Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy | Instant Pot recipe
This Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy is smooth, rich, and delicious, made with turkey drumsticks or wings and turkey broth, fresh herbs, and a roux for extra flavor.
Why You’ll Love Making Turkey Gravy in an Instant Pot
It can be really stressful to try to time your main dishes and sides so they’re all hot and ready at the same time—especially for big meals like Thanksgiving. Making your gravy ahead of time will help ease that stress, and your pressure cooker gets it ready much quicker than traditional stovetop recipes.
We’ve been using our pressure cooker to simplify our Thanksgiving dinners for over a decade! As our family has grown, so has our need for tasty turkey gravy.
When you make your gravy ahead of time, it doesn’t matter whether you’re making smoked turkey, brined turkey, grilled turkey, or oven-roasted turkey! No matter how you cook it, you know you’ll be able to sit down with a delicious turkey gravy to slather over your mashed potatoes
This recipe is part of our Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes series. Did you know you can pressure cook so many Thanksgiving classics, including Tender Instant Pot Turkey Breast, Bread Stuffing (Dressing), and Cranberry Jelly. You can even make your own Homemade Pumpkin Puree for your Homemade Pumpkin Pie!
Ingredients you need to make Turkey Gravy
Don’t be intimidated by the longer ingredients list! These are kitchen staples that you’ll be using throughout your Thanksgiving feast.
- Skin-on, bone-in turkey drumsticks or wings: You need 2 pounds; you can use all drumsticks (that’s what we used), all wings, or a combination.
- Salt and pepper: Use to season your turkey before cooking, then season your gravy to taste at the end.
- Onion, celery, and carrots: These veggies are a classic flavor base, just rough chopped into large pieces.
- Apple cider vinegar: You don’t need very much, but just a little bit of this acid will help balance and brighten your gravy.
- Turkey broth: You can use chicken broth in a pinch, but turkey broth will really help your finished gravy taste rich and flavorful. It’s often only seasonally available in stores. If you can’t find it near you, turkey broth is available on Amazon. Better Than Bouillon also makes a turkey-flavored Base.
- Thyme, sage, and parsley: This poultry seasoning trio seemed right to us; however, if you prefer other seasonings, feel free to use those. Just make sure to adjust your ratio of seasonings to be in line with the ones listed here.
- Butter: We call for up to 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter because we like to use the turkey fat in our roux. If you don’t have 4 tablespoons of turkey fat, you’ll need to add enough butter to make up the difference.
- Flour: This is the classic roux starter; it adds tons of flavor and makes the perfect texture. We prefer Wondra quick-mixing flour when making roux, but you can use traditional all-purpose flour if you prefer
- Cornstarch: This is an optional ingredient, if needed, if you’ve realized your gravy is thinner than you’d like after you’ve prepared it.
Choosing Turkey for Turkey Gravy
It is so important to use raw turkey drumsticks or wings in this recipe! We tried this with smoked turkey legs, and the gravy was a total disaster—the gravy was an awful gray color, and the flavor was terrible. They’re not interchangeable.
Sometimes the turkey legs or wings can be tricky to find. Often, these items are only available as seasonal ingredients in late-October through December.
Finding a store that carries them in your area is worth the work, and next year you’ll know where to go. Stores will generally make them available at the same time each year. Near me, one local grocery store has them in stock year-round. Some, but not all, Walmart locations carry them. And the Kroger locations near us only stock them seasonally.
How to Make Turkey Gravy in an Instant Pot
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
Flavor the Broth with Herbs and Pressure Cook
Before you start cooking, salt and pepper your turkey really well.
Select Sauté and adjust the heat to medium high. (I use a level 4 on my Instant Pot Pro.) Wait for the pot to be completely preheated before you add the oil and turkey parts.
Cook the turkey until it is browned and releases easily from a pan, then let them rest on a plate to collect the juices while you brown the veggies. Once they’re done, add the water and apple cider vinegar. Scape the bottom of the pot really well—all the browned bits (called “fond“) have a ton of flavor that you want for your gravy.
