Easy step by step instructions showing how to make gravy from pan drippings! This is the perfect gravy to make on Thanksgiving or whenever you make a roast.
Wondering how to make gravy from pan drippings? If you are making roast chicken or a Thanksgiving turkey, you should definitely be pairing it with gravy made from the pan drippings.
Both chicken and turkey need to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving (this locks in the juices making the meat more tender), and you can easily prepare gravy during this time.
My Dad taught me how to make gravy, and I use his technique. It is easy and it works every time! I use the same method to make gravy from beef and pork drippings.
One trick to making gravy is making sure that the chicken (or turkey) drippings don’t burn on the bottom of the pan. Pour about a 1/2 inch layer of chicken broth in the bottom of the pan to prevent the drippings from burning.
Periodically check and add more broth to the bottom of the pan as necessary. I usually check the roast every 30 minutes and over the course of roasting a chicken or turkey I add about 3 cups of broth to the bottom of the pan.
Once the chicken has cooked competly, I remove the chicken from the pan, place it on a cutting board, and cover it with foil to keep it warm. Then I scrape up all of the drippings with a rubber spatula and pour them through a strainer into a mason jar. The recipe below is based on having about 1 cup of pan drippings, you can adjust the recipe as necessary.
Straining the drippings is important since it removes any chunks of herbs or meat and helps to make smooth gravy. I like to pour the pan drippings into a glass container so that I can see the line of fat on the top of the drippings.
Then I melt butter and add flour making a roux. This will help to thicken the gravy. The technique of mixing the butter and flour also helps to prevent clumps of flour from forming in your gravy.
I let the roux cook for a minute, and then I add the pan drippings. Letting the roux cook lets the flour cook and it prevents the gravy from having a flour taste.
Use a baster to suck up only the drippings under the fat which will rise to the top. Whisk the drippings into the roux. Then add about 1/4 cup white wine and 1/4 cup chicken broth.
I let this simmer and thicken for about 5 minutes. Making gravy is quick and easy and only takes about 10 minutes.
Since the chicken is seasoned with herbs these herbs make their way into the gravy so it doesn’t require extra seasoning. This gravy is great poured over chicken, mashed potatoes, and rice.
The color of the gravy will vary. The dark gravy comes from a whole turkey made with Moroccan spices, while the lighter gravy is from a honey maple turkey breast.
If you have leftover gravy, you can either freeze it for later, or you can add it to soup. Adding leftover gravy to soup makes it much more flavorful. You can also freeze extra gravy in an ice cube tray and use it to flavor sauces – or you can add it to sandwiches.
If you need to learn how to roast a chicken, cook a full turkey, or cook a turkey breast, these blog posts will help:
Lemon Roast Chicken
Step by Step Instructions for Cooking a Turkey
Honey Maple Turkey Breast
How to Make Beer Can Chicken
How to make Gravy from Pan Drippings:
How to Make Gravy from Pan Drippings
Easy step by step instructions showing how to make gravy from pan drippings! This is the perfect gravy to make on Thanksgiving or whenever you make a roast. Using the pan drippings is the easiest way to make a super flavorful gravy.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 tablespoon Flour
- about 1 cup Pan Drippings from Chicken Turkey, Beef, or Pork
- 1/4 cup White Wine
- 1/4 cup Chicken Broth
Instructions
Remove the chicken (or turkey, beef, or pork) from the pan. Use a rubber spatula to scrape up all of the browned bits that might be stuck to the pan. Then pour all of the pan drippings through a fine mesh strainer or piece of cheesecloth and into a clear container.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour. Let cook, whisking constantly, until the butter and flour (the roux) mixture becomes golden brown.
Use a baster to suck up the chicken drippings below the layer of fat. Whisk this into the roux. Continue until all of the drippings have been added. (I discard the fat later). If you don't have a baster, you can spoon off the excess fat and then pour the drippings into the pan. Just make sure you put the fat into a container where it can harden and be thrown away - it's bad to dump it down the drain. (Or save it for cooking!)
Add the white wine and the chicken broth. Whisk to combine. Then bring the broth up to a steady simmer. Let simmer for 5 minutes or so, until the gravy has thickened. If the gravy isn't thickening enough, melt more butter and flour together in a separate pan, making more roux, then whisk that into the pan. And let simmer for 2 more minutes.
Want to save these instructions for making gravy from pan drippings for later? Here is an image for you to pin:
Maggie Levy
Tuesday 30th of April 2019
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