How to Make the Best Turkey Gravy
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This is simply the most perfect gravy for your Thanksgiving turkey using pan drippings! So rich, so smooth and so easy!
I promised you a gravy recipe, didn’t I?
I always keep my promises. Plus, this isn’t just any ordinary turkey gravy recipe.
Nope. This is the world’s easiest, quickest, less-than-2o-minute recipe conveniently using the pan drippings from your foolproof turkey.
Which means, hello, this is also a foolproof gravy!
You just can’t go wrong here. All you have to do is strain your pan drippings and combine it with some butter, flour and fresh herbs.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and boom. You’re done.
TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
HOW CAN I GET PAN DRIPPINGS FOR THIS RECIPE?
You can use all of the pan drippings from the easiest Thanksgiving turkey.
I DON’T LIKE THYME. CAN I SUBSTITUTE SOMETHING ELSE?
Absolutely! You can substitute rosemary (dried or fresh!) or any other herb of your choosing. And because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
![How to Make the Best Turkey Gravy](jpg/how-to-make-the-best-turkey-gravyimg_7470-200x200.jpg)
How to Make the Best Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- Pan drippings from Easy Thanksgiving Turkey
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Strain pan drippings through a fine-mesh sieve; discard solids and reserve 2 1/2 cups pan drippings; set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and thyme until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in reserved pan drippings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve warm.
Did you make this recipe?
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I made my first turkey this year and needed a gravy recipe. This was amazing!!! I should also mention that I’ve always had trouble making gravy but this worked perfectly. Thank you so much!
This is the best recipe for Gravy yet!
Yum! So good, thank you!
Do you separate out the fat?
100% Delicious. I needed to ‘practice’ making this, so I took the drippings from a Costco chicken that collected in the container and combined it with homemade chicken broth (Ina Garten’s recipe) and this was easily the best gravy I’ve ever had, bar none. I did add in a tablespoon of butter at the end for silkiness. Can’t wait to make this again!
Always looking fir good gravy recipe. Trying today.
Can’t wait to try it. I tend to have trouble with lumpy gravy but I think this recipe will be great. Is it possible to double the recipe? Or how many people would this serve?
I forgot to review this. Made this for Thanksgiving last year, and use the same method for my beef roasts (which I make frequently,) using beef broth for the liquid. I never had enough gravy for my “hot’ sandwiches before this recipe. Thanks for posting.
Absolutely Awesome! Exactly like My Mom made. But forgot & had to look up. Only 1/4 cup of drippings from my turkey breast. So even out with Better than bullion. My Mom used bullion cubes Lol. Anyways too salty…but my bad/Everything taste salty to me lately. Thickened up nicely after a bunch of boiling & stirring. Happy I made this instead of the enclosed gravy pkg!
Bullion is the problem. Use chicken stock and stir, stir!
So simple and straightforward, perfect gravy for turkey dinner. Love this! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Honestly the best gravy ever
Amazing!
The seasoning was amazing! This was super easy. The only tweak I made was based on my family’s preference for milk in gravy. We added an extra 1/2 tsp of flour and 2 T of milk. Best gravy, better than my mom’s scratch Thanksgiving gravy!
Thee best tasting turkey I’ve ever made. Even the turkey haters enjoy it. The white meat was moist and tender as it should be. I’m thrilled it turned out so delicious. The tenting method- on point. I even prepared some yummy turkey gravy. It was a lip smacking meal. Ohhh.. I had a few issues removing the back, but I did it! And that too was DELICIOUS . I’d just bake a pan full of turkey backs if I could find some. Thanks again.
It’s simple and convenient!
Very Nice .. so easy ill never forget how to make Great gravy against Thanks!
Best turky gravy i ever made and ate. Thank you.
Going try this one for Christmas. Question… I have a great turkey recipe that has me put a qt or so of apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan, anyone ever do that and make this gravy? If not, do you think it’ll come out as good as the reviews I’m seeing here? I’m thinking it’ll be pretty awesome but wanted to ask. Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Made this last night for a ladies evening and hands down the best gravy I have ever made, or maybe even had. Delicious and easy. Yum!
First time ever making gravy of any type. Made it for Thanksgiving for 13 people. Not only was it extremely easy, but it tasted GREAT. Everyone loved it. I had just enough juice to make a double batch. Definitely keeping this in my wheelhouse. Thank you for posting this.
