Turkey Gravy Recipe for Thanksgiving Recipe
This rich and savory Turkey Gravy recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving or any time you roast turkey parts. Made by roasting turkey wings and aromatics, then simmering with chicken broth and thickening with a flour roux, it delivers a deeply flavorful gravy that beautifully complements your holiday feast.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: About 4 cups gravy 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasting and Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Roasting Ingredients
- 4 turkey wings or other turkey parts, 4 to 5 pounds total
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 1 cup water
- 6 cups chicken broth (or 6 cups water plus 6 teaspoons turkey base)
- 1–2 carrots, chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Gravy Thickening Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper, more to taste
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400°F and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Arrange the turkey wings or other parts on the sheet and scatter the roughly chopped onions over them.
- Roast Turkey Parts: Roast in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the turkey parts are browned on top, which develops rich flavor.
- Transfer to Stock Pot and Deglaze Pan: Move the roasted turkey parts to a large stock pot. Place the baking sheet over two stove burners set to medium heat. Add 1 cup water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all browned bits from the pan, then pour this liquid into the stock pot.
- Add Broth and Vegetables: Add 6 cups of chicken broth (or water and turkey base mixture), chopped carrots, and dried thyme to the stock pot. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer to Develop Flavor: Simmer uncovered for about 1.5 hours to extract flavors from the turkey parts and vegetables. Remove the turkey parts and set aside.
- Strain the Broth: Pour the broth and vegetables through a colander into a bowl. Discard or snack on the vegetables as desired.
- Cool and Skim Fat: Refrigerate or freeze the strained broth mixture for about 20 minutes until fat solidifies on top. Skim off the fat from the surface.
- Make a Roux Mixture: Whisk the flour together with 2 cups of chicken broth until smooth and lump-free.
- Thicken the Gravy: Pour the defatted broth back into the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Gradually whisk in the flour and broth mixture. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened.
- Finish the Gravy: Stir in butter, ground pepper, and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more salt, pepper, thyme, or up to 1 teaspoon of turkey base if desired.
- Store and Serve: Let the gravy cool before freezing in ziplock bags. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or heat in the microwave. For extra flavor when serving with a freshly roasted turkey, add your pan drippings to the gravy.
Notes
- Using heavy-duty aluminum foil to line the roasting pan is optional; it helps with cleanup but isn’t necessary as scraping the browned bits is essential.
- You can substitute chicken broth with a turkey base like Better Than Bouillon for a richer turkey flavor (1 teaspoon turkey base + 1 cup water = 1 cup broth).
- The turkey meat from wings or parts used here becomes quite tough after simmering, so it’s better to use the stock for gravy rather than serving the meat.
- Skimming the fat from the cooled broth improves the gravy’s texture and reduces greasiness.
- Adding fresh turkey pan drippings when serving adds authentic turkey flavor to the gravy.
Keywords: gravy, thanksgiving, turkey, turkey gravy, holiday sauce
