Learn how to make turkey gravy from drippings the easy way. Don’t let all the seasonings and juicy pan drippings from your turkey go to waste!.
Don’t let all the seasonings and juicy pan drippings from your turkey go to waste. This is the best turkey gravy recipe ever! Use all the tasty brown bits at the bottom of your roasting pan.
If there’s good gravy at the dinner table, I love pouring it all over my plate, not just on the meat. What about you? When there’s gravy on the mashed potatoes, green beans, Brussels sprouts, and everything else, you know it’s good.
It’s easy and tastes great when you make turkey gravy from the turkey drippings. It brings out the flavor of the Thanksgiving turkey you worked so hard to make. Plus, you can make it while your turkey rests and cools down so you can carve it.
The holidays just aren’t complete without a beautifully roasted turkey as the centerpiece of the meal. As the turkey cooks, all those lovely juices collect in the bottom of the pan, infusing with the herbs and spices you used to flavor the bird. But after you pull your masterpiece turkey out of the oven, you’re left staring at that pan and wondering – what should I do with all these turkey drippings?
Don’t toss them out! That flavorful fat and browned bits sticking to the bottom of your pan are culinary gold. Turkey drippings can be used to add richness, moisture, and complexity to all sorts of dishes. With a little creativity, you can transform your drippings into delicious sauces, gravies, soups, appetizers, and more.
Here are 11 creative ways to use up every last drop of your turkey drippings
1. Make a Classic Turkey Gravy
The most obvious use for turkey drippings is to whip up a deeply flavored gravy After removing your turkey from the pan, pour or spoon off most of the clear fat, leaving just enough to sauté your aromatics Cook chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic briefly until softened. Sprinkle in some flour and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes.
Slowly whisk in chicken or turkey stock and the remaining drippings, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer while stirring frequently until thickened. Finish off with chopped fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Serve this rich, meaty gravy over your holiday turkey or mashed potatoes.
2. Use it to Make Stuffing or Dressing
One way to moisten and add flavor to stuffing or dressing is by incorporating some turkey drippings. If making stuffing in a separate dish, add a few spoonfuls of the fat and pan juices, tossing to evenly moisten the breadcrumbs before baking.
For even more flavor, sauté your onions, celery, herbs, and spices right in the pan with the drippings before adding to your bread stuffing mixture. The browned bits will boost the flavor.
3. Transform it into Turkey Soup
Don’t toss that picked-over turkey carcass after your holiday meal! Use it along with your drippings to make a pot of turkey soup. Place the bones, pan drippings, vegetables, and seasonings in a large soup pot. Cover with water and simmer for 4-6 hours until the broth is rich and flavorful.
Strain out the solids, add any turkey meat you were able to pull off the bones, and enjoy a comforting bowl of turkey soup loaded with flavor from those drippings. This is a great way to get another use out of your holiday bird.
4. Whip Up a Pot of Savory Gravy
Forget plain brown gravy. Jazz it up by using your turkey drippings to make a more elaborate gravy. After removing the turkey, sauté aromatics like shallots, garlic, mushrooms, and herbs in the pan drippings.
Deglaze the pan with wine or broth. Then whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in more broth and the remaining drippings, simmering until thickened. Finish with cream or milk if desired. You’ll have a restaurant-worthy gravy to serve over turkey, mashed potatoes, rice, biscuits, or anything else that could use a flavor boost.
5. Use it as a Base for Sauces
The possibilities are endless when it comes to transforming your turkey drippings into delicious homemade sauces. Turn them into a rich mushroom or wine sauce for steak, pork chops, or pasta dishes.
Whisk in cream and herbs for an easy turkey cream sauce for chicken. Stir in mustard, capers, and lemon for a quick turkey pan sauce. Use your turkey drippings to add moisture, savory flavor, and depth to any kind of sauce you can dream up.
6. Give Veggies a Flavor Boost
Turkey drippings are a great way to impart extra flavor to otherwise bland vegetables. Toss cubes of potatoes or root vegetables in some of the rendered turkey fat before roasting for rich, browned veggies.
Sauté green beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or asparagus in a bit of the drippings to coat them in a lovely glaze. Even something as simple as steamed rice can be kicked up a notch with a spoonful of turkey fat stirred in before serving. Add it to your veggies for a flavor infusion.
7. Make Delicious Pot Pie Filling
Elevate a humble pot pie by using your drippings to make the filling. First, prepare your crust and set it aside. Sauté onions, carrots, peas, and celery in the turkey fat. Whisk in flour, then hot broth and milk to make a gravy.
Simmer until thickened. Stir in bite-size pieces of turkey meat, then pour the delicious mixture into your pie crust. Top with a second crust or biscuit dough, and bake until golden. The turkey drippings add moisture and savoriness to the filling.
8. Cook Eggs in Turkey Fat for Breakfast
Give your breakfast a blast of holiday flavor by cooking eggs in turkey drippings instead of oil or butter. Heat a skillet with a bit of the rendered turkey fat, then fry or scramble eggs in it. The flavor will remind you of those mornings-after thanksgiving breakfasts.
Turkey fat also makes phenomenal fried potatoes, hash browns, or home fries. And use it to fry or bake biscuits for an extra savory breakfast treat.
9. Brown Some Brussels Sprouts
These humble little veggies transform into something spectacular when browned in turkey drippings. Cut brussels sprouts in half and toss with a bit of fat in a hot skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until deeply browned and crisped on the edges, about 8-10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and serve as a holiday side dish. The turkey fat gives the sprouts incredible caramelized flavor. For bonus points, toss in some chopped nuts, cranberries, or bacon bits for extra texture and crunch.
