Homemade Turkey Gravy Recipes

FOOLPROOF TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Pour drippings from roasting pan into bowl, leaving brown particles in pan. Return 1/4 cup drippings to roasting pan. (Measure accurately because too little fat makes gravy lumpy.) Stir in flour. (Measure accurately so gravy is not greasy.)
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Stir in liquid. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in salt and pepper.

SIMPLE TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Pour turkey drippings and loosened browned bits from roasting pan into a 4-cup measuring cup. Skim fat, reserving 2 tablespoons. Add enough broth to the drippings to measure 3 cups., In a large saucepan, whisk flour, 3/4 cup broth and reserved fat until smooth. Add thyme, sage and pepper; gradually whisk in the drippings mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened.

HOMEMADE TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Separate the oil from the liquid in the turkey drippings by pouring the drippings into a clear 4-cup measuring cup. Allow the drippings to settle and separate into oil on top and juices on the bottom. Remove 1/4 cup oil using a kitchen syringe; transfer to a saucepan.
• Mix flour into the oil in the saucepan; cook and stir over medium-low heat until color changes to a light brown, about 5 minutes. Pour 1 cup juices from the measuring cup into flour mixture (roux); cook and stir, adding more drippings for a thinner gravy, until gravy is heated through and smooth, about 5 minutes. Mix chicken broth into gravy; cook and stir until heated through, adding more broth for a thinner gravy, about 5 minutes.

CLASSIC TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• When your turkey goes into the oven, start the broth: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and turkey neck and giblets; cook, stirring, until the giblets are browned, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken broth, herb sprigs and bay leaf; cover and simmer while the turkey roasts, about 2 hours. Strain the broth and keep warm; reserve the neck and giblets, if desired.
• When your turkey is done, transfer it to a cutting board and pour all the pan drippings into a degreasing cup. Add 1/2 cup of the prepared broth to the roasting pan and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. (If the bits are stuck, put the pan over a low burner to loosen them.) Add the bits and liquid to the degreasing cup.
• Let the fat rise to the top of the degreasing cup, then spoon off 1/2 cup fat and transfer to a large saucepan over medium heat. Make a roux: Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the flour browns slightly, about 4 minutes.
• Gradually add the hot broth to the roux, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Pour the dark roasting juices from the degreasing cup into the gravy, discarding any remaining fat. If desired, chop the giblets and shred the neck meat; add to the gravy. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the flavored butter, if desired.
• Start with cold heavy cream and mix on high speed.
• After about 3 minutes, you'll have whipped cream; continue mixing.
• After about 6 more minutes, the butter will clump and separate from the liquid. Strain and wrap the butter in cheesecloth, then squeeze out the liquid.
• Tip: To make perfect rounds, shape flavored butter into a log using parchment paper; wrap and chill, then slice.
• Pumpkin
• Mash 1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin, 1 stick softened butter, 1/4 teaspoon orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon each sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt.
• Spiced Cranberry
• Simmer 1/2 cup cranberries with 1 tablespoon water, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 strip lemon zest, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 clove, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard the zest, cinnamon and clove; let cool. Pulse in a food processor with 1 stick softened butter and a pinch of salt.
• Bourbon-Raisin
• Microwave 1/2 cup raisins with 1 tablespoon bourbon, covered, 45 seconds; let cool. Pulse in a food processor with 1 stick softened butter, 1 tablespoon chopped chives and a pinch of salt.
• Sage Brown Butter
• Melt 1 stick butter over medium heat and cook until browned. Add 1/4 cup sage and fry 30 seconds; drain on paper towels, then chop. Let the brown butter cool; mash with 1 stick softened butter, the sage and a pinch of salt.

TURKEY PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Once you've roasted your turkey, pour any pan drippings into a degreasing cup or small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the fat, discarding the rest, and add the separated juices to the broth. Add the reserved fat to the roasting pan and place on a burner over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Cook until shallot is tender, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make a paste with the butter and flour in a small bowl; set aside. Add the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and whisk in the flour mixture. Boil until sauce thickens to make a gravy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning, to taste. Remove and discard the garlic and bay leaf. Serve.

SIMPLE TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat fat from turkey drippings in a saucepan over medium-low heat until liquefied, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk flour into turkey fat until golden, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk liquid from turkey drippings and turkey stock into fat-flour mixture; increase heat to medium and cook, whisking continuously, until gravy is smooth and desired consistency, 5 to 10 minutes. Season gravy with pepper.

GRANDMA'S TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Pour drippings into a 2-cup measuring cup. Skim fat, reserving 1/4 cup. Add enough broth to the drippings to measure 2 cups., Saute shallot in reserved fat in a small saucepan. Stir in the flour, salt, onion powder, poultry seasoning and pepper until blended; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until browned (do not burn). Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

TURKEY GRAVY FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 4 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle turkey parts lightly with salt and pepper, place in roasting pan and brush with melted butter. Roast 2 hours, basting with butter every 20 minutes or so.
• Transfer roasted turkey to a stockpot and set roasting pan aside. Add onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns to stockpot. Add cold water just to cover, bring to a simmer and cook, slightly uncovered, about 6 hours.
• Meanwhile, place roasting pan on top of stove and bring juices to a simmer over low heat. Pour in wine (or water), stirring and scraping to bring up browned bits. (If using wine, simmer at least 5 minutes.) Pour all liquid into a bowl and refrigerate. When deglazing liquid is cool, lift off top layer of fat; reserve fat. Add deglazing liquid to stockpot.
• When stock is golden and flavorful, strain into a large container and refrigerate. When cool, lift off fat and mix it with reserved fat from deglazing liquid. Reserve 3 quarts stock for gravy and refrigerate or freeze the rest for another use.
• In a deep skillet or large heavy pot, melt 12 tablespoons (3/4 cup) reserved turkey fat over medium heat. If you do not have enough turkey fat, use additional butter to make 3/4 cup. Gradually whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking, until golden brown and toasty-smelling, 3 to 5 minutes or longer for darker gravy.
• Whisk in a small amount of stock (this prevents lumps), then add remainder more quickly and whisk until smooth. Simmer, continually whisking, until thickened. If too thick, thin with more stock or a little wine and simmer briefly. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, whisk in a few tablespoons cold butter to smooth and enrich gravy.

TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Make turkey stock while turkey roasts: Trim fat and membrane from giblets. Rinse giblets and neck; pat dry. Add to roasting pan with turkey, and roast until browned, about 30 minutes. Remove giblets and neck from pan; set aside.
• Bundle together thyme, parsley, and rosemary, and tie with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni; set aside.
• Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large (4-quart) saucepan. Add celery, carrot, leek, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until just browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add giblets, neck, bouquet garni, pepper corns, bay leaf, and 4 cups water. Cover; bring to a boil. Uncover; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until liquid reduces to about 3 cups, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Pour stock through a large fine sieve set over a clean large saucepan. Reserve giblets and neck, and discard vegetables. Return stock to stove, and keep warm over medium-low heat. Coarsely chop giblets, and shred neck meat off the bone with a fork; set aside.
• Make gravy when turkey comes out of the oven: Pour juices from roasting pan into a fat separator; reserve pan. Let juices separate, about 10 minutes.
• Deglaze pan: Set the pan on stove top across two burners; add wine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits on bottom with a wooden spoon. Reserve deglazing liquid.
• Add 3 tablespoons reserved pan fat (from top of separator) or butter to a clean large saucepan, and place over medium-low heat. Add flour to make a roux, whisking vigorously to combine. Cook, whisking, until flour is deep golden brown and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Whisking vigorously, add stock in a steady stream to roux. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
• Add reserved deglazing liquid, pan juice (from bottom of separator), giblets, and neck meat to mixture. Return to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Pour gravy through a fine sieve set over a large saucepan; discard giblets and neck meat, if desired. Keep warm on low until ready to serve (up to 30 minutes); season with salt and pepper.