Easy Turkey Gravy (with or without Drippings)

Add a burst of flavor to your Thanksgiving feast with this savory, silky smooth turkey gravy! This easy gravy recipe is simple, fast, and reliable, and can be made with turkey drippings or premade broth.

Jump to:

• What's the Story on this Gravy Recipe?
• Why You Will Love Cornstarch Gravy
• What Goes into Turkey Gravy with Cornstarch
• How to Make this Easy Turkey Gravy Recipe
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tips & Tricks
• FAQ
• More Autumn Recipes
• What to Do with Leftover Gravy
• Easy Turkey Gravy

What's the Story on this Gravy Recipe?

While Thanksgiving turkey is typically moist and succulent, let's face it—it's still turkey. That's where this easy turkey gravy recipe comes in, adding flavor and moisture to enhance your holiday bird, tie together the dinner components, and elevate the entire meal.

Ever since I can remember, whenever we've served turkey for our holiday dinner, gravy has played a crucial role. Like homemade cranberry sauce, it is not optional. As a teen, my mother passed down to me her secret to perfect holiday gravy, which her mother passed to her, and so on.  

Growing up, holiday gravy was different from everyday. Unlike the rest of the year, when rich, creamy roux-thickened gravies were the norm, holiday gravy was always made with cornstarch. As a child, I thought of cornstarch gravy as fancy gravy; smooth, silky, and velvety. Later as a young mother, I quickly discovered the practical side of cornstarch gravy — this culinary boon is fast, easy, and nearly foolproof: perfect for the chaos of busy holiday meals.

Why You Will Love Cornstarch Gravy

Cornstarch gravy is an excellent choice when you are cooking for the holidays for several reasons.

It’s Quick! Holidays are hectic, and time is precious. That's where cornstarch gravy comes to the rescue! Simply whip up a quick slurry, pour and whisk, and—voila! Delicious, savory gravy! Perfect for when you're trying choreograph multiple dishes to all be ready at the same time.

It’s Simple! The process is simple and straightforward, making cornstarch gravy a low-stress, high-success recipe that can be easily made even by novice cooks.

It’s Forgiving! If the gravy becomes too thick during the cooking process or after sitting out, it can be easily thinned by adding a little liquid and adjusting the seasoning. Likewise, if the gravy becomes too thin, you can thicken it by adding additional slurry.

It requires Minimal Ingredients! You only need a few simple ingredients to make cornstarch gravy: cornstarch, cold liquid (water or broth), and hot liquid (such as turkey drippings and/or broth).

It’s Naturally Gluten-free! Choosing cornstarch to thicken your holiday gravy gives you a smooth, tasty sauce for everyone to enjoy, including those with gluten sensitivities.

The Downside of Cornstarch Gravy: Sauces thickened with cornstarch don't hold up very well, and are not a good choice if you want to make gravy ahead of time. If you make too much gravy and go to reheat it in the next day or two, the sauce will likely have a weird, rubbery feel, and will become quite thin when reheated. Luckily, this problem is easily remedied.

What Goes into Turkey Gravy with Cornstarch

You only need three (or four) ingredients to make this fast and easy turkey gravy recipe.

• Turkey pan juices & drippings: After roasting your turkey, strain the pan juices into a separate container. Allow the fat to rise to the top for easy separation. This should only take a minute or two. (If you would like to clarify the turkey stock, that will take a little more time.) Use a large serving spoon or fat separator to remove the excess fat from the drippings. (It’s OK if a little fat remains on the top; you just don’t want a big thick pool.) Set the separated fat aside; you will be using some of it later.
  • Alternate: Use boxed, canned, frozen, or homemade chicken or turkey broth. (The resulting gravy won't be quite as robust, but it will be tasty, flavorful, and do the job.)*
• Cornstarch: (i.e., corn flour)
• Cold water or broth: It is important that the liquid you use to create the cornstarch slurry is cold.
• Butter: You only need butter if you are using boxed or canned broth to make the gravy.*

Seasonings

• Sugar: I season my gravy with a tablespoon or two of sugar (unless I use apples when roasting the turkey), because I think just a hint of sweetness greatly enhances the flavor. Totally a personal preference.
• Salt: I usually use kosher salt.
• Pepper: For a smoother sauce, I always use white pepper when seasoning gravy.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make this Easy Turkey Gravy Recipe

Measure strained pan juices and add enough boxed broth or water make 4 cups of liquid. Pour liquid into a medium saucepan.