10. Make Savory Turkey Fat Croutons
Leftover bread or rolls from your holiday meal can be turned into tasty croutons sautéed in turkey drippings. Cut bread into 1/2 to 1-inch cubes. Heat a skillet with 1-2 tablespoons turkey fat over medium heat. Toss in the bread cubes and cook while stirring frequently until all sides are golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, or Italian seasoning if desired. These savory, crunchy croutons are delicious on top of salads, casseroles, or soups. And you can feel good about using up more of those drippings.
11. Roast Potatoes or Root Vegetables
One of the easiest ways to use up every last drop of your turkey drippings is to roast vegetables in them. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and other root veggies are ideal for roasting.
Cut them into 1-inch chunks, toss with turkey fat and seasonings, and roast at 400°F until browned and tender, about 30-45 minutes. Turn them halfway through for even cooking. The turkey drippings add incredible depth of flavor and crispy edges to your roasted veggies.
Don’t Waste Those Flavorful Drippings!
As you can see, turkey drippings are a precious commodity rather than a waste product. With a little creativity, you can transform those pan drippings into all kinds of delicious sauces, sides, appetizers and other holiday dishes.
So next time you pull a beautifully bronzed turkey out of the oven, don’t be so quick to dump out those drippings. Find ways to incorporate them into other recipes and make the most of that holiday bird. Your taste buds will thank you!
Here is a quick recap of creative ways to use turkey drippings:
- Make gravy, soup stocks or sauces
- Flavor vegetables, rice, stuffing or eggs
- Fry potatoes or make gravy croutons
- Use as a base for pot pies or casseroles
- Make salad dressings and marinades
- Roast root vegetables for added flavor
- Moisten and add flavor to baked goods
- Brown Brussels sprouts or other veggies
- Infuse flavor into soups, stews or chilis
With a little imagination, you can get multiple meals out of one holiday turkey. Don’t let those flavorful drippings go to waste. Transform them into delicious additions to other dishes and make the most of your holiday centerpiece.
What to Serve with Turkey Gravy
If you’re making this gravy for an upcoming Thanksgiving or Christmas celebration, here are a few serving suggestions:
- Medium saucepan. Perfect for making the gravy. This pot spreads heat out evenly and makes it less likely that something will catch fire.
- Strainer. It’s helpful to strain the drippings to get a smoother gravy. This one comes in three different sizes.
- Whisk. Essential for ensuring a smooth and lump-free gravy. This comes in a set of three different sizes.
Leftover gravy can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
To reheat, heat the gravy in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until warmed. You may need to whisk in a splash of broth or water to thin it out. You can also reheat it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute.
How to make turkey gravy from drippings
- Put the turkey juices through a strainer and into one or two large glass containers. For 15 minutes, put them in the fridge to let the fat rise to the top and set.
- Take the drippings out of the fridge and take out 2 tablespoons of the fat. You can either throw away the rest of the fat or put it in a container to use later. You should now have only the liquid turkey drippings remaining.
- Heat the all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of the fat you saved in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk the ingredients together until they are smooth. Keep whisking for one to two minutes, or until it bubbles and turns light to golden brown.
- First, add 1 cup of the turkey fat and 1 cup of stock. Mix everything together until it’s completely smooth. If you want the gravy to be thicker, turn down the heat and let it cook for a while longer. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
- If the turkey fat doesn’t give you two tablespoons of fat, you can use two tablespoons of butter instead.
- Use unsalted, low-sodium turkey or chicken broth if possible. If you can find low-sodium or unsalted stock, use that instead of the pan drippings, which may already be salty. After that, you can check the gravy and add more salt and black pepper if needed.
- This gravy has become too thick. To thin it out, add more turkey or chicken stock one tablespoon at a time while whisking.
- A quick fix for gravy that isn’t thickening is to whisk in a little cornstarch.
- When you season your turkey, the spices and herbs you use can change the color of your gravy from light brown to dark brown.
How to Make Gravy from Turkey Drippings | Thanksgiving Turkey Gravy | Turkey with Gravy | Easy Gravy
FAQ
What to do with turkey pan drippings?
What to do with fat from turkey drippings?
What can I do with turkey drippings besides gravy?
How do you cook a Turkey drippings?
To gather up the turkey drippings, carefully lift the cooked turkey from the roasting pan and place it onto a cutting board to rest. Remove as much grease or fat as possible from the pan using a spoon, ladle, or gravy separator. Reserve ¼ cup of fat. Place the roasting pan over two burners on the stove on medium heat.
What to do with Turkey drippings?
* To make gravy, whisk together the drippings with flour, broth, and seasonings. * To make a pan sauce, add the drippings to a hot skillet and whisk in some flour, broth, and herbs. * Turkey drippings can also be used to make a variety of other dishes, such as biscuits, stuffing, and rice.
What are Turkey drippings?
Turkey drippings are the flavorful juices that come out of a turkey as it cooks. They can be used to make a variety of delicious dishes, such as gravy, pan sauces, and even soups. * Save the drippings from your turkey as it cooks. You can do this by placing a roasting pan underneath the turkey and catching the drippings as they fall.
How do you make turkey gravy from pan drippings?
Set the turkey aside to rest on the cutting board while you make the gravy. Making the gravy really won’t take long at all. Strain the pan drippings from the roasting pan into a measuring cup through a fine mesh strainer. I usually get anywhere between 1-2 cups of pan drippings.
What to do with leftover Turkey pan drippings?
In order to get a really flavorful gravy, I use the leftover turkey pan drippings to add richness and turkey flavoring that instantly elevates the taste of the gravy! The best way to get the drippings out of the pan is to add a splash of broth and then use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan.
How do you save turkey drippings?
* Save the drippings from your cooked turkey. The best way to save turkey drippings is to place a roasting rack in the bottom of the pan and then pour the drippings into a heatproof container. You can also use a gravy separator to separate the fat from the drippings.