How to Make Giblet Gravy

Co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano

Last Updated: January 4, 2023

VIDEO

Giblet gravy is a delicious gravy that is perfect as a topping for turkey, mashed potatoes, and any other Thanksgiving fare. The gravy is made by simmering the giblets of a turkey, including the liver, heart, gizzard, and neck, then adding the roast drippings from the rest of the cooked bird as well as thickening. The result is a delectable gravy that is a great way to use parts of the turkey which might otherwise go to waste.

Ingredients

1 bag of turkey giblets, as well as the neck
½ cup (118.2 ml) of drippings from a roasted turkey or chicken
4 cups (946.3 ml) no sodium chicken, turkey or vegetable broth
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Cooking the Giblets

1
Place the giblets in a pot over medium heat. Take the giblets of an uncooked turkey and rinse them. Place them in a medium-sized pot and pour in enough water so that it covers the giblets completely by about 2 inches (5.08 cm). Then turn the heat up to medium and let them cook.^{[1]
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- Many butchers remove the neck and other giblet parts and put them in a sealed bag which they place in the body cavity of the bird.^{[2]
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- While you are making the giblet gravy, you should also Cook a Turkey. You will use the drippings collected from the turkey to add to the gravy, so be sure to roast the turkey in a pan that collects the drippings in the bottom.
- Try to time the cooking of your turkey so that it is done roasting either right before you make the gravy or after you finish cooking the giblets.
2
Bring the giblets to a boil. Cook the giblets over medium heat until they reach a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the giblets simmer for one hour.^{[3]
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- Simmering the giblets cooks the meat and also infuses the water with flavor to make a broth.
Once the giblets have simmered for about an hour, the meat will be cooked through and the water will have been turned into a broth. Use a slotted spoon to remove the giblet meat and the neck and reserve the broth.^{[4]
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Wait until the neck has cooled, then use your fingers to pick and strip the meat away from the neck. It should come off in thin strips. When you have taken off all the meat, dispose of the remainder of the neck.^{[5]
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Place the giblets on a cutting board, then use a heavy knife to dice them into small pieces about ½ inch (1.27 cm) long. Then combine the neck meat with the giblet meat and set them aside while you prepare the rest of the gravy.^{[6]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Getting the Turkey Drippings

While you are making the giblet broth, you should also be roasting the rest of the bird. When the turkey is done roasting, take it out of the oven and move the cooked turkey off of the roasting pan.^{[7]
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Take the roasting pan that the turkey was cooking on and pour the drippings into a medium-sized bowl. Use oven mitts because the pan will be extremely hot!^{[8]
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Leave the turkey drippings in the bowl for about fifteen minutes. You should see that the liquid starts to separate, with the dark drippings at the bottom of the bowl and the clear fat rising to the top.^{[9]
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4
Skim the fat off the liquid. After the mixture has finished separating, use a ladle or large spoon to scoop the clear fat on top out of the mixture. Make sure not to use too much force and mix up the liquid as you are scooping out the fat.^{[10]
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- You can also slowly lower the ladle into the liquid and let the fat spill over into the bowl of the ladle. This will ensure that the mixture doesn’t get mixed.
- Reserve some of the fat so that you can add it to the gravy.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Combining the Ingredients Into a Gravy

1
Place the roasting pan over medium-low heat. Take the roasting pan you used to make the turkey and straddle it over two burners. Turn the heat up to medium-low on both burners and allow the pan to heat.^{[11]
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- Using the roasting pan, as opposed to a clean pan, to give the gravy more flavor. The dried drippings coating the bottom of the pan will get liquefied by the heat and will add to the flavor of the gravy.
Once the pan has heated, pour some of the fat that you separated out from the drippings into the pan. Add as much or as little as you want, depending on how rich you want the gravy, but make sure to add at least two tablespoons (29.5 ml).^{[12]
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3
Sprinkle in flour and whisk. Once the fat has heated, about two minutes, add in ½ cup (118.2 ml) of flour. Use a whisk to mix the fat and the flour to make a paste. If the paste looks too thin or greasy, add in a few more pinches of flour until the consistency is thick.^{[13]
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- Keep cooking the mixture, whisking constantly, until it browns, about ten minutes.
Pour in the 4 cups (946.3 ml) of no sodium chicken, turkey or vegetable broth. Then add in half of the drippings that you separated from the fat.^{[14]
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Use a whisk to mix the broth and the drippings in with the flour paste. Cook it until the gravy has thickened, about five to ten minutes.^{[15]
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When you are happy with the consistency and thickness of the gravy, add in the chopped giblets and neck meat. Stir to mix the meat in with the liquid.^{[16]
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After you add in the giblet meat, spoon up and taste the gravy. Add salt and pepper if you wish. You can also add more fat or drippings for more flavor.^{[17]
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Serve the giblet gravy by drizzling it over turkey, mashed potatoes or green beans. If the gravy gets cold before serving, heat it up in a pot over the stove or microwave it in a microwave-safe bowl. Store any leftover gravy in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

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Tips

Add other spices like oregano, thyme or rosemary if you wish.

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You can also use a chicken to make giblet gravy. Follow the same steps, just substitute a chicken for the turkey.

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