Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

  4.3 – 34 reviews  • Poultry
If you’re trying to get ahead of the holidays, you can check gravy off your day-of to-do list. This simple gravy is made with turkey stock (if you happen to have it) or chicken broth, and enriched with a roasted turkey wing, leg or neck. For chicken gravy, you can use leftover wings or bones from a roasted chicken.
Level: Easy
Total: 1 hr 45 min
Active: 30 min
Yield: about 4 cups

Ingredients

  1. 1 pound turkey wings, legs or neck pieces, cut into small pieces
  2. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  3. 8 cups homemade turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth
  4. 5 fresh sprigs thyme
  5. 2 dried bay leaves
  6. 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  7. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the turkey pieces on a rimmed baking sheet, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until browned and cooked through, about 30 minutes.
  2. Transfer the roasted turkey pieces to a medium saucepan; scrape up any brown bits from the baking sheet, and add them to the saucepan. Add the stock, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 30 minutes to enrich the stock with roasted-turkey flavor. Strain the liquid into a heat-safe bowl, and keep warm.
  3. Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour, and whisk until the mixture is smooth, toasted and a deep golden brown. Slowly pour in the warm broth, whisking continuously, and continue whisking until the mixture comes to a simmer. Continue to cook, still whisking, until the gravy is thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  4. Let the gravy cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container or resealable plastic freezer bag, label and date, and freeze for up to 2 weeks.
  5. To serve, reheat the frozen gravy in a saucepan or a microwave. Be sure to whisk vigorously as the gravy heats up to keep lumps from forming. Adjust the seasoning as needed.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 of 10 servings
Calories 267
Total Fat 17 g
Saturated Fat 8 g
Carbohydrates 13 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugar 3 g
Protein 15 g
Cholesterol 62 mg
Sodium 598 mg

Reviews

Michael Day
I’ve been making this recipe for a while now this year I am going to add celery, carrots and onions and garlic to the roasting pan along with the spices. It’s very good and makes it a lot less stressful.
Kathryn Horton
I’ve been making this for a few years now and love how I can make it ahead. I’ve used chicken wings or just the drumsticks because I’ve had a hard time finding the turkey wings. I was able to find them this year but they were 3x the price of the chicken. I love this recipe and I always get compliments from my very picky family.
Holly Miles
followed it to the letter……except I used more turkey than called for. The consistency is beautiful, unfortunately, it just tastes like butter. I cannot eat this….right to the bin unfortunately and I will make the gravy on xmas day
Pamela Williams
Excellent!!!
Wayne Mclaughlin
Just made this. It was pretty easy to do, just time consuming. I had no big plans so waiting for the turkey to cook was fine with me. My challenge was finding wings or drumsticks that were not smoked. I ended up using thighs. I cut the mustard in half and happy I did.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Angela Smith
Literally excellent. The turkey leg cost me 2.50 and I had a beautiful gravy the morning of! Thank you thank you. No more stressing over gravy at the last minute.
John Hayes
I have been making this recipe for several years now. I hunted it down today to reprint because my copy is so worn. It makes fabulous gravy! The last couple of years I needed gluten-free gravy, so I substituted a gluten-free flour blend for the flour, and it still came out fantastic. It’s a keeper.
Jaime Sanchez
Delicious! Smooth, flavorful, and did not separate like other gravy I have made. This was a hit and I am now responsible for making the gravy for every Thanksgiving.
Victoria Shepard
Bad bad bad
Ashley Mcpherson
Didn’t work for me. Took a lot time and I ended up with with a greasy mess.

 

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