A recipe and video for how to make turkey gravy this holiday season. Plus some help with troubleshooting along the way.
Now that you have the perfect turkey recipe, here’s how to make turkey gravy with giblets (aka turkey neck and gizzard) to go with it. It starts by making a roux, adding in a flavorful stock, and then seasoning it to your liking. I feel like a lot of people get intimidated by gravy, but there’s no need. Plus, I even have a video to help give you the information you need on how to make turkey gravy this holiday season.
Cooking Turkey Giblets (Neck and Gizzard)
While the turkey is cooking away in the oven, I throw the turkey neck and gizzard in a pot with some chicken stock and let it simmer on low for an hour or two (or until I remember to take it off the stove). This gives the stock more turkey flavor and cooks the giblets. You can make turkey gravy without the neck and gizzard if you want, of course, but since they’re included with the turkey, you might as well use them.
After simmering in the stock, be sure to skim off any of the gunk that comes out (see below). I chop up the gizzard to mix in with the gravy and throw in the neck bone whole. Some people like to pull the meat off of the bone to mix in with the gravy, and some like to eat the whole neck bone as a treat for themselves—it’s really up to your own preferences.
What Fat to Use for Turkey Gravy?
In the video below, I use the fat that has rendered from the turkey after I separate it from the other delicious turkey juices. But if you accidentally threw it away or don’t have enough for the recipe, then you can also use butter, vegetable or canola oil, or leftover bacon grease. (If you’re not storing the grease from cooking bacon to use later, you’re truly missing out.)
Turkey Drippings and Gravy
It’s always a great idea to use the drippings from the turkey to make your gravy. As with the fat, sometimes you might not have enough of the other turkey juices to make a full gravy recipe. That’s one of the main reasons why it’s great to cook the turkey giblets in stock in case you need to use it for gravy. (Any excess stock can be used in dressing or stuffing.)
How to Flavor Your Gravy
If you’re using the turkey drippings, the bulk of the gravy flavor will mimic however you decided to season your turkey. If you’re just using store-bought stock, then the gravy at first might seem a little one note. Outside of the standard salt and pepper, some other ingredients to consider include garlic powder, various herbs (particularly sage), Worcestershire (as I used in the video below), or soy sauce. This is where you need to trust your gut—and your tongue—to make it taste so that it’s pleasing to you.
Turkey Gravy Recipe
A recipe and video for how to make turkey gravy this holiday season. Plus some help with troubleshooting along the way.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup rendered turkey fat, oil, butter, or bacon grease
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups turkey pan juices/stock
- 1 cooked turkey gizzard, diced
- 1 cooked turkey neck, meat pulled from bone (optional)
- salt and pepper
- other seasonings, as needed, such as Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, sage, or soy sauce
Instructions
- Add the fat to a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and let melt (if necessary). Sprinkle with the flour and cooking, stirring regularly, until it becomes a nutty brown color, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the juices/stock so that you don't get any lumps. Increase temperature (if needed) to bring to a boil and add in the gizzard and neck; cook until the gravy has thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and other ingredients, as needed. (I can't give too much direction because it largely depends on how you cooked your turkey, but the ingredients I listed are always good places to start if you're not sure of what is missing from your gravy.) Serve.
[…] have either of those) to fortify it with extra flavor. I then use that liquid to make either gravy or in my cornbread dressing, and then dice the gizzard and shred the neck meat to add to […]