Save yourself a bunch of time with this Make Ahead Turkey Gravy! Turkey wings, vegetables and herbs roast in the oven before cooking with wine and stock, creating a delicious base to this extremely flavorful homemade gravy. Can be made a few weeks in advance and kept in the freezer or as little 3 to 4 days if kept refrigerated. This recipe will yield 4 cups.
The holidays are fast approaching which means it’s almost time for that iconic centerpiece – the Thanksgiving turkey! While the turkey may get all the glory a memorable Thanksgiving meal is not complete without rich, flavorful gravy. But making gravy at the last minute while juggling everything else can be stressful. The solution? Make your turkey gravy ahead of time!
In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make foolproof gravy in advance, so you can relax and enjoy your holiday.
Why Make Gravy Ahead of Time?
There are several benefits to preparing your gravy before Thanksgiving Day
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Saves time and reduces stress – Making gravy on Thanksgiving while handling all the other dishes is hectic. Getting the gravy done early is one less thing to worry about on the big day.
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Maximizes flavor – Gravy made with roasted turkey parts develops more complex, concentrated turkey flavor than gravy made last-minute with pan drippings.
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Lets you make gravy even if you don’t roast a whole turkey – You can make turkey gravy even if you cook just a breast or other parts.
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Makes gravy even if your turkey is cooked differently – Gravy can be made whether you roast, grill, smoke, or fry your turkey.
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Allows gravy to be made in advance – Gravy can be prepared up to a week ahead of time.
How to Make Turkey Gravy Ahead
Making gravy ahead of time is surprisingly easy. Here’s an overview of the process:
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Roast turkey wings and aromatics – Baking turkey wings with vegetables builds rich flavor.
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Deglaze the pan – Dissolve the browned bits in the pan to capture the flavor.
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Simmer the broth – Let the wings, vegetables, and broth simmer to meld the flavors.
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Strain and skim the broth – Remove the solids and fat for a clean, concentrated turkey broth.
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Thicken the gravy – When ready to serve, whisk a flour slurry into the turkey broth to thicken it into gravy.
Tips for Making the Best Gravy Ahead
Follow these tips for perfect gravy every time:
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Use turkey wings – Turkey wings provide meaty flavor and contain collagen for silkier gravy. Chicken wings also work.
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Include aromatics – Onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and herbs infuse flavor.
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Cook at high heat – Baking at 400°F produces a deep brown fond that boosts flavor.
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Deglaze the pan – Dissolve all the flavorful browned bits stuck to the pan.
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Simmer gently – Let the broth simmer just until flavorful; don’t over-reduce.
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Strain well – Use a fine mesh strainer to remove solids and fat.
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Skim the fat – Use a fat separator or skim off the fat before thickening.
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Use Wondra flour – Wondra dissolves easily for smooth, lump-free gravy.
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Add acid – A splash of lemon brightens the flavor.
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Season carefully – Go easy on the salt until the gravy reduces.
Storing and Reheating Gravy
Gravy will keep for 3-4 days refrigerated or 2-3 months frozen.
To store, let the gravy cool completely first. For refrigerator storage, transfer to an airtight container. For freezing, portion into bags or cubes.
When reheating, place the gravy in a saucepan and heat gently on the stovetop over low. Add a little broth if it seems too thick after reheating.
And that’s all there is to it! Just follow these tips for rich, delicious gravy that can be made up to a week before the big meal. Taking gravy off your Thanksgiving Day to-do list will give you more time to focus on creating the perfect holiday.
Turkey wings: 5
Onions: 3
Carrots: 2
Celery: 2
Garlic: 1
Fresh herbs: 2
Wondra flour: 2
Lemon juice: 1
Salt: 2
Pepper: 0
Butter: 0
Chicken broth: 1
Turkey broth: 2
White wine: 0
Thyme: 0
Turkey stock: 0
Flour: 3
Cornstarch: 1
Browning sauce: 1
Worcestershire sauce: 0
To Make This Make Ahead Turkey Gravy You Will Need:
- olive oil
- yellow onions
- celery
- carrots
- garlic
- thyme
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- turkey wings
- dry white wine
- turkey stock
- unsalted butter
- wondra instant flour
This time of year you can find turkey wings at your grocery store and one package usually contains 3 wings. They are either located in the refrigerated meat or freezer sections.
Preheat your oven to 400℉ (or 200℃).
