Name: Giblet Turkey Gravy (Make Ahead!)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 celery ribs, chopped; 1 onion, chopped; 1 carrot, chopped; 3 gloves of garlic, smashed; Reserved giblets, turkey neck, chopped; ½ cup dry Marsala wine, Sherry or apple juice; 6 cups chicken broth or stock; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 2 dry bay leaves; 2 sprigs fresh rosemary; 2 sprigs fresh sage; 1 stick butter; ½ cup all purpose flour; 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar; salt and pepper to taste

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This truly is the BEST giblet turkey gravy, that you can make-ahead! Silky, rich, and oozing with amazing turkey flavor! This ain’t no boxed gravy my friends and much easier than you think!

This has been my go-to turkey gravy recipe for years. I love it because you can make it ahead, it comes together at the last-minute for amazing gravy, bursting with flavor and depth!

Browsing for more delicious holiday dinner recipes? Try these: Instant Pot Turkey Breast, Funeral Potatoes, Best Thanksgiving Stuffing, and Cheesy Asparagus Bake.

image of sliced turkey pouring giblet gravy on top sitting on a cutting board.

If you are really pressed for time, you can actually finish it ahead of time, cool completely, freeze, and then re-heat when ready to serve, if needed thinning with a little extra chicken or turkey stock. you may have to thin with a little chicken stock or turkey drippings).

PRO TIP | If you bought a frozen turkey and are in the process of thawing it, it’ll provide you a chance to remove the giblets and see whether your turkey is fully thawed!

Skillet filled with gravy with a hand holding fresh sage and rosemary.

How to prepare giblets for gravy

Retrieve giblets; (yes, you have to get your hands dirty) place turkey in a sink on a plate and cut the package open. The neck is typically in the larger cavity while they usually put the sack of giblets in the other end.
After removing giblets, rinse the turkey with cold water, pat dry using paper towels, dry it well, cover it in plastic wrap, place on a plate (or you’ll have turkey juice all over your fridge) and return to fridge until ready to prepare.
Try my super easy, amazingly tender turkey recipe or this Instant Pot Turkey Breast.
Rough chop giblets, you can leave the neck whole

Holding raw turkey under running water to rinse out cavity.

HOW DO YOU MAKE GIBLET GRAVY FROM SCRATCH?

Chop onions, celery and carrots, a rough chop is fine for all.
I ran out of regular carrots to chop, but had some fresh shredded carrots so just decided to use a generous handful of those! It’s ok to improvise!

raw turkey giblets on cutting board, chopped onions, celery and carrots in background.

Heat olive oil in a large pan, nice and hot, over medium-high heat and toss in your giblets and your veggies; stand back it’ll spit and spurt at you!

adding veggies to giblet skillet to brown

Allow to brown for a minute, then turn the giblet pieces and give your veggies a stir.

browned giblets with vegetables in a skillet with a wooden spoon.

Once they are nice and browned and you have some browned bits sticking to the bottom of the pan, increase the heat slightly and pour in your marsala, (or sherry, I’ve used both), deglazing the pan.
Prefer not to use alcohol? Use chicken or turkey stock instead.

Pour in chicken stock, stir well. Add pepper and bay leaves.
As well as your sprigs of rosemary and sage.

hand holding two fresh bay leaves with skillet in background with giblets and gravy

Give it all a good stir and bring to a simmer.
Cover and simmer for an hour.
If you are putting it together right away, strain after you’ve simmered for an hour. If you are making the gravy a day or two ahead of time, then let it sit as is overnight in the refrigerator.

Straining the Turkey Stock

When you are ready, strain through a mesh colander into a bowl or another pot, let sit for a few minutes to allow all of those yummy juices to drip out.

straining simmered gravy base through strainer into pot.

DOGGIE THANKSGIVING | If you have a dog, give them the veggies and the giblets (not the neck) they can choke on the bones.

Toss the rest away and keep that precious stock, will probably measure about 3 cups, you’ll need about 4 cups, you should get another cup from the turkey drippings which you’ll add later.

If you are making the gravy before you cook the turkey, just add chicken or turkey stock to yield 4 cups. Set aside.

PRO TIP | If you have time, refrigerate, until fat layer is solid, then using a spoon or spatula skim off the fat.

Gravy base in glass bowl with fat separated at the top

How to Make Final Turkey Giblet Gravy

Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat
Add all-purpose flour (or sub Gluten Free All Purpose) to make a roux.

Whisk for 1-2 minutes until slightly browned.

Slowly pour in reserved stock whisking while you pour, which is hard to do when you are trying to take a picture with one hand and pour with the other.

Bring gravy to boil; whisking and cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes.
Stir in vinegar and adjust seasonings with sea salt and pepper.

WHY VINEGAR? | I receive a lot of questions about adding vinegar. The gravy will still taste delicious without it, believe it or not a touch of vinegar brightens the flavors of sauces and gravies. Just a touch, you don’t want to taste the vinegar. Apple Cider Vinegar may be replaced with a red or white wine vinegar, regular vinegar (start out with a little less) or even balsamic vinegar.

Bottle of apple cider vinegar near skillet filled with giblet gravy and a whisk.

CAN I MAKE GIBLET GRAVY AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes! Allow to cool completely, then store in fridge until ready to use, may even be frozen up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, return to pot on stove, warming over low heat, thinning with chicken or turkey stock if too thick.

Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if needed. Drippings from the roasted turkey are perfect to add in to continue to bring added flavor!

WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH MY GRAVY

Roasted Tender Turkey
Best Stuffing Ever!
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Tarragon Carrots, Balsamic Honey Brussels Sprouts, Cheesy Asparagus Bake

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4 cups

Giblet Turkey Gravy (Make Ahead!)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

This recipe for silky, smooth, oozing with amazing turkey flavor gravy is the last one you will ever need! Make ahead and save time on your busy holiday, while you wow your guests with this gravy.

Ingredients

Turkey Giblet Stock

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
3 gloves of garlic, smashed
Reserved giblets, turkey neck, chopped
½ cup dry Marsala wine, Sherry or apple juice
6 cups chicken broth or stock
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 dry bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh sage

Gravy

1 stick butter
½ cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Turkey Stock

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion, garlic, carrot, next and giblets; cook until well browned about 10 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with Marsala, Sherry or apple juice, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom, reduce until nearly evaporated.
Stir in the broth, pepper, bay leaves, rosemary and sage sprigs. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 1 hour, covered.
If making ahead, allow to cool completely, store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Once ready to finish the gravy, strain out the veggies and giblets using a fine mesh strainer, be sure to place a pot or bowl under your strainer.
Discard veggies and giblets, reserve stock, should be about 3-4 cups, you'll want a total of about 4 cups, if necessary use drippings from turkey to attain 4 cups, or chicken or turkey stock.

For the gravy

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cooking 1-2 minutes. Works great with Gluten Free AP flour too.
Whisk in reserved 4 cups turkey broth slowly, whisking until thick and smooth. Bring mixture to boil; cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
Whisk in vinegar and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
Pour into gravy boat or bowl with ladle, serve immediately. If too thick, heat and add additional stock to thin to desired consistency.
Try this gravy over my Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Tender Turkey and Stuffing!

Notes

Easily convert this to Gluten Free by making with cornstarch or preferred AP Gluten Free Flour.

I receive a lot of questions about the vinegar, while the gravy will still taste delicious without it, believe it or not a touch of vinegar brightens the flavors of many sauces and gravies. Just a touch, you don't want to taste the vinegar. Apple Cider Vinegar may be replaced with a red or white wine vinegar, regular vinegar (start out with a little less) or even balsamic vinegar.