Plus, adding a little cayenne pepper and brandy makes this smoked turkey gravy extra tasty. It’s also very easy to make. you NEED this gravy for your Thanksgiving meal.
I am in love with this easy turkey gravy guys. Its so rich and delicious, but so easy to make. And it goes amazing with these other holiday favorites:
Every year, Thanksgiving is a giant bird grilled/smoked over an open fire pit. Then it has to rest for what seems like forever. The time was well spent because this smoked turkey gravy was made from the pan drippings and giblets.
And you all know how often people smother their Thanksgiving meal in gravy….so lets make that gravy AWESOME.
Cracked black pepper, brandy, cream, a touch of cayenne and lets not forget those turkey drippings. this has all the making of an amazing gravy and we are in love.
You can also make this ahead of time if you want to. Just buy turkey legs or wings that have already been smoked and follow the steps below.
If youd like a white gravy to complement this turkey gravy, try this ultra delicious bacon gravy. [feast_advanced_jump_to]
You can use store bought turkey stock, homemade turkey broth or just use chicken stock. It tastes so much better when it’s made from scratch, so I use my Instant Pot turkey bone broth.
The full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
As the holidays approach, many home cooks look forward to smoking a succulent turkey. However, one challenge of smoking turkey is getting those flavorful drippings needed for making gravy. Unlike roasting a turkey in the oven, the indirect heat of the smoker makes it tricky to produce drippings. Fortunately, with a few tweaks to your technique, you can get plenty of tasty drippings from a smoked turkey.
Why Getting Drippings from a Smoked Turkey is Difficult
When you roast a turkey in the oven, the direct heat underneath the pan evaporates the moisture releasing it as drippings. These combine with the fat and browned bits from the turkey skin to make an incredible gravy base.
With smoking, the turkey sits above the heat source so the moisture stays trapped inside. Very little evaporates and drips down into the pan. Even if you do get some drippings they tend to burn and stick to the pan rather than accumulate.
Smoking also cooks at lower temperatures between 225-275°F. The collagen in the skin and connective tissues doesn’t fully break down to liquefy. So you miss out on all those delicious juices that would normally pool in the bottom of the roasting pan.
Steps for Getting More Drippings from a Smoked Turkey
While smoking a turkey poses some challenges for getting drippings, with a few simple tweaks you can get plenty of flavorful liquid gold for gravy and sauces.
Choose the Right Smoker
First, select a smoker big enough to cook a whole turkey, with racks designed to hold it securely. An upright smoker or offset horizontal smoker with at least 400 square inches of space works best. Small smokers like a kettle grill are too tight of a squeeze.
Brine, Inject, and Season
Brining or injecting the turkey adds extra moisture and flavor. The moisture boosts the amount of drippings. An overnight brine in a salt, sugar and herb solution works wonderfully.
For injecting, use a mixture of melted butter and turkey or chicken stock. Inject it throughout the breast and thighs the day before smoking. Then coat the outside with a flavorful dry rub.
Elevate the Turkey
Don’t place the turkey directly on the smoker grates. This allows drippings to slip through and get lost. Instead, use a v-rack, stand or grill basket to lift the turkey up. Center it over a drip pan to catch all the drippings.
Add Liquid to the Drip Pan
Place a large disposable foil pan on the smoker grates under where the turkey will sit. Add 1-2 cups of liquid like wine, broth or juice before putting the turkey in. Replenish if it evaporates. The liquid prevents sticking and burning.
Maintain Low, Indirect Heat
Keep temperatures between 225-250°F to allow for slow evaporating of moisture. Avoid direct heat flaring up onto the turkey which can cause scorching. Add a water pan or deflector as needed.
Minimize Opening the Smoker
Avoid peeking in frequently. Each time the door opens, heat and moisture escape. Use a wireless thermometer to monitor the internal temp, opening only when basting or testing for doneness.
Let It Rest Before Carving
Never carve right off the smoker. Let it rest at least 20 minutes, tented with foil. This allows the juices to redistribute so they pool out when you slice, giving you extra drippings.
What to Do With those Savory Smoked Turkey Drippings
Once you’ve mastered the techniques for getting drippings from your smoked turkey, you’ll end up with the most intensely flavored liquid gold. Here are some delicious ways to put those drippings to use:
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Make a Classic Turkey Gravy – The drippings are the base of a luxurious gravy to serve over the sliced turkey or mashed potatoes.
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Enrich Sauces and Soups – Use a spoonful to add savory depth to any pan sauces, soups or stews.
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Make Turkey Au Jus – Simmer the drippings into a concentrated au jus for French dip sandwiches.
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Infuse Butter and Oil – Drizzle smoked turkey fat butter over vegetables or add to cornbread. Use for roasted potatoes or turkey hash.
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Boost Stuffing and Dressing – Stir a few spoonfuls of the drippings into your favorite stuffing recipe for extra moistness.
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Make Gravy from the Carcass – Simmer the smoked turkey carcass in water with vegetables to extract every bit of flavor for gravy.
Common Problems and Solutions for Getting Drippings
Even using all the right methods, you can still run into a few issues producing enough drippings:
Problem: Turkey skin is too smoky tasting.
Solution: Use less smoked salt or smoked paprika in rubs. Rely more on herbs and spices.
Problem: Drip pan liquid evaporates halfway through smoking.
Solution: Check and replenish with more liquid every 1-2 hours.
Problem: Drippings burn and stick to the pan.
