Turkey Giblet Pan Gravy
Real gravy from the bird: a giblet broth made while the turkey roasts, a nutty brown roux, and the roasting pan deglazed with white wine so every browned bit ends up in the sauce.
Gravy is how the roasting pan gets eaten. The browned juices and bits stuck to the pan under a roast turkey carry most of its flavor, and the neck and giblets packed inside the bird make a broth that tastes more of turkey than anything from a carton. America's Test Kitchen's giblet pan gravy, printed in Cook's Illustrated's November/December 2000 issue, makes the broth and a dark roux while the turkey roasts, so only the last step waits for the bird. A turkey roasted very hot, like the spatchcocked bird in our Spatchcocked Roast Turkey recipe, leaves fewer usable drippings, and ATK publishes a separate gravy for high-roast turkeys.
🇺🇸 This one is American
Real gravy from the bird: a giblet broth made while the turkey roasts, a nutty brown roux, and the roasting pan deglazed with white wine so every browned bit ends up in the sauce.
🇲🇽 The original
In Mexico, where the turkey was first domesticated, the classic is turkey pieces braised in mole poblano, a dark sauce of dried chiles, spices, nuts and a little chocolate. See the Mole Poblano with Turkey (Mole Poblano de Guajolote) recipe.
Why it works the kitchen science
A long, dark roux
Cooking the flour in butter for 10 to 15 minutes takes away any raw flour taste and gives the gravy a toasty color and flavor before a drop of drippings goes in.
Deglazing
The wine dissolves the browned juices stuck to the roasting pan, which are the most concentrated turkey flavor of all, and straining keeps the gravy smooth.
Step by step
- Step 1
Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown the neck, heart, gizzard and tailpiece 5 minutes, add the onion and cook 3 minutes more. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook 20 minutes, until the giblets release their juices.
- Step 2
Add the stock, thyme and parsley, bring to a boil and simmer uncovered 30 minutes, skimming off any foam. Strain; you should have about 5 cups. Keep the heart and gizzard and throw away the neck. When cool enough to handle, trim the gristle from the gizzard and dice the heart and gizzard. (Make ahead: refrigerate the broth and giblets within 2 hours.)
- Step 3
While the turkey roasts, bring the broth to a simmer. In another large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking often, 10 to 15 minutes, until nutty brown and fragrant.
- Step 4
Whisk all but 1 cup of the hot broth into the roux, bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat about 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until slightly thickened. Set aside.
- Step 5
While the turkey rests, spoon as much fat as you can out of the roasting pan, leaving the browned bits and juices. Set the pan over two burners on medium-high heat (if the drippings are pale, cook them until dark brown). Add the wine, scrape up the browned bits and boil about 5 minutes, until reduced by half. Add the last cup of broth, then strain everything into the gravy, pressing on the solids.
- Step 6
Stir in the diced giblets, bring the gravy back to a simmer over medium heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Turkey Giblet Pan Gravy
Serves 12 · about 4 cups · 2 hr 15 min total
Giblet broth
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- The turkey's neck, heart, gizzard and tailpiece
- 1 onion, unpeeled, chopped
- 6 cups turkey or chicken stock (or 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth plus 2 cups water)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 8 parsley stems
Gravy
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Salt and pepper
- The roasting pan from the turkey, with its drippings
Method
- Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown the neck, heart, gizzard and tailpiece 5 minutes, add the onion and cook 3 minutes more. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook 20 minutes, until the giblets release their juices.
- Add the stock, thyme and parsley, bring to a boil and simmer uncovered 30 minutes, skimming off any foam. Strain; you should have about 5 cups. Keep the heart and gizzard and throw away the neck. When cool enough to handle, trim the gristle from the gizzard and dice the heart and gizzard. (Make ahead: refrigerate the broth and giblets within 2 hours.)
- While the turkey roasts, bring the broth to a simmer. In another large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking often, 10 to 15 minutes, until nutty brown and fragrant.
- Whisk all but 1 cup of the hot broth into the roux, bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat about 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until slightly thickened. Set aside.
- While the turkey rests, spoon as much fat as you can out of the roasting pan, leaving the browned bits and juices. Set the pan over two burners on medium-high heat (if the drippings are pale, cook them until dark brown). Add the wine, scrape up the browned bits and boil about 5 minutes, until reduced by half. Add the last cup of broth, then strain everything into the gravy, pressing on the solids.
- Stir in the diced giblets, bring the gravy back to a simmer over medium heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen's "Giblet Pan Gravy" (Cook's Illustrated, November/December 2000; online September 14, 2011). We follow ATK's amounts and timing. ATK keeps only the heart and gizzard for the gravy; the liver is not used. Leftover storage times are from UGA Extension and the Minnesota Department of Health (see Rules). America's Test Kitchen. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
Tips
- Almost all the work happens before the turkey comes out, so the last step takes about 10 minutes while the bird rests.
- Drippings from a salted or dry-brined turkey (our Dry-Brined Turkey recipe) are salty. Taste before you add any salt.
- Reheat leftover gravy to 165°F, stirring.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Leftover gravy keeps as long as the turkey. Disputed: UGA Extension says use leftover turkey, stuffing and gravy within 3 to 4 days; the Minnesota Department of Health says turkey and stuffing within 3 to 4 days but gravy within 1 to 2 days. Use the shorter time.
- Refrigerate turkey, stuffing and gravy separately, within 2 hours. Documented: UGA Extension.
Every other turkey
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