Drizzle a little olive oil into a roasting pan. Then add in 2 halved yellow onions, 3 roughly chopped celery stalks, 2 large roughly chopped carrots, 1 head of garlic – cut in half horizontally, 3 turkey wings and 5 to 6 sprigs of fresh thyme.
Lastly, drizzle with more olive oil and season with a few generous pinches kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Roast (uncovered) on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 1 hour.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and deglaze with 1/2 cup dry white wine. I recommend using a chardonnay or sauvignon blanc – one that you like to drink.
After that, pour in 6 cups turkey stock. Quality store bought is fine or maybe you have this homemade version on hand?
Return the pan back to the oven for an additional 45 minutes. It should have reduced by almost half.
Use tongs to transfer the turkey wings to a carving board. Feel free to pick of the meat and use in soup or discard. Place a mesh sieve into a large bowl. Pour the cooking liquids and all the vegetables through the sieve.
Press on the vegetables with a metal or wooden spoon to extract any and all of their juices.
This right here is liquid gold.
Pour the liquids into your fat separate and allow the fat to rise to the top. Pull the stopper out so the liquids come up the spout (and the fat will stay at the top).
Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, melt 4 tablespoon unsalted butter.
Whisk in 6 tablespoons of Wondra flour.
Wondra is an instant flour. It’s a low-protein flour that has been precooked and dried. This ultra fine flour dissolves instantly which helps keep sauces and gravies lump free. It can also be used as pastry flour or to bread meat, fish and vegetables for a crisp exterior when pan-fried.
Once dissolved, slowly pour in the turkey stock.
Continue whisking while pouring in all that liquid gold.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat then reduce to medium-low and continue whisking while the gravy simmers.
This could take 45 to 1 hour. Or if you’re like me and don’t want to wait that long, after about 30 minutes, make a cornstarch slurry and whisk it in. For a thinner gravy, whisk 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. And for a thicker gravy (what we like!) I use 3 tablespoons of each.
Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if desired.
Once thickened, cool completely before storing.
Make this as early as a month in advance and freeze – thaw before reheating. Or prepare this make ahead gravy 3 to 4 days in advance and keep it refrigerated in an air-tight container.
The day of, add the gravy to a sauce pan and reheat on low until hot. If the gravy is too thick once reheated, add a few splashes of turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth to thin it out.
While the gravy is warming, I fill the gravy boat with very HOT water. Then when it’s time to serve the meal, I empty the gravy boat and quickly wipe it out before filling it with the gravy. This will keep it nice and warm.
Make Ahead Turkey Gravy
FAQ
Can you make gravy ahead of time and reheat?
The gravy can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months then reheated gently for service or, as mentioned above, kept hot in a …
Can I prep my turkey ahead of time?
Can I Prep The Turkey in Advance? Yes! You can easily prep your veggies, and spatchcock and season your turkey up to two days in advance. When it’s time to cook, be sure to take the turkey out of the fridge 30 minutes before you are ready to cook so that it can reach room temperature and cook more evenly.
Can you add turkey drippings to pre-made gravy?
If you want, you can add dripping after the gravy is already made. I know a lot of people will use the fat for a roux, but if you use a fat separator, you can just put off juices/gelatin if you want to. But overall, I don’t think it matters if you don’t use them either! As long as you like it, go for it!
Can you make a roux ahead of time for gravy?
You can make roux ahead of time (many restaurants do this). In home cooking it’s not often an advantage unless you are making a dark roux that needs a longer cooking time. When using a roux that’s cooled, always add hot liquid to it and whisk like heck to work out any lumps.
Can you make turkey gravy in advance?
Buy a bunch of turkey parts, make a basic mirepoix, chop up vegetables and just make a basic, good stock. You can even use chicken stock, that’s alright. But if you make a turkey stock, even better. Put it in the freezer, just put it away and just wait for Thanksgiving Day. The one thing about gravy is you can’t do it in advance.
Can roasted turkey drippings be used to make gravy?
The most traditional option is to use the pan drippings from your Thanksgiving day roasted turkey to make gravy not long before your meal. But if you’re looking for a more stress-free cooking situation, you can make it ahead of time with the drippings from roasted turkey parts, then simply warm it up on the big day.
Can gravy be made a day ahead?
Gravy with flour keeps and reheats very well (better than cornstarch, in fact, which can lose its thickening power). This gravy can be made a few days ahead and then reheated when you want to use it as-is or add in pan drippings from roasting a bird. Gravy can be frozen for up to 3 months. Questions about this easy make ahead gravy recipe?