Learn how to make turkey gravy from drippings the easy way. Don’t let all the seasonings and juicy pan drippings from your turkey go to waste!
Don’t let all the seasonings and juicy pan drippings from your turkey go to waste. Use all those delicious brown bits at the bottom of your roasting pan to make the best turkey gravy recipe ever!
I don’t know about you, but if there’s a good gravy on the dinner table, you can bet that I love pouring it all over my plate, not just on the meat. Gravy on the mashed potatoes, gravy on the green beans, gravy on the Brussels sprouts, gravy everywhere! That’s when you know it’s good.
Making turkey gravy from drippings is one of the easiest and best ways to make a flavorful and rich gravy that enhances the flavor of that Thanksgiving turkey you worked so hard to make. Best of all, you can make it while your turkey is resting and cooling down so it can be carved.
Today I cut celery, onion and carrots, making a mirepoix and sautéed on medium high to caramelize them quickly. I followed with pieces of turkey, including an assortment of necks, drumsticks, wings, and thighs, which I salted and peppered then flash-seared in olive oil and then put in a roasting pan followed by a cup of cold water and the vegetables. I baked at 350 for 20 minutes and then covered tight for an hour to coax the juices out. Then I uncovered and crisped and ended up with nirvana. I will freeze these drippings then thaw on the day of. By the way, the drippings I get on Thanksgiving day I save and put in the freezer.
Salt and pepper all the turkey pieces very well. In a large pan, flash sear the turkey pieces (in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan) in olive oil to brown each side. As the pieces are finished browning, remove and add them to a roasting pan. Then add all the caramelized vegetables and 1 cup of cold water. Bake for 20 minutes uncovered. Remove from the oven and cover tightly with foil. Then cook for an hour to coax the juices out. If not crispy, uncover to crisp up a bit, then strain the juices out of the pan.
Nirvana…I’m working ahead of the day to ensure a wonderful gravy. Turkey drippings make gravy magnificent, so it’s essential to have an adequate amount. I don’t know about you, but the day of is always a little bit of a panic and is the day I’m apt to ruin the drippings when I’m rushing. Speaking of which, a funny thing happened today when I was making the turkey drippings for Instagram stories. Everything worked perfectly and I had the most amazing drippings – then guess what happened when I was all done – I knocked the pan over and lost every bit of the lovely nectar! That kind of unpredictable thing happens when you’re cooking , which is why I like to make my drippings ahead.
How to make turkey gravy from drippings
- Carefully pour the turkey drippings through a strainer and into a large glass container or two. Place them in the fridge for 15 minutes to let the fat rise to the top and solidify.
- Remove the drippings from the fridge, scoop out 2 tablespoons of the fat, and discard the remaining fat (or transfer it to a storage container to use later). You should now have only the liquid turkey drippings remaining.
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of reserved fat and the all-purpose flour until smooth. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until bubbly and light to golden brown.
- Whisk in 1 cup of the turkey drippings and 1 cup of stock until completely smooth. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the gravy has thickened to your liking. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
- If you don’t get two tablespoons of fat from your turkey drippings, you can use two tablespoons of butter instead.
- Use unsalted, low-sodium turkey or chicken broth if possible. Since the pan drippings may already be salty, I recommend using low-sodium or unsalted stock if you can find it. Then, you can taste the finished gravy and add salt and black pepper as needed.
- If your gravy has thickened too much, whisk in more turkey or chicken stock, one tablespoon at a time, until it’s thinned out to your liking.
- If your gravy isn’t thickening, a quick fix is to whisk in a little bit of cornstarch.
- The color of your gravy can vary from light to dark brown, depending on the spices and seasonings used to make your turkey.
How to make a juicy turkey
Can you use drippings after roasting a Turkey?
If they taste good on their own, they will be great for gravy. Often, the oil left in the pan after roasting turkey is used to make the roux to thicken gravy to go with that turkey. If it looks like all oil, you can use it as such. Especially since the turkey was pre-basted, the drippings might be a mixture of oil and juices.
How do you cook a pre-basted Turkey?
Especially since the turkey was pre-basted, the drippings might be a mixture of oil and juices. Pour the drippings into a clear container so you can see just how much is oil and how much is juice. Scoop off the oil and cook it (and added butter as necessary) on the stove (preferably in the roasting pan) with an equal (roughly) amount of flour.
How do you know if Turkey drippings are oil or juice?
If it looks like all oil, you can use it as such. Especially since the turkey was pre-basted, the drippings might be a mixture of oil and juices. Pour the drippings into a clear container so you can see just how much is oil and how much is juice.
What can you do with leftover juices & oils?
Until today, that is. These “leftover” juices and oils contain major savory flavoring power and can be used just like butter and vegetable oil to sauté a side of leafy greens or add that extra-crisp texture to roasted spuds.