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Turkey Gravy Without Drippings

This rich and delicious Turkey Gravy Without Drippings recipe uses chicken broth that is cooked down with roasted turkey and vegetables to add extra flavor. It's perfect for pouring over chicken, turkey, mashed potatoes, and more!
Prep Time4 hours
Cook Time13 minutes
Total Time4 hours 13 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 116kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 turkey thighs trimmed, or approximately 8 pounds, or 10 wings, separated at the joints
  • 2 medium carrots chopped coarse
  • 2 medium celery ribs chopped coarse
  • 2 medium onions chopped coarse
  • 1 head garlic chopped
  • Vegetable oil spray
  • 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth plus extra as needed
  • 2 cups dry white wine or 2 cups chicken broth and a tablespoon of lemon juice if needed before serving
  • 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
  • unsalted butter as needed
  • ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the thighs, carrots, celery, onions, and garlic together in a roasting pan and spray with vegetable oil spray. Roast, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
  • Transfer the contents of the roasting pan to a large pot. Add the broth, wine, and thyme and bring to a boil, skimming as needed. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until the broth is brown and flavorful and measures about 10 cups when strained, about 1 ½ hours. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large container, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible, discard the solids. (The turkey broth can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
  • Let the strained turkey broth settle (if necessary) then spoon off and reserve ½ cup of the fat that has risen to the top (add butter as needed if short on turkey fat). Heat the fat in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until bubbling. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until well browned, 3 to 7 minutes.
  • Slowly whisk in the turkey broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the gravy is very thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (The gravy can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days; reheat gently, adding additional chicken broth as needed to adjust the consistency).

Notes

    • Taste test: Test your gravy while it thickens. If it could use a little salt and pepper, add both as needed to suit your preference.
    • Use a small Turkey: I used a small turkey (under ten pounds) that was on sale instead of thighs this year and the gravy turned out great. I roasted and included everything but the liver. 
    • Try fresh herbs: Use fresh thyme and even some parsley for a burst of herbaceous flavor.
    • Strain well: Press the veggies through the mesh strainer really well to extract as much flavor as possible. Remove any chunks that make it through for a smooth gravy.

Nutrition

Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0.4mg | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 279mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1757IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg