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–+ servings
Melissa Jo

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

5 from 1 vote
In my family, there’s no such thing as “just enough” food. We’re Italian — which means Thanksgiving isn’t complete without both a traditional turkey dinner and a first course of baked ziti or stuffed shells.
My grandmother always said, “If you’re cooking one pot of gravy, you might as well make two.” So now, every year, we make this rich, golden make-ahead turkey gravy before the big day — and then another batch using the turkey drippings the morning of.
We just like to have a lot of gravy — there’s never enough! These days my family calls me The Gravy Master, because I’m in charge of every pot on the stove. This recipe makes a flavorful, silky gravy you can pour over everything — turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and even leftover sandwiches the next day.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients
  

For the Broth
  • 6 turkey wings I used 2 more for extra flavor
  • 2 onions roughly chopped
  • 4 celery stalks roughly chopped
  • 5 carrots roughly chopped
  • 1 garlic bulb halved
  • 1 bundle about ¾ package fresh thyme
  • ¾ cup olive oil for roasting
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried sage
  • ½ cup Chardonnay or dry white wine
  • 7 cups chicken stock
For One Batch of Gravy (you can double or triple below)
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ small onion finely diced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups turkey broth from above
  • 1 tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Gravy Master optional, for rich color
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

Method
 

Roast the Base
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. In a large roasting pan, combine turkey wings, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and thyme.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and sage, and toss well.
  4. Roast for 1 hour until golden and fragrant.
Add Liquid & Finish Roasting
  1. Pour in ½ cup Chardonnay and 7 cups chicken stock.
  2. Return to oven and roast another 45 minutes.
Strain the Broth
  1. Remove turkey wings (serve them for dinner — they’re delicious!).
  2. Strain everything through a large colander into a stock pot.
  3. Use a potato masher to press the vegetables and extract all the juices.
  4. This yields about 10 cups of liquid gold turkey broth.
Make the Gravy
  1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
  2. Add diced onion and a pinch of salt and pepper; sauté until translucent.
  3. Add minced garlic and cook 2 minutes.
  4. Whisk in the flour and cook until smooth and light golden.
  5. Slowly pour in 2 cups broth while whisking constantly until thick.
  6. Add another 2 cups broth and bring to a gentle boil.
  7. Let boil for about 3–5 minutes until it starts to gloss up, then reduce to a low simmer.
Season & Finish
  1. Stir in Worcestershire, Gravy Master, and garlic powder.
  2. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
  3. Simmer a few more minutes until smooth, creamy, and rich.

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