How to Make Great Gravy This Thanksgiving (And How to Make It Without Drippings) (2024)

No turkey dinner is complete without this rich, savory sauce—it's what ties the whole meal together. But getting it just right can be tricky. How to make gravy that's sure to impress your guests? Try our Basic Turkey Gravy Recipe and use our smart tips to troubleshoot and fix the most common conundrums home cooks face when making gravy. Whether your gravy is bland, tastes like flour, is lumpy, too thin, too thick, or you don't have drippings, we have solutions.

Problem: Your Gravy is Bland

Gravy is a highlight of any holiday meal—except when it falls short on depth and flavor. Luckily, we have a few simple solutions.

How to Fix It

Add a scoop of store-bought demi-glace (we like D'Artagnan's duck-and-veal demi-glace) for meaty richness, or a splash of soy sauce for an umami infusion.

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful. Homemade stock, even made with chicken stock rather than turkey, will produce a superior gravy—so it's worth the effort.

Problem: Your Gravy Tastes Like Flour

Flour thickens your gravy, but if you don't allow enough time for the ingredients to come together, or if they're not combined properly, the end result can be disappointing—it can feel doughy, chalky, or taste like flour.

How to Fix it

How to make gravy that isn't reminiscent of dough? Make sure the flour has been cooked long enough: When flour is added to the pan drippings or butter, whisk constantly while the mixture cooks until it turns a deep golden brown and smells nutty. If you realize that your gravy tastes like flour when you're almost finished, turn up the heat to maintain a rapid simmer for several minutes; then thin it again with more stock or water if necessary.

Problem: Your Gravy is Lumpy

While it may seem logical to add flour to stock that's been boiling on the stovetop, that can actually lead to a culinary mishap every home cook tries to avoid: lumpy gravy.

How to Fix It

If bumps appear no matter how well you whisk, it's probably because you've added flour directly to hot stock; starch granules swell unevenly in boiling liquid. Thankfully, there's an easy remedy. To save it, pour the sauce through a fine sieve.

How to Avoid This Issue Next Time

Start by mixing 2 cups of room-temperature stock with 1 tablespoon instant flour, such as Wondra (it's precooked and dried so it will dissolve easily). Then stir that mixture into the boiling stock.

Problem: Your Gravy is Too Thin

Gravy that lacks substance also detracts from the festive feast. Our French fix works wonders!

How to Fix It

Simmer the gravy over medium-high heat, allowing the liquid to reduce. If your gravy is still too thin, add a beurre manié (French for kneaded butter): Make a paste of equal parts flour and room-temperature unsalted butter, and add it a little at a time, whisking constantly, until the gravy thickens.

Problem: Your Gravy is Too Thick

Sludgy thick gravy is far from ideal. With a bit of patience and a smidge of stock, you can easily turn the situation around.

How to Fix It

Gradually whisk a little stock or water into the gravy until it reaches the desired consistency.

Problem: You Don't Have Drippings

If roasting a turkey is off the table this holiday, there's a simple solution for adding essential poultry flavor to your gravy.

How to Fix It

The liquid and juicy bits from the roasting pan form gravy's flavor base. If you're grilling or frying the bird this year, make drippings with a simple workaround: Roast chicken wings, and deglaze the pan with stock.

Watch our Kitchen Conundrums expert Thomas Joseph whip up a delicious gravy without drippings: