Giblet Gravy
Giblet gravy made entirely from scratch with pan drippings delivers a creamy, flavorful, and satisfying Thanksgiving dinner side. It’s super easy and enhances mashed potatoes, roasted turkey, and holiday stuffing so much better.
It seems like yesterday when I celebrated my first Thanksgiving in the States. Decades have passed, and I’ve since enjoyed hosting several Thanksgiving dinners. Seeing all those happy faces and hearing laughter echoing throughout my house couldn’t make me happier. The sleepless nights before the big day were so worth it!
And, of course, no Thanksgiving would be complete without smothering your turkey and mashed potatoes with giblet gravy. It’s going to be great.
Why Giblets Make Great Gravy
Giblets are the most flavorful and umami-loaded part of the turkey. You usually find them packaged inside a whole bird, whether turkey or chicken. The neck, gizzard, heart, and liver create an incredible giblet broth, the superstar of this quick and easy gravy recipe. However, you can buy gizzards, hearts, and livers packaged separately.
How to Make Giblet Gravy
- Sear the giblets, add the vegetables, then add water and simmer.
- Strain the broth, then chop the giblets and boiled egg.
- Make the roux, add the broth and drippings, and simmer until thickened. Stir in the diced giblets and hard-boiled egg and heat through.
Recipe Tips and Twists
- Cajun seasoning or taco seasoning spices up gravy. And a dash of cayenne, a diced habanero, or jalapeños will deliver some extra heat.
- Add Italian seasonings, basil, rosemary, or sage for a more delicious aroma.
- Make a cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy instead of the traditional roux for a gluten-free gravy.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Reduce stress by making the gravy ahead, then cooling it completely. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to six months. Reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop until it simmers.
Leftover gravy can ramp up soups and stews. I love freezing it in ice cube trays and throwing a cube or two in other sauces. If using it within 3-4 days, it keeps fine in the fridge.
Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop when ready to use it.
What to Serve With Giblet Gravy
Gravy is classic over mashed potatoes, roasted turkey breast, green bean casserole, and easy coleslaw. And pumpkin pie for dessert is a winner.
More Amazing Holiday Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Brown Sugar Baked Ham
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Smoked Corn on the Cob
- Pecan Pie
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”xszrDAgW” upload-date=”2021-10-18T06:36:24.000Z” name=”Giblet Gravy” description=”This classic Southern recipe Giblet Gravy is made entirely from scratch with homemade giblet stock, roasted turkey or chicken pan drippings, roux, chopped giblets, and a boiled egg. This game-changing sauce is guaranteed to please everyone this coming Thanksgiving dinner! It’s a rich, velvety, and insanely flavorful gravy.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
This blog post was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Giblet Gravy
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
- giblets from a whole turkey or chicken (150-220 grams)
- ½ cup (50g) chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- ½ cup (58g) chopped onion
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 cups (1185ml) water or more
- 4 tablespoons (40g) all-purpose flour
- 2-2½ cup (475-600ml) pan drippings, from turkey or chicken OR use chicken broth
- chicken bouillon to taste (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 hard-boiled egg, peeled
- ½ cup (120ml) half-and-half or milk
Instructions
- Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the giblets and brown on all sides.
- Add the celery, garlic, onion, thyme, and bay leaf to the saucepan and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- Once the ingredients are simmering, add water and cover for 1-2 hours. If using turkey giblets, adjust the amount of water appropriately since they are larger. I used smaller chicken giblets in this recipe.
- Strain the stock with a fine-mesh strainer and scoop the giblets out using a slotted spoon. Set the stock aside and finely chop the giblets and the hard-boiled egg.
- Using a cast-iron skillet, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter melts, add in the flour and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Gradually whisk the strained broth into the roux. Once that is fully mixed, add the pan drippings. Start with 2 cups and add more to achieve desired consistency. Adjust seasonings to taste with chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chopped boiled egg and giblets and simmer while stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add the half-and-half or milk. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Serve hot over chicken or turkey and mashed potatoes!
Tips & Notes:
- Cook the giblets low and slow for the most flavorful broth and tender meat.
- For the best roux, the rule of thumb is a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of fat to one cup of liquid.
- Quick fix for lumpy gravy. Puree it in the blender for a minute, and no one will know.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Make it every year ❤️
Awesome!!! Thanks for your feedback.
How do you know how much gizards and liver to use if making ahead using separate packaed gizzards and liver? Trying today.
.
Hi Iris,
I would do 50/50 or If you particularly enjoy the flavor of either gizzards or liver, you can adjust the ratio to suit your taste. Some people prefer more liver for its distinct flavor, while others might favor gizzards for their texture.
Remember to cook the gizzards and liver thoroughly before adding them to your gravy. Gizzards usually take longer to cook and become tender compared to liver, which cooks quite quickly.
This looks so similar to my mother’s recipe. I know it will be delicious. Cannot wait to try this. So glad to receive your recipes! Thank you!.
Yeah, I would love to hear from you once you try. Please let me know how it goes and if it is according to your mother’s recipe how the taste. Thank you!
Hey! My name is Deb Wilson… I have a question…. my grandmother always put chopped hard boiled eggs in her gravy, and I never asked her why … what do they add to gravy … thanks for your time!
Hi Deb! Not only do the eggs add more nutrients to our homemade gravy, but they also add lovely texture and flavor.
I love your recipes
Thank you! This is one of my favorite too!