Homemade Turkey Gravy Recipe
This homemade turkey gravy recipe will be the star of your holiday table. Homemade brown gravy is so much better than store-bought, you’ll amaze the family.
There is brown gravy and white gravy. White gravy is made with fat and flour along with milk. Brown gravy is made with meat drippings and cornstarch. Gravy from the turkey drippings is brown, generally speaking.
Homemade turkey gravy like Grandma’s
Besides saving money, it’s a great idea to make your own homemade gravy because then you know exactly what’s in it. Store-bought mixes and gravies are filled with flavor enhancers, artificial flavors, preservatives, and other chemicals that may not be the most healthy to put in your body.
I have multiple chemical sensitivities and many of these additives can give me migraines, diarrhea or other unpleasant symptoms. Even if you don’t have chemical sensitivities, additives have many health concerns. Know what’s in your food.
Another great reason to learn how to make homemade brown gravy from scratch is the flavor. Nothing equals the pure taste of homemade food. Store-bought is not even in the same universe as homemade. Do yourself a favor, and learn this skill. For more basic cooking skills you need, click here.
Homemade Turkey Gravy Recipe
My grandmother was a master of gravy. Grandpa wanted gravy at every meal and when Grandpa wants it, Grandma masters it. Her food was oozing with love. She nourished people with her cooking. I love that. I want that.
My Mom does that as well and her gravy is just as good as Grandma’s ever was. She’s an amazing cook too. I hope to be as good as them. I have the key ingredient, love. Food nourishes minds, bodies, and souls. It’s important.
From as far back as I can remember, my Grandma served her homemade brown gravy in a turquoise gravy boat. When she passed away, I got to take it home and now I serve gravy from it on special occasions. I love it because it reminds me of her.
After a Christmas dinner where gravy was served in the gravy boat, you can see the handle of it here.
Mastering the art of gravy takes a little bit of finesse, but once you get it down, it’s super simple. There are a few key things to remember.
How to make brown gravy
- Stir, stir, stir! No one likes lumpy gravy!
- The longer you cook gravy, the better it tastes. Good things come to those who wait, so be patient with your gravy.
- Tasting is important to adjust your seasoning.
Now let’s focus on how to make of brown gravy. First, you need the drippings from some meat you’ve cooked. Brown gravy can be made from chicken, beef, pork, whatever type of meat you’re roasting.
If you’ve cooked a turkey, lift it out and pour everything from the bottom of the pan into a bowl. Set a strainer over your saucepan and pour the drippings into your pan, straining out any bits as you pour. Let your juice sit for a while and settle. It might take 30 minutes or so for the fat to rise to the top.
Homemade turkey gravy
Take a spoon and skim the fat off the top of your liquid and discard it. You just need the juice for brown gravy. Too much fat will make it separate as it sits.
Take a small amount of your liquid and put it in a separate bowl. Put your pan with the remaining liquid on medium heat and bring it to a boil. Make sure to watch it, sometimes it will try to boil over.
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Add a few tablespoons of cornstarch to your bowl of liquid and whisk it thoroughly with a fork until you don’t see any clumps of cornstarch. Depending on how much total liquid you got from your turkey, you should need 2-4 tablespoons.
Your liquid should still be somewhat warm, if it’s cold, you need to heat it a little before you add the cornstarch so it will incorporate correctly.
Homemade brown gravy
Put your strainer back over your saucepan when the liquid is at a full rolling boil. Add your cornstarch, liquid mixture back into the boiling liquid straining out any small clumps that didn’t get broken up.
Boil gravy, whisking constantly until it thickens and has the desired consistency. Be sure to cool a spoon full of gravy and taste it to see if it needs additional seasoning. Typically with turkey gravy, the seasoning from the meat is perfect for the gravy and it doesn’t need any additions.
Holiday traditions
What special family traditions do you love?
Thanksgiving can be overwhelming with all the cooking and preparations, but I have this Thanksgiving checklist that can help you keep it straight. Simplify your holidays and enjoy them more.
Need recipes for some great side dishes?
World Famous Green Bean Recipe
Aunt Pat’s Sweet Potato Casserole
There are tons more on the blog!
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