Easy Turkey Gravy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good gravy? ›

Melt butter in a medium-sized sauce pan. Add flour and whisk constantly until mixture is golden caramel color and smells fragrant (3-5 minutes). Slowly whisk in liquids, while whisking, until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened and bubbly, 5 minutes or longer.

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.

A traditional roux uses roughly an equal amount of flour and fat, but gravies often call for a bit more flour than that, to ensure the gravy is thick enough. (The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.)

At its most basic, gravy is a thickened sauce made of meat drippings + stock + seasonings.

Cooking for too little time: As the gravy cooks, it slowly thickens, so if you don't allow it to cook long enough, it will be too thin. Set the stove on medium heat and bring your gravy to a boil before letting it simmer. Once the gravy has reached your desired consistency, turn off the stove and let the sauce cool.

Cook the gravy longer.

If the consistency of your gravy isn't what you want, try simmering the gravy a bit longer to help evaporate some of the liquids. If the gravy still hasn't thickened to your liking after about 10 minutes or so, it's now time to try a thickening agent.

Pour in defatted drippings (use only 2 tablespoons of those from dry-brined bird) and 2 cups stock; bring to a boil. Combine remaining 1/2 cup stock and cornstarch in a small jar, seal it, and shake to combine. Pour cornstarch mixture into boiling mixture in pan and boil until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

How do I add flavor to bland turkey gravy? ›

It's bland.

The solution: The first thing you should try is adding a little more salt, as salt helps bring out the inherent flavors of the gravy that you didn't taste before. If that doesn't work, add umami (savory)-heavy condiments like soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce.

Umami flavors are deeply savory and feel round on the palate. Spruce up the gravy with a splash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce (if the gravy isn't already too salty, that is). Mushrooms or mushroom seasoning also work wonders to add rich flavor to depth-less gravy.

You can use either stock or broth for keeping dressing moist or as a basis for gravy, but a strong flavor will give you better results.

Add Browned Butter

Browned butter is the golden-hued end product of butter melted over medium heat until the water cooks off. What remains are milk solids and butterfat, which turns out nutty, toasty, and warm. Add this golden goodness to store-bought gravy to make it rich, comforting, and just like homemade.

Similar to flour, cornstarch is another ingredient that can be used to make gravy thicker. With cornstarch, making a slurry is also an option, but with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked into cold water. Again, you'll want to add the slurry in increments so you don't over-thicken the gravy.

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful. Homemade stock, even made with chicken stock rather than turkey, will produce a superior gravy—so it's worth the effort.

Simply adding a teaspoon or two of chopped rosemary or sage can elevate gravy while adding an extra layer of depth. But if you're going to add herbs, it's best to do so in the last few minutes of cooking, since they tend to be so delicate. That way you'll get the most flavor out of them.