The Best Gravy

Article by Heath Goldman

We’re going to go out on a limb and suggest that you always make a double batch of gravy. It's no more work and won't take much more time. The payoff is immense: you'll have enough gravy after Thanksgiving to submerge your turkey in a gravy bath and gently reheat it, plus extra to go around for drizzling over mashed potatoes. And if you have too much? Gravy freezes beautifully. Now that you're sold, let's get into the nitty-gritty of how, exactly, to make gravy.

How to Make Gravy with Flour

First things first: although many people think of turkey gravy when "gravy" is mentioned, and we will indeed be walking you through how to make turkey gravy below, the technique described can be used to make any type of gravy from scratch. To make other types of gravy, instead of starting with turkey pan drippings, sub in meat cut in small pieces (a boneless, skinless chicken thigh, a lean 4 to 6-ounce cut of beef, a pork chop or sausage) and caramelize it in your pan on the stove. You might want to check out our  White Sausage Gravy recipe for step-by-step instructions on how to whip up a rich, creamy white gravy and baking powder biscuits to go with.

How to Make Gravy Like a Pro

Make Turkey Stock While the Turkey Roasts: DIY-ing stock is a hands-off process that makes your gravy rich and complex. Simply brown your veggies, turkey neck and turkey giblets and add broth, several sprigs and a bay leaf. Cover and simmer for about two hours while the turkey roasts.

Remove the Turkey from the Oven and Rest It: Once your turkey is done, transfer it to a cutting board to rest without foil over it so the skin stays crisp. Put a rimmed baking sheet under your cutting board; the trough on your board isn’t deep enough to hold all the juice that will run out of the turkey.

Get Rid of the Grease: Pour the pan drippings into a fat separator. If you don't have one, pour the drippings into a measuring cup and chill until the fat separates, then spoon it off.

Scrape the Pan Clean: Those little bits cooked onto the bottom of the roasting pan are mini flavor-bombs and you don't want to leave them behind. Put the roasting pan on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of broth to the pan and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Transfer the liquid and bits to the fat separator with the rest of the liquid already there.

Add the Flour: Spoon off 1/2 cup fat from the fat separator and transfer to a saucepan. Scatter in 1/2 cup flour (your fat to flour ratio should be 1:1) and cook the roux over medium heat, stirring with a flat-ended wooden spoon, until the flour mixture browns slightly, about 4 minutes. For more info on roux, check out our story How to Make a Roux.

Cook the Gravy: Gradually ladle the hot broth into the flour mixture, whisking constantly (this is key, or your gravy will be lumpy). Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the gravy simmers gently and thickens.

Finish the Gravy: Add the remaining turkey drippings to the gravy, leaving any extra fat behind in the fat separator. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

What to Add to Gravy to Make It Taste Even Better

Winey: Use a dry white wine instead of broth to scrape up the browned bit from the roasting pan.

Boozy: Add a splash of bourbon, cognac or sherry before serving.

Creamy: Whisk in a splash of cream before serving.

Mushroom-y: Sauté 1/2 cup chopped mushroom stems with the onion.

Buttery: Whisk in a few tablespoons cold, cut-up butter before serving.

Herby: Stir in finely minced fresh herbs before serving or add fresh thyme and parsley to the broth for the simmer while the turkey roasts.

Dark: Cook your roux (flour-fat mixture) a little longer, until it's medium to dark brown.

How to Thicken Gravy

There are several ways to thicken gravy. Here's what you need to know.

How to Thicken Gravy with Roux

Roux, a mixture of equal parts flour and fat that's cooked until golden brown, is the method we describe in the step-by-step above. You'll cook the roux to remove the taste of raw flour and develop roasty-toasty flavor, then you'll slowly add stock. You need 2 to 3 ounces of roux for every quart of broth and pan drippings. This will give you a silky, pourable gravy. If you want to make thicker gravy, use another ounce of roux.

How to Thicken Gravy with Beurre Manié

Beurre Manié is equal parts butter and flour that you mix together in a bowl with your fingers or a spoon until it looks like a thick paste. You don't cook it before adding it to the stock; instead, you add it in small bits while whisking the gravy. Then you simmer the sauce to thicken it and cook out the raw flour flavor. Its thickening power isn't quite as strong as roux, so you’ll need 4 to 6 ounces per quart of gravy.

How to Thicken Gravy with Cornstarch

Cornstarch is used as a thickener for gravy at the end of cooking when you’ve added the pan drippings and have developed the gravy's full flavor. Cornstarch must be dissolved in cold water to create a slurry before you add it to your gravy, or it will turn lumpy and won't thicken. For every cup of gravy, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon cold water. Bring the gravy to a low simmer and pour the slurry into the gravy while whisking constantly. Increase the heat and gently boil the gravy for about 1 minute.

How to Thicken Gravy Using Wondra Instant Flour

Wondra is a miracle ingredient: it’s a low-protein flour that's pre-cooked, dried and finely-ground. Because it’s pre-cooked, you can whisk it directly into gravy at the end of cooking and simmer it until the gravy thickens - no need to worry about cooking off raw flour flavor or eliminating lumps. 2 tablespoons per cup of gravy is all you need, just be sure you gently sprinkle it into the gravy, whisking the entire time.