Prep Time: 30 minutes
Giblet gravy is served at many Thanksgiving dinners and there is a good reason for it. This special gravy takes longer to make then regular gravy, but its rich flavor is worth every extra minute.
Our version of giblet gravy starts off with making a giblet stock with the heart, gizzard and neck of the turkey. Give more flavor to the giblet stock by adding a sliced onion, one bay leaf, and a few sprigs of fresh spices like thyme, parsley, rosemary, or sage. If you are short on supplies or time, just skip these extras.
Next add the turkey fat, turkey drippings, giblet stock, chicken stock and the cooked, chopped giblets. Your taste buds will bring you back in time to Thanksgivings of the past.
How to Fix Gravy Problems
- Lumpy: use a sieve to strain out lumps.
- Too thick: add giblet broth, turkey drippings broth, chicken broth or filtered water until it’s the desired consistency.
- Too pale: cook the roux longer.
- Too thin: mix equal amounts of flour and water in a separate bowl, then add to the gravy and cook until thickened.
Giblet gravy is the perfect accompaniment to these other Thanksgiving classics.
- How to Cook a Turkey: the easy way to get a moist, beautiful turkey for the big day.
- Best Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes: this creamy side dish is so good, you’ll want seconds.
- Grandma’s Turkey Stuffing: giblet, mushrooms, and French bread make this stuffing a real treat.
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The Best Homemade Giblet Gravy
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Prep Time: 30 minutes - Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 2 1/2 cups
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boiled
- Cuisine: American
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The best homemade giblet gravy is a classic, easy recipe that is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. This version shows you how to make a simple gravy that tastes best when poured over slices of roasted turkey for the holidays or for leftovers.
Ingredients
For the Giblet Stock
- turkey neck, heart, and gizzard
- bay leaf (optional)
- 1 medium onion sliced (optional)
- 4 sprigs of fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, sage or parsley (optional)
For the Gravy
- 1/2 cup turkey fat, skimmed from the top of the turkey drippings
- 1 1/4 cup turkey drippings (reserve extra for thinning)
- 1/2 cup giblet stock (reserve extra for thinning)
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 9 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cooked turkey giblets and neck meat, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Making the Giblet Stock
- Rinse the heart, gizzard and turkey neck.
- Place in a medium sized saucepan and cover with 2 cups of filtered water.
- Optional: add the sliced onion, bay leaf and three or four sprigs of fresh spices
- Bring to a boil then simmer for one hour.
Finishing the Meat
- Chop the cooked giblets (heart and gizzard) and the turkey neck meat very small.
- If the giblets aren’t cooked enough, fry them in 2 Tbsp of butter for 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Put them in a small bowl to use later.
Making the Roux
- Pour the turkey drippings into a medium bowl. You should have 3 cups. Place the cooked turkey on a cutting board.
- Separate the fat from the turkey drippings by letting it sit for a while. The fat will rise to the top.
- Put the fat into a medium saucepan over medium heat. If there isn’t enough turkey fat from your cooked turkey, add butter until you have 1/2 cup.
- Gradually add your flour to your turkey drippings 1 Tbsp at a time while whisking. You will want a paste that isn’t too greasy. Once you’re happy with the consistency of your roux, cook it while whisking for 4 minutes or until your roux is a brownish color. If you want a darker gravy, cook your roux longer.
Finishing the Gravy
- Gradually pour your 1 1/4 cup of turkey drippings into the roux while whisking constantly until smooth. Continue adding 1/2 cup of the giblet stock to get the gravy to the right consistency. It’s a good idea to reserve 1/2 cup turkey drippings in case you need to thin your gravy later.
- Add two tablespoons of butter and stir.
- Next, stir in your 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked giblet and turkey neck meat.
- Do a few grinds of black pepper over the gravy.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- If needed, add more turkey drippings, giblet stock, or filtered water to thin out your gravy.
- When done, stir well, then pour into a gravy boat.
Notes
- Use chicken stock with low sodium so your gravy doesn’t taste too salty.
Keywords: turkey, old fashioned