Save your sanity on turkey day with this delicious make ahead turkey gravy recipe. Learn how to prepare rich, flavorful turkey gravy in advance so you can avoid last‑minute stress. Make the stock, finish the gravy, refrigerate or freeze, and simply reheat when it’s time to serve.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Turkey Gravy Recipe
No turkey dinner is complete without a generous pour of gravy. This make-ahead turkey gravy is full of flavor and consistently popular with guests. It’s easy to prepare, relies on simple ingredients, and gives you peace of mind on a busy holiday.
- Make ahead: Prepare the stock and gravy in advance so you can reheat and serve without last-minute chaos.
- Deep flavor: The gravy is built from a homemade turkey stock; stir in drippings when reheating for an extra boost.
- Simple ingredients: Real, recognizable ingredients—no weird additives required.
- Holiday ready: Perfect for Thanksgiving and other celebrations where a great gravy matters.
What Are The Benefits Of Making Turkey Gravy Ahead Of Time?
Making gravy ahead saves time and reduces stress during the hectic final hour of dinner prep. With gravy ready in the fridge or freezer, you can focus on carving the turkey and finishing the sides. Reheating takes just minutes and the flavor remains excellent.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe is a two-step process: make a flavorful turkey stock, then use it to make the gravy.
For the turkey stock, you will need:
- Turkey parts: Backbone and neck if you spatchcock, or turkey wings (with or without the neck). Use wings if the neck isn’t available.
- Vegetables and herbs: Onion, carrot, celery, fresh thyme, garlic, and bay leaves.
- Oil: Avocado oil or olive oil to brown the turkey parts and vegetables.
- Water: Enough to cover the ingredients and make a rich stock.
To make the turkey gravy, you will need:
- Butter: For the roux. You can substitute some butter with the rendered fat from cooled stock for extra richness.
- Flour: All‑purpose flour to thicken the gravy by making a roux.
- Turkey stock: The homemade stock made in the first step.
- Salt & pepper: Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Tamari (or soy sauce): A small amount adds depth and umami—don’t skip it if you want the fullest flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact amounts and full instructions.
How To Make Turkey Gravy In Advance
Follow these steps: make a flavorful turkey stock, then use the stock to make the gravy. Both components can be prepared ahead and stored until needed.
Step 1: Make The Turkey Stock
- Brown the turkey parts: Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add oil, then the turkey pieces. Brown them well, turning occasionally. You can also roast the pieces in the oven if preferred.
- Add vegetables: Stir in onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until they begin to brown.
- Add water and herbs: Add water, thyme, garlic, and bay leaves, then bring to a simmer.
- Simmer: Simmer gently for 2–4 hours to concentrate the flavor.
- Strain: Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Reserve about 5 cups for the gravy and refrigerate or freeze the remainder for soups, stuffing, or other recipes.
Oven roasting method: Toss turkey parts and vegetables with oil and roast at 400°F (200°C) for about an hour, until well browned. Transfer everything, including any drippings, to a pot and proceed to simmer with water and herbs.
Step 2: Make The Turkey Gravy
- Make a roux: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until the mixture turns golden and smells toasty.
- Add stock and simmer: Gradually whisk in 4–5 cups of turkey stock until smooth. Simmer until the gravy thickens, about 5–10 minutes. Adjust the amount of stock depending on the consistency you prefer.
- Season and store: Season with salt, pepper, and 1–2 teaspoons tamari (or soy sauce) for depth. Cool and store in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze for longer storage. The gravy will thicken when chilled but will loosen when reheated.
- Finish with drippings: When reheating, whisk in some reserved turkey drippings for an extra burst of flavor if you roasted a turkey.
- Serve: Reheat gently and serve with your turkey and sides.
Storing and Reheating
How long does turkey gravy last in the fridge?
Stored in an airtight container, gravy will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Can you freeze turkey gravy?
Yes. Cool the gravy completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
How do you reheat gravy?
Reheat the gravy over low heat, whisking frequently until smooth. If the gravy is too thick, add a splash of stock or water; if it’s too thin, whisk in a small beurre manié (equal parts butter and flour mixed and added a little at a time).
For maximum flavor, whisk a bit of turkey drippings into the gravy while reheating.
A Few Questions Answered
Common fixes:
Too thick? Add extra turkey stock or a splash of drippings.
Too thin? Stir in a small paste of 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon butter, cooking until thickened.
Lumpy? Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve while whisking.
Extra stock is useful: use it in stuffing, soups, to thin gravy, or freeze it for later use.
Yes. Swap turkey parts for chicken backs or wings and follow the same method to make chicken gravy.
More Thanksgiving Sides
Pair this gravy with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, roasted squash, stuffing, or green beans for a complete holiday plate.
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Cranberry orange sauce
- Roasted delicata or other winter squash
- Bacon, sage and onion stuffing
- Garlic butter green beans
I hope you love this Make Ahead Turkey Gravy recipe. Leave a comment if you try it and tell me how it turns out!
Make Ahead Turkey Gravy
- Author: Vanessa | Maple + Mango
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Save your sanity on turkey day with this reliable make-ahead turkey gravy. Make a rich stock, use it to prepare a silky roux-based gravy, then chill or freeze until needed. Reheat gently and finish with drippings for restaurant-worthy flavor.
Ingredients
For The Turkey Stock:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- Turkey backbone and neck OR 2 whole turkey wings (4 split pieces) and optional neck
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
- 8 cups water
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3–4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 bay leaves
For The Turkey Gravy:
- 1/2 cup butter (or part butter and part rendered turkey fat)
- 1/2 cup unbleached all‑purpose flour
- 4–5 cups turkey stock (from above)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1–2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
Instructions
A rich stock is the foundation of this gravy. Once the stock is ready, the gravy takes only minutes to finish.
Turkey Stock:
- Brown the turkey parts: Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium‑high heat. Brown the turkey pieces on all sides. Alternatively, roast them (see oven method).
- Add vegetables: Add chopped onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until they begin to brown.
- Add water and herbs: Pour in the water and add thyme, garlic, and bay leaves.
- Simmer: Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 2–4 hours.
- Strain: Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, cool slightly, skim off fat, and reserve about 5 cups for the gravy. Store leftovers for other dishes or freeze.
Oven roasting method: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss turkey pieces and vegetables with oil and roast until deeply browned, about 1 hour. Transfer everything to a pot, add water and herbs, and simmer as above.
Turkey Gravy:
- Melt butter: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Optionally use some rendered stock fat instead of part of the butter.
- Whisk in flour: Add flour and whisk, cooking until the roux is lightly golden.
- Add stock: Gradually whisk in 4–5 cups turkey stock until smooth. Adjust amount for desired thickness.
- Simmer: Simmer for 5–10 minutes until thickened, whisking occasionally.
- Season and store: Season with salt, pepper, and tamari. Cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze up to 4 months.
- Reheat: Reheat over low heat, whisking until smooth. Stir in reserved drippings for extra richness if desired.
Notes
- Turkey parts: Use backbone and neck when spatchcocking or choose wings if you don’t have the neck.
- Tamari: Adds umami and color—use a small amount for best results.
- Storage: Fridge: up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Troubleshooting: Too thick—add stock or drippings. Too thin—add a beurre manié (butter + flour). Lumpy—strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Leftover stock: Use in stuffing, soups, or other sides, or freeze for later use.
- Chicken option: Swap turkey parts for chicken backs or wings to make chicken gravy using the same method.
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