This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy
Watch the recipe
The holidays are the most wonderful of the year, wouldn’t you agree? I know I love that warm and cozy feeling!
I’ll actually be going away on vacation for Christmas, butI’ll be with family and I know it’ll be special nonetheless, despite not having the pretty bed of snow on the ground and hosting a Christmas dinner.
I’ve always been fascinated by Western Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. I just love seeing the big bird on the table with loads of veggies, sides, and of course… gravy!
If you’ve followed the blog for awhile, you know I just love to load up on sauce with pretty much any meal! Whether it’s BBQ sauce or marinara sauce or some dipping sauce, I just don’t like my food dry at all! That’s a big theme we have around here! I know Italians may disagree that pasta and pizza shouldn’t be smothered in sauce, well, sorry! As an Indian guy who loves to slather his bread and rice in curry sauce, I beg to differ! Are you a sauce person? I assume you are if you’re reading this post! Comment below how much sauce you love with your meals!
Whenever I go to rotisserie chicken restaurants such as Swiss Chalet or St Hubert, I have to ask the waiter for an entire ramekin of gravy! Fun fact: I think my record of gravies at the restaurant was five! Making gravy from your chicken or turkey roast is a perfect way not to waste the nice drippings and to use up what you have! I discuss more about how you can get inspired by being resourceful with ingredients that are already in your kitchen in my free 5 Tips To Make Cooking Fun!motivational free guide! If you want to put your heart on a plate for your holiday meals, then make this gravy to pair with all the special components that will impress your loved ones as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You’ll see how few ingredients you’ll need for the gravy and how quickly it comes together!
To follow along with me making the entire roast chicken and how to make the gravy from the chicken drippings, be sure to watch the video! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, and press the bell button so you’re notified whenever a new video recipe is live! Let’s get to it!
Do I need drippings to make gravy From Scratch?▼
Drippings are essential to making a great gravy. This is true for a whole roast chicken or pan fried chicken, the fond leftover on the pan from meats or veggies that have been browned are full of flavour and caramelized. Picking up these bits to incorporate into a gravy is the best way to round off the flavours in the gravy.
How can I make the Chicken Dripping Gravy gluten-free?▼
To make this gravy recipe gluten-free, you need to do is replace the all-purpose flour with cornstarch! The texture and taste will be a bit different, but it’ll do the job just fine if you have a gluten intolerance!
Can I use any drippings to make this Perfect Gravy for Turkey and Chicken?▼
Yes of course! I’ve used drippings from my roast chicken here, but this will work just fine with turkey! In fact, you don’t need to just use poultry drippings to follow the steps. You can even make gravy following this procedure with
Can I use a Roasting Pan to make the Gravy from Chicken Drippings?▼
Of course. Once you have removed the chicken from the roasting pan to rest, place the roasting pan on medium heat and proceed with the recipe as directed.
How to avoid a lumpy gravy?▼
Use a whisk to incorporate the flour with the broth to ensure the gravy is smooth. Make sure to add the broth bits at a time for a smooth texture. You can also strain the gravy once ready for an extra smooth texture.
How do you thicken the gravy?▼
Cornstarch or flour can be used to thicken. For flour, you need to add it to the pan with the fond and saute for a few seconds before adding the broth. For cornstarch, ensure to create a slurry with some water before adding to the pan to prevent lumps.
What if my gravy is too salty?▼
Lemon juice is your best bet to counter some of the extra saltiness, however once too much salt has been added, it’s rather hard to bring down the flavour without severely altering the flavour and texture of the gravy. Try to season gradually while tasting often to prevent over salting.
Ingredients for Easy Gravy From Scratch
- Drippings: For this recipe I used chicken drippings. Check out my whole roast chicken recipe to see how to cook your whole chicken in the oven. You’ll be making your gravy in the same pan.
- All purpose flour: Helps to make our gravy nice and thick!
- Chicken broth: I always recommend a no-salt added or reduced salt version of chicken broth so you have more control of the seasonings.
- Shallot: I like the stronger flavor of shallots, but if you don’t have them and only have onions on hand, you can substitute.
- Garlic cloves: Minced garlic will nicely complement the shallots.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme leaves will add a nice aroma to your gravy. You can use any fresh herb such as sage, Italian parsley, or rosemary. We’ll let the thyme leaves simmer with the gravy and then remove when we’re ready to serve. I’m using the thyme that was cooked in the roast chicken, but if you didn’t cook your roast chicken from it, then you can use it directly from the package. I recommend you use the thyme that was stuffed in your chicken, however.
- Lemon: Similarly, use it from the roast chicken if possible. Otherwise, squeeze in fresh lemon juice
- White wine: Using some wine will nicely complement the chicken broth and add a wonderful flavor.
- Olive oil: My chicken was cooked in olive oil and the pan was not dry at all. However, if your pan is too dry, then add another splash.
- Salt and pepper: To taste!
How to Make Chicken Gravy
Bring the pan full of fond/drippings to medium heat, if the pan is too dry, add a splash of olive oil.
Add shallots and garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir often. If you cooked your roast with thyme, add that to the pan as well. Otherwise, add thyme to the pan.
Once fragrant, add wine and mix well and add any resting juices from the chicken to the pan. Simmer and cook for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by half. Add the flour, mix well and cook until the flour is lightly roasted.
Add broth, little bit at a time until the smooth gravy is created. Simmer on low heat until the gravy is thickened slightly. Taste, and adjust for seasoning.
Add juice from the lemon used while roasting the chicken and transfer to a gravy boat.
Tips for a Delicious Gravy
- Season the gravy gradually and taste often to ensure the seasoning is on point.
- Add any veggies/herbs used to cook the roast chicken or added to the cavity to the gravy for the best flavor.
- Leave the gravy thinner than you want it to be as it will thicken as it cools down.
- For an extra smooth texture, the gravy can be strained using a fine mesh sieve.
Serving Suggestions
Of course you will want to top the poultry where you got the drippings from with gravy, but you can use it for other recipes too! This gravy will make a lot, so feel free to get creative! Here are some excellent recipes where you’ll want to use your gravy!
How to Store Gravy▼
Store your leftover gravy in an airtight container. Gravies made without milk or cream will last for about 1-2 weeks in the fridge, but if you are adding dairy, I wouldn’t keep it for longer than 2 days.
You can reheat your gravy in a saucepan over the stove on low heat, or reheat in the microwave for about a minute or until it is thinned out. You can add some water to thin out your gravy whether you are reheating over the stove or in the microwave.
Can You Freeze Gravy?▼
Yes for sure you can! If you don’t plan on eating it, then I definitely recommend you freeze your gravy. Furthermore, if you want to save some time for the next holiday meal or just always have some gravy on hand for when you want a comforting meal, then it would be awesome to have on hand. Transfer the leftovers into an airtight container and keep in the freezer for three to four months. Ensure that you allow the gravy to thaw naturally in the fridge overnight before using.
Comments
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!
Leave a comment