Don’t let that turkey carcass go to waste, use it to make a turkey broth mixed with a few other ingredients to make an easy turkey gravy.
Jump to RecipeYou all know I love making things from scratch whenever possible. And that’s just what we did with this turkey gravy. I made a whole turkey in the instant pot recently and used the carcass to make a delicious gravy. I’ve made a few other types of gravy recently (Brown Gravy, Southern Fried Chicken Gravy) but this was by far our favorite.
Since I don’t like to waste things until I’ve used them as much as possible, this was a great way to use the carcass from the cooked turkey. Justin helped me pull all of the meat off the bones, then I made gravy.
The only thing I don’t like about this is it takes a while, so it isn’t easy to make with the turkey. Since you need the bones, the turkey has to cook first. But, if you are making the turkey ahead of time, you can let this gravy simmer while you prepare everything else for the meal.
Step by Step
Gather your ingredients and chop all of the vegetables.
In a large stockpot, add the turkey bones, chicken broth, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 hour.
Strain the broth through a mesh strainer and discard the solids. NOTE: At this point, you have turkey broth. So if you aren’t looking to make gravy, you can save this broth for future use. Return the liquid to the pan and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, whisk the flour and water together and mix into the broth. This will help to thicken the gravy.
Bring to a boil again and reduce to medium-low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the salt and serve warm.
On this plate: Instant Pot Turkey, Turkey Gravy, Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes, Candied Yams
Leftovers
Let the leftover gravy cool to room temperature. Store in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the gravy for up to 3 months. To reheat, pour into a saucepan and heat over low, stirring often, until it returns to the same consistency. If your gravy was frozen, allow to thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
Recipe
Originally Published On: October 5, 2020
Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- bones/carcass of one cooked turkey
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 carrot (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1 head garlic (halved crosswise)
- 6 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, add the turkey bones, chicken broth, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and bring to a boil
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 hour
- Strain the broth through a mesh strainer and discard the solids
- Return the liquid to the pan and bring to a boil
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour and water together and mix into the broth
- Bring to a boil again and reduce to medium-low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Stir in the salt and serve warm
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
I know I am in the minority but I just am not a fan of gravy! HOwever, my dad loves to make it so I am sending him your recipe because I know he is always looking for new ones for the holidays.
Oh man, I love all kinds of gravy 🙂 But, everyone has different tastes, so I appreciate you sending this one on to your dad!
I’m very impressed. I love to cook but to make that gravy from scratch is extra for me. I wouldn’t discard all those delicious veggies, they’d go in a hearty soup. Yummy! 🙂 <3
I usually throw them in the compost after being used for something like this. I find that when trying to add them to soup they break down since they’ve already been cooked so long.
I actually just learned how to make gravy from scratch the other day! I need to try out this recipe.
There are so many ways to do it! I’ve had fun experimenting with a bunch of different recipes.
Gravy makes everything better! I’m not traveling for Thanksgiving this year and am already gathering recipes to make! This is on the list for sure.
I agree, I love gravy! We will definitely be making some again for the holidays, too.