The Best Easy Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

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This make ahead Turkey Gravy is so incredibly easy to make, kicked up with a touch of cayenne pepper, and just so darn tasty….you NEED this spicy gravy in your life. Making it ahead of time keeps you from having to scramble to get it cooked and on the table when the turkey is done!

I am in love with this easy turkey gravy guys. It’s so rich and delicious, but so easy to make. Even though we’re making it ahead of time, we’re still using those delicious turkey drippings so don’t even worry about missing out on flavor.

This make ahead turkey gravy is a lifesaver. How many of you get that turkey out of the oven and then scramble to get a gravy made with the drippings? Only to find out there’s not enough drippings for all the gravy you need…and then trying to rush to throw the gravy together only to get an average “blah” tasting gravy.

And you all know how often people smother their Thanksgiving meal in gravy….so lets’ make that gravy AWESOME.

**Serve your gravy alongside this delicious Mexican Chorizo Stuffing or this Oyster and Andouille Sausage Stuffing for your Thanksgiving dinner**

The FoodSaver® FM3941 Vacuum Sealing System

To make this make ahead turkey gravy, I used the FoodSaver® FM3941 Vacuum Sealing System with FoodSaver® Bags and Rolls Value Pack. Now guys, this is a sponsored post, but let me tell you I have fallen in love with this piece of equipment. My freezer went from packed to the brim, “my ice machine no longer works” full, to having all this excess room. It has been a life saver.

The FoodSaver® FM3941 helps to save time, store food more efficiently and works perfectly for make ahead recipes like this easy turkey gravy, or even meal prep for those busy weekdays! It keeps food fresh up to 5x longer than your traditional zipper bags, plastic wrap or containers.

It is perfect for entertaining because you can marinade meats/veggies, etc. in a matter of minutes instead of hours. Ever wanted to make that dish for dinner, but realized the recipe called for a 3 hour marinade? Well, with the FoodSaver® FM3941 you can reduce this down to minutes!

It can also save you money (about $2,700/year) by enabling you to buy in bulk when you find items on sale.

What does the FoodSaver® offer?

• FoodSaver® FM3941 System:
  • System includes vacuum seal bags, vacuum zipper bags and containers designed to work together with vacuum sealers for optimal performance.
• Overall FoodSaver® FM3941 Benefit: By taking all of the air out, you can ensure your meat will be cooked evenly throughout.
• FoodSaver® FM3941 is the number 1 Vacuum Sealing solution in the US

You can find the FoodSaver® FM3941 at Costco – I found it in aisle 121 at the Costco in La Mesa, CA. It may be in a different aisle in your local Costco.

For the month of November, FoodSaver® FM3941 is running a special!

• The FM3941 Vacuum Sealing System will be $40 OFF in November (must have Costco membership).
• FoodSaver® Bags and Rolls Value Pack will be $10 OFF in November (must have Costco membership)

Read more about the FoodSaver® Vacuum Sealing System HERE and the FoodSaver® Bags and Rolls Value Pack HERE.

The Ingredients for Easy Turkey Gravy

One of the main ingredients is going to be turkey drippings. And because this is a make ahead turkey gravy, we need to buy us some turkey parts. I used a combo of wings and necks for this recipe, but any turkey parts will do. Make sure you choose parts with skin because we want render that fat as part of our gravy base.

As for the turkey broth, you can use the above turkey parts for the broth after they are finished roasting. You can also use homemade chicken broth if you prefer, or you can buy broth from the store to make this even easier. However, I highly recommend making the broth as it is so much better than the store bough. **Note if you use store bought broth, taste the gravy before adding any salt.

The rest of the ingredients can be found at the grocery store.

How to Make Easy Turkey Gravy from Drippings

The first step is roasting the turkey pieces so we can render some of that fat and dripping to use in the gravy. Place turkey parts in a pan and roast in a 400 degree oven for 90 minutes. Watch Netflix while waiting…maybe even close those eyes just for a second. Remove the turkey from the pan and set aside. Scrape the pan drippings into a skillet.

Add the butter to the turkey drippings in a skillet and heat to medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine until a paste forms. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add the minced onions and cook for 1 minute.

Add the brandy, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Slowly stir in the broth, 1/2 cup at a time until a gravy forms. Stir in the cream and salt. Add additional salt to taste if desired.

