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    Home » Recipes » Sauces, Syrups & Dressings

    Thanksgiving Turkey Giblet Gravy

    by Mindy Boyd · Published: Aug 21, 2024 · Updated: Oct 16, 2024

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    ⏲️ 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins
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    Made with turkey drippings and giblet meat this homemade gravy is the perfect accompaniment to roast turkey. This post will give you step-by-step instructions on how to make delicious gravy using pan drippings or store bought chicken or turkey stock. 

    A small cream colored bowl full of Thanksgiving Turkey Giblet Gravy.

    Yes, you can have delicious and flavorful gravy even if you aren’t cooking a whole turkey. I learned this one year when Lee had a Thanksgiving dinner at work and they were serving turkey and mashed potatoes with no gravy. 

    No gravy?! I don’t think so. Homemade giblet gravy has been part of our holiday meal for as long as I can remember. There is no way I can eat turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes without gravy so I set out to figure out how. 

    Some giblet gravy over some sliced turkey breast and mashed potatoes.

    Well I suppose I could eat turkey without gravy, but why should I? My local grocery store had a package that contained only the neck so I used it to make turkey broth so I could make homemade turkey gravy. 

    Now it make not be exactly like classic giblet gravy but it’s a tasty alternative. And all Lee’s co-workers loved it and were impressed by it. We definitely earned brownie points for that addition to the meal, especially with his boss. After that he was known as the guy who’s wife is a good cook. 

    Jump to:
    • What is giblet gravy made of?
    • What are giblets?
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to make homemade giblet stock
    • How to make the best giblet gravy using pan drippings
    • How to make giblet gravy without drippings
    • Tips
    • Additions
    • Storage and reheating
    • Try these popular Thanksgiving recipes too!
    • Thanksgiving Turkey Giblet Gravy
    The giblets and neck on a plate before and after being cooked.

    What is giblet gravy made of?

    Giblet gravy is made using cooked giblets, neck meat, and drippings from a turkey. If you don’t have the giblets from a whole turkey it can be made using giblet broth, turkey broth or chicken broth. 

    What are giblets?

    Giblets are the edible offal of a fowl (poultry or bird), the heart, gizzard, liver and other organs. In the US the giblets are usually separated from the bird when it is butchered and sometimes included in a small bag, along with the neck, within the cavity of the bird.

    They are used to make gravy and sometimes cooked by themselves. The liver is sometimes used to make pate. 

    The pan of giblets with carrots, onions and celery before and after being cooked.

    Ingredient Notes

    See recipe card for exact amounts.

    turkey giblets – these come in a little giblet bag and it’s usually somewhere inside the cavity of the turkey. Sometimes you have to hunt to find it. This contains the heart, gizzard, liver and neck of a turkey. 

    onion – I use an inexpensive yellow onion.

    carrots – no need to peel the carrots because we just use them for flavor and will be throwing them out after the turkey broth is cooked.

    celery – go ahead and leave the leafy tops on if possible. 

    flour – white all purpose flour is best. 

    salt – regular salt, kosher salt or sea salt will all work. 

    pepper – black pepper, I use restaurant style because it is coarsely ground. 

    A measuring cup with 2 cups of giblet broth on the top and a measuring cup with 4 cups of broth and the fat from the roasted turkey on the bottom.

    How to make homemade giblet stock

    1. Place the turkey neck, gizzard, heart, onion, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and water in a large saucepan. Boil over high heat, then reduce to medium to medium-low heat and cook at a low simmer for about 1 hour. Skim large amounts of foam that accumulates off the top (this is only necessary at the beginning). After 1 hour add the liver and cook an additional 30 minutes. 
    2. Remove the giblets and neck and transfer to a plate. Pour the broth through a mesh strainer to take any large chunks out. You can use a coffee filter if you want every little piece out, I don’t.
    A small pile of chopped heart, gizzard and liver on a cutting mat.

    How to make the best giblet gravy using pan drippings

    1. Use a fat separating measuring cup or skim the fat off the top of the juice you get from roasting the turkey. 
    2. Warm the turkey fat in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in the juice portion of the drippings and heat to a boil while whisking constantly. Continue to cook until thick and bubbly.
    3. Add the chopped giblets and salt and pepper to taste. 

    I roast my turkey in an electric roaster oven and always have enough fat and juice to make 4 cups of gravy (3 1/2 cups of juice and 1/2 cup of fat). I make the giblet broth as a backup and almost never use it for the gravy.

