Make Ahead Turkey Gravy (No Drippings, From Scratch)
If you want must-have gravy without the last-minute stress, make this homemade ‘from scratch’ make ahead turkey gravy (without drippings). Its deep, rich flavor truly earns the “crowning glory” title.
This classic turkey gravy does take time and a few steps, but most of that time is hands off. Think of it as a labor of love – totally worth it if you’re a gravy lover.
What to expect
- 3-step method: Roast turkey parts and veggies to build a robust stock with tons of flavor. Simmer with herbs, then thicken, strain, and chill until needed.
- Make-ahead & freezer-friendly: Prep days or weeks in advance.
- No drippings needed: Perfect to avoid last-minute chaos and for turkey methods that don’t produce drippings (sous vide, grill, deep fry).
- Mostly hands-off: long simmer, minimal active work.
- Flexible: easy salt control; gluten-free option, choose your preferred thickness.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Turkey: I use turkey wings, but thighs or legs will work fine too. If you can’t find turkey parts, use chicken.
- Vegetables: Carrots, celery, and onions (a mirepoix).
- Broth: Use turkey broth if possible. Otherwise, use chicken broth (low-sodium if fine – you can adjust the salt on your own)
- Fresh herbs and seasoning: Thyme, salt and pepper, bay leaf. I often add poultry seasoning at the end as well.
- Roux: A roux is a paste made of flour and butter (or other fat; see subs) – it’s used to thicken the gravy.
Substitutions
- Veggies: Swap in celeriac for the celery. Or add parsnips for a bit of earthy sweetness.
- Broth: Instead of broth, use water with Better Than Bouillon base (or a bouillon cube).
- Herbs: Dried rosemary or sage can replace the fresh thyme (use ~⅓ the amount).
- Roux fat: Use olive oil, turkey fat, schmaltz, or neutral oil instead of butter.
- Gluten-free: Replace flour roux with gluten-free flour or a cornstarch slurry (mix cornstarch with cold stock; whisk in at the end and simmer to thicken).
- Dairy-free: Skip the butter in the roux and use oil instead.
Variations
- For extra sweetness and color: I often blend in a half cup of the soft-cooked carrots using an immersion blender.
- Wine-kissed: Deglaze the roasted vegetables with a splash of dry white wine. Simmer off the alcohol before adding broth.
- Silky finish: Off heat, whisk in a small knob of butter for sheen and velvety smoothness.
Step by step instructions
Tips
For super flavorful gravy
1. Reduce broth for more flavor: The more you simmer and reduce the broth, the more concentrated and richer it will be.
2. Boost color & sweetness (optional): Blend in 1/4-1/2 cup of the cooked carrots. I do this.
Shortcut
Skip roasting the turkey parts and veggies: Instead, make a quicker homemade turkey broth in the Instant Pot – about 90 minutes faster using our recipe for instant pot turkey soup.
If using the Instant Pot for the broth, I recommend these flavor boosters
- Sear the turkey and veggies: Set the IP to SAUTE and brown the turkey and veggies. (If you skip this, the gravy will still be great, just not as ‘roasty’.)
- Reduce after cooking: Once the soup/broth is done, remove the veggies and turkey, then press SAUTE and let the broth reduce/concentrate for 10-20 minutes (important for richness). Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
Need a truly quick gravy? (about 8 minutes)
If you don’t have time for a homemade turkey gravy, you can still get excellent results with a quick make-ahead gravy. Here’s our chicken gravy recipe without drippings. If you can find it, use turkey stock or broth instead of chicken broth. This is good gravy that only takes 8 minutes without all the fuss.
Recipe FAQs
Transfer piping-hot gravy to a pre-warmed insulated carafe/thermos (to warm it up, fill it with hot water before using, then discard). It will hold beautifully and frees up a burner. Keeping food hot at a dinner party is challenging. Here are some other effective strategies for keeping food warm at your next gathering.
You can refrigerate the gravy for 3-4 days or freeze it in an airtight container or sealed zipper bags (takes less room) for 4-6 months.
To prevent lumpy gravy, add broth slowly to the roux while whisking. To fix lumpy gravy, whisk it vigorously until smooth, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve, or blend it until smooth with an immersion blender..
If it’s too thick, mix in more broth. If it’s too thin, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water, then add to the simmering gravy to thicken it. Repeat if necessary.
More Thanksgiving dinner recipes
- homemade stovetop stuffing
- make-ahead homemade stuffing
- leftover turkey soup with stuffing croutons
- cranberry and orange relish recipe (5 minutes)
- bone-in turkey breast with pear chutney
- sous vide turkey breast
And check out our 33 Thanksgiving side dishes.
