How To Make Turkey Gravy From Drippings

Published 11/5/2023 Every turkey needs a little gravy whether you’re roasting a whole bird, smoking a turkey or just making turkey legs. And this is our go-to turkey gravy recipe — a recipe learned how to make from my mom! It’s super basic, but every Thanksgiving table needs it!

What You Need for Turkey Gravy

This flavorful turkey gravy comes together with just 3 ingredients — one of which you’ll already have on hand from whatever variety of turkey you’re cooking in your kitchen. You’ll need:

Turkey drippings / basting liquid: whether you’re roasting or smoking a turkey, you’ll want to save those flavor-filled drippings for the broth. Broth: any variety of broth will work! We prefer turkey, but chicken or vegetable broth are also great options. Cornstarch: a little goes a long way here! We use 2-3 tablespoons, but if you prefer a thicker gravy, feel free to use more.

1 cup of drippings to 3 cups of broth is the magic ratio! We tested this with more drippings and it came out VERY salty.

Variations – Make this Turkey Gravy Your Own!

If you want gravy, but didn’t make a turkey you can use 4 cups of broth instead. We recommend sautéing a few tablespoons of white onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic before adding the broth to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil with a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Feel free to add any classic gravy seasoning or herbs to this recipe. Fresh sage, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, or a mixture would work great. A lot of the flavor for this recipe comes from the basting liquid, so keep that in mind! You can also mix in some roasted garlic. Cornstarch vs. flour: I’ve also seen my mom make her turkey gravy with flour. It works similarly. Simply replace the cornstarch with flour and follow the recipe as written. For a thicker gravy you can remove 1 cup more of the liquid and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to that cup. Whisk and pour back into the saucepan.

Storage

Store leftover turkey gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.

Can you freeze turkey gravy?

Lucky for you, this turkey gravy freezes really well!

Serving Turkey Gravy

One thing I love about this recipe is that it’s pretty fantastic on any cut of meat. Try it on our baked pork roast or spatchcock chicken if you’ve got leftovers. It’s also wonderful on mashed potatoes.