Best Make Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe for Thanksgiving

Sometimes when I’m in public I pretend to be a more concerned mother than I actually am. Like when Truman falls and bumps his head and the ENTIRE populace of Starbucks stops in its tracks to make sure he’s okay. And what I say out loud is, “Aw, yeah, poor guy, he hit his head!” But what I really want to say is, come on people, this happens every day, let’s not get choked up here. Two-year-olds have heads made of STEEL.

It was actually kind of awesome. Truman fell from a barstool and hit the back of his head going down. Before I could maneuver myself to a position where I could pick him up, an Asian man came out of nowhere and swooped Truman up in his arms, then handed him to me. I wish more strangers would do this kind of thing for each other! It was so refreshing.

It reminded me of this video Eric showed me about a Japanese reality TV show that films kids as they complete their first errand. Apparently in Japan, parents start sending their kids on short errands when they are very young, like 3-5 years old. This would be impossible here in the US because 1) there are no stores close enough to walk to and 2) children are taught to mistrust adults they don’t know. It’s the opposite in Japan. Kids there are taught that they can trust adults, even if they are strangers.

I think this is how the world ought to be, personally. Our culture has taken the distrust so far that I can no longer leave my sleeping son in the car for 5 minutes while I pick up some milk without worrying that someone will take a video and turn me in to the police. We were all raised not to trust each other, and so we don’t. A bystander doesn’t trust that I’m not negligent, and I don’t trust a bystander not to turn me in. It’s so sad. I would much rather teach my children that MOST people are kind and well-meaning, with a few who aren’t, instead of the other way around.

So I really just love it when a random stranger (a MAN, no less, not a fellow mother-warrior) has the guts to scoop up my kid when he falls down, even if it goes against the American “mind your own business” culture. It fills me up when I see people taking care of people. Do you have any opinions about this? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments.

Best Premade Turkey Gravy Recipe

Who loves making gravy at the last minute on Thanksgiving? I just love pulling that bird out of the oven and frantically pouring off the juices to whisk up my homemade gravy. Said no one ever! I feel like gravy is the most stressful part of the entire meal. You need the turkey juices to make it (pray there is enough!), but you can’t get the juices until the turkey is done, and then your turkey sits getting cold while you whisk like mad over a hot stove. It’s kind of a nightmare.

Enter make-ahead gravy! My mother-in-law Kris has been using this recipe for years and she just told me about it. You use turkey wings and whatever other parts you can find (neck, thighs, whatever), roast them, boil them, and then make a gravy from those drippings.

Thanksgiving Make Ahead Gravy Substitutions 

This recipe is foolproof as is. Sometimes you’ve got to be flexible though! Here’s what to do if you can’t find an ingredient or you’re making this for someone with a special diet.

• Don’t be afraid to use whatever turkey parts you can find. I mean, without reason. Chicken breasts or tenderloins aren’t going to work, because white meat just doesn’t have enough fat (and fat means flavor). Turkey wings, necks, drumsticks, or thighs are all good candidates. Whatever is cheapest is ok! It’s fine to buy frozen ones. You don’t need to worry about the texture or high quality of the meat because you’re not going to eat it, just extract its flavor into your gravy. It is NOT ok to substitute canned turkey…I really hope you already knew that. 
• What if I can’t find turkey parts, Karen?? It’s ok, don’t panic. You could make this gravy with chicken parts instead. Is it going to taste like turkey? Only if you use the turkey Better than Bouillon base. Will it still be a delicious gravy either way? Yes, totally. If you like the flavor of chicken (who doesn’t, let’s be real) it’s still worth it. 
• If you’re making turkey for a gluten-free meal, you can substitute cornstarch for the flour. You’ll only need ¼ cup. Make sure you thoroughly whisk it into the 2 cups of broth. I’d start with a smaller amount of broth–say, one cup–just to make it easier to break up the little pieces. Lump-free gravy is what we want here!
• I know I’ve been raving about Better than Bouillon and it is my preference, but you can still make this gravy with ordinary chicken or turkey broth. Since a lot of the flavor comes from the broth, pick something high quality. DO NOT buy bouillon cubes. Those dusty little lumps are not going to create magical Thanksgiving memories.