    If you are short on fat you can add butter or oil to it so you have the correct amount. The same is true for the liquid, use either some of the giblet stock you made above or store bought chicken stock so you have the called for amount of broth. 

    A white gravy boat filled with homemade turkey giblet gravy.

    How to make giblet gravy without drippings

    Buy the neck and/or giblets separately and cook them as instructed above. Then make the gravy using butter instead of the pan drippings and the stock from the giblets instead of juice from the turkey. 

    Or use store-bought chicken or turkey stock instead of homemade. While this method won’t technically be giblet gravy you will end up with a tasty gravy that’ll go well with any traditional holiday meal. 

    Tips

    • Leave the liver in the refrigerator while the heart, gizzard and neck cooks. 
    • The liquid cooks out so I start out with 8 cups of water and end up with about 2 cups of stock. If you want to end up with more stock, so you will have more gravy, then add more water as needed as the giblets cook. 
    • Use as much or as little of the chopped giblets in the gravy as you want. I use only about 1/4 cup total. I originally started doing this because I didn’t want the kids to ask what the little bits of stuff in the gravy was. I figured they’d probably be grossed out and wouldn’t eat it. Plus I don’t use the tough outer parts of the gizzard and heart and don’t want to use too much of the liver. The liver taste may be overpowering and then our gravy wouldn’t be as tasty. 
    A medium black saucepan filled with homemade southern style giblet gravy.

    Additions

    • You can add two chopped hard-boiled eggs when you add the giblets back into the gravy. This is how classic turkey giblet gravy is made. I taught myself how to make this gravy at a time when I couldn’t eat eggs and just have never included them. 
    • To make a creamier gravy you can add little milk. There are a couple of ways to do it; add about 1/4 cup. It will make your gravy thinner. To add milk without thinning the gravy then replace some of the broth with milk. 

    Storage and reheating

    Store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove top over medium heat. 

    Try these popular Thanksgiving recipes too!

    Super Easy Pan Fried Fresh Green Beans combine string beans, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and water to make a healthy, tasty, quick, and easy side dish.

    Pan Fried Green Beans

    Homemade Stove Top Stuffing features dried bread, onion, celery, mushrooms, broth and seasonings. Fast, so tasty, and easier than you think!

    Stove-Top Stuffing

    Cranberry Pineapple Jello Salad features whole berry cranberry sauce, crushed pineapple, and raspberry jello. A tasty way to perk up canned cranberry sauce.

    Cranberry Jello

    A small bowl of gravy, the recipe title is in text at the top so it can be pinned on Pinterest.

    Did you love this recipe?

    We would love it if you’d leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!

    Feature image of a white gravy boat filled with homemade giblet gravy.

    Thanksgiving Turkey Giblet Gravy

    Mindy Boyd
    Looking for an easy Thanksgiving turkey giblet gravy recipe? This recipe uses cooked giblets, neck meat, and turkey drippings for a tasty homemade gravy.
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    Print – Email Required Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins
    Course Gravy
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 servings of 1/4 cup each

    Ingredients
      

    • 1/2 cup meat drippings or butter
    • 1/2 cup flour
    • 3 1/2 cup meat drippings or stock
    • salt to taste
    • pepper to taste
    Get Recipe Ingredients

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    Instructions
     

    • Use a fat separating measuring cup or skim the fat off the top of the juice you get from roasting the turkey. 
    • Warm the turkey fat (or butter) in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the flour and cook stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in the juice portion of the drippings (or broth) and heat to a boil while whisking constantly.
    • Continue to cook until thick and bubbly. Add the chopped giblets and salt and pepper to taste. 

    Notes

    I roast my turkey in an electric roaster oven and always have enough fat and juice to make 4 cups of gravy (3 1/2 cups of juice and 1/2 cup of fat). I make the giblet broth as a backup and almost never use it for the gravy.
    If you are short on fat you can add butter or oil to it so you have the correct amount. The same is true for the liquid, use either some of the giblet stock you made above or store bought chicken stock so you have the called for amount of broth.
    Did you make this recipe? We would love it if you would leave us a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!
     
    Nutritional information is only an estimate and may not be correct for the specific ingredients used.  
     
    See notes, and other valuable information (especially for this recipe) in the post above.
     
    Bookmark this page to find it quickly when you are ready to make this recipe!

    Nutrition Facts

    Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 178IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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