How to Make Turkey Gravy from Drippings

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.

And this turkey gravy is that 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.

How to make turkey gravy from drippings

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

What to Serve with Turkey Gravy

If you’re making this gravy for an upcoming Thanksgiving or Christmas celebration, here are a few serving suggestions:

• Fresh Green Bean Casserole
• Jalapeño Cornbread
• Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
• Green Chili Corn Casserole
• Easy Cranberry Sauce

Recommended Tools

• Medium saucepan. Perfect for making the gravy. This saucepan distributes heat evenly and reduces the chance of burning.
• Strainer. Useful to strain out any bits from the drippings for a smoother gravy. This one comes in three different sizes.
• Whisk. Essential for ensuring a smooth and lump-free gravy. This comes in a set of three different sizes.

Storing and Reheating

Leftover gravy can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

To reheat, heat the gravy in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until warmed. You may need to whisk in a splash of broth or water to thin it out. You can also reheat it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute.

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4.82 from 27 votes

Turkey Gravy from Drippings

By: Isabel Orozco-Moore

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!

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 10 minutes minutes

Total: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ drippings from roasted turkey
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth (or turkey stock)
• ▢ kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

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Instructions 

• Carefully pour the turkey drippings from the roasting pan through a strainer and into a large glass container or two. Place it 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. (See Notes below if you don't end up with 2 tablespoons of fat.) 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 the chicken broth until completely smooth. (See Notes below if you don't end up with 1 cup of turkey drippings.)

  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.

Notes

• Not enough drippings: If you don’t have enough turkey drippings to equal 1 cup, add more turkey or chicken stock until you have 2 cups of liquid.
• Not enough fat: If you don’t get two tablespoons of fat from your turkey drippings, you can use two tablespoons of butter instead.
• Too thick: 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.
• Too runny: If your gravy isn’t thickening, a quick fix is to whisk in a little bit of cornstarch.
• Broth: Use 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.
• Color: The color of your gravy can vary from light to dark brown, depending on the spices and seasonings used to make your turkey.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8th of recipe | Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 0mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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