Solution: Add more liquid to the drip pan and monitor temperature closely.
Problem: Turkey is dry with minimal drippings.
Solution: Brine longer. Inject more liquid. Do not oversmoke.
Enjoy Deeper Flavor with Smoked Turkey Drippings
Smoking turkey may present some challenges for getting those vital drippings, but with a few tweaks to your technique you’ll end up with the most flavorful, savory liquid gold. Your gravy and sauces will be on a whole new level compared to a plain oven roasted bird. This holiday season, wow your guests with succulent smoked turkey and deeply flavored gravy made using these dripping secrets. You’ll never go back to roasting your bird!
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Pour the drippings in a small glass bowl and set aside until ready to use.
Note: If you don’t have enough turkey drippings or want to make this ahead of time, you can roast turkey wings and/or giblets in a pan with 1-2 cups of stock at 425F for about 30 minutes, until the stock is very reduced and looks like dripping.
STEP 2: Add the butter to the turkey drippings in a skillet and heat to medium heat.
STEP 3: Add the flour and stir to combine until a paste forms. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.
STEP 4: Add the minced onions and cook for 1 minute.
STEP 5: Add the brandy, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Slowly stir in the broth, ½ cup at a time until a gravy forms.
STEP 6: 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.
This turkey gravy can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it for later use (see below).
How to Make Turkey Broth (Optional)
In the first step, put the roasted turkey parts (wings, giblets, and any bones), chopped vegetable scraps, and bay leaves in the slow cooker.
STEP 2: Cover with water and cook on high for 6 hours.
STEP 3: Strain 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.
Keep any extra turkey broth in the fridge for up to a week or freeze it for up to six months.
To freeze, pour broth into ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, transfer to freezer safe bags for storage.
First, use a vacuum sealer to take out just enough of the bag to be able to see about ½” of it. Then, press the seal button to freeze the gravy. Then pull about 15-18 inches of the bag out. Use the cutter to cut it off.
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 vacuum sealer and select the “moist” setting (if available). Use the vac/seal button to seal the bag.
Always label your bag because I guarantee you will forget what it is. Trust me.
- If you don’t have enough turkey drippings, you can roast turkey wings and/or giblets in a pan with 1-2 cups of stock at 425F for about 30 minutes, or until the stock is very reduced, making it look like dripping.
- You can make this ahead by purchasing smoked turkey pieces and following the steps in #1 above.
- To make it taste even more peppery, add an extra ½ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Add ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika for an even smokier flavor.
- Substitute white wine or sherry for the brandy. You can also just use more stock.
- If you use store-bought broth, make sure you like the gravy before you add any salt.
- If the gravy is too thick, add more turkey broth until it’s the right consistency.
You can catch the juices as long as you have a pan under the turkey while it’s smoking. If not, you will need to use a turkey wing or leg that has been smoked and cooked in broth to make your own drippings.
Your turkey gravy will taste better if you use butter and season it with things like cayenne, onion, paprika, wine, and/or fresh turkey stock.
Place a large disposable roasted pan (usually foil) under the bird while smoking to collect any drippings.
Did you try this recipe? Rate it and tell me how it went in the comments below!
How to Make Gravy from Turkey Drippings | Thanksgiving Turkey Gravy | Turkey with Gravy | Easy Gravy
FAQ
How do you collect drippings from a smoked turkey?
How to catch drippings in a smoker?
How to get gravy from a smoked turkey?
Why are there no drippings from my turkey?
What can be done with smoked turkey drippings?
One option for smoked turkey drippings is to make smoked turkey gravy. This gravy has a robust smoky flavor, so it’s recommended to make a small amount until you and your family have tried it.
Is it dangerous to quit vaping nicotine cold turkey?
Quitting vaping nicotine ‘cold turkey’ is not dangerous, but it can be very unpleasant. This is because nicotine alters the way your brain functions such that your body feels dependent on it. Some of the unpleasant side effects of quitting abruptly are tremors, headaches, and nausea. These side effects can make it very hard to quit and often cause people to relapse. Fortunately, these unpleasant side effects can be partially or completely avoided by gradually cutting down your use instead of quitting abruptly. Your primary care physician can help you design a plan to quit vaping nicotine.
How should smoked turkey drippings be stored?
Smoked turkey drippings can be stored in the fridge by placing them in an airtight container or jar to ensure they stay fresh and bacteria or mold-free. You can then place the container in the middle of your fridge until needed.
How do you thicken Turkey drippings?
In a large saucepan, melt the 4 Tablespoons of butter. Add in your 4 Tablespoons of flour and whisk until smooth. Strain any turkey drippings to remove extra turkey pieces or seasoning. Pour the drippings into the saucepan, whisking frequently until it thickens. Whisk the mixture slowly over medium heat until it starts to turn brown.
Can you smoke a 15 lb Turkey?
The reason I recommend avoiding smoking a turkey over 15 pounds is that it can take too long to cook. Your bird will be sitting in the food safety danger zone between 40-140 degrees F for too long, and you risk bacteria overgrowing and spoiling your turkey before it is finished. It’s best to cook 2-3 smaller turkeys versus a large one.
Can you cook a smoked turkey in the oven?
This smoked turkey is coated in a homemade BBQ Rub (or use a classic Turkey Rub) and smoked low and slow, to create a perfectly seasoned crust to compliment the juicy interior. Smoke a turkey and leave your oven open for all the other Thanksgiving recipes you have on tap this year!