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I grill my Thanksgiving turkey on the Traeger every single year, which means there are no pan drippings for gravy. And honestly? I don’t miss them one bit.
This savory herb turkey gravy starts with a rich stock made from the turkey neck and giblets (that little bag tucked inside the bird that so many people toss). I make the stock in the Instant Pot the day before Thanksgiving with fresh thyme, rosemary and sage, then whisk up the gravy on Thanksgiving Day.
I’ve been making gravy my entire life, and I’ve made this one more times than I can count. It genuinely tastes homemade, and it makes the entire meal.
Table of Contents
- Herb Turkey Gravy at a Glance
- The Best Herbs for Turkey Gravy
- What You’ll Need
- How to Make Turkey Giblet Stock
- Step 1: Brown the neck and giblets
- Step 2: Brown the vegetables
- Step 3: Deglaze with white wine
- Step 4: Add the water and herbs, and cook
- Step 5: Strain and refrigerate
- How to Make the Gravy
- Turkey Gravy Without Drippings
- Making It Ahead, Storing and Reheating
- Herb Turkey Gravy FAQs
- Do I have to use the liver?
- Can I use frozen giblets?
- Can I use store-bought broth instead?
- Should I add the giblet meat to the gravy?
- Can I make this gravy gluten-free?
- How do I fix lumpy gravy?
- More Thanksgiving Recipes
- Savory Herb Turkey Gravy Recipe
Herb Turkey Gravy at a Glance
- What it is: turkey gravy made from a homemade giblet stock with fresh thyme, rosemary and sage.
- Why make it: deep, roasted flavor with no pan drippings needed, so it works with a grilled or smoked turkey too.
- Time: about 2 hours, almost all of it hands-off while the stock cooks.
- Ingredients: the turkey neck and giblets, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, white wine, fresh herbs, butter and flour.
- Method: brown and pressure cook the stock, then whisk it into a butter and flour roux.
- Make ahead: make the stock the day before and the gravy on Thanksgiving Day.
- Quick tip: 1 tablespoon of butter plus 1 tablespoon of flour for every 1 cup of stock.
The Best Herbs for Turkey Gravy
Thyme, rosemary and sage. That’s the classic trio, and it’s exactly what I use every year.
Around Thanksgiving, most grocery stores sell a poultry herb pack with fresh thyme, rosemary and sage all in one package. I just grab one when I do all of my Thanksgiving shopping. If my garden still has some, I’ll use those instead.
- Herbs go in the stock, not the gravy. They simmer with the giblets and get strained out, so you get all of the herb flavor without little green flecks or stems in the gravy boat.
- Use one large handful total. Roughly equal amounts of each herb, not a handful of each. Parsley and marjoram are nice extras if you have them.
- Go easy on the rosemary. It’s the strongest of the three, so a sprig or two is plenty.
- Dried herbs work in a pinch. Use half the amount and tie them in a cheesecloth sachet so you can pull them out later. Otherwise they’ll be overpowering.
What You’ll Need
This recipe is broken down into two parts: the flavorful stock and the gravy itself.
- For the stock: the turkey neck and the giblets from the bag inside the turkey, olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, dry white wine, black peppercorns, a bay leaf, fresh herbs and water.
- For the gravy: unsalted butter (and/or turkey drippings), all-purpose flour, your homemade stock, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Full amounts are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Turkey Giblet Stock
The stock can be made on the stove or in the Instant Pot (my go-to). The steps are the same until it’s time to cook.
Step 1: Brown the neck and giblets
Heat some olive oil over medium-high heat, or on sauté mode if using the Instant Pot. Add the neck and the giblets in a single layer and allow them to sear, undisturbed, for several minutes until they start to brown. Flip and brown the other side.
Step 2: Brown the vegetables
Add the onion quarters, carrot, celery and garlic. Allow them to brown, stirring only occasionally, until all sides brown evenly.
Step 3: Deglaze with white wine
Add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to lift anything that sticks. Those browned bits are a big part of the flavor. Let the wine boil for a couple of minutes.
Step 4: Add the water and herbs, and cook
Add at least four cups of water along with the peppercorns, fresh herbs and bay leaf. In the Instant Pot, seal the lid and cook on high pressure for one hour. On the stove, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for at least an hour. The longer it cooks, the more flavorful it will be.
Step 5: Strain and refrigerate
Strain out the solids and refrigerate the stock in an airtight container until you’re ready to make the gravy.
