Giblet Gravy

By Florence Fabricant

Total Time: 40 minutes
Rating: 4(253)
Notes: Read community notes

While the turkey is in the oven, get some rest — and make the gravy. Giblet gravy requires the cook to use the neck, gizzard and heart of the bird to make deeply flavored stock, which is then combined with the pan drippings, a bit of flour and wine or brandy. Finally, the cooked neck, gizzard and heart are finely chopped and added to the rich, savory gravy, to make for a more interesting texture.

Featured in: Cooking Turkey: Everybody Does It A Different Way

Learn: How to Make Gravy

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Ingredients

Yield:2 cups

2large onions, peeled
Turkey neck, gizzard and heart
1carrot, peeled and cut in half
1stalk celery, cut in halves
A few sprigs of parsley
6whole peppercorns
3cups of water
1 to 1½tablespoons flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2tablespoons white wine or brandy (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
After turkey has been roasting for about an hour, slice one of the onions and scatter slices in roasting pan with turkey.
Step 2
Place the other onion, cut in half, in a saucepan. Add turkey neck, gizzard and heart, the carrot, celery, parsley and peppercorns. Cover with water and bring to boil. Skim surface, lower heat and allow to simmer at least 30 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock. You should have about 2 cups of stock. Dice meat from neck, gizzard and heart, and set it aside.
Step 3
When turkey has finished roasting and is resting on the carving board place the roasting pan on top of the stove, over two burners if necessary. Skim off all but a few tablespoons of fat from pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with the flour (the more used the thicker the gravy), and whisk it vigorously and thoroughly, scraping up any particles clinging to the pan. Gradually add the stock, whisking constantly over medium heat until the mixture has thickened and is smooth. Strain into a sauce pan.
Step 4
Add any juices from carving board and the reserved giblets. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine or brandy and bring to a simmer, and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5

253 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

LFB6 years ago

Perfect. Just perfect.

RickJ3 years ago

Cooking liver separately in salted water. Will slice and add to gravy separately.

Linda6 years ago

When I was cooking for a large group, I always made two different styles of gravy -- one w/ giblets and one without. Because who doesn't like good gravy? Now that I cook for fewer, if I do a turkey, I just make the giblet gravy.

aimee3651 year ago

Could NOT get it to thicken with corn starch. Maybe not enough? Added cream also. And bourbon.

Susan Wolf Buffalo NY1 year ago

My mother's technique. Absolutely perfect!

kent tarrant1 year ago

Combine heart, neck and liver with stock and or wine and cook slowly for about an hour +. Remove as much meat as possible from neck bones and mix with liquid, heart and liver in a food processor. Whisk in original turkey pan with drippings and seasonings over low heat tasting along the way. Add flour and stock as needed. Good opportunity to bring a new young cook into the holiday scene as a whisker.

SB2 years ago

If you prefer smooth gravy, mix the chopped cooked giblets into the dressing before baking, if possible. Adds great turkey flavor.

RickJ3 years ago

Cooking liver separately in salted water. Will slice and add to gravy separately.

Mama Chef4 years ago

This works

William4 years ago

I made this recipe in 2017 and it was great and I'm making it again tomorrow for Thanksgiving 2019. But I just realized something: the recipe does not mention the first onion again after it's put into the pan with the turkey. I assume it should be chopped up and added back to the gravy after the turkey finishes cooking? That's what I'm planning to do.

Tracy5 years ago

Delicious, and rave reviews. Did use the liver, but otherwise made exactly as written.

LFB6 years ago

Perfect. Just perfect.

viv6 years ago

Turkey 8 kg too much for 4 people 350 loose foil 2.5 hours before probe Don’t probe leg Cover leg

Sally6 years ago

Excellent, classic recipe - but what about the liver? It should be simmered with the other parts and chopped and added to the gravy. (Note: don't tell anyone you did; even those who think they hate liver will think this is the most flavorful gravy ever.) The only ones who won't love it are those who have issues with textured gravy. I say offer them butter for the potatoes...no compromises on the gravy!

Linda6 years ago

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