Learn how to make Homemade Turkey Gravy with or without drippings to complete your Thanksgiving meal. This is the BEST recipe for turkey gravy because it’s flavorful and silky, and it goes well with everything Thanksgiving. Tastes amazing drizzled over roasted turkey and my buttery mashed potatoes.
Get ready to impress your guests this holiday season with a mouthwatering Butterball turkey, complete with a rich and flavorful giblet gravy. This recipe is a classic for a reason, offering a perfect blend of juicy turkey, aromatic vegetables, and savory gravy that will leave everyone asking for seconds.
Ingredients:
For the Turkey:
- 1 Butterball® Fresh or Frozen Whole Turkey (thawed if frozen)
- 2 medium onions, cut into wedges
- 3 medium celery stalks, cut into thirds
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, halved
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 5 cups water
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black peppercorns
For the Giblet Gravy:
- ¼ cup turkey drippings
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups reserved giblet stock
- Reserved neck meat, heart, gizzard, and liver (optional)
Instructions:
Preparing the Turkey:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and set them aside.
- Drain any juices from the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Tuck the turkey’s wings back to hold the neck skin against its back.
- Place half of the onion, celery, parsley, and garlic inside the turkey’s cavity.
- Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan.
- Spray the turkey with non-stick cooking spray.
Roasting the Turkey:
- Roast the turkey for 3-½ to 3-¾ hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the deepest part of the thigh reaches 180°F.
- After 2 hours of roasting, cover the breast and tops of the drumsticks with aluminum foil to prevent overcooking.
Making the Giblet Stock:
- While the turkey roasts, prepare the giblet stock.
- Place the neck, heart, gizzard, water, salt, and peppercorns in a large saucepan.
- Add the remaining onion, celery, parsley, and garlic.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1-½ hours.
- If using, add the liver for the last 30 minutes of simmering.
- Strain the stock and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Remove the meat from the neck and discard the bones.
- Finely chop the neck meat, heart, gizzard, and liver (if using) and refrigerate until ready to use.
Making the Giblet Gravy:
- Remove the turkey from the pan and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- Strain the pan drippings into a 4-cup measuring cup.
- Remove ¼ cup of fat from the drippings and discard the remaining fat.
- In a medium saucepan, stir the flour into the fat until well blended.
- Gradually add enough reserved giblet stock to the pan drippings to measure 4 cups, stirring after each addition until smooth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Cook and stir until the gravy thickens slightly.
- Stir in the reserved neck meat and giblets, and cook until heated through.
Serving:
- Carve the turkey and serve it with the giblet gravy.
- Enjoy this classic holiday dish with your loved ones!
Tips and Tricks:
- For extra flavor, add a splash of white wine or sherry to the giblet gravy.
- If you don’t have time to make your own giblet stock, you can use store-bought chicken broth.
- To make the gravy ahead of time, prepare it up to the point of adding the neck meat and giblets. Reheat the gravy before serving and stir in the neck meat and giblets just before serving.
With this Butterball recipe, you can easily prepare a delicious and impressive Holiday Turkey with Giblet Gravy that will be the star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. So grab your ingredients, preheat your oven, and get ready to wow your guests with this classic culinary masterpiece!
Thin versus Thick Gravy
Some people like a runny – thinner gravy, some like it on the thicker side. I made an effort to position mine in the center so you could easily customize it to your liking.
To achieve the desired consistency, whisk in additional turkey stock or drippings if your gravy is too thick.
Try this if your gravy is too thin: whisk 1-2 tablespoons flour in 1/2 cup cold water in a separate bowl until the flour is dissolved. Pour directly into gravy and bring to boil. Whisk until thickened, then reduce heat to low.
How To Make Gluten-Free Gravy
To make this easy turkey gravy recipe gluten-free, try using cornstarch instead of flour. This is a really wonderful way to accommodate guests who have dietary restrictions without sacrificing the gravy’s flavor!
Cornstarch is a stronger thickening agent than flour so you aren’t going to be using as much.
Instead of sprinkling on the cornstarch like you do the flour, you are going to make a slurry. Do this by adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to about a 1/2 cup of turkey stock or drippings. Dissolve the cornstarch and then add it to your pan with the fat and whisk away. Then follow directions as normal.
Note: Cornstarch has the tendency to lose thickening power if cooked for too long. If this happens, make another slurry and add it to the mix.
Addition of milk, cream, or both results in an extra rich gravy recipe and is a very easy way to make your gravy creamy.
To make, follow the directions as normal until you get to adding chicken stock. 1/4 cup of the chicken stock should be swapped out for your preferred milk product (heavy cream, milk, or half and half).
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How do you make Butterball turkey gravy?
To make butterball turkey gravy, you will need the following ingredients: 1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. 2. Add the turkey drippings and whisk to combine. 3. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 1 minute, or until the flour is golden brown. 4. Slowly whisk in the milk.
What are the ingredients in Butterball turkey gravy?
Salt and pepper are used to season the gravy to taste. The following ingredients are optional for butterball turkey gravy, but they can add additional flavor and depth to the gravy: * Onion powder. Onion powder adds a savory flavor to the gravy. * Garlic powder. Garlic powder adds a pungent, garlicky flavor to the gravy. * Dried thyme.
How do you make turkey gravy?
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the turkey drippings, water, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. 2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. 3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the gravy has thickened. 4. Serve immediately over your favorite turkey dish. Follow the package directions.
How do you make Butterball turkey drippings?
• YIELD: 4 cups gravy Butterball® Turkey pan drippings milk or broth 1/2 cup flour or 1/4 cup cornstarch Butterball® Turkey giblets (if desired) 1. Pour Butterball Turkey drippings into 4-cup measuring cup. Place 1/4 cup fat from drippings back into roasting pan or saucepan. Spoon any remaining fat from drippings and discard.