This Slow-Simmered Turkey Gravy is the Perfect Thanksgiving Companion
This velvety, rich gravy is made from a homemade turkey broth and mirepoix of carrots, celery and onions.
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Few duos are as famous as turkey and turkey gravy. And it truly isn’t a Thanksgiving meal if you aren’t serving up decadent gravy to pour over slices of perfectly-cooked meat. But you don’t have to tear open a packaged gravy mix to get a delicious depth of flavor. You can easily make your own turkey broth from scratch for the best gravy, as we do in this recipe. It does take time, but the velvety final product is so worth it.
Here’s a cooking tip too: Make skimming the fat from the top easier by refrigerating it first. Or, you can use a fat separator if you’re short on time.
You might be wondering why we’re making our gravy separately from the turkey. It’s simple: You can make it up to three months in advance and freeze it, making serving day easy and stress-free. That means you can lighten your holiday load well before the day arrives – you might even have a little time to relax!
Slow-Simmered Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 lb turkey parts (backbone, drumstick and/or wings)
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 7 cups water
- ¼ cup whole-wheat pastry flour or 2 tbsp cassava flour
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place turkey parts, celery, carrots and onion on a large rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Roast until turkey parts are browned, 40 minutes.
- In a large pot, combine roasted turkey parts, celery, carrot, onion and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1⁄2 hours. Strain into a large bowl and refrigerate until completely cooled. Skim fat off the top of broth and discard.
- To a medium bowl, add flour and gradually whisk in one-half of broth. Pour remaining one-half of broth into a saucepan. Whisk flour-broth mixture into saucepan and bring to a simmer on medium. Reduce to low and cook, whisking frequently, until thickened, 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Make Ahead: Make the gravy up to 4 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a small saucepan, whisking frequently, until bubbly. Cover and keep warm over low heat for up to 2 hours.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1⁄12 of recipe
- Calories 39
- Carbohydrate Content 3 g
- Cholesterol Content 12 mg
- Fat Content 1 g
- Fiber Content 0 g
- Protein Content 3 g
- Saturated Fat Content 0 g
- Sodium Content 378 mg
- Sugar Content 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 0 g