Homemade Turkey Gravy

Learn to make restaurant-worthy Homemade Turkey Gravy – using drippings or broth – with a surprising boost of flavor from soy sauce and fresh lemon juice. It’s not the gravy Grandma used to make – it’s actually better.

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A Perfect Turkey Gravy Recipe That Uses Culinary School Technique

Knowing how to make an easy homemade gravy using a roux and liquid is one of the most versatile kitchen skills that you can master, and we’re sharing the culinary school technique for how to make gravy from scratch today.

Making gravy is a three part process. First, you’ll be making a roux from flour and butter (or meat drippings). Then, you’ll be adding broth (or non-fatty drippings) to the roux.

The third and final part (and probably the most important!) is adjusting the texture and seasonings of this easy gravy recipe. Soy sauce is the secret ingredient, and we’ll explain why below.

Whether you’re drizzling it over Mashed Potatoes With Heavy Cream, homemade biscuits, or Oven Baked Turkey Legs, you’ll want this recipe in your back pocket this holiday season.

Easy Gravy Recipe Ingredients

A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.

• unsalted butter – this serves as the fat base of the gravy, contributing to a luscious mouthfeel and silky texture. You can also substitute fatty meat drippings for some or all of the butter (more on this below).
• all-purpose flour – this is the thickener that binds the liquid components together. Like any proper roux, the one used to thicken this gravy recipe has an equal amount of flour and fat.
• broth or stock – this is the flavorful foundation of the gravy, and you can choose chicken, turkey, vegetable or beef stock or broth. You can also substitute non-fatty meat drippings for some or all of the broth (more on this below).
• lemon juice – this adds a touch of brightness and subtle tang that cuts through the richness of the gravy to balance its flavor.
• soy sauce – provides an umami kick that really just intensifies the savory notes of the broth.
• kosher salt – even with the soy sauce, a little bit of salt is essential for seasoning to enhance the taste of the best gravy recipe.
• black pepper – adds a hint of warmth and gentle spiciness.
• poultry seasoning – this blend of spices typically includes sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary and nutmeg and it adds an herbaceous aroma and flavor to your gravy.

How To Make Gravy From Scratch

1. MAKE THE ROUX. Melt the butter or turkey drippings in a medium saucepan or skillet, then whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture turns golden brown, whisking constantly as it cooks.

2. ADD LIQUID. Slowly whisk in the broth or liquid drippings, then heat to boiling and cook a minute or two until the gravy has thickened.

3. ADJUST. Adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding extra broth or simmering it a bit longer, if necessary. Add the lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning, then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

You Can Make Gravy From Broth Or Drippings

Before you begin your gravy from scratch, you’ll want to figure out what your liquid and fat components are going to be.

• FAT OPTIONS – unsalted butter, the fatty part of turkey/chicken/beef drippings, or a combo.
• LIQUID OPTIONS – broth or stock (variety depends on your meal), the non-fatty part of turkey/chicken/beef drippings, or a combo.

If using a combination of fats and/or liquids, you just want to make sure that you end up with the same overall amount of fat and liquid as the recipe calls for to make this homemade gravy recipe. We’ve tested it every which way, and it always turns out perfectly.

Adjust The Texture Of This Homemade Turkey Gravy, And THEN Adjust The Seasonings

While the ratio of fat to flour to liquid in the recipe below is a starting point that should yield a good gravy from scratch each time, the truth is that every single time you make gravy, the roux is going to thicken slightly differently.

The thickening properties of the roux depend on how long you cook it, and even something like the freshness of your flour! And of course, the temperature of your stove and the size of your pan matters, too.

Whatever the reason, we prefer to adjust the consistency of our gravy before worrying about seasoning. The great thing about homemade gravy is that it is SO easy to adjust the consistency.

• Gravy a little too thick? No worries – just add a dash of broth a little bit at at time, while whisking, until the gravy is thinned out enough for your liking.

• Gravy too thin? Not a big deal. Just simmer over medium heat until it reduces down and thickens a little. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. And if you over-reduce and it thickens too much? You guessed it – add broth!

The Secret To A Perfectly Seasoned Gravy Recipe

More often than not, when home cooks complain that their Thanksgiving gravy from scratch turns out bland, they aren’t seasoning at all, or only seasoning with salt and pepper.

Salt and pepper is a great starting point! But for a well-rounded flavor, we also like to add poultry seasoning, lemon juice and soy sauce.

• Poultry seasoning blend is primarily made with dried sage and thyme, and also can include things like nutmeg, rosemary, marjoram and black pepper. If it’s not something that you commonly purchase, a combination of dried sage and thyme is just fine.
• Lemon juice helps cut through some of of the fat in the rich gravy and brightens up the overall flavor. The end result won’t taste lemony, just vibrant and delicious.
• Soy sauce adds saltiness, and savory umami (the Japanese word that essentially means “essence of deliciousness”). It also adds rich brown color to the gravy. It won’t taste like an Asian dish, we promise. Soy sauce is simply a different kind of salt to season any recipe. Try it once and you’ll see what we mean.

Turkey Gravy Recipe Variations

Now that you’ve got classic homemade gravy down, let’s explore some popular variations that cater to different dietary needs and preferences.

• GLUTEN FREE GRAVY – To make gluten-free gravy, you can use rice flour instead of all-purpose flour. Adjust the consistency as necessary as outlined in Step 3 in the recipe card. You will also need to be sure that you choose a gluten free soy sauce (or tamari) and poultry seasoning.
• CREAMY GRAVY WITH MILK – If you’re looking to create a creamier gravy, consider replacing a portion of the liquid with milk or cream.

How To Store Homemade Turkey Gravy

If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. 

This best gravy recipe keeps in the freezer well for months in a sealed container. Thaw the gravy overnight before reheating.

Reheating Gravy From Scratch

Reheat gravy over medium-low heat on the stovetop, whisking to get any lumps out.

One thing to beware of is that when you’re re-warming frozen gravy, you WILL need to thin it out. This actually makes it IDEAL to make ahead for Thanksgiving (even a month or so before the holiday) and reheat on the big day.

Since you’ll need to thin the gravy out anyway, you can use the roasting pan drippings from your turkey as the thinning liquid! You’ll end up with a thinned out gravy with LOTS of extra flavor from the drippings. Win win!

If you don’t have drippings, simply whisk in broth (ideally) or water (in a pinch) to to thin the homemade gravy out when reheating it.