PRO TIP: Need more stock? Just add more water. Unlike most recipes, homemade stock doesn’t need everything doubled. In the Instant Pot the time stays the same; on the stove, let it simmer longer to pull as much flavor from the giblets as possible. Make enough to replace the chicken broth in your stuffing too. It’s wonderful in homemade sausage stuffing or Southern cornbread dressing.
How to Make the Gravy
The basic rule of thumb for a stock-based gravy is one tablespoon of fat (butter and/or drippings) per tablespoon of flour per cup of stock. This makes it easy to adjust the recipe for however many people you’re serving at your holiday meal.
Step 1: Make the roux
Melt the butter (and/or the drippings) in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, whisk to combine, and cook for several minutes, until the roux is golden and smells wonderful.
Step 2: Whisk in the stock
Add the stock one ladle at a time, whisking until smooth before adding the next. It will look like a thick paste at first. Keep going, then let it cook, stirring often, until the gravy thickens.
Step 3: Season at the very end
Add the salt and pepper only when the gravy is ready to serve. There’s no salt in the stock, so it will need a fair amount. Add a little at a time, taste, and keep going until it tastes just right.
Turkey Gravy Without Drippings
Because I always cook my Thanksgiving turkey on the grill, I don’t collect the drippings. My Traeger-grilled Thanksgiving turkey soaks in an apple cider turkey brine and gets covered in my one spoon dry rub, and grilling it frees up the oven for everything else.
The giblet broth is so flavorful that the drippings can simply be replaced with butter. No other swap needed.
Making an oven roasted turkey instead? Use the drippings for some or all of the fat. Just make sure the tablespoons of drippings plus butter add up to the tablespoons of flour.
★★★★★
“My son fancies himself a gravy connoisseur. This recipe may require extra time and love, but it is absolutely worth it! He declared it the Best Turkey gravy ever!”
Charity, reader review
Making It Ahead, Storing and Reheating
I try to do as much as I can the day before Thanksgiving so the day itself is easy and stress-free. The stock is at the top of that list.
- The day before: make the stock, strain it and refrigerate it in an airtight container.
- Thanksgiving Day: make the gravy with that stock. It’s just a few minutes of whisking.
- Raw giblets: they only keep 1 to 2 days in the fridge, so make the stock within a day or two of buying a fresh turkey (or once a frozen one has thawed).
- Leftover gravy: refrigerate it within 2 hours and use it within 3 to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months for the best flavor. Thaw frozen gravy in the fridge overnight.
- Reheating: bring it to a rolling boil on the stove, whisking, and add a splash of stock if it’s too thick.
Leftover gravy is so good over flaky buttermilk biscuits, inside a leftover turkey pot pie, or spooned onto warm turkey sliders. And save that carcass for turkey carcass soup with wild rice.
Herb Turkey Gravy FAQs
Here are the answers to the questions readers ask me about this gravy.
Do I have to use the liver?
No, it’s up to you. I put every bit of the giblet bag in my stock, liver included, and I’ve never found that it makes the gravy bitter. Some cooks leave the liver out because it has a stronger flavor, so skip it if you’d rather.
Can I use frozen giblets?
Yes. Thaw them in the refrigerator first. If you have an extra set saved in the freezer, use both. The more giblets, the more flavor.
Can I use store-bought broth instead?
You can, but it won’t taste the same. After making this from scratch, I can’t imagine serving a store-bought gravy, or even a homemade gravy made with store-bought chicken or turkey broth.
Should I add the giblet meat to the gravy?
Only if you like it that way. For gravy like grandma used to make, pick the meat off the neck and chop the giblets, then stir them into the strained stock before making the gravy. I like a smooth gravy, so I don’t do this.
Can I make this gravy gluten-free?
Yes. Swap a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the regular flour in the roux, using the same amount.
How do I fix lumpy gravy?
Whisk hard, or pour it through a fine-mesh strainer. Lumps usually come from adding the stock too fast, which is why I add it one ladle at a time.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Our Thanksgiving dinner always includes this gravy along with these.
If you tried this Savory Herb Turkey Gravy recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
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Ingredients
Turkey Stock:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- turkey neck
- turkey giblets everything in the packet inside the turkey cavity; the liver is optional
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 1 large carrot peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 large celery stalk cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups water minimum amount, see recipe notes
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 large handful fresh herbs thyme, rosemary and sage, plus parsley or marjoram if you have them, in roughly equal amounts
- 1 bay leaf
Turkey Gravy:
- 4 cups turkey stock amount may vary, see recipe notes
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter amount may vary, see recipe notes
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour amount may vary, see recipe notes
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, amount may vary
Instructions
To make the turkey stock on the stove:
- Brown neck and giblets: Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck and turkey giblets. Allow them to cook a few minutes undisturbed to get nice and brown. Use tongs to flip and brown the other side.
