–2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste and create a golden paste.
-
Whisk in the Liquid: Slowly pour in the turkey drippings a little at a time, whisking constantly and vigorously. Adding the liquid slowly is the secret to preventing clumps.
-
Simmer and Thicken: Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low and continue to whisk or stir gently for a few minutes until the gravy is thick, smooth, and velvety enough to coat the back of a spoon.
-
Season and Serve: Taste your gravy. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Taste again before adding any salt, as the drippings are often naturally salty enough. Serve hot.
Notes
- Liquid Volume: It is crucial to measure your drippings. You need exactly 2 ½ cups of liquid for the thickener ratio to work perfectly.
- Don’t Skim the Fat: The fat in the drippings adds incredible flavor and body to the gravy, so there is no need to separate it unless you prefer a very lean gravy.
- Lump-Free Secret: The key to smooth gravy is adding the liquid slowly to the hot roux while whisking fast.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Sauce, Gravy, Holiday
- Method: Stovetop, Whisking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (¼ cup)
- Calories: 65 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 12 mg
