Best Thanksgiving Gravy Recipes

BRINED AND ROASTED THANKSGIVING TURKEY WITH SIMPLE GRAVY

Steps:

• BRINING TURKEY: ONE DAY BEFORE baking turkey, prepare brine. Combine all the brine ingredients. Place the turkey in a bucket or very large pot and pour brine over turkey to submerge. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Remove turkey from brine; dry off turkey with paper towels. Discard brine.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Brine turkey as instructed above. Salt and pepper the brined turkey and cavity. Fill the cavity with carrots, celery, apple, orange, and garlic; bind the legs with kitchen twine.
• In a large roasting or braising pan (or disposable aluminum pan), spread onion, carrot, celery, garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley and bay leaves. Place the turkey on top of the bed of vegetables and herbs.
• Put butter on turkey, or between skin and breast meat.
• Place the turkey in the oven and roast 45 minutes. Pour half the chicken stock over the turkey; roast 45 minutes. Pour remaining stock over the turkey and roast 45 more minutes; it will start turning golden brown.
• Baste with pan juices, cover loosely with foil and roast an additional 45 minutes. When the turkey has reached and internal temperature of 165 to 175 degrees, remove from oven, keep covered, and let rest at least 10 minutes before carving. Transfer to platter.
• TO MAKE SIMPLE GRAVY: From the bottom of the roasting pan, discard herbs and measure out 1 cup of vegetables and 3 cups of pan juices; puree in blender. To thicken, add more vegetables; to thin add more pan juice. pour through a mesh strainer to make a smooth gravy. Makes 4 cups. TIP: For silken gravy, forget the flour. Avoid using flour, because that's usually what causes lumps. Instead, puree the vegetables you roast along with your turkey; they become your thickening agent. That, along with your pan juices, becomes your gravy. You can strain it through a mesh strainer, or use cream and reduce it.

ROAST VERMONT TURKEY WITH GIBLET GRAVY AND SAUSAGE AND SAGE DRESSING, FOR THANKSGIVING

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the turkey. Remove all extra parts; reserve giblets. Cut off wingtips and any excess neck, etc. Season turkey inside and out with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; be generous. Loosen up leg joints without tearing skin.
• 2. Make the stuffing by roughly chopping the lemon , apple, onion, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley and bay leaves into 1/2-inch pieces. Mix with oil. Put stuffing into cavity and truss the bird. Do not tie too tight.
• 3. Start the stock at least 30 minutes before roasting the turkey. Place the wingtips and neck in a saucepan; add 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Skim off any foam. Reduce heat to a slow simmer. Add onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves, peppercorns and parsley stems. Allow to simmer about 2 1/2 hours. Strain stock and reserve. You should have about 3 cups.
• 4. Make a paste by kneading 6 tablespoons unsalted butter with 1/4 cup flour. Rub this vigorously and thoroughly into the skin of the bird.
• 5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons flour evenly on the bottom of a roasting pan. Place turkey on a rack in the pan. Allow time for turkey to come to room temperature if it is still cold to the touch.
• 6. Place turkey in oven. Leave in oven for 40 minutes or until the bird is browned all over. Combine 8 tablespoons butter with 1 teaspoon of water and bring to a boil. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and baste the turkey generously with the butter mixture. Repeat this process twice, once every 10 minutes, until basting liquid is used up. At this point, the turkey should be in the oven about 1 hour. Now baste 2 more times at intervals of 15 minutes, using pan drippings. At this point, the turkey has been in about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cook 20 minutes more without basting, to allow the skin to crisp. Remove from oven. Allow to rest at least 30 minutes before carving. Make the gravy during this resting period.
• 7. To make the gravy, remove turkey to a serving platter. Place roasting pan directly on top of a burner on medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, allowing excess liquid to evaporate. Stir constantly. Now carefully remove any excess fat that has not combined with the flour to make a roux. Add the diced leek and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add 3 cups turkey stock, allowing the gravy to thicken as it comes to a boil. At this point it may be switched to a saucepan. Make sure that every bit of the pan drippings has been incorporated into the gravy. Add the giblets and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in the hard-boiled egg and remove from heat. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt, if necessary.
• 8. Carve the turkey and pass the gravy. Serve with country sausage and sage dressing and cranberry relish.

PAULA DEEN'S THANKSGIVING STUFFING AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Stuffing:.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Crumble oven-dried bread into a large bowl. Add rice and saltines.
• Cook sausage in a large skillet until it starts to brown. Add celery and onion and saute until transparent, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over bread and rice mixture. Add stock and mix well. Add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning. Mix well. Add the beaten eggs and melted butter. Mix well. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the stuffing mixture for the Mushroom Giblet Gravy.
• Pour stuffing into a greased pan and bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 45 minutes.
• Giblet Gravy:.
• Bring stock and giblets to a boil. Add bouillon and reserved stuffing mixture. Make a slurry by whisking together the cornstarch and water and add to the boiling stock; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms until browned in butter. Add mushrooms to gravy with egg and salt and pepper, to taste.

