What’s the word for the fifteen minutes before you put the Thanksgiving meal on the table? Chaotic, right?! There are always last-minute tasks to do to get dinner ready–the rolls need to be heated, turkey sliced, potatoes mashed, side dishes warmed up…blah, blah, blah. There is no need to spend time making a batch of gravy right before you eat. Save yourself time and stress and make this deliciously easy Perfect Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy ahead of time! You can make it a few days before Thanksgiving and re-heat it right before dinner, or make it a few weeks in advance (like I do) and freeze it, then take it out the night before to thaw before warming it up. Bonus? There are no lumps!
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Perfect Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy
To make this Perfect Make-Ahead Turkey gravy there are three basic steps:
- Roasting the turkey parts
- Making the turkey stock
- Make the gravy.
The entire process takes approximately 3 hours but is not labor-intensive; you only need to be meticulous while stirring the gravy to thicken it.
Step 1: Roast the Turkey Parts
- 4-6 Turkey Pieces (Wings, thighs, breast are best)
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 Small Onion, cut into thick slices
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 1/2 – 2 tsp. Bells Seasoning
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (roast). Sprinkle the turkey pieces with salt and pepper and the Bell’s Seasoning. Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan and add the onion. Roast the turkey, uncovered, for approximately 45 – 60 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside to cool for about ten minutes. Do not wash the roasting pan-you want those drippings at the bottom of the pan!
Step 2: Make the Turkey Stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 Onion
- 1 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Celery Stalks
- 2-3 Fresh Sage Leaves
- 2 Sprigs of Fresh Parsley
- 2 Carrots
- 1 tsp. Bells Seasoning
Peel and chop the onion and garlic, and add to a large stock pot. Wash the celery stalks and chop them into approximately two-inch chunks. Chop the carrot into one-inch pieces and add to the pot with the celery. Add the roasted turkey pieces, sage, parsley, and water. Add the Bells Seasoning. (Note: No decent turkey gravy is complete without the Bell’s Seasoning. I will not make gravy without it.) Heat the pot to medium-high boiling. Watch that it does not boil over, you will have a mess.
When the stock boils, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about three hours, partially covered with a lid. While the turkey stock is almost simmering, set your roasting pan with the turkey drippings on two stove-top burners (this is why I use a stainless steel roaster instead of a non-stick roaster). Add 1/2 c. of water or wine (wine is better) to the turkey drippings (remove the roasting rack), turn the heat to medium-low, and scrape the drippings using a wooden spoon.
Remove the large turkey pieces and break up the smaller pieces; throw any large fat pieces away. The heat will help the drippings scrape up. When the pan is completely scraped clean and the drippings are blended, place them in a small bowl or storage container and refrigerate. You should have about 1/2 – 2/3 of a cup of drippings. Do not strain off too much of the fat–this gives the gravy texture and flavor.
Step 3. Make the Gravy
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup of Wondra Flour
- Gravy Drippings
- Turkey Stock (Approx. 3 cups)
- 2 Tbsp Butter
When the stock is finished simmering, remove from heat. Remove the turkey pieces from the turkey stock and strain the veggies out so all you have left is broth. In another large saucepan, add your turkey drippings and heat on medium. When the drippings are heated (about 1-2 minutes), mix about 1/4 cup of the turkey stock with the flour; whisk it together well until it forms a wet paste (roux). Turn the turkey-dripping pan up to medium-high heat. Slowly stir the roux into the big pan of turkey drippings. It will be thick but should thin out with the drippings. Make certain to stir out the lumps, adding more turkey stock, one cup at a time, to the flour/drippings. Whisk constantly, making sure to stir the gravy between each cup added so the gravy does not turn lumpy.
When all four cups of stock have been added, heat to boiling, stirring constantly. The gravy should start to thicken. When the gravy has reached boiling, let boil for about two minutes, stirring constantly, and then turn the heat off. The gravy should be thick but smooth and fluid. Let the gravy cool. At this point, you can either store the gravy in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before Thanksgiving or freeze. Strain any flour lumps before freezing.
If you freeze the gravy, please store the gravy in an airtight freezable container. On Thanksgiving morning, remove the container from the freezer and set it in the refrigerator to defrost. Reheat the gravy on medium-low, about 45 minutes before you set dinner on the table. When the gravy is heated, reduce to low until ready to serve. Sometimes the gravy will be a little grainy after freezing, so add about 1-2 Tbsp. butter to the gravy while heating, it to thicken and smooth it.
Now that you have mastered perfect make-ahead turkey gravy, do you know how to get your turkey ready for the big day?
Other Thanksgiving ideas
- Delicious Cranberry Balsamic Marinated Olives
- Roast Turkey with Cranberry Bourbon Glaze
- Cranberry Apple Strudel
(This post was originally featured on Nov 17, 2010, and updated on November 16, 2024.)