Once the water and apple cider vinegar have cooked down by at least half, add 1 cup of the turkey broth.
Make sure the veggies are in a nice flat layer on the bottom of the pot, then add the browned turkey on top in an even-ish layer, along with any juices on the pot. Add the fresh herbs, 3 more cups of broth, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Set the cook time for 20 minutes at High Pressure. With all the liquid in the cooking pot, it’ll likely take 10 minutes to reach full pressure, and then another 10 minute natural release after cooking.
While you’re cooking, prep your kitchen with a large colander over a very large pot. (The last thing you want to do is be in such a hurry to empty your pressure cooker that you forget the pot and dump all of your gravy liquids down the drain!) Set aside the chicken for later and discard the herbs and veggies.
Clean out your pressure cooking pot and wipe it dry so it’s ready to go for the roux.
Make the Roux
Now it’s time to make the roux! The roux will add a lovely texture and flavor to your gravy. Making a roux can be a little finnicky, but we’ve had really good results when we use a kitchen utensil that can really reach the corners of your pot.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a fat separator and pour the turkey stock from your large pot, through the strainer, and into the fat separator.
Separate the liquids from the fat; have the liquids nearby so they’re at-the-ready for the roux.
A lot of flavor is in the turkey fat, so we’re going to use it to make the roux. We want 4 tablespoons of turkey fat. (If your turkey didn’t release enough fat; that’s OK. Just use butter to make up the difference.)
Once all your fats are liquid and in the pressure cooking pot, add 1 tablespoon of flour and stir really well until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated. Add the next tablespoon and repeat until all 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) have been added. Stirring constantly—your arm will get a workout!
For turkey gravy we want a light roux. You’ll know it’s ready when it no longer smells like raw flour, gets nice and smooth and bubbly, and reaches a lovely golden color. (Are you still stirring constantly?)
Finish the Gravy
Once the roux is ready, grab the turkey liquids you’ve prepared and slowly add 1 cup of the stock to the roux. When you add the liquid, the roux will feel like it gets really thick. Keep stirring! As you stir, it’ll thin out; keep stirring the gravy until it is smooth and no lumps remain.
Now go ahead and add the rest of the turkey stock and cook, stirring frequently (but not constantly this time!), for another 5 to 10 minutes until the gravy is just slightly thinner than your desired consistency.
The gravy will continue to thicken as it cools.
Storing and Reheating
If you are making the gravy ahead of time, remove the cooking pot from the pressure cooker and allow your gravy to cool, then immediately transfer to food-safe storage in the fridge or freezer.
Gravy can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months.
To reheat, our favorite method is to thaw the gravy overnight in the refrigerator, then bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
If you’re worried, take a minute to refresh yourself on guidelines for safe food handling this Thanksgiving:
Reheating Tip: After reheating, if you decide you want thicker gravy, mix together a slurry of equal parts cornstarch and cold water and stir until completely smooth. Stirring constantly, add a scoop of the hot gravy to the slurry bowl and mix until smooth. Then, still stirring constantly, pour the slurry mixture back into the pressure cooking pot and stir until the gravy thickens.
Our Favorite Products for Making Gravy
For any recipe with gravy, we love our OXO 4-cup Fat Separator. I’ve had mine for about 15 years and it’s held up well.
I like to use a high-heat spatula when I’m making the roux in the pressure cooking pot, since a whisk doesn’t scrape the corners well. Then when I start adding the cooked stock, I switch to the whisk to keep the mixture smooth.
Frequently Asked Questions about Turkey Gravy
Absolutely! Cornstarch is a great gluten-free alternative to the roux.
If you’re using cornstarch, we recommend following steps 7 and 8 in our Instant Pot Turkey Breast recipe to make the gravy. After making the slurry, we like to add a little hot stock to the slurry bowl, stir until smooth, then stir that mixture back into the gravy in the pressure cooking pot.
Yes, you can. If you’re using freeze-dried herbs, you can substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
If you’re using dried herbs from the baking aisle, you’ll need closer to 3 fresh to 1 dried because dried spices are more concentrated in flavor than their fresh counterparts.
