Giblet Gravy (Plus VIDEO)

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.

Contents… What are Giblets? Giblet Gravy Recipe Ingredients Recipe Variations Tips in Making Giblet Gravy Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What Goes with Giblet Gravy? More Recipes to Try How To Make Giblet Gravy Watch How To Make It

It seems like yesterday when I had my first Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. More than a decade has passed, and I have even hosted a couple of Thanksgiving celebrations.

I couldn’t be any happier seeing all those happy faces and echoing waves of laughter in my house. The sleepless nights before the big day is so worth it!

And, of course, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without our Thanksgiving duo, turkey and gravy.

And this year, instead of the regular gravy, I’m gonna serve them my new and improved Giblet Gravy recipe. Ooh! I can already taste these yummy giblets. And I can already picture the faces of my happily satisfied guests.

I’m sure they’re all gonna love this exceptionally fragrant homemade gravy.

It’s not your ordinary gravy recipe because it’s filled with sensational flavors and aromas from herbs and spices such as thyme and bay leaf.

I even added a good amount of butter and half-and-half to make it incredibly creamy, rich, and mouthwatering. And I’m gonna tell you more about it as you read along. ❤

What are Giblets?

If you haven’t met these fellas, here, let me share with you what they are. Giblets are edible (and delicious) parts of a fowl that are sometimes packaged inside the bird’s cavity.

Usually, they include the neck, gizzard, heart, and liver. You can use them to make an incredible stock that is the superstar ingredient of today’s quick and easy giblet gravy recipe.

Giblet Gravy Recipe Ingredients

The beautiful thing about this recipe is that you can make it with turkey or chicken giblets. Turkey giblets are larger than chicken giblets, so you might want to adjust the amount of water appropriately. And it’s a time-saver because you can prepare this while the turkey is roasting away in the oven.

Below is the complete list of ingredients that we need to make this easy gravy:

• Butter – Don’t skimp on the butter because it’ll make our gravy rich and tasty. It also is essential for the roux.
• Giblets – You can use giblets from turkey or chicken. They are often sealed in a bag and placed inside the body cavity of chicken or turkey. Please don’t throw them out; use them and make this easy gravy.
• Celery -Adding some chopped celery to our giblet gravy gives bolder flavor to our sauce with a subtle earthy and taste.
• Garlic and Onion – And, of course, are you going to say no to the wonderful aroma of garlic and onions? Not to mention their exceptional flavors, too? Na ah!
• Sprig Thyme and Bay Leaf – The usual giblet gravy doesn’t have any added herbs added. But hey, I’m Imma, so… I love experimenting with herbs and flavors. And the addition of thyme and bay leaf to this recipe will actually surprise you. 😉
• Water – We need to add water to draw out the flavor of the giblets and give it the perfect texture, not too thin and not too clumpy and paste-like.
• All-Purpose Flour – We’ll mix flour with butter to make a roux, so our gravy will have a nice consistency.
• Pan Drippings – All the nice flavors come from the pan drippings. Plus, it’s healthier to use, too, because it doesn’t contain chemical preservatives compared to the store-bought meat stock.
• Chicken Bouillon – To add more umami chicken flavor to our easy gravy recipe.
• Salt and Pepper – Without the salt, our gravy will just taste bland. Agree? While the ground pepper adds a nice kick of heat to the gravy without burning anyone’s tongue.
• Egg – Not only do the eggs add more nutrients to our homemade gravy, but they also add lovely texture and flavor.
• Half-and-Half – You’ll surely love the creaminess of this turkey or chicken giblet recipe brought about by half-and-half. You can also use heavy cream or evaporated milk instead.

