How to Make Easy Turkey (or Chicken) Gravy

How to Make Easy Turkey Gravy

Use turkey stock to make this easy gravy if you can find it, or use a good quality low sodium chicken stock. You could also use homemade stock or stock made from cooking the giblets.

Equipment

• Wooden spoon or whisk
• Measuring spoons and cup
• Serving bowl and ladle or gravy boat
• Fine metal sieve (optional)
• Blender (optional)

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 cups giblet stock or low-sodium turkey or chicken stock
• Gravy browning sauce (optional)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

To make giblet stock put the neck and giblets in a saucepan with 5 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Skim any foam off the top, reduce the heat a very low simmer, and cook for about an hour. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids. If you don't have quite 5 cups when you finish, supplement with purchased stock or broth.

Melt the Butter

Place a skillet, sauté pan, or saucier over medium-low heat and add 5 tablespoons of butter. Cook, constantly stirring, until the butter has melted and begins to get foamy.

Add the Flour

Sprinkle the 5 tablespoons of flour over the butter and stir or whisk until smooth and well blended.

Cook the Roux

Continue cooking the flour and butter, while stirring or whisking, for 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn this roux, or you will have to start over.

Add the Stock or Broth

Gradually whisk in the 5 cups of stock, stirring until well blended. Cook, constantly stirring, until the gravy begins to bubble and thicken. 

At this point, if your gravy seems too thin, combine a few tablespoons of flour with the same amount of cold water. Stir until a smooth paste has formed. Very slowly stir it into the boiling gravy until it is thickened as desired.

If the gravy seems too thick, thin it with more stock, broth, or water.

Season the Gravy

If desired, add browning sauce, a few drops at a time, until you have a nice rich color. Don't pour directly from the bottle, because your gravy could end up darker than you'd like.

Taste the gravy and add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Note: Browning sauce is usually found near the packaged gravy. Gravy Magic and Kitchen Bouquet are two brands.

Gravy-Making Tips and Variations

Pour the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a serving bowl with a ladle or into a gravy boat. The sieve should remove any lumps. Discard the solids.

Tips

• Use no-salt or low-salt stock or broth.
• For a smoother gravy, process in a blender before adding it to the serving dish.
• If you have drippings, separate and skim off the fat and use it to supplement or replace the butter in the roux.
• A specialty flour, such as Wondra, is very fine and less likely to leave lumps.
• A sprig or two of fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme can be added just before you remove the gravy from the heat. Or add some chopped parsley. Discard them when you strain the gravy.