Turkey giblet gravy is an easy recipe to make and a classic side dish to serve alongside turkey. Learn the simple steps of how to make giblet gravy from scratch using turkey drippings and giblets to get the perfect turkey gravy.
Creamy, rich and full of flavor this Thanksgiving gravy simmers on the stove while the turkey cooks and is quickly finished while the bird rests before carving.
Drizzle it over Thanksgiving turkey, make a pool of gravy in your mashed potatoes or pour over turkey poutine, this simple recipe will be a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu year after year.
Ingredients need to make giblet gravy
- Turkey giblets
- Meat drippings from the turkey pan
- water
- celery
- carrots
- onion
- bay leaf
- herbs such as parsley, rosemary and sage
- salt and black pepper
How to make homemade giblet gravy:
- While the turkey is roasting in the oven, in a medium saucepan warm 2 tablespoons of butter and brown the giblets in along with the turkey neck and if you have a spatchcocked turkey, the backbone.
- To the saucepan add the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring to a simmer, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low while the turkey roasts in the oven.
- After removing the turkey from the oven and transferring it to a serving platter to rest, add ¼ cup of flour to the bottom of the roasting pan and whisk to make a roux with the turkey pan drippings in the bottom of the pan.
- Place the roasting pan on the stovetop and over medium heat, whisk and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the giblets from the giblet broth and finely chop the giblets.
- Strain the giblet broth discarding the vegetables, neck and backbone.
- Slowly pour the giblet broth into the roasting pan, whisking as your pour.
- Stir constantly as the gravy thickens.
- If you find you have made a thick gravy, the best way to fix that is to add a splash of chicken broth, turkey broth or vegetable broth to loosen the gravy.
- Serve in a preheated gravy boat with your Thanksgiving meal.
Thanksgiving Turkey Preparations Tips:
- How to thaw a frozen turkey
- Turkey brine recipe
- Juicy turkey recipe
- Sous vide turkey breast
- Spatchcock turkey <--- fastest way to cook a turkey
- How to carve a turkey breast
📝 Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:
The giblets of a turkey include the heart, liver, gizzard of the turkey. These organs along with the neck are usually found in a bag and this bag needs to be removed from the cavity of the turkey before roasting the turkey.
A lot of traditional turkey gravies will have giblets as part of the ingredients. The addition of the cooked heart and liver to the gravy will add not only flavor to the gravy but an added boost of iron.
Giblet gravy can be frozen and easily reheated. I will freeze leftover gravy by cooling it completely before portioning it out into individual portions. Freeze in freezer safe bags, removing as much air as possible.
There is nothing worse than cold gravy on the Thanksgiving table. To keep the gravy warm I will first warm the gravy boat with hot water for about 5 minutes. Or, you can use an insulated gravy boat to keep the gravy warm.
📄 Related Recipes
Giblet Gravy Recipe
There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Ingredients
Instructions
How to cook giblets for gravy:
- While the turkey is roasting in the oven, in a medium saucepan warm 2 tablespoons of butter and brown the giblets along with the turkey neck.
- To the saucepan add the rest of the ingredients with the exception of the water.
- Stir to cook the vegetables for a few minutes until soft and the vegetables start to take on color.
- Add the water to the pot and bring to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low while the turkey roasts in the oven.
How to make giblet gravy:
- After removing the turkey from the oven and transferring it to a serving platter to rest, add ¼ cup of flour to the bottom of the roasting pan and whisk to make a roux with the turkey dripping in the bottom of the pan.
- Place the roasting pan on the stovetop and over medium heat, whisk and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the giblets from the giblet broth and finely chop the giblets.
- Strain the giblet broth discarding the vegetables, neck and backbone.
- Slowly pour the giblet broth into the roasting pan, whisking as your pour.
- Stir constantly as the gravy thickens.
- Serve with your favorite Thanksgiving meal.
Notes
- While the turkey is roasting in the oven, in a medium saucepan warm 2 tablespoons of butter and brown the giblets in along with the turkey neck and if you have a spatchcocked turkey, the backbone.
- To the saucepan add the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring to a simmer, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low while the turkey roasts in the oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Sharing of this recipe to social media is both encouraged and appreciated. Please share the direct link back to the recipe. Copy/Pasting and/or screenshots of the recipe to any social media is strictly prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected. SavoringTheGood®
👩🏻🍳 Sarah Mock
CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Leave a Reply