This turned out the best Turkey gravy I’ve ever eaten. We spatchcock our turkey. I don’t know if that makes a difference in the amount of drippings we get, but we get nowhere near two cups. I ended up making a broth with the giblets and the back my husband pulled out. We cooked those down to about two cups, then added our drippings and followed the rest of the recipe. It. Was. Amazing. 10/10 will use this again!
Will there be enough liquid for gravy with a
10lb turkey breast? How long do you think it will take to get to 165?
We discovered last minute that no one had been assigned gravy. We did not have fresh thyme or even dried thyme, but the result was still the best turkey gravy I have ever had! I feel like if your name is on the recipe it is a sure bet. Thank you for sharing another great recipe
Excellent !!
Delicious!
Google
I used your recipe for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone loved it. The wives even asked me to email the recipe’s URL to them.
Thank you for this simple but yet delicious recipe
Your recipe just made my Thanksgiving a lot happier. How something so delicious be so easy to make? Thank you! Now if I could just master a non-lumpy roux.
Non-lumpy roux=sift your flower and whisk whisk whisk. Also, pull your pot off the heat while you whisk in your flower if it seems too hot. I got a simple flower sifter from the Dollar Tree.
I have always delegated the responsibility of making the gravy to others because I was intimidated. This year, I had to make it myself, and I’m so glad I found this recipe! It came out perfectly and was delicious!
Thanks! Easy and delicious.
Just made it I added a couple of fat pinches of bell’s seasoning for extra measure! Fantastic!!!!
I have so many gluten free family members. Can I substitute cornstarch for the flour? If so, how much do I use? So excited to try this! My daughter in law says you cannot go wrong with your recipe!
You can try almond flour for the roux. Have not tried myself but I have seen several keto based recipes that call for the substitution of almond for wheat flour. You can also use your cooked turkey veg (carrots, celery, onion) and puree with a food processor. Add to gravy to thicken, no need for roux. Good luck and happy holidays!
Yes I make GF. GF all purpose flour is best. You could gradually add a cornstarch slurry but sometimes you get a pasty taste.
This is late info, but you can use ground arrowroot to substitute for flour or cornstarch. It’s gluten free! I prefer it over cornstarch or masa when called for in sauces, chili, etc. I find that when using masa especially, that a flavor is introduced that changes the flavor profile to something less desirable, IMHO. I also use arrowroot when I either don’t have time or don’t feel like making a roux with flour.
Wondra is a great substitute, some places sell the double 0 flour which also works great.
Wow!! This is amazing!! Thank you for sharing!!
You can try almond flour for the roux. Have not tried myself but I have seen several keto based recipes that call for the substitution of almond for wheat flour. You can also use your cooked turkey veg (carrots, celery, onion) and puree with a food processor. Add to gravy to thicken, no need for roux. Good luck and happy holidays!
Made this last year and it was delicious! I have never been good at making gravy but this recipe will be my forever go-to. Super easy and very tasty! Thank you!
Delicious, quick and easy!
Omg simple yet DELICIOUS!! Was perfect for what I needed yields 3 cups and that’s what made me try it and will always remember and use it!!
Do you have a video on this one??
Plan to make this for Thanksgiving. Sounds terrific & most impressive reviews.
QUESTION…..Can you make ahead & refrigerate?
I’m late, but in case you’d like to know for next year, you can definitely make this ahead of time and refrigerate it(I did). Just make sure to let it fully cool before refrigerating and reheat it very slowly on the stovetop while stirring frequently.
I don’t get that much of drippings. But, I do the same and add water or turkey broth now
I make turkey broth by simmering the gizzard in water for 2 hours or while cooking turkey. I use this broth to make the gravy.
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?
You can but the general rule of thumb is to use HALF the amount if you’re using dried herbs since the flavor is much stronger than fresh. So (obviously) if the recipe calls for 2 tsp fresh, use 1 tsp dried.
how do you manage to get 2 and 1\2 cups of dripping I never even have a cup with a 20 lb turkey
Did you put any water in the bottom of the pan? You must have the driest turkeys in the world! Lol
it depends on how you make your Turkey. I use Oilless fryer and the turkey is super jucy. I get about a cup maybe slightly more of drippings. Not everyone bakes it in the oven
You are so incredibly rude.
This recipe calls for using their turkey recipe which calls for 1/2 cup of butter plus 2 cups of liquid added to the roasting pan. I was surprised to see the 2 cups of drippings also but that would come from the added liquid. It doesn’t mention anything about removing any of the fat either. Maybe Steve knows
No more package gravy mixes for me. Tastes just like my Mom use to make. My family loved it !!
