Easy Turkey Gravy

Turkey gravy in a glass sauce cup, and a small plate of mashed potatoes on a plate to the left.

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

Course Condiment, Sauce

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 40kcal

Author Renee

Equipment

1 wire whisk
1 medium saucepan
1 measuring cup with spout

Ingredients

4 cups turkey broth or a combination of broth and water, or chicken broth
¼ cup reserve fat skimmed from pan juices or ¼ cup butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar* optional
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup cold water

Seasonings to Taste

Instructions

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

Notes

1 Serving = ¼ cup

Preparing turkey pan juices & drippings for gravy: 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 pan juices and 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.)*

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.

Nutrition