The secret to making the best giblet gravy is in that paper-wrapped prize that comes inside every whole turkey or chicken, the giblet bag!

Giblet gravy is a rich and savory sauce made from the drippings and giblets of a roasted bird, adding a depth of flavor to your holiday feast.

What is Giblet Gravy?

Gravy is made from pan drippings and fat from roasting a turkey or chicken. Giblet gravy is a little bit different than my traditional turkey gravy recipe, it’s kicked up a notch with flavor. It has savory herbs, aromatic vegetables, and tender bits of meat.

Giblets include the heart, gizzard, and liver of the turkey and are often found in a little package inside the turkey and I include the neck as well. The heart and gizzard have lots of flavor. The softer, mashable liver, has a strong distinctive taste all its own that gives character to your gravy. Additional broth and pan drippings are added to increase the volume.

Tips For The Best Flavor

When getting the drippings from your roasting pan, be sure to scrape up as many brown bits as you can, they add so much flavor.

Separate the fat and the drippings. Fat can be used in place of butter (or use some of each if needed) when adding the flour.

How to Make Giblet Gravy

A perfectly delicious side dish to serve with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Here’s how to make a simple giblet gravy recipe.

  1. Combine giblets, broth, herbs, and veggies. Simmer over medium heat (do not boil). Strain giblet broth, reserving both the giblets and the broth.
  2. Cook butter (or turkey fat) with flour. Stir in chopped giblets, drippings, chicken broth, or turkey broth a bit at a time until the gravy reaches the desired consistency.
  3. Taste, season & serve.

How Long Does Gravy Last?

Gravy is so delicious that it’s actually a good thing it doesn’t last long outside of the freezer. It’s the perfect environment for growing bacteria, so don’t let it sit out for more than two hours.

  • Store in the fridge for about 3 days at most.
  • Store in the freezer for 2-3 months.
  • Reheat on the stovetop and bring to full boil before serving.

Follow what the food safety experts say so everyone goes away from the table satisfied and healthy!

glass of Giblet Gravy

How to Store Leftover Giblet Gravy

Store leftovers within two hours of removing them from heat. Transfer to containers and tightly cover. If headed for the freezer, leave an inch of headspace for expansion.

If you’re making ahead, cool the gravy rapidly before putting it away. Food safety experts recommend placing directly into the refrigerator or cooling it in an ice water bath.

Savory Holiday Sides

Did you make this Giblet Gravy? Leave us a rating and a comment below!

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
spoonful of Giblet Gravy out of the pot
5 from 13 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Giblet Gravy

This delicious old-fashioned gravy is just like grandma used to make.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Holly Nilsson

Equipment

a saucepan
Saucepan
buy hollys book

Ingredients  

  • giblets from one turkey (including neck, liver, gizard, heart)
  • ½ onion chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cups turkey or chicken drippings or stock, broth, or a combination
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh herbs* chopped
  • salt and black pepper to taste

For Thickening

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cold water or cold broth

Instructions 

  • If using turkey drippings, once the turkey has finished cooking pour the drippings into a bowl or gravy separator. As it rests, it will separate into a layer of fat and a layer of drippings. Gently spoon the fat off of the drippings and set it aside to use in place of some of the butter in step 5, use the drippings in place of (or along with) the broth.
  • Rinse the uncooked giblets and place them in a saucepan with onions, celery, bay leaf, and turkey broth.
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook covered for 1 hour.
  • Strain the giblet broth, reserving both the giblets and the broth. Remove any meat from the neck if desired and discard the bones, celery, bay leaf, and onions. Finely chop the remaining giblets and the meat from the neck if using.
  • Melt butter in the saucepan over medium heat (if you have turkey fat from step 1, use that adding extra butter as needed). Add flour and cook until it begins to lightly brown, about 3 minutes.
  • Slowly add the giblet broth and/or turkey drippings, whisking after each addition until smooth (you may not need all of the broth). Stir in chopped giblets and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Notes

The liver has a distinct flavor and can be left out if you’d prefer.
Two hard boiled eggs can be very finely chopped an added to the gravy if desired.
We like the chunky consistency of this gravy but if you’d prefer, giblet gravy can be blended.
For fresh herbs, I purchase a poultry pack of herbs at our local grocery store. It includes parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sage. I use a bit of each, mostly parsley.
Instead of flour, this gravy can be thickened with cornstarch. Skip the butter and combine equal parts cornstarch and cold water or broth. Mix well. Stir into simmering broth a little at a time to reach desired consistency. Add giblets and proceed with recipe as directed.
 
5 from 13 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 91.46 | Carbohydrates: 12.9g | Protein: 4.15g | Fat: 2.47g | Saturated Fat: 0.44g | Cholesterol: 3.55mg | Sodium: 180.41mg | Potassium: 180.54mg | Fiber: 0.74g | Sugar: 2.54g | Vitamin A: 44.9IU | Vitamin C: 1.25mg | Calcium: 16.45mg | Iron: 0.66mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dip, Sauce
Cuisine American
old fashioned Giblet Gravy with a title
taking a spoonful of Giblet Gravy out of the pot with writing
close up of Giblet Gravy with writing
Giblet Gravy in a glass pitcher and close up with a title

share:

PinFacebookTweetYummly

Categories:

, , , , , ,

Like our recipes?
Follow us on Pinterest!

Follow us on Pinterest

Recipes you'll love

About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
See more posts by Holly

Follow Holly on social media:

pinterest facebook twitter instagram

Free eBook!

Subscribe to receive weekly recipes and get a FREE Bonus e-book: Quick & Easy Weeknight Meals!

You can unsubscribe anytime by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of emails you receive.

Latest & Greatest

5 from 13 votes (12 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

    1. The butter is used to make a roux (to cook the flour). If using cornstarch is not needed although you could add a pat of butter at the end for flavor if you’d like.

  1. I made this for thanksgiving. It was really tasty and my kids loved it! They are older kids but they thought this gravy had better taste than in years past.5 stars

    1. I purchase a poultry pack of herbs at our local grocery store. It includes parsley, thyme, rosemary and sage. I use a bit of each, mostly parsley.

    1. I purchase a poultry pack of herbs at our local grocery store. It includes parsley, thyme, rosemary and sage. I use a bit of each, mostly parsley.