MAKE-AHEAD THANKSGIVING GRAVY

Steps:

• To make the stock: Peel and quarter the onion into wedges and cut the carrot and celery stalks into several large pieces. Chop each chicken wing into three pieces using a heavy chef's knife or cleaver.
• Heat a large heavy pot or, better, a wide Dutch oven over high heat. Add the oil and brown the wing pieces thoroughly. Remove to a plate or bowl.
• Place the onion wedges cut-side down in the bottom of the pot and scatter the carrots and celery around. Cook, without moving, until the surface of the onion is dark brown. Then flip and cook the other flat side in the same manner. As the onion is cooking, move the carrots and celery so that they brown as well, but the important thing is browning the onion.
• When the second side of the onion is dark brown, add the thyme, sage, and peppercorns and return the chicken to the pot. Deglaze the pot with the red wine, stirring for about 15 seconds and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover tightly, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour. (If steam starts belching out from under the lid, turn the heat down a bit.)
• Kill the heat and let the pot sit, still covered, for 30 minutes. Then strain the stock through a colander set over a tall, medium saucepot. You should have approximately 5 cups of liquid. Discard the solids as they've given their all.
• Bring the strained stock to a boil over high heat yet again, then reduce to medium and simmer for 30 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavors. After this you should be left with about 3 cups. Strain through a fine sieve into a fat separator and cool long enough for the fat to settle on top. Then pour off the stock into another container, seal and refrigerate. The stock can be kept chilled for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.
• To make the gravy: Whisk the miso, Worcestershire sauce, dark brown sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper into the 2 cups of stock.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan or saucier over medium-low heat. When the foaming, subsides whisk in the flour. Continue to cook, whisking, until the foaming stops and the roux darkens slightly to light blonde, 3 to 5 minutes.
• While whisking constantly, slowly pour the stock mixture into the roux. Boost the heat to medium and whisk until the gravy gently bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. At this point it should heavily coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more black pepper.
• If there are any signs of lumps, strain through a fine sieve into a gravy boat to serve or another vessel to cool and store. You may need to use a serving spoon to push it through the sieve. The gravy can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months then reheated gently for service or, as mentioned above, kept hot in a thermos.

INSTANT POT THANKSGIVING TURKEY BREAST WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Whisk the sugar, sage, thyme, rosemary, garlic, 5 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl until combined.
• Starting on the top edge of one turkey breast, gently lift the skin to separate it from the meat, but leave a 1/2-inch border around the perimeter where it's still attached to the breast. (You want to make a pocket to hold all the herbs and seasonings.) Stuff half of the herb mixture underneath the skin, massaging it into the flesh and evenly distributing it over the surface of the meat. Repeat with the remaining turkey breast and herb mixture. Let sit uncovered at room temperature for at least 1 hour or wrapped tightly in plastic and chilled for up to 3 days.
• Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot® set to the high saute setting (see Cook's Note). Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is deep golden brown and smells nutty, 4 to 6 minutes; scrape into a heatproof bowl and set aside (the roux will continue to darken as it sits).
• Add the remaining tablespoon butter and, working one breast at a time, cook skin-side down, undisturbed, until deep golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining breast. Add the wine to the pot to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, and cook until you can't smell alcohol and the wine smells fruity and sweet, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock, place the rack in the pot and position both breasts on the rack side by side to evenly cook.
• Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on the high pressure setting for 15 minutes. After the pressure-cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release and wait until the quick-release cycle is complete. Being careful of any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid.
• Transfer the turkey to a baking sheet and let sit uncovered while you make the gravy.
• Set the Instant Pot® to the high saute setting and bring the cooking liquid to a boil. Whisk in the roux and cook until the gravy boils and thickens, about 5 minutes. Turn off.
• Cut the turkey crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and top with the gravy.

NO-FAIL ROAST TURKEY GRAVY FOR THANKSGIVING

Steps:

• 1. In large saucepan pan, melt butter, stir in flour. Cook stirring for 5 minutes over medium heat. Do not brown. Whisk in broth and drippings slowly. Bring to a boil while whisking. Whisk and boil til thickened. Won't take long. Add poultry seasoning. In small glass, mix cornstarch and cold water. Pour cornstarch slurry into gravy and whisk. Whisk for 1-2 more minutes simmering. Add salt and pepper to taste.