Also, keep in mind that dried herbs lose their potency over time, so you’ll get better results with newer herbs than with years-old dried herbs.
This one may not work in a 6-quart pot and stay below the max fill line. It might work in an 8-quart pressure cooker, but we haven’t tested it. It should work in a 10-quart.
More Instant Pot Turkey Recipes
Need more turkey in your life? We’ve got several Instant Pot Turkey recipes, including:
- Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving meal, whether you have a smaller gathering or you want extra white meat.
- Turkey Noodle Soup is our favorite way to use our leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
- Turkey Meatballs are a great way to enjoy a turkey dinner without all the work.
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Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skin-on bone-in turkey drumsticks or wings (we used drumsticks)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 large onion outer layers removed and cut into large pieces
- 1 rib celery washed well, tops removed, and cut in large pieces
- 1 carrot washed well and cut in large pieces
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups turkey broth or chicken broth, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 small sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sage leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves
- Up to 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Cornstarch optional, if needed
Instructions
- Season the turkey liberally with salt and pepper.
- Select Saute and preheat the pressure cooking pot. When hot, add the oil and place the turkey in a nice even layer. Cook until the turkey is browned evenly on one side and release easily from the pan. Remove the wings to a platter.
- Add the onion, celery, and carrot, and saute until they start to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the water and apple cider vinegar to the pan to deglaze the pot; make sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Once the liquid is cooked down and thick, add 1 cup broth.
- Use a spoon to place the vegetables in a flat layer, then layer the browned turkey wings on top, along with any juices that may have accumulated on the platter. .
- Add the fresh herbs. Add the remaining 3 cups of broth and 1 teaspoon salt..
- Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and a 20 minute cook time.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- To make it easier to separate the solids and liquids, set a large colander over a very large bowl or pot. Carefully pour the contents of the pressure cooking pot into the colander. At this point, you can set aside the chicken to remove the meat for a later use. Discard the herb sachet and vegetables. Rinse out the pressure cooking pot and dry.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to pour the turkey stock into a fat separator. Pour the stock back into the large bowl, and reserve the turkey fat.
- Select Saute adjusted to medium and add 4 tablespoons of turkey fat. (Or all the turkey fat plus enough butter to equal 4 total tablespoons; it’s OK to guess on this one.)
- Make the roux by adding flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, and stirring until well incorporated before adding the next tablespoon. Once all the flour is added, continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the roux becomes smooth and bubbly and a lovely golden color, about 5 minutes.
- Stirring constantly, slowly add 1 cup of the cooked turkey stock to the roux, until no lumps remain. Add the remaining turkey stock and cook, stirring frequently, until the flour smell has cooked off and the gravy thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.
- If you would like the gravy to be even thicker, mix together a slurry of cornstarch and cold water until completely smooth. Stirring constantly, add a scoop of the hot gravy to the slurry bowl and mix until smooth. Then, stirring constantly again, the slurry mixture back into the pressure cooking pot, and stir until the gravy thickens.
Nutrition
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This looks fantastic. I love that you’re using turkey meat for the gravy. Thanks for the recipe, I can’t wait to try it! What a timesaver this will be. Just added turkey legs to my grocery list to make this!
Every year after I pick as much turkey off the bone as possible I stick the turkey bones in the crockpot (you could use instant pot) and make broth and freeze it. Then when ever I need turkey broth I’ve got homemade broth at the ready.
Great tip – thanks for sharing it Tara! We love making turkey stock too https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-turkey-stock/
If using cornstarch how much
If you’re using cornstarch to thicken it after you’ve made it ahead? I’d start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water to make the slurry, stir it in and let it activate and thicken and see if you need more.
If you’re using cornstarch *only* as the thickener, you’ll need more. In our Turkey Breast recipe where we make cornstarch gravy, we use 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 3 tablespoons cold water. I’d start with that and add more thickener 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired thickness.
Again, keep in mind that the gravy will continue to thicken as it cools, so if it’s your desired thickness in the pot, it’ll likely be too thick once it cools off in the gravy boat.