Rich, silky smooth, and infused with tons of flavor, this make ahead turkey gravy recipe will lessen your load on Thanksgiving day. Using actual turkey wings gives this gravy authentic flavor, but having it done ahead of time means all you have to do is warm it up right before serving the meal!

Plate of Thanksgiving food - turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and make ahead turkey gravy.

Gravy is one of our favorite components of Thanksgiving dinner. We like to drown our turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and countless other things in its decadence. And then, of course, we use our dinner roll (more accurately, our 2nd or 3rd dinner roll) to soak up any leftover gravy and bits of food on our plate.

While we LOVE gravy, first, we never loved the headache and stress of whipping it up while everyone is waiting to eat. Second, we started deep frying our turkey over 10 years ago, which means there are no turkey drippings with which to make the gravy.

The solution we came up with? Making the gravy in advance (days or weeks), then refrigerating or freezing it, then rewarming it in time for dinner! This is a house standby turkey gravy recipe… it’s evenly seasoned and absurdly rich. A great alternative if you want to get the gravy out of the way and not worry about it right before dinner!

The What goes in the bowl

Here is everything you’re going to need to make this gravy:

Photo of items needed to make from-scratch turkey stock - turkey wings, onion, celery, and garlic.

Large Turkey Wings – we have found these in our local supermarket; you can also substitute turkey legs.
Aromatics – For the from-scratch stock, we’ll need onion, celery stalks, and garlic (you can include carrots too, if you’d like, as well as tie together some fresh herbs such as some sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley, or throw a bay leaf in there!)
Butter + Flour – These combine to make the base of the roux that will help to thicken the gravy. We use unsalted butter and all-purpose flour.
Milk – we prefer whole milk for its richness and thickness, but you can also use 2% milk.

Ingredients for make ahead turkey gravy prepped and labeled.

How to Make From-scratch Turkey Gravy (Ahead of Time!)

This recipe includes two main steps:

Making the from-scratch turkey stock (a little time-consuming but almost completely hands-off)
Using that stock to make the final gravy

We want that authentic roasted turkey flavor, and this is how it happens! Let’s dive into how this straightforward turkey gravy recipe comes together!

Step #1: Make the From-scratch Stock – In a large Dutch oven, roast the turkey wings, onion, celery, and garlic uncovered at 375 degrees for 2 hours. Remove the pot from the oven, add the water, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and place it over high heat to bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour.

Step #2: Strain and Cool the Stock – Strain the stock into a bowl with at least 1 quart capacity. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove the accumulated fat on top before using the stock. You can choose to use this discarded fat in place of the butter in the next step, if you wish.

Step #3: Make the Gravy – In a large pan, melt the butter (or the discarded fat from the stock) over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste, then gradually whisk in the turkey stock. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until thickened (about 5 minutes). Then whisk in the milk, salt, and pepper.

Ways to serve it

Once the gravy has been made, let it cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

To reheat, place in a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until heated through. You may need to drizzle in a little extra stock or milk to thin it out to your desired consistency if it got too thick in the fridge.

Freezing Instructions

You can make this gravy even further ahead and once completely cool, place it in a freezer-safe container (souper cubes or these deli containers are both great options, as are glass containers) and freeze for up to 3 months.

Remove from the freezer and put it in the refrigerator the day before Thanksgiving, then proceed with the same instructions above for reheating the gravy prior to dinner.

Recipe Notes

Recommended Pan: We use our large Dutch oven for this recipe, but you can also use a traditional roasting pan if you would like.
Turkey Wings: These are usually widely available in most grocery stores. If you cannot find them, turkey legs can be substituted.
Butter: If you prefer, you can use the fat that rises to the top of the chilled stock in place of the butter when you make the gravy.
Milk: This can be omitted if you prefer a rich, stock-laden gravy without any creaminess.
Make-Ahead Stock: You can make the stock and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before preparing the gravy.
Freezing Stock: You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
From-scratch Stock Substitute: If you are in a real pinch, you can substitute store-bought chicken broth or stock or turkey broth or stock for the from-scratch version. The gravy will still work, you just won’t get that authentic roasted turkey flavor.

Photography by Dee Frances.

Yield: 2.5 cups
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the Turkey Stock

2 large turkey wings, size may vary, 1 to 4 lbs
4 ribs celery (including leaves), roughly chopped
1 onion, cut into large chunks
4 cloves garlic, smashed
6 cups water

For the Gravy

¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups turkey stock
½ cup milk, 2% or whole milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Method

Make the Stock: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and adjust oven rack to lowest position. Place the turkey wings, celery, onion, and garlic in a large Dutch oven. Roast in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 2 hours. Remove pot from the oven.
Add the water to the turkey and vegetables and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Strain the stock into a bowl with at least 1-quart capacity. (You can eat the turkey wings and discard the used vegetables.) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove the accumulated fat on the top of the stock before using.
Make the Gravy: In a 12-inch pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until you detect a nutty aroma. Gradually whisk in the defatted turkey stock and continue to cook, whisking frequently, until thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon), about 5 minutes. Whisk in the milk, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve warm.

Notes

Turkey Wings: These are usually widely available in most grocery stores. If you cannot find them, turkey legs can be substituted.

Butter: If you prefer, you can use the fat that rises to the top of the chilled stock in place of the butter when you make the gravy.

Make-Ahead Stock: You can make the stock and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before preparing the gravy.

Freezing Stock: You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Make-Ahead Gravy: You can fully prepare the gravy 1 day before serving. Store it in a covered container in the refrigerator. Rewarm in a saucepan over low heat, whisking frequently, until warmed through. Thin with additional milk if the gravy is too thick.

Freezing Gravy: The fully prepared gravy can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat on the stovetop according to the directions above.

Recipe slightly adapted from Noble Pig.

Nutritional information is for the entire recipe.

Photography by Dee Frances.