The Best Turkey Gravy Recipe - Pan Dripping Gravy

5 from 2 votes

The Best Turkey Gravy Recipe - Pan Dripping Gravy

This is the best turkey gravy and the most flavorful one made from the pan drippings after roasting the turkey. There are only four ingredients in this easy turkey gravy, and the pan dripping is by far the most important one! I include a few very important tips to get the best tasting drippings, which will in turn give you the best tasting gravy.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 64kcal

Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour*
1 cup pan drippings from roasting turkey
1 cup unsalted chicken stock
salt** optional
black pepper** optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

When Roasting the Turkey:

The best tasting gravy starts with the turkey. You can do a few things to add more flavor like:
-Stuff my turkey cavity with a few fresh herbs, some lemon, lime, apple, and onions.
-Season outside of the turkey well.
-After placing the turkey onto the roasting rack, inside the roasting dish, add 1-2 cups of water, quartered onion, and 2-3 garlic cloves to the roasting pan underneath the turkey. (The amount of water will depend on how long you will be roasting the turkey, i.e. the size of the turkey.)
Line the roasting pan with aluminum foil to better catch the drippings, and of course, to make clean up easier.

Preparing the Pan Drippings:

When turkey is done, pull it out of the oven and let it rest about 10-15 minutes right in the roasting pan.
Gently lift the turkey and let some of the juices pour out of the cavity into the roasting pan, about 2-4 tablespoons worth.
Strain the pan drippings from the roasting pan into a measuring cup through a fine mesh strainer.
(If you have more than a cup of pan drippings, you can freeze the extra.)

Prepare the Gravy:

Have all the ingredients measured and ready on hand before starting to cook because this recipe will go fast.
Melt butter in a cooking pan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in flour until smooth and blended.
While whisking, start pouring in the pan drippings, and then chicken stock. Keep whisking until smooth. Taste to see if you need to add any salt and pepper.
Slowly stir as the gravy comes to simmer and thickens. Cook for a couple extra minutes, stirring slowly, and take off heat.

Notes

Skim the fat: After straining the drippings, let them sit for a minute. If you feel like there is too much fat, spoon off excess fat so the gravy stays smooth and not greasy.
Watch the salt: Turkey drippings are already seasoned from the turkey. Taste before adding any extra salt or pepper.
Gluten-free option: Swap the flour for a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose blend.
Adjust thickness: If gravy becomes too thick, whisk in a splash of stock or warm water. If too thin, simmer for a few extra minutes or whisk in a little cornstarch-and-water slurry.
Not enough drippings? Supplement with unsalted chicken or turkey stock. You only need about 1 cup of drippings to make great gravy.

Nutrition