How to Make Incredible Thanksgiving Gravy (and How to Fix It When Everything Goes Wrong)
Too thin? Too thick? Lumpy? Bland? Welcome to Gravy Emergency School.
Gravy holds an unreasonable amount of power over Thanksgiving dinner. A good one can rescue dry turkey, bring mashed potatoes to life and convince everyone that you absolutely knew what you were doing all along.
A disappointing gravy, meanwhile, is difficult to ignore.
Fortunately, incredible gravy doesn’t require a culinary degree or even perfectly timed turkey drippings. We’re breaking down how to make it rich, silky and deeply flavourful, followed by exactly what to do if it turns out too thin, too thick, lumpy, salty, pale or just a little…blah.
Welcome to Gravy Emergency School. Class is in session.
Part One: The reliable gravy recipe
Rich, silky and deeply savoury, this gravy uses turkey drippings when available, but it also works with butter and stock if your turkey doesn’t produce enough.
Makes: Approximately 3 cups
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15–20 minutes
Ingredients
¼ cup fat: either turkey fat from the drippings or butter, or even a combination of both
¼ cup all-purpose flour (if it needs to be gluten-free: in a separate bowl, whisk three tablespoons of cornstarch with three tablespoons of cold water until completely smooth)
3 cups turkey drippings, or turkey or chicken stock, or a combination of both
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce or tamari
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt, as needed
1 tablespoon cold butter, optional, for finishing
Before you begin
After removing the turkey from its roasting pan, pour the drippings into a heatproof measuring cup or fat separator. Let them sit for a few minutes. The fat will rise to the top, while the flavourful juices remain underneath.
Measure ¼ cup of the fat. If you don’t have enough, add butter until you reach ¼ cup.
Measure the remaining turkey juices and add enough stock to make 3 cups of liquid in total. Use unsalted stock if possible as the drippings may already contain plenty of salt.
Instructions
Get the turkey fat.
Once the turkey has been removed, carefully pour the contents of the roasting pan into a heatproof measuring cup or fat separator. Let the liquid rest for approximately five minutes, allowing the fat to rise to the top. Remove and reserve ¼ cup of the turkey fat. If you have less than ¼ cup, add enough butter to make up the difference.Get the turkey juices.
Measure the remaining turkey juices, then add enough turkey or chicken stock to produce three cups of liquid in total. For additional flavour, pour a small amount of warm stock into the roasting pan and loosen the browned bits with a wooden spoon. You can add this liquid to the turkey juices before topping the mixture up to three cups.Make the roux.
Add the reserved turkey fat to a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for approximately two to three minutes, whisking continuously. It should smell lightly toasted and turn golden, with no raw flour remaining.Slowly add the liquid.
Add the turkey juices and stock mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly. Wait until each addition is smooth before adding more. This is the best way to prevent lumps.Add the flavour.
Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce or tamari, thyme, sage and a few cracks of black pepper.Simmer until thickened.
Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately five to eight minutes, whisking regularly. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still pour easily.Taste before adding salt.
Turkey drippings and prepared stock can both be salty, so wait until the gravy has finished simmering before seasoning it.Finish with butter.
Remove the gravy from the heat and whisk in one tablespoon of cold butter. This optional final step gives it a silky texture and glossy finish.Strain if necessary.
For especially smooth gravy, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer before transferring it to the gravy boat.
Choose your secret ingredient
The secret to a flavourful gravy is simply this: build flavour in layers.
Use good-quality stock
Allow the flour and fat mixture to cook
Scrape up the browned bits
Add Worcestershire sauce, tamari or miso for savoury depth
Finish with a small amount of butter
Add fresh herbs
Drop in a splash of wine if it needs a little acidity
Season only after tasting the reduced gravy
Gravy Emergency School
You may want to screenshot this section.
My gravy is too thin.
Simmer it uncovered to reduce, or whisk together a small amount of cornstarch and cold water before gradually adding it to the simmering gravy.
My gravy is too thick.
Whisk in warm stock a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
My gravy is lumpy.
Pour it through a fine-mesh strainer or carefully blend it until smooth. No one has to know.
My gravy is too salty.
Dilute it with unsalted stock. If it then becomes too thin, allow it to reduce or add a small amount of thickener.
My gravy tastes bland.
Add salt gradually, followed by something savoury such as Worcestershire sauce, tamari or miso. A small splash of acid (such as wine, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) can also wake up the flavour.
My gravy is too pale.
The colour matters less than the flavour, but a little Worcestershire or soy sauce can deepen both. Don’t add so much that it takes over though. Taste matters most!
My gravy tastes like flour.
It likely hasn’t cooked long enough. Return it to a gentle simmer and whisk frequently until the raw flour flavour disappears.
My gravy is greasy.
Skim excess fat from the surface. If you have time, let it sit briefly and the fat will rise; it will then become easier to remove.
I don’t have enough drippings.
That’s okay! Use butter for the fat and good-quality turkey or chicken stock for the liquid. Drippings add flavour, but they aren’t required to make good gravy.
I need it to be gluten-free.
No problem. Use cornstarch instead of flour. Ensure any of your additions are certified gluten-free. Stock and tamari usually are, but you can also find gluten-free soy sauce and Worcestershire.