Add ¼ cup reserve fat skimmed from pan juices (or 4 tablespoons of butter).

Unless you roasted your turkey using apple juice, add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the liquid in the saucepan. (Use 2 tablespoons if your pan juices are very dark.)

Bring the mixture to a low simmer.

In a small measuring cup with a pouring spout, whisk together cold water and cornstarch until smooth. Before proceeding, ensure that the cornstarch is fully dissolved in the liquid and that there are no lumps.

Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the simmering broth, whisking constantly as you do.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk until the gravy thickens. It will only take a few minutes. Once the gravy has reached the desired consistency, remove it from heat and season. to taste.

Don't overcook the gravy, or the mixture may break down and thin again. (If this happens, just add a little more cornstarch slurry.)

Serve hot alongside the roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and other complementary dishes.

Variations

• Experiment with herbs like thyme, sage, or rosemary for added flavor.
• Use chicken or beef pan juices, stock, or drippings in place of turkey pan juices. The process is always the same.

Equipment

When it comes to making gravy, the choice of saucepan can make a difference in the cooking process and the final result. Choose a saucepan that is large enough to accommodate the amount of gravy you plan to make without overcrowding. A 3 to 4-quart saucepan is a good size for this gravy recipe.

Storage

To maximize the shelf life of gravy, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator as soon as it cools down. Turkey gravy is safe to keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. We do not recommend freezing cornstarch-thickened gravy.

Refrigerated gravy made with cornstarch will likely have a weird, rubbery feel when taken out of the refrigerator, and may become quite thin when reheated. Fortunately, it is easy to rethicken it.

How to rethicken leftover gravy: For each cup of gravy, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 2 tablespoons cold water in a small measuring cup. Whisk into simmering gravy and stir until it reaches the desired consistency.

Tips & Tricks

You can use clarified or unclarified turkey stock to make gravy. The primary difference between clarified and unclarified stock lies in its appearance and, to some extent, its flavor and texture.

Clarified stock is clear and transparent because the impurities and solid particles have been removed. Clarified stock tends to have a purer, more concentrated flavor and lighter texture.

Unclarified stock is cloudy or muddy because it retains the particles present in the original cooking process. Unclarified stock tends to be heartier, richer, and more substantial in texture compared to clarified stock.

In the case of turkey gravy, choosing between clarified and unclarified turkey stock is mostly a matter of personal preference. Clarified stock will give you a clearer, more refined looking gravy, while unclarified stock will yield a heartier, richer gravy.

When making gravy for the holidays, the deciding factor may very well boil down to time: clarifying the stock will require an additional 20-30 minutes.

For reference, the gravy shown in the images in this post was made using unclarified turkey pan juices.

FAQ

How does cornstarch thicken gravy?

When you mix cornstarch with a liquid (cold water or broth) to form a slurry, the starch granules disperse in the liquid. When the cornstarch mixture is then heated, the starch granules absorb water and swell, and the swelling molecules thicken the liquid.

As the mixture continues to heat, the starch molecules undergo a process called gelatinization, in which the starch molecules form a gel-like structure, and creating a smooth, glossy texture for gravies and sauces.

More Autumn Recipes

What to Do with Leftover Gravy

When the holidays are over, leftover gravy can be used as the base for all kinds of soups and stews. Drizzle it over meatballs, smother a buttermilk biscuit, make a turkey pot pie, or put a new spin on Salisbury steak. There are so many uses - just get creative!

One of our absolute favorite ways to use leftover turkey gravy is to pour it over an open-faced hot turkey sandwich. Talk about comfort food!

For more ideas on how to use holiday leftovers, visit our collection of main dish recipes for using leftover turkey and leftover turkey soup round-up.

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