Thank you! I have never had luck with turkey gravy. Made this today for a practice Thanksgiving meal and it is soooooo delicious! Will be my go to from now on. Also, I have never written a review before so you can be sure I love it!
It is the best turkey gravy that I had in the last 9 years. I am addicted to it. It is a must to make this gravy every 2 week in my house. Thanks for great recipe.
Made this recipe on the 5th of July for a un-traditional Turkey dinner and it was a big hit with the neighbors. This will definately be my go to gravy from now on. I can’t wait to try out your other recipes!
I added the Thyme when I was melting the butter. This really brought out it’s flavor and aroma!
I have struggled for 20 years to make a good turkey gravy and this recipe nailed!
It truly was the best turkey gravy I have ever had thank you very much I’ll make it over and over again
Damned Delicious,
I have made this recipe twice this year:
1.) Thanksgiving and now
2.) Christmas Dinner
Both times the outcome has been very warmly received.
Thanks
the gravy is excellent and easy, thanks!
I haven’t made it yet but have a question. Do you not separate the fat out of the drippings?
I’ve done it both ways and both ways were delicious. I guess it just depends on wether you’re going for something slightly lighter in calories and/or have the time to cool your drippings enough to separate the fat.
The turkey and gravy were delicious!
The gravy was as advertised… Easy and good! Loved it! I have added it to my Thanksgiving recipe file as well as the turkey (altho we fried ours this year!)
I’m 52 years old and have never attempted to make my own. Your recipe was my first attempt and WOW, am I glad I stumbled on your recipe first!! This turned out amazing, my teenagers and husband were raving over it, and that’s a huge win in my book! Thank you for sharing your cooking talent with the rest of us who have none! That’s a blessing to be thankful for 🙂
This is so foolproof, I’m going to keep it as my go-to gravy recipe for Thanksgiving from now on. I simmered the turkey giblets in water and used some of the broth to reach the 2-1/2 cup mark for the pan drippings. When the gravy was done, I added the diced heart, gizzard, and liver like my mother does. So easy and so good!
Great gravy recipe! I added about 1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning to add body to it. Family loved it. Thank you for sharing!
This recipe came out perfect. It was super easy. I made stock from neck and giblets then used the drippings from the turkey.
Melted butter then sifted flour, whisking continuously. After a minute or so started adding liquid in batches. Wonderful!
I finally got it on the third try but it was hard it never really browned and it was creamy I had to struggle for it not to turn into dough I had to keep whisking and lowering the heat at the right time and I think I didn’t put enough drippings but it was yummy I will try again there is still lots of turkey!
You really don’t have to “brown” it. Just constantly whisk while it is almost bubbling. I think brown was the wrong word. Should be more like slightly tanned.
This was…….damn delicious!
(I think the ppl saying it was too thymeie probably used dried and forgot to covert….. 1/3 dried =1 fresh)
I used 1/4 teaspoon dried….. perfect:)
If you don’t have full amount of drippings just add stock or broth to make up the missing amount.
As always, whisk in flour gradually, don’t just dump it in.
Same goes for the drippings. Gradual.
Happy Holidays, everyone!
This is amazing! I made it yesterday and it had an earthy and delicious flavor. I made it exactly the way the recipe instructed. It came out with a smooth and creamy consistency. I used a “little less” than 1 tsp and 1/4 tsp of black pepper at the end. I drizzled it over Stuffing and some over Turkey slice. So good you can sop it up with a biscuit! I only recommend that you make this if you have a wire whisk. You will need it to avoid lumps.
Made this today. Super good and best I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for sharing!
Probably the best gravy I have used. I added a cup of chicken broth to add to the volume a bit. Intense flavor.
The gravy turned out delicious! Just wish there was a way to keep the fat and flour from separating.
Mamma Mia! DELICIOUS!! I added only a pad of butter as the natural gravy was Butterball, I might just add a bit of lemon
This is the best gravy I’ve ever had! I had fresh Rosemary so I added that instead of the thyme. I highly recommend this substitution!
Can you substitute margarine for butter?
Superbly simple! Very tasty….my first attempt. Thanks!
Yummy gravy!! So simple and delicious!, Aloha Chungah
Sounds delicious and I made it pretty much the same way that they had no thyme so I used a little Sage little poultry seasoning.