Recipe Variations

• Seasoning Galore – You can also add Cajun flavors to our gravy with my Homemade Creole Seasoning. Or add some Mexican flavor fusion with Taco Seasoning.
• Spice it Up – You can start off with a dash of cayenne pepper or pepper flakes to add a little bit of heat to this turkey gravy. Or you can go with habanero and jalapenos if you want to make it really smoking hot.
• Herbylicious Goodness – Instead of thyme and bay leaf, you can also try it with Italian Seasoning. Or add more herbs like basil, rosemary, and sage.
• Gluten-Free Version – Instead of the roux, you can also use a cornstarch slurry to thicken our homemade gravy. Thus, making it gluten-free, no problem. Yaaay!
• Keto-Friendly – Skip the flour and use xanthan gum as a substitute. Don’t worry because it will still yield the same thick consistency. Don’t forget to swap half-and-half with heavy cream to make it completely keto and low-carb. Yaaay again!

Tips in Making Giblet Gravy

• Cook the giblets low and slow to make the most flavorful broth. Boiling and simmering them for 1-2 hours is preferred. Plus, it will make our giblet bits extra tender, juicy, and tasty. If you want it ready faster, you can use an Instant Pot.
• Remember, add just enough liquid to the roux, so our gravy doesn’t get too runny. Just follow the rule of thumb: 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of fat/butter is enough to thicken one cup of gravy or liquid.
• If the gravy turns out lumpy, shhh. Just run it puree it in the blender for a minute, and no one will know. 😉

Serving and Storage Instructions

Since we will need the pan drippings to make this homemade giblet gravy, making it ahead is already out of the picture. However, if you really want to make this giblet ahead, forget about the pan drippings and just use chicken broth instead.

• Storing – You can store giblet gravy in an air-tight container or freezer-safe resealable bag.
• Refrigerate – Once cooled, place the homemade gravy in the fridge and use it within 3 days.
• Freezer – Freezing the giblet gravy extends its shelf life for up to 3 months. However, the consistency may change after freezing since it contains dairy and roux.
• Thaw – For the safe food practice, always thaw your frozen cooked food in the fridge overnight. Don’t let it sit on the counter for more than 2 hours.

Reheating

• Stove – Transfer the giblet gravy into a saucepan and heat it on a stove until warm. Just add more water, broth, or stock if the gravy gets too thick.
• Microwave – On medium power, heat our giblet gravy with eggs for about 1-2 minutes. Stirring in between 30-second intervals to ensure even heating. Don’t forget to cover it if you don’t want to end up in a messy microwave situation. I don’t know, but eggs tend to explode inside a microwave. 🤔

FAQs

What Goes with Giblet Gravy?

These mouthwatering dishes below can already stand alone on their own. However, serving them with our giblet gravy here gives them more character and makes them more delectable and enjoyable to eat.

• Roast Garlic Mashed Potato
• Instant Pot Whole Chicken
• Smoked Turkey
• Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
• Hamburger Steak
• Smoked Spatchcock Turkey

More Recipes to Try

• Homemade Gravy
• Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
• Smothered Pork Chops
• Instant Pot Turkey Breast
• Smoked Beer Can Chicken

How To Make Giblet Gravy

Make the Giblet Broth

• Brown the Giblets in Butter – Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the giblets and brown on all sides. (Photo 1)
• Add the Veggies – Add the celery, garlic, onions, thyme, and bay leaf to the saucepan and saute for 3-5 minutes. (Photos 2-3)
• Add Water and Simmer – Add water and cover for 1-2 hours once the ingredients are simmering. Since turkey giblets are larger, you might want to adjust the amount of water appropriately because chicken giblets were used in this recipe. (Photo 4)
• Strain Stock and Set Aside – 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. (Photos 5-6)

Make the Giblet Gravy

• Make the Roux – Using a different skillet (preferably cast iron), melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk until fully incorporated. (Photos 7-8)
• Simmer with Broth and Pan Drippings – Gradually add the strained broth into the butter-flour mixture. Once that is fully mixed together, add the pan drippings. Start with 2 cups and add more to achieve the desired consistency. Add chicken bouillon and salt and pepper to taste. (Photos 9-10)
• Add Giblets and Eggs – Add the chopped boiled egg and giblets and simmer while stirring for 2-3 minutes. Add half-and-half or milk. Adjust seasonings to taste. (Photo 11)
• Serve Warm – over chicken or turkey and mashed potatoes. (Photo 12)

Watch How To Make It

This blog post was first published in November 2019 and has been updated with an additional write-up and a video.