I’m trying to be timely!
My mom is the undisputed gravy queen. She makes some of the best, lump-free gravy I’ve ever had. Growing up, she taught me a lot about gravy — including her favorite college snack of french fries and gravy — and she called certain food “sinful” in the best way possible.
One of her specialties is a classic turkey or pot roast sandwich on white bread, completely smothered in gravy. That’s true comfort food.
This is exactly how she makes it: a straightforward, reliable method that might look plain in photos but absolutely works. In these images she roasted a small turkey breast, but the process is the same whether you’re making gravy from a whole turkey (which often yields a darker gravy), chicken (similar color to these photos), pot roast (a richer, beefier brown), or other roasts. The method is simple — lots of stirring, seasoning at the end, and plenty of patience. The gravy reheats well, and she often makes large batches to keep plenty on hand.
If she needs extra gravy, she often adds about 1/4 inch of stock to the bottom of the roasting pan before cooking. That way, the roasting juices flavor the stock and you end up with more liquid for gravy. It’s an eyeball thing — adjust based on how much gravy you want.
Once the bird is out of the pan, she strains the drippings into a saucepan or pot, removing any loose pieces of meat or charred bits. If she used a large roasting pan she might pick out pieces with tongs. She often uses the same pan she roasted in so she can incorporate the browned bits from the bottom — that’s where a lot of the flavor is. Place the pan over medium heat to warm the drippings.
She makes a simple slurry by adding three heaping tablespoons of flour to 16 ounces of cold water — some would call this about 1/4 cup of flour. The important detail is to put the flour into the cold water, not the other way around. Put the flour and cold water in a shaker bottle, jar, or similar container and shake vigorously for 30 to 60 seconds until the flour is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
Supervision and attention are essential here. Pour the slurry into the warm drippings while whisking or stirring constantly. Keep stirring — seriously, do not stop. She stirs and whisks continuously until the mixture comes together and thickens. Depending on the heat and how much liquid you started with, this can take 10 to 20 minutes. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan so nothing sticks or burns.
As it cooks over medium heat it will begin to bubble and thicken into gravy. After about 15 to 20 minutes of active stirring, reduce the heat to low and keep it warm until serving.
Before serving, taste and generously season with salt and pepper. Don’t be afraid to add salt — gravy usually needs a fair amount to taste bold. Adjust seasoning to your preference and consider how salty your stock was if you used any. Keep tasting and tweaking until it tastes like gravy to you.
One note from family lore: please don’t add yellow food coloring. My grandmother used to color chicken gravy yellow because she thought chicken gravy should be yellow. It’s unnecessary — let the gravy be naturally colored by the drippings and stock.
Also: are you a gravy drizzler or a gravy smotherer? Do you let your whole plate swim in gravy or stick to a few spoonfuls? I’m a light drizzle/spoonful person myself.
How To Make Gravy
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Ingredients
- Drippings from turkey, chicken, pot roast, etc. (Add extra stock to the pan before roasting if you want more gravy.)
- 16 ounces cold water
- 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Strain the pan drippings into a large saucepan and set over medium heat. In a shaker bottle or jar combine the cold water and flour, then shake vigorously for 30 to 60 seconds until smooth. Whisk the slurry into the warm drippings while stirring constantly. Continue stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan until the gravy thickens, about 10 to 20 minutes.
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Taste and season generously with salt and pepper. Keep the gravy on low heat for serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week; to reheat, place in a saucepan with a splash of water or stock and warm gently while stirring until it returns to the desired consistency.
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I appreciate you so much!
Today I’m smoking a turkey and planning to make what I lovingly call the trashiest gravy ever. Can’t wait to share how it turns out.
[This is part of my “exactly how I” series where I show how I do things — sometimes perfectly, sometimes imperfectly, but always honestly.]