**NOTE: If gravy is too thick, add additional turkey broth until desired consistency is reached.

Store this make ahead turkey gravy in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for future use (see below).

How to Make Turkey Broth for Gravy

Combine the roasted turkey pieces, chopped vegetable scraps and bay leaves in the slow cooker. Cover with water and cook on high for 6 hours. Drain and let cool to room temperature. Reserve 4-5 cups for the gravy recipe.

**NOTE: the vegetables and turkey can be used a second time to make another batch of broth. Use the same instructions.

Any remaining turkey broth can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 6 months. To freeze, pour broth into ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer safe bags for storage.

To freeze the gravy, we first want to make a bag with the FoodSaver®. First, pull the bag out just a little bit (you should be able to see about 1/2″) and hit the seal button. Then pull about 15-18 inches of the bag out. Use the cutter to cut it off.

To freeze this make ahead turkey gravy using the FoodSaver®, pour the gravy in a sealed bag. You can freeze all the gravy in one bag, or divide it into serving sizes.

Place the bag in the FoodSaver® and select the “moist” setting. Use the vac/seal button to seal the bag.

Can you make gravy a day ahead?

Yes. Just follow the recipe above. The gravy will keep in the fridge for up to one week. To reheat, place in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through or microwave. If gravy is too thick, add additional turkey or chicken broth to thin it to desired consistency.

Can make ahead turkey gravy be frozen?

To freeze, separate into desired serving sizes and use the FoodSaver® on “moist” setting to freeze packages of gravy. Can also be frozen in freezer safe plastic bags or containers (make sure they are airtight). Gravy can be frozen for up to 6 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. To reheat, place in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through or microwave. If gravy is too thick, add additional turkey or chicken broth to thin it to desired consistency. Can also be reheated straight from frozen using same instructions.

The holidays are right around the corner guys! Get ready with these other awesome holiday recipes:

20 Minute Spiced Apple Chutney with Bacon
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Puree
Crispy Cranberry Turkey Stuffing Balls
Mexican Chorizo Stuffing
Oyster and Andouille Sausage Stuffing
Cranberry Chutney
Roasted Cranberry Butternut Squash
Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup
Gooey Pecan Pie Bars
Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Did you make this roasted turkey gravy? Rate the recipe and leave me a comment below to let me know how it turned out!

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

This make ahead Turkey Gravy is so incredibly easy to make, kicked up with a touch of cayenne pepper, and just so darn tasty....you NEED this spicy gravy in your life.

5 from 4 votes

Print Rate

Course: sauce

Cuisine: American, Thanksgiving

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Broth cook time: 6 hours

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 82kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs. turkey parts, (1/4 cup turkey drippings)
• 4 cups turkey broth, warmed (see below)
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tbsp. brandy (optional)
• 2 tbsp. cream
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt (to taste)

Turkey Broth:

• 3-4 lbs. turkey parts/carcass
• 4 cups chopped vegetables (carrots, onion, celery, other vegetable scraps)
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

• Place turkey parts in a pan and roast in a 400 degree oven for 90 minutes. Remove the turkey from the pan and set aside. Scrape the pan drippings into a skillet.
• Add the butter to the turkey drippings in a skillet and heat to medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine until a paste forms. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add the minced onions and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the brandy, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Slowly stir in the broth, 1/2 cup at a time until a gravy forms (see note 1). Stir in the cream and salt. Add additional salt to taste if desired.
• Store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for future use. To freeze, separate into desired serving sizes and use the FoodSaver® on "moist" setting to freeze packages of gravy. Can also be frozen in freezer safe plastic bags or containers (make sure they are airtight).

Turkey Broth:

• Combine the turkey pieces, chopped vegetables and bay leaf in the slow cooker. Cover with water and cook on high for 6 hours. Drain (see note 2) and let cool to room temperature. Reserve 4-5 cups for the gravy recipe.
• Any remaining broth can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 6 months. To freeze, pour broth into ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer safe bags for storage.

Expert Tips:

1. If gravy is too thick, add additional turkey broth until desired consistency is reached.

2. The turkey and vegetable parts used to make the stock can be used for another batch of stock. Just follow the same instructions.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 405mg | Potassium: 17mg | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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