Turkey Gravy
Turkey Gravy recipe for Thanksgiving is made easy with these simple instructions and troubleshooting tips for making sure your gravy isn't too thick, runny, or bland!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup total fat (fat from turkey plus butter to equal 8 tablespoons) , (you can use all butter if you want)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4-6 cups total turkey stock plus chicken broth or stock
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- After turkey has cooked, pour the drippings from the pan through a fine mesh strainer and allow to cool. The fat will solidify at the top and the bottom will be turkey stock you will use later. The easiest way to do this is with a fat separator. You will need 8 tablespoons of fat for your roux. Spoon off as much as you can and if you need more fat, use additional butter to equal 8 tablespoons. For example if you have 4 tablespoons of fat from the drippings you will need 4 more tablespoons of butter to equal 8 tablespoons.
- In a large saucepan, heat the fat you have reserved and butter (8 tablespoons total) over low heat. I like to use half reserved fat and half butter.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour in the pan whisking to combine. Cook mixture for a five minutes until it smells nutty. The longer you cook it, the deeper the color and the more flavor.
- Slowly whisk in your 4 cups of reserved turkey stock from the drippings. If you only have 2 cups of turkey stock, add 2 cups of chicken broth into the pan, constantly whisking.
- Cook gravy over medium heat until it thickens. Add pepper. Add salt to taste. Remember gravy will thicken as it cools. Add more chicken broth to make it thinner if desired. Store in the fridge.
Notes
GRAVY FIXES:
- TOO RUNNY: Roux-thickened gravies continue to thicken as they cool, so keep that in mind. If really runny, make a slurry with cornstarch or flour, and whisk into gravy.
- TOO LUMPY: To fix lumpy gravy, pour it into a blender and blend for 30 seconds.
- TOO THICK: Whisk in some turkey or chicken stock until you get the desired consistency.
- TOO BLAND: For extra flavor, season with thyme, sage, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, Worcestershire, a little bit of salt, or pepper.