FOOLPROOF THANKSGIVING TURKEY AND GRAVY

Steps:

• TURKEY:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Remove and discard giblets and neck (unless you want to use them in your gravy -- my instructions do not include them).
• Rinse turkey (inside and out) and pat dry with paper towels.
• Place the turkey in a roasting pan and distribute the butter slices under the skin of the turkey (I find it helpful to separate the skin from the meat by sliding my hands in between, before messing with the butter).
• In a medium bowl, combine the broth, parsley, and minced onion. Pour over turkey and sprinkle with the seasoned salt and garlic powder.
• Cover with foil and bake for 3 ½ to 4 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 180°F
• During the last 45 minutes, remove the foil and take out 5 cups of the drippings for the gravy. With the remaining drippings, baste occasionally so the turkey will brown nicely.
• Remove from oven and let rest (while the gravy is being prepared) before carving.
• GRAVY:.
• Bring the drippings to a boil in a large saucepan.
• Stir in soup and season with poultry seasoning, pepper, and garlic powder.
• Reduce heat to low, and let simmer for as long as you need. If you're ready right away, this step can be skipped.
• In a small, microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk on high for 30 seconds. Stir, and repeat (total cook time: 1 minute). Slowly add the flour to the milk, whisking vigorously with a whisk until there are no lumps.
• Return the gravy to a boil, and gradually stir in the milk mixture.
• Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened.
• Be careful not to let the bottom scorch.

MODERNIZED SLOW-ROASTED THANKSGIVING TURKEY WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• 1. Combine onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in a baking tray. 2. Sprinkle thyme on top. 3. Pour chicken broth over vegetables. 4. Place a metal rack on top. 5. Brush the turkey with some salt (2tbsp), pepper (1tbsp), and butter 6. Place Turkey Breast skin side down on the rack drumsticks and thighs skin side up. (You should have separated the thighs, drumsticks, and breast) 7. Place rack in oven for an hour. 8. Flip the pieces of turkey over and place back in the oven for another hour. 9. Remove and check temp. (Breast meat at 165°F, Drumsticks and thighs at 170-175°F) 10. Place turkey on board, strain vegetables into a bowl. (Put the strainer on the bowl) 11. Press on vegetables to extract vegetable juices along with broth. 12. You should get about 2 cups of liquid. Fortify this with 1 cup chicken stock. 12. Heat a saucepan on medium-high heat and melt 3 tbsp butter 13. Add flour. Blend until golden-brown. 14. Add drained juices while continuing to mix. 15. Add two Bay leaves. 16. Heat oven to 500°F and place turkey back on metal rack on baking tray and place back inside oven until skin is over-crisped. 17. Place chicken on carving board and let sit for 20 minutes. 18. Remove gravy from stove and serve with turkey after carving turkey. 19. Serve with vegetables and EAT!

MARYLOU'S THANKSGIVING TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Chop Carrots and Turnips and Sauté with 2 Tablespoons of butter in large sauce pan pour chicken stock into sauce pan and set aside add Celery salt. In a large fry pan brown giblets and neck and then add to sauce pan with chicken stock, etc. Lightly deconstruct herbs and toss into sauce pan pushing them down into the liquid with a spoon being careful not break up bay leaf. Mix the flour in 3 portions with 1 cup of water in small jar with lid suitable for shaking. Once all flour is in the jar put lid on and shake vigorously until there are no lumps and set aside. Simmer gravy stock over low heat for several hours while turkey finishes cooking. When the turkey is done drain juices from the turkey pan and add gravy stock. Pour stock through a large medium mesh strainer into a second pot and discard solids. Bring gravy to a boil and slowly flour/water mixture until gravy has the desired consistency-no need to use all the flour/water mixture.

