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This recipe for Turkey Gravy is the easiest, most stress-free way to get silky, rich gravy on the table. Made without drippings, it is quick, flavorful, and can be made ahead of time.
You will love this gravy recipe because it delivers deep, buttery flavor without needing turkey drippings or last-minute juggling. The wine and fresh herbs give it depth and makes it taste like you worked a lot harder than you did.
Kristen's Key for Easy Turkey Gravy
In order to achieve a rich and silky turkey gravy made without drippings, pay attention to a few keys.
- Use butter instead of drippings. Using the rendered fat from the turkey drippings can result in gravy that is oily, greasy OR overly salty if your turkey was brined. Using butter results in a smooth, rich, buttery gravy.
- Use quality stock. Whether it's turkey or chicken stock, make sure it's flavorful, as it is the backbone of your gravy.
- Don't skip worcestershire sauce. It adds just the right level of seasoning and helps to duplicate the richness and flavor found in turkey drippings.
- Wine is optional. Adding a bit of dry white wine, such as a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, helps balance out the gravy and adds dimension to the overall flavor. Feel free to omit if you don't drink or cook with alcohol.
- Make it ahead. This gravy reheats beautifully and actually thickens slightly as it chills. Ideal for making 1-3 days before your big meal.
How to Make Turkey Gravy Without Drippings
This step-by-step section is provided to help you feel confident making lump-free, flavorful turkey gravy, whether it is your first time or hundreth.
Step One: Make a Roux
Start by melting butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. This step gets rid of that raw flour taste.
👉🏻What is a roux? A roux is simply made by whisking fat (in this case butter) with flour until a thick paste forms.
Step Two: Add the Liquid Slowly
Pour in a splash of dry white wine (or stock) and whisk until smooth. Then, gradually add the stock, about ½ cup at a time, whisking constantly to combine. Once combined, add in fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and/or fresh sage
👉🏻Why work slow? Adding the liquid slowly prevents lumps and helps the gravy come together beautifully.
Step Three: Simmer to Thicken
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, whisking occasionally, until it coats the back of a spoon-about 5-7 minutes. Once thickened to you liking, whisk in the Worcestershire sauce.
👉🏻The goal? Thick enough to cling to turkey but still pour easily. If it gets too thick, whisk in a bit more stock.
Step Four: Strain
For a restaurant-level finish, pour your gravy through a fine mesh strainer. This step catches the herbs and stray lumps, leaving you with a smooth, glossy gravy.
Recipe Modifications
- Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, and make sure your Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free.
- Dairy-Free: Use a dairy-free butter alternative (like Earth Balance sticks). These are usually salted, so cut back slightly on added salt.
- Add a Flavor Twist: Stir in ½ teaspoon of homemade poultry seasoning or a pinch of sage for a classic Thanksgiving flavor boost.
Make-Ahead and Storage
This Turkey Gravy is the ultimate make-ahead Thanksgiving recipe! To get ahead of the chaos, prepare the gravy fully, let it cool slightly, and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, reheat gently over low heat, whisking to smooth it out. Add a splash of stock if it thickened too much in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
Turkey gravy is obviously perfect for drizzling over roasted turkey or Instant Pot turkey breast, but don't just limit it to turkey. Ladle over mashed potatoes, bread stuffing, or use as a dip Thanksgiving Eggrolls.
Easy Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, or fat from pan drippings
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine, optional
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey stock, + 1 cup more if needed to thin
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, melt ¼ cup unsalted butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk ¼ cup all-purpose flour into the butter to form a thick paste and cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw taste of flour.
- If using wine, whisk ½ cup dry white wine into the roux and let that mixture bubble and thicken, cooking off the alcohol in the wine. Gradually whisk in the stock, about ½ cup at a time, until evenly incorporated. Add the 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, and ½ teaspoon black pepper and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, whisking often. You may need to add up to an additional 1 to 1½ cups of stock to get the gravy to the consistency you like. Add ¼ cup at a time, whisking well, adding more as needed. Once thickened to the point the gravy coats a spoon, stir in the 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce. Give a quick taste of the gravy and add salt and additional pepper if needed.
- Strain the gravy over a fine-mesh strainer to remove any lumps and the fresh herbs.
- Transfer the strained gravy to a gravy boat and serve immediately or return to the saucepan and keep over low heat, whisking occasionally until ready to serve.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is it OK to substitute dry thyme leaves for the fresh thyme?
Hi Kellie! While fresh thyme is best, but can used dried thyme leaves (not ground thyme). I would use 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves in place of fresh thyme.
Thank you! I grow many herbs but my thyme isn't doing well.
What brand of low sodium chicken broth do you use that give this 12 mg sodium per serving? The best I have found is 570 mg per cup, not what I consider low. Husband is on low sodium diet and I am having a hard time with flavors (no talent winging it and I despise no salt substitutes with cayenne pepper, which seems to be popular). In any case, I am hoping you can help me find a good low sodium broth. I have no sodium.
Long time fan.
Hi Kathy! Your comment caused me to check on the sodium content calculation, because that seemed low. I ran it through the calculator again it was 32 grams per serving (still low, but not crazy low!) I manually checked and that is correct. So I apologize for that error. As for low-sodium chicken stock, I use homemade or Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Free Range Chicken Broth, which has 50 grams per cup. I would agree with you--570 grams per cup seems high.
Thank you so much. Will be making it tonight!
Enjoy!
This was wonderful. Do you have a recipe for a beef gravy?
Hi Debbie! I am thrilled you enjoyed! For a beef gravy (without drippings), use beef stock in place of chicken stock and a dry red wine in place of the white wine.
I omitted the alcohol because we don't have it at our home. But this was such a great gravy anyhow. And so easy to make. Thank you for this recipe!
I love how flavorful this gravy is! so tasty!