Make Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe (EASY Turkey Gravy)

 MAKE AHEAD TURKEY GRAVY is an absolute must for an easy and stress free Thanksgiving! YES It’s possible to make Turkey Gravy without drippings and YES you can make it ahead of the big day. Once we learned How to Make Turkey Gravy we have never gone back to store-bought. This Make Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe is genius.

This Homemade Turkey Gravy Recipe is the ultimate Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish.

This Homemade Turkey Gravy Recipe is going to change your life. I’m here to make your easy Thanksgiving dreams come true. This week Mom and I (mostly Mom) put together the ultimate EASY Thanksgiving feast and it’s coming to you right now!

Earlier today I posted Instant Pot Turkey Breast and later today and throughout the week I’ll be posting MAKE AHEAD MASHED POTATOES, Oatmeal Rolls, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, and Classic Turkey Stuffing. And don’t you dare forget about the Pumpkin Pie posted yesterday.

We have lots of favorite holiday recipes but this collection of simple and quick ideas is really all you need for the ultimate holiday. Let’s dive right in with this Make Ahead Turkey Gravy!!

Make Ahead Turkey  Gravy Is The Perfect Easy Recipes For The Holidays.

I’m not the girl who wants to be in the kitchen all dang day while friends and family hang out for Thanksgiving. I’m just not. Never have been, never will be. So easy recipes like this Make Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe is just the ticket for me. I can still prepare an awesome meal and feed the ones I love, but I don’t have to miss all the festivities. The more you can have done ahead of time the better.

This make ahead gravy still has all the flavor, so you won’t be sacrificing any home cooking if you make it. It’s so tasty and hearty!

How long does Homemade Turkey Gravy keep?

Sadly, Homemade Gravy will only keep about 2 days in the fridge. You can, however, bring it back to life by boiling right before serving. Neat trick! You can also freeze this Make Ahead Turkey Gravy for up to 4 months. Boom!

Our MAKE AHEAD MASHED POTATOES (make up to two days in advance!!! They’re pictured above) are the perfect way to use all your Make Ahead Gravy. But if you’d rather let a crockpot do all the cooking (thumbs up), try our Garlic Butter Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes. (They’re my secret favorite). If you prefer to make your gravy NOT ahead of time, we also have this great Classic Turkey Gravy Recipe.

See the recipe card below for full details on How to Make Turkey Gravy. Enjoy!

4.5 from 2 votes

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Make Ahead Gravy

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 10 mins

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

 

MAKE AHEAD TURKEY GRAVY is an absolute must for an easy and stress free Thanksgiving! YES It's possible to make Turkey Gravy without drippings and YES you can make it ahead of the big day. Once we learned How to Make Turkey Gravy we have never gone back to store-bought. This Make Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe is genius.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6

Calories: 286 kcal

Author: Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 1-2 pounds bone-in turkey pieces a mix of neck, leg, wing pieces
• 2-3 stalks carrots peeled
• 2-3 celery ribs with leaves
• 1 medium yellow onion outer skin removed, quartered
• ¼ cup dry sherry or dry white wine optional
• 8 cups homemade turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 parsley stems with leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 stick 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the turkey pieces with salt & pepper. In a large Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat oil over MED-HIGH heat. Brown the turkey pieces 3-5 minutes on each side then add the carrots, celery and onion. Cook another 5 minutes, turning once, until vegetables have begun to caramelize and have some golden brown color. Turn heat to LOW, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes.
2. Scrape the pan, while slowly adding the sherry or wine, to deglaze the pan. Continue scraping the pan while adding all except 2 cups of the chicken broth, stir continuously until broth has been added.
3. Add herbs, turn heat to HIGH and bring broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to LOW and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Skim excess foam off the surface as needed.
4. Pour broth through a fine-mesh strainer over a large heat-resistant bowl. Shred the turkey meat from the bones, and reserve ¼-½ the meat for the gravy. Freeze the remaining meat, in a freezer bag, for later use.
5. To make the roux, melt butter in a medium saucepan over MED-LOW heat and whisk in flour. Cook, stirring continuously, until the flour mixture is fragrant and nutty brown, 10-15 minutes.
6. While roux is cooking, pour the reserved broth back into the large saucepan and add the shredded turkey. Bring broth to a simmer.
7. While whisking vigorously, slowly add 2 cups of the hot broth to the roux (flour/butter mixture). Whisk until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps. Whisk this mixture into the simmering broth in the large saucepan.
8. Season the gravy to taste, simmer and stir often, until thickened or about 20-30 minutes. Cover and set aside to cool to room temperature. You now have turkey gravy. Cover & refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
9. Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Make Ahead Gravy

Amount Per Serving

Calories 286 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 15g 23%

Saturated Fat 9g 45%

Cholesterol 44mg 15%

Sodium 167mg 7%

Potassium 586mg 17%

Total Carbohydrates 16g 5%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 2g

Protein 20g 40%

Vitamin A 69.9%

Vitamin C 5.2%

Calcium 4.3%

Iron 13.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.