WHOLE THANKSGIVING TURKEY WITH MILES STANDISH STUFFING AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) of the butter. Add the onions and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables, over medium heat, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the contents to a bowl. Set aside.
• Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast until light brown. Alternatively, brown them in a toaster. While the bread is still hot, lightly butter both sides of each piece. Cut into 1-inch squares and transfer them to a large bowl. Toss with salt, pepper, the thyme, sage and rosemary. Mix to blend. Set aside.
• Heat a tablespoon of the butter and, in a small skillet, quickly saute the heart and gizzard pieces, 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and add it to the bowl of celery and onions. Stir to blend.
• Heat a large skillet, add another tablespoon of the butter and saute the pepperoni pieces over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
• Combine the celery and onion mixture, the cooked breakfast sausage, the mozzarella and the pepperoni in the bowl containing the toasted bread. Mix to blend and add the cup of chicken stock to moisten all of the ingredients.
• Place the turkey on a flat surface, season with salt and pepper on the inside and out, and stuff the cavity with the stuffing. Truss turkey or, alternatively, tie the legs closed with a strong piece of kitchen twine to assure the stuffing doesn't fall out as the turkey roasts. Wrap any remaining stuffing in tinfoil and keep the tinfoil fairly flat, like a large envelope. Transfer the turkey to a roasting pan, fitted with a roasting rack if desired, and soak the cheesecloth in the butter. Brush any remaining butter on top of the bird and cover the breasts with the cheesecloth to prevent the top skin from burning before the turkey is cooked. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F and place the roasting pan in the center of the oven. Cook the turkey for about 12 minutes per pound.
• After about 2 hours cooking, remove the roasting pan and place the tinfoil package containing the stuffing in the bottom of the pan. Remove the cheesecloth from the top of the breasts and return the turkey to the oven. Place the neck and the chicken stock for the gravy in a pot and simmer gently on top of the stove as the turkey finishes cooking. The stock should reduce by about half. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
• How do you know when it's done? The temperature of the thigh meat (where the meat is thickest and takes the longest time to cook) should register 165 degrees F when tested with an instant-read thermometer. When done, remove the bird from the oven, transfer it to a flat surface (or serving platter) and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before removing the stuffing and carving the meat.
• Make the gravy: Unless the bottom of the roasting pan is burned, you can make delicious gravy. Place the roasting pan over the burners on the stove, add the mustard and Marsala to the pan and warm it over low heat. Scrape the bottom to get the drippings and tasty bits off the bottom of the pan as the Marsala reduces.
• Strain the neck out from the stock and pour about 1/2 cup into a small bowl. Whisk the flour into the bowl, taking care there are no lumps. Reduce the Marsala until there is almost no liquid. Add the remaining chicken stock and the flour mixture to the roasting pan. Whisk to blend. Taste for seasoning. Reduce until the mixture thickens. Transfer to a gravy boat!

MAMA'S THANKSGIVING TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• 1. Place the chicken broth, turkey neck, and any giblets you want into a very large saucepan, and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for at least 1 hour, until neck and giblets are cooked very soft. When done, remove and allow neck and giblets to cool until you can handle them. Strain the broth into a container and set aside. Remove meat from bones, and chop giblets, and return all meat to the broth.
• 2. In the same saucepan, heat the turkey drippings and butter until melted. Stir in the flour, and some salt and pepper if desired. Stir until smooth over medium heat. Gradually add in the broth and meat pieces, stirring constantly, until gravy is smooth and there are no lumps. Cook to a boil.
• 3. Look at the gravy, and think, "That's not going to be enough." Add a jar or two of turkey gravy, "just in case." Or, add a packet or two of gravy mix shaken in water, and bring to a boil again. Simmer until time to serve.
• 4. Serve over sliced turkey and Mama's Cornbread Dressing. See comments for dressing recipe.

3-INGREDIENT THANKSGIVING GRAVY RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring stock to a boil in a medium pot; continue to boil until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook flour and fat in a large skillet over medium heat, whisking constantly, until roux has a coppery brown hue, about 5 minutes. Whisk in wine and bring to a boil; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture no longer smells like alcohol, about 2 minutes. Gradually ladle in hot stock, whisking after each addition. Continue to boil, whisking occasionally, until gravy coats the back of a spoon, 20-25 minutes (if gravy gets too thick, whisk in a bit of water or pan juices until it reaches the desired consistency). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Gravy can be made 3 days ahead; transfer to an airtight container and chill. Heat in a small pot over medium, whisking constantly and adding warm water or pan juices 1 Tbsp. at a time if needed, until smooth.

GENTLE THANKSGIVING MUSHROOM GRAVY

Steps:

• Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute mushrooms and onions lightly.
• Add flour, stirring constantly until frothy.
• While stirring, slowly add vegetable stock to achieve desired consistency.
• Add spices.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then turn down heat and let thicken.

THANKSGIVING GRAVY

Steps:

• 1. Take dutch oven and fill w/ water. Add turkey innards, salt, 3 medium sized onions (whole), celery roots, potatoes, carrots, etc. Slow simmer for 3 hours. 2. After you take turkey out of roasting pan put pan w/ drippings on stove. Add pre-made stock to pan. Bring pan to boil and scrap left over gunk/drippings from pan into broth. 3. Might want to strain if lots of gunk inside 4. Fill mustard jar half way w/ cold water 5. Add 2 heaping tbsp of flour to jar water and mix/shake until clumps are gone 6. Take mix to pan and stir mix in fig. 8 while slowly streaming flour mix into gravy. Keep liquid moving! -- gravy should thicken up, if not repeat w/ mix -- 7. Season w/ salt, etc.

THANKSGIVING GRAVY

Steps:

• Place the giblets, neck bone, broth, carrots, celery and shallots in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours. , Strain and discard giblets, neck bone and vegetables; set cooking juices aside. In another large saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir in the drippings and bouillon until smooth. Gradually stir in the reserved cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Season with pepper.,