This make ahead turkey gravy recipe is not only the best tasting gravy you will ever have, but is just another step in making Thanksgiving Day easier to handle.
You might be thinking, make ahead gravy? Why would I do that? We all know if you are hosting for the holidays that the day of can be quite stressful. So why not help alleviate some of that by taking one less recipe out of the picture.
Yes you still have to do a little bit at the end, but this by making the base of this turkey gravy ahead of time, you save some precious minutes where you can focus on something else.
The key with this make ahead gravy is preparing the base up to three days in advance. It is just like any other gravy recipe you see with some butter, onion, herbs, flour and stock.
However after making the base, you stop at that point. Where the real depth of the flavor comes for this make ahead gravy in is the turkey drippings, which you obviously have to wait for when the turkey is done. After that, pour it over your favorite sides - from cream cheese mashed potatoes to slow cooker mashed sweet potatoes to old fashioned bread stuffing.
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Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter - the base for the gravy, reacts with the flour to make the roux and thicken the gravy.
- Yellow onion, sage, garlic - where a ton of the flavor comes from in regards to this gravy, with sage being the most important.
- Flour - reacts with the butter to make a roux which is important to thicken the gravy.
- Chicken stock - I use low sodium is best so you can control the salt level.
- Turkey pan drippings - super important for a rich gravy.
- White wine - dry white wine is best as it adds a touch of acidity and helps scrape up the brown bits. Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay works great.
Step-by-Step Photos
Heat butter over medium heat in skillet and add onion and salt, cooking for 5 minutes before adding sage, cooking another 2 minutes. Add garlic for remaining 30 seconds before whisking in flour and cooking for 2 minutes.
Pour in the stock, whisking constantly and bring to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Once ready to finish gravy, strain the remaining liquid from the turkey pan. Place the pan over 2 burners and deglaze with wine, simmering for 2 minutes. Reduce heat and add gravy base, simmering until it has thickened and smooth. Add some of the leftover turkey stock if needed.
FAQs
If you are gluten-free you can just use a gluten-free flour and it will work just as well. However you can also use cornstarch.
Make a slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoon water and whisk together. Add the slurry when the stock is simmering and cook for a few minutes and you'll watch it thicken up.
Do not substitute dry sage for the fresh sage if possible. Fresh is always best in my mind. However if you can only use dried sage, use 2 tsp.
Use quality dry white wine that you’d be willing to drink. The flavor of the sauce comes from the wine. Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc are best.
If the gravy is too thin, just mix equal parts flour and water and slowly add the the simmering gravy. Give it a few minutes and it should be thicker. If not, just add some more.
If gravy is too thick, slowly whisk in chicken/turkey stock until you reach desired consistency. You can use water in a pinch as well.
Yes, the base can be frozen for up to 3 months beforehand. Just let place it in the fridge the day before you want to finish the gravy so it is room temperature.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Add cold butter to a cold skillet and let heat up to proper temperature before adding the onion.
- When making gravy, the most important tool is a whisk. Without whisking, you will probably have a lumpy gravy.
- Simmer the gravy long enough to allow it to thicken, at least 5 minutes.
- Keep the turkey gravy warm until right before serving as it thickens as it cools.
Other Thanksgiving Recipes
If you’ve tried this make ahead turkey gravy recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Make Ahead Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock (or turkey stock from pan)
- pan drippings from turkey
- 1 cup dry white wine
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium heat in skillet. Add the onion and salt and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sage and cook for until 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in chicken stock, whisking constantly. Bring to boil and then simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat.
- Once the gravy is cool, store in fridge for up to 3 days.
- To finish gravy, once turkey is done remove the turkey from pan and strain the remaining liquid into measuring cup. Place the roasting pan over 2 burners at medium heat. Add wine to deglaze the pan, making sure to scrape the brown bits. Simmer for about 2 minutes, allowing the wine to reduce.
- Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in the gravy base. Simmer until the gravy has thickened and is smooth. If needed, add some of the leftover turkey stock and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Notes
- Add cold butter to a cold skillet and let heat up to proper temperature before adding the onion.
- Do not substitute dry sage for the fresh sage if possible. However if you can only use dried sage, use 2 tsp.
- Use quality dry white wine that you’d be willing to drink. The flavor of the sauce comes from the wine. Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc are best.
- When making gravy, the most important tool is a whisk. Without whisking, you will probably have a lumpy gravy.
- Simmer the gravy long enough to allow it to thicken, at least 5 minutes.
- Keep the turkey gravy warm until right before serving as it thickens as it cools.
Chris says
Yum!