Best Giblet Gravy Recipe

Are you looking to elevate your Thanksgiving dinner to new heights of comfort and