- Brown the vegetables: Add the 1 large yellow onion quarters, 1 large carrot, 1 large celery stalk, and 3 cloves garlic. Let them brown, stirring only occasionally, to brown all sides evenly.
- Deglaze: Add 1 cup dry white wine to pot and scrape bottom of pan to deglaze. Allow wine to boil and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Cook stock: Add the 4 cups water, 6 black peppercorns, 1 large handful fresh herbs , and 1 bay leaf to pot. Note: 4 cups is the minimum amount of water but you can increase it. The more water you add, the longer it should cook in order to extract as much flavor as possible. Do not cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for at least one hour. The longer you cook the stock, the better it will taste. The stock can also be cooked in the oven at this point if the oven temperature can retain a very gentle simmer.
- Strain and store: Strain the liquid into a container. Optional: add bits of meat from the neck and minced pieces of giblets to the gravy. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
How to make the turkey stock in the Instant Pot:
- Brown neck and giblets: Heat the oil in Instant Pot on sauté mode. Add the turkey neck and turkey giblets. Allow them to cook a few minutes undisturbed to get nice and brown. Use tongs to flip and brown other side.
- Brown the vegetables: Add 1 large yellow onion quarters, 1 large carrot, 1 large celery stalk, and 3 cloves garlic. Allow to brown, stirring only occasionally, to brown all sides evenly.
- Deglaze: Add 1 cup dry white wine to pot and scrape bottom of pan to deglaze. Allow wine to boil and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Cook stock: Add 4 cups water, 6 black peppercorns, 1 large handful fresh herbs , and 1 bay leaf to pot. 4 cups is the minimum amount of water – add more if you want more stock. Seal lid. Cook on high pressure for one hour. Quick or natural release pressure when done.
- Strain and store: Strain liquid into a container. Optional: add bits of meat from the neck and minced pieces of giblets to the gravy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the turkey gravy:
- Make roux: In a medium or large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (and/or reserved turkey drippings, if using) over medium heat. Add the same amount of flour (4 tablespoons all-purpose flour) and whisk well to combine. Cook the roux until it is golden brown and smells wonderful.
- Make gravy: Add a ladle of the 4 cups turkey stock and whisk until you have a thick paste and there are no lumps. Add another ladle and whisk again until smooth. Continue adding liquid and whisking until everything is combined and smooth.
- Season to taste: Reduce heat to low and continue to cook if the gravy needs thickening. Add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, as desired. There has been no salt added up until this point, so add a small amount, stir, taste, and repeat until it tastes right. Transfer to a gravy boat and serve hot.
Notes
- Drippings are optional: You will get the most flavor if turkey drippings are used as the fat in the gravy, but butter works just as well. Just be sure that the same number of tablespoons of drippings + butter equals the number of tablespoons of flour used. My rule of thumb for gravy is 1 Tbsp fat + 1 Tbsp flour + 1 cup stock.
- Giblet meat is optional: If you want gravy like grandma used to make, you can pick off the meat from the neck and chop up the giblets after making the stock and adding it to the strained stock before making the gravy. I like a smooth gravy, so I don’t do this.
- Water amount can vary: With most recipes, if you want to double it, you have to double all the ingredients. That is not the case with homemade stock. Simply increase the amount of water. You will not need to increase the time if using the Instant Pot, however I would increase the cooking time if using the stove to extract as much flavor from the giblets as possible.
- Herbs for turkey stock: The amount and type of herbs you use in your gravy can vary. You can use dried herbs, but I would use half the amount and would put them in some kind of sachet or tied cheesecloth so you can remove them later, otherwise they would be overpowering. During Thanksgiving, it is common to see fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage sold together and these work perfectly.
- Storing and reheating: Refrigerate the stock or gravy in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months for the best flavor. Reheat gravy to a rolling boil, whisking, and add a splash of stock if it is too thick.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2014. I’ve updated the photos and tips since then, but this reader-favorite recipe has always remained the same.
The burned looking turkey looked delicious !! I am a lover of anything charred… Smile. Smile. You had me at charred turkey !!!
Haha. I know. My turkey always looks burnt because of the dry rub I put on it. The skin is crispy and delicious – I wish it didn’t look that way! My bacon always looks burnt too because I use Trader Joe’s Black Forest bacon and it cooks up super dark but is chewy and wonderful. You will 100% enjoy the gravy though!