This Make Ahead Turkey Gravy is the perfect way to save time on Thanksgiving Day! You can make it up to two days in advance and then just reheat it when you're ready to serve. It's so easy and delicious, that you'll never go back to the store-bought stuff again!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It's so easy to make and frees up time on the Holiday or when you are making a turkey.
- You can make it ahead of time, so you don't have to stress on Thanksgiving Day.
- It's much tastier than store-bought gravy.
Ingredients
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- turkey legs
- yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- carrots, chopped
- celery stalks, chopped
- unsalted butter, divided
- Kinders Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning
- poultry seasoning
- garlic salt
- smoked paprika
- black pepper
- all-purpose flour
- chicken or turkey stock
Equipment
Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Place onion, carrots, and celery down the bottom of a baking dish.
- Place the turkey legs on top of the veggies.
- In a small bowl melt 4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, using a microwave.
- Add all the seasonings to the butter and whisk to combine.
- Pour the seasoned butter over the turkey legs.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, we are not looking to cook these through or anything so no need to worry about internal temperature, we just want to get some good color on the legs and veggies.
- Transfer the legs and all the veggies and drippings from the baking disk to a large pot. Pour in the 4 cups of stock.
- Bring the pot up to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer and place a lid on. Let this simmer for an hour.
- Remove the vegetables and legs from the pot. If you like you can pour the mixture through a strainer to get everything out or just use a slotted spoon to remove everything.
- Next, get a saucepan and over medium heat melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Once melted whisk in your flour until it becomes a roux.
- Carefully whisk in all your stock.
- Continue whisking over medium heat until it comes to a bubble and thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- At this point, you can serve it or I like to put it into a container and store it in the fridge until I need it or you can serve it right away.
Storage
Store leftover gravy in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Expert Tips
Expert Tip: If you don't have Kinders Seasonings on hand you can use any all purpose seasoning that you have on hand. Though give the Kinders Seasoning a try, you will love it!
- If you want to make sure that you have a smooth gravy strain the vegetables and pan juices through a fine-mesh strainer before using the broth.
- Be sure to whisk the gravy constantly so that clumps do not form.
- Do not skimp on browning your roux. Browning until it is golden brown will make sure that you cook out the floury taste of the gravy.
- Test the gravy's texture by using the back of a spoon to see how quickly it slides off. You want it to cling slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep gravy warm for a potluck?
I keep gravy on the warm setting in a slow cooker. This keeps it fresh for your potluck.
How do you reheat turkey gravy?
Reheat turkey gravy by simmering it on the stove in a medium saucepan over low heat until it is heated through. You may need to add a little bit of water to thin it out as it reheats.
How do you thicken reheated gravy?
If you need to thicken your gravy you can add a slurry made with cornstarch to the gravy and whisk until it starts to thicken again.
Variations
- You can add other herbs like bay leaves, rosemary, or parsley.
- If you like pepper gravy double the amount of black pepper in this recipe.
- A dash of white wine, while you are whisking this gravy, will give it a rich flavor for your holiday meal.
- Make ahead Gluten-Free Gravy by using cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour.
Serving Suggestions
- At our house, homemade Mashed Potatoes always make an appearance on our Thanksgiving dinner table. You can't go wrong with this family-friendly side.
- This Roast Turkey Breast recipe is a traditional dish that pairs perfectly with this make-ahead turkey gravy.
- Liven up your vegetable sides with these Cheesy Green Beans. They are a great way to get picky eaters to enjoy eating their vegetables.
Similar recipes
- After the big day ends turn your leftover turkey into an easy weeknight meal with this Turkey Pot Pie recipe.
- Don't allow your turkey carcass to go to waste. Make this Instant Pot Turkey Stock recipe to use for your next pot of soup.
- Save some room in the oven by using this Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe for your meal this year if you are feeding a small crowd.
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Eileen xo
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Make Ahead Turkey Gravy
This make ahead gravy is easy to prepare and the flavors from the drumsticks roasting on top of onions, carrots, and celery to make a rich gravy with amazing flavor. The recipe is versatile and can be doubled.
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 351kcal
Equipment Needed:
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Ingredients
- 1 - 1½ pounds turkey legs we use 3 turkey legs
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 4 large celery stalks, chopped
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 teaspoon Kinders Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning Kinders buttery Steakhouse Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken or turkey stock
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Place onion, carrots, and celery down the bottom of a baking dish.
- Place the turkey legs on top of the veggies.
- In a small bowl melt 4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, using a microwave.
- Add all the seasonings to the butter and whisk to combine.
- Pour the seasoned butter over the turkey legs.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, we are not looking to cook these through or anything so no need to worry about internal temperature, we just want to get some good color on the legs and veggies.
- Transfer the legs and all the veggies and drippings from the baking disk to a large pot. Pour in the 4 cups of stock.
- Bring the pot up to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and place a lid on. Let this simmer for an hour.
- Remove the vegetables and legs from the pot. If you like you can pour the mixture through a strainer to get everything out or just use a slotted spoon to remove everything.
- Next get a saucepan and over medium heat melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Once melted whisk in your flour until it becomes a roux.
- Carefully whisk in all your stock.
- Continue whisking over medium heat until it comes to a bubble and thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- At this point, you can serve it or I like to put it into a container and store it in the fridge until I need it or you can serve it right away.
- Serve!!
Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months.
● You can make this completely and store it, or you can make the stock portion of it and store it at that point before adding it to the roux if you like, both are equally delicious.
● You can add fresh herbs like sage or parsley for a pop of color.
● If you cannot find Kinders Buttery Steakhouse seasoning just substitute your favorite all-purpose seasoning.
● Don’t throw away those turkey legs, you can pick the meat off to add to your greens.
● This double very easily, you can add more turkey legs to the pan, or you can just simply double the amount of stock you add to the pot, and double the butter and flour for the roux.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 578mg | Potassium: 611mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6511IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg
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