How to make Turkey Gravy 

Let’s break it down. Turkey gravy isn’t hard but it does have a few steps. Here’s whatcha do:

Bake Turkey

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Place wings (or other turkey parts) on the pan. Scatter the onions over the pan.
2. Roast for about an hour. Make sure the parts are browned on top. Then remove the turkey parts to a large stock pot.

Prepare & simmer the Gravy

1. Place the baking sheet over two burners on your stove and turn both of them up to medium. Add a cup of water and use a wooden spoon to stir up all the browned bits. When the bottom of the pan is clean, scrape the water into the pot with the turkey.
2. Add 6 cups chicken broth (or 6 cups water and 6 teaspoons chicken or turkey base). Add the chopped carrots and the thyme.
3. Simmer uncovered for about 1 and 1/2 hours.

Cool

1. Remove the turkey parts and set aside.
2. Pour the remaining onion and carrot mixture through a colander into a bowl. 
3. Put the bowl in the freezer for about 20 minutes so it’s easy to skim the fat from the top.

How to thicken Turkey Gravy

1. Pour the broth back into the pot. Bring to a gentle boil.
2. Whisk together the flour and 2 cups of broth, making sure to get out all the lumps.
3. Slowly whisk the flour mixture into the broth. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring. 

1. Stir in butter, pepper, and salt.
2. Taste it and add more salt, pepper, thyme, or up to 1 teaspoon of turkey base as you prefer.
3. Let cool and freeze in ziplock bags. Let the gravy thaw in the fridge overnight, or just stick it in the microwave.  If you are making a turkey on the day you plan to serve this gravy, add the fat-skimmed pan drippings to the gravy! YUM.

Add remaining ingredients

Below on the right is the broth after I froze it for 20 minutes. It makes it so easy to skim the fat! (Update Nov 2017: You can also use a Fat Separator Measuring Cup. They work amazingly well and are way faster. My sister sent me one in the mail after she read on this post (in 2015) that I still put my gravy in the freezer. Thanks Laura!!)

Then you stick it in the freezer and forget about it until a couple hours before you want to eat. You could literally make this gravy TODAY and have one less thing to do on the big day. Mine’s already in the freezer ready to go!

How to store Make Ahead Turkey Gravy 

We’ve got two great options here: fridge and freezer. The one you choose depends on how far in advance you make it. 

How long will make ahead gravy last in fridge?

Only a couple days. If you make it Tuesday or Wednesday, you’re good to just refrigerate it. Otherwise, freeze it. If you freeze your gravy flat, with the ziplock lying down like a piece of paper, it will really take no time at all to defrost, and you can have peace of mind knowing it’s fresh. Nothing worse than Thanksgiving food poisoning for your entire extended family, am I right?? Another bonus of making it in advance is that your grocery store is less likely to run out of turkey parts 3 weeks before Thanksgiving. The day before, you might be out of luck. 

Can you freeze Turkey Gravy?

Yes absolutely! This is what I always do. Just let it cool, put it in labeled ziplock bags, and stick it in the freezer until you’re ready to use it. I don’t recommend freezing it, defrosting it, and then refreezing it. This is why smaller ziplock bags, like quart size, are a good plan – just pull out one at a time. You can always get more out if you need it.

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Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Make Ahead Creamy Italian Mashed Potatoes

Pumpkin Roll with Lots of Cream Cheese

Thanksgiving classics that never fail:

Sage Butter Roasted Turkey

Aunt Shirley’s Famous Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Big Fat Crescent Rolls, yeah

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

Pecan Pie Recipe with Buttery Streusel Topping