Fresh from the Kitchen: Recipes & Food Inspiration
- Use turkey neck and giblets for deep turkey flavor and collagen that produces a silky texture.
- This old school gravy needs no pan drippings, so you can make it before the turkey is ready.
- Build a classic roux: sauté onion in butter, stir in flour and herbs, then whisk in strained stock and simmer.
- Make-ahead friendly: refrigerate up to four days or freeze up to three months; reheat gently and serve warm over turkey or mashed potatoes.
Your holiday spread is just not complete without gravy! Let me show you how simple it is to make my Southern-style turkey giblet gravy the old-fashioned way with a few everyday ingredients.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you’ll love my bourbon cranberry sauce, too!
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❤️ Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Easy to Make – You won’t need any fancy tools or techniques to make turkey giblet gravy from scratch. Just a little patience. Aside from the turkey giblets and turkey neck, you’ll grab a few pantry staples like broth, flour, and spices–no eggs and no milk.
No Drippings Needed – The beauty of this old-school giblet gravy recipe is that it’s made without pan drippings, so you don’t have to wait for the turkey to be ready to make it!
True Southern Taste – I honestly believe that this is the best, most lip-smacking gravy you’ll ever taste. It has a super satisfying savory flavor and rich, velvety texture.
👉🏾 Can’t get enough gravy? Check out my crispy roasted chicken and pan gravy, smothered Cajun turkey wings, or peach-glazed smoked ham recipe next!
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What You’ll Need for this Recipe
Turkey Giblets and Neck add deep turkey flavor to gravy. Giblets are the edible organs and parts of the turkey (or chicken or duck), which include the heart, liver, and gizzard–and are typically found in a bag inside the bird. The neck is considered optional, but I highly recommend including it for the collagen, which creates the silky texture we love!
Herbs and Spices like rubbed sage, bay leaf, and mushroom powder are my secret to making gravy so good you would slurp it up with a spoon.
Poultry Broth from either turkey or chicken works well here. You can use water in a pinch; just note that the flavor won’t be quite as intense.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Onion – I like to use sweet yellow onion, like Vidalia, in this recipe. But you can use any type of white or yellow onion or even shallot for similar flavor. I don’t, however, recommend using red onion.
Make-Ahead – You can make this traditional recipe for giblet gravy up to two days before the big meal. Check out my storage and reheating tips below!
How to Make Old-Fashioned Giblet Gravy with Turkey
- Step One: Add the turkey pieces to a pot with broth, bring to a boil, then simmer until the meat is cooked through and strain. (Photos 1 and 2)
- Step Two: Saute the onion in the butter, then mix in the flour, herbs, and spices. (Photos 3 and 4)
- Step Three: Whisk in the strained turkey stock, and cook until thickened. (Photo 5)
- Step Four: Serve warm. (Photo 6)
Pro Tip #1
Cooking the herbs and spices with the butter and flour deepens their flavor and better infuses it throughout the gravy. Don’t skip this step!
Frequently Asked Questions
Let the gravy come to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Keeps for up to four days.
Yes. Because this is a broth-based gravy, it will keep well in the freezer for up to three months when stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container. I recommend freezing in portions with Souper Cubes for easier reheating later!
How to Serve
Temperature: This gravy is best served warm for a smooth texture that gets into every nook and cranny. When I’m hosting, I either keep it in a small pot on low on the stovetop or in a slow cooker on the “Keep Warm” setting.
Pairings: Pour the gravy all over your holiday turkey or fluffy mashed potatoes at dinner. And Soul Food cornbread dressing and gravy is an undefeated combination in my household! It’s also great mixed into leftovers like turkey pot pie.
Occasions: Of course, this is a great recipe for Thanksgiving. But it also slaps for Christmas dinner and Easter dinner, too.
More Recipes to Round Out Your Holiday Meal
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you’ll enjoy this southern turkey giblet gravy recipe soon and very soon. And sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Southern Turkey Neck and Giblet Gravy
Beautifully rich, yet simple giblet gravy recipe for turkey, mashed potatoes, and more!
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Instructions
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Make the Giblet Stock: Add the turkey neck, giblets, and broth to saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for an hour.
giblets and turkey neck, 4 cups chicken broth
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Remove the pot from heat, strain the solid pieces out of the broth, and set aside.
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Build the Roux: Return the pot to the stovetop over medium heat, and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and spices and cook until fragrant (about 2-3 minutes), then whisk in the flour until dissolved.
¼ cup unsalted butter, ½ onion, ½ teaspoon rubbed sage, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon mushroom powder, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ¼ teaspoon ground thyme, 1 bay leaf, sea salt, ¼ cup all-purpose flour
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Finish the Gravy: Let the roux develop until the flour starts to turn golden brown (about another three minutes), then stir in the strained stock. Continue cooking for 15-20 minutes, or until the gravy is thickened and bubbly. Taste test, and adjust seasonings as needed.
Notes
I like to use sweet yellow onion, like Vidalia, in this recipe. But you can use any type of white or yellow onion or even shallot for similar flavor. I don’t, however, recommend using red onion.
Storage
To store, let the gravy come to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Keeps for up to four days.
Because this is a broth-based gravy, it will keep well in the freezer for up to three months when stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container. I recommend freezing in portions with Souper Cubes for easier reheating later!
Nutrition
Calories: 61kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 350mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 148IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 0.4mg
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