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thanks so much!
Make Ahead Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
For Roasting
- 2 pounds turkey wings (or legs, thighs)
- 4 carrots, peeled, cut into big pieces
- 2 celery stalks, cut into big pieces
- 1 onion, peeled, cut into large pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and black pepper for sprinkling
To make turkey broth
- 5 cups chicken broth or chicken stock (or 1 liter box plus 1 cup water)
- handful of fresh thyme sprigs (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 peppercorns
To make gravy
- 3 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter (or use vegetable or olive oil instead)
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup juices from roast turkey (or extra broth)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/204C. See Note 2 for shortcut.
- ROAST WINGS AND VEGETABLES: Place vegetables on a pan lined with parchment paper or foil sprayed with oil. Drizzle oil on vegetables and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place wings on top. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour or until wings are golden brown and vegetables begin to caramelize.
- MAKE THE BROTH: Place roasted wings and vegetables in a pot. Scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan and add them too. Add broth, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes. The broth will reduce to about 2 to 2 1/2 cups. Discard the wings and vegetables (or nibble!), reserving half cup of the cooked carrots if desired. Strain the broth into another container and set aside. I transfer the broth to a fat separator that allows you to pour off the broth with only the grease remaining at the bottom. If you don't have a separator, just skim the grease off the top of the broth when if floats to the top.
- MAKE THE GRAVY: In a separate medium saucepan, melt butter on medium heat. Add flour and whisk to make a roux 'paste'. Cook the roux while stirring for 2-3 minutes until it just starts to turn light brown. Don't let it get too dark or burn. Add half of turkey broth and whisk until smooth. Add remaining broth and stir until thickened and smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, thyme or poultry seasoning as needed. Gravy will be fairly thick – on purpose, allowing you to add another cup of juices from the turkey on the day of serving. Note 2 to enhance or deepen flavor. Note 3 for troubleshooting problems.
Recipe Notes
- Shortcut: You can save time – about 90 minutes – by making the turkey broth in an instant pot. This eliminates the roasting of the wings and veggies as well as the simmering down of the broth on the stove top. Make this instant pot turkey soup recipe. Then remove the turkey and veggies after it’s cooked and set the function to SAUTE. Cook down the broth until you get a deeper more concentrated flavor, about 10 minutes. Then continue the recipe from there. You won’t get that roasted flavor, but it will still be a delicious gravy.
- Ways to deepen or enhance flavor:
- For extra sweetness and color: I often blend in a half cup of the soft-cooked carrots using an immersion blender
- Cook down broth longer to intensify flavor
- Add more seasonings such as: a bouillon cube or teaspoon of bouillon paste, more thyme, poultry seasoning, onion powder, salt, pepper, sage or a little bit of worcestershire sauce (1/2-1 tsp) or a splash of soy sauce.
- Troubleshooting problems:
- Gravy is too thick: add more broth
- Gravy is too thin: mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water, then add to the simmering gravy to thicken it. Repeat if necessary.
- Lumpy gravy: Whisk vigorously until smooth. If that doesn’t work, either strain the gravy through a fine mesh sieve or blend it until smooth with an immersion blender.
- To keep gravy hot for hours: Transfer to a thermos or coffee carafe.
- Make ahead or leftover gravy:
- The gravy can be made several days ahead and stored in the fridge in an airtight container or ziploc bag (if you need the room in your fridge). Reheat it on the stove over medium-low heat. If too thick, add more broth.
- To freeze, place the cooled gravy in a sealed zipper lock bag or airtight container and freeze it for up to 4 months. Defrost before using. Frozen gravy may separate – just whisk it vigorously and it will smooth out when reheated.
I’ve been doing this for about 5 years now. We are a family that loooooves gravy. I make the broth in the instant pot after roasting everything because an hour makes turkey bone broth. After I’ve made the gravy if it looks too pale, I add a bit of Kitchen Bouquet to achieve the right colour. Somehow pale gravy looks unappetizing to us. I usually serve this with dinner. After dinner I make more gravy in the roasting pan with all the drippings, then I mix the two gravies together. Since I send leftovers home with my kids, I need a LOT of gravy! I too make my own stuffing and cranberry sauce. Thanks for the recipe!
Boy are you organized! I agree – you need a LOT of gravy for dinner and leftovers. We love gravy too. Great idea about making the bone broth in the instant pot. I make turkey soup in the instant pot too. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Love love love your recipes!
You make my life in the kitchen much easier! Very delicious recipes!
Big thank you!❤️
Aww thank you so much Jana. You made our day! Your comment is very much appreciated!