So easy and delicious! Did not have thyme on hand and only had dried parsley but was still yummy.
Très bonnes recettes
We fry our turkey. What would I substitute for the pan drippings?
Chicken Stock will work….
If no dripping use a piece of chicken or turkey brown in a pan with a little butter add hot water about a half of cup when that boils off repeat should have drippings ! Add stock to make gravy! Toss chicken or use for salad
I enjoy many of your delicious recipes. Thank you
Cream of celery will work with the dripping from your Turkey.
Add poultry seasonings,onion powder,salt,pepper and chicken stock, with a pat of butter. Let it cook at least 30 minutes, but if you have more time, allow it to simmer low. It’s a perfect marriage! It’s the easiest gravy ever.
This is exactly how I’ve made Thanksgiving gravy for years! My papa taught me this recipe, never fails….unless you mistake powdered sugar for flour. (That only happened once!)
That’s hilarious and sounds like something I would do. I once mistakenly added cornmeal instead of oatmeal to a meatloaf. It was solid as a brick.
LOL, You ladies have me rolling! Thanks for sharing these hilarious mishaps
Happy Thanksgiving
back off mark they are married
I was making an apple pie once and mistakenly added ground cumin instead of ground cinnamon to the cut apples! I started mixing with a spoon and realized the aroma was anything but sweet! I ended up rinsing the apple slices off one by one and crossed my fingers as it baked in the oven.
No one was the wiser!
This sounds so good. I have everything except the fresh parsley leaves. I’m not likely to get ahold of those before Thanksgiving due to my not wanting to enter a store because of Covid and my weakened immune system from chemo treatments. Does anyone have any Ideas as for a substitute for the fresh parsley leaves or will it turn out decent without them? I’ll be making a turkey breast and stuffing it with a quartered fresh onion so I’m expecting to get some good flavor from my pan drippings. Any advice about not having the fresh parsley leaves would be appreciated.
hi wayne! I’ve left our parsley leaves before and I don’t think it makes too big of a difference. in case it’s helpful, there’s an app called “Shipt” – that allows groceries to be delivered to your home for free with minimum purchases of $35 and Amazon also allows for deliveries from Whole Foods. Getting groceries is so hard during this time, so I figured I’d pass those two options!
A recipe is just a guideline… 😉 I made gravy last Thanksgiving without fresh parsley and it still turned out delicious. If you happen to have any dried parsley on hand that would work otherwise I’m sure it will taste just fine without it… Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! This is exactly how I make my gravy Your recipe is quick, easy, and tastes delicious!! I give it a five star!!!
I let my Turkey breast thaw out too early so I had to throw it in the crockpot to cook and then I wrapped it in going and Saran Wrap and threw it back in the freezer for a few days. I went ahead and used your recipe for gravy and man is it awesome! And it was so easy. I didn’t have enough drippings from just my Turkey breast so I made the rest up with low sodium chicken stock. Maybe a tad too much thyme but still the best I have ever had. No need for salt all all. Not sure if I should freeze it or if it will be ok in the fridge for 5 days. Thoughts?
so simple….and great…thank you…
I’ve been making homemade gravies and sauces for decades, but I decided to try a new turkey gravy recipe instead of my regular one. This gravy was excellent! It tasted much better than I expected and it was so easy to make. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone new to cooking and wanting to try making gravy. Just follow the directions as listed and you’ll have a super tasty gravy to serve. (PS-roasting a turkey is super easy too. You’ll never know until you try!)
How do you roast a Turkey?
Made my first gravy with your easy recipe & it was delicious!
Wow – I am so glad I came across this recipe! I had never made turkey gravy before, so I started googling. I’m so glad I found you because it was the best turkey gravy I’ve ever had! My kids and everyone else were raving about it, saying it was the best gravy they had ever had! Thank you so much!
Lifesaver! So easy and delicious. Thrilled to have this recipe in my life, I will use it all the time.
A few notes: depending on your drippings, should not need much (if any) salt. Thyme was a touch strong, I liked it but on anything else cooked with thyme it was very noticeable so you can get away with less. 2c drippings was all I had, it was enough. Total yield about 2-3c gravy, this served our party of 4 people just fine but nothing left over.
Thank you!!
This recipe is simple AND tastes terrific. As a prep ahead I took the neck, wing tips and gizzard and boiled in 2 cups of water with onions, celery and a little salt (less fatty drippings than what is in the pan) Made the recipe just as the turkey rested, carved and served everything hot. Will repeat this recipe when its turkey time again.
Simple to make and turned out delicious! Would definitely recommend to everyone!
Best gravy ever and so easy to make! I love the thyme in it.
Absolutely delicious and simple!
Thank you!!
The best gravy I’ve ever tasted! I love how you don’t have to separate the fat from the drippings. So easy.
I have never made gravy before today. Followed this recipe exactly – took the gravy to a large dinner with lots of family – everyone raved about the gravy. I am hard on myself in general but especially my cooking – because I LOVE food. This gravy was delicious. No lumps – no drama – just perfect. Wow. I can make gravy – tasty gravy 🙂 thank you for the recipe
This is really the best turkey gravy I’ve ever made, and it was easy. Great hit this Thanksgiving.
So yummy and easy to make!
Yep, this is simple. And delicious! Took me a half hour to find a gravy recipe that made sense, I mean logically made sense. This was the first one, and it came though for us! Happy Thanksgiving!
Best and easiest gravy for Thanksgiving!! Just got done making it, only thing is I used Wonder flour and put in a little Kitchen Bouquet for color. I also added some cooking water from the turnips. OMG it is delicious! Thank you!
Awsome just made it perrrrrfect
Perfect and easy! Made the gravy this morning for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow and was so happy it came out perfect since I used all my drippings! Love your recipes-thanks for sharing!!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I tried making this recipe a few weeks ago because in the past I’ve never been very good at making gravy. And surprisingly it worked out great. I just wanted to say thanks for such an easy-to-follow recipe. My kids also loved the gravy and ate their food amazingly quickly, for them! I used fresh thyme and parsley out of my garden and I used more than the recipe said but it made it even tastier. Your recipe was such a success that I’m going to use it again this week for a bigger turkey. Thanks for a recipe that I’ll keep using for a long time.
How many cups of pan drippings do you wind up with? I wound up having very little as I didn’t pour chicken stock as your turkey recipe suggested. I was worried it would steam the turkey too much as some other reviews say that it does. So I added chicken stock after and it was SO salty (I dry brined the turkey). I had to add quite a bit of water and it was finally edible. Just curious how much you usually have .
Awesome!
Used gluten free flour combined with vegan butter (Son has a bunch of allergies), and BAM!
Best turkey gravy ever!
Thanks much!
B
Does the fat separate from the rest of the pan drippings? I tried something like this and the fat separated out.
Im sure every item you cook is great. Who keeps garden when you not in Ok ? Do the kids try your vegs. Hope so.. Glad your life is happy. I’m wondering if the children, Love the Ranch as much as my kids love hunting & fishing. Now our grandkids do also.
I have not had the pleasure of trying any of your recipes at yet, the one complaint that I have is I don’t ever see how many people your recipes feed
Thanks
Biz, all of my recipes state a yield (aka number of servings) located in the recipe box. In this case, the yield is 8 servings.
Sounds like a simple and tasty recipe. I’m trying to figure out how much it makes, total. Do you define a “serving” as 1 cup, 1/2 cup, or another amount? I have a pretty big crowd and we are gravy lovers so I’m trying to provide about 1 cup per person. Is 8 servings here = 8 cups? Thanks!
The recipe yields ~2 cups of gravy (1/4 cup servings). The recipe contains 2 1/2 cups of liquid drippings. These drippings will thicken up when combined with the butter/flour mixture and heated. For a gravy loving family, you may want to use all the drippings and adjust the other ingredients accordingly.
My mom taught me years ago – equal parts of butter and flour and each Tbsp needs a cup of liquid. Hence 2Tbsp butter and 2Tbsp flour needs 2 cups broth. She always had the neck, heart gizzard on a slow simmer in water on back of stove; adding the liver near the end. That was the backup “broth” for the turkey drippings. I do the same but also have some turkey stock on hand which I use in the stuffing and in the gravy. This is a simple and wonderful recipe.
I have not used this recipe yet, but plan on it this weekend. Do you need to remove the fat from the drippings first?
Amazingly explained. Will definitely give a try to make turkey gravy.
Please do!
Easiest and tasties gravy. No fuss at all. Love it.
Awesome! Thanks, Nan!
If you add one teaspoon of lemon juice it will brighten up the gravy and make it perfect.
Seems like an awful lot of fat – no broth?
Linda, you’re using the pan drippings from the turkey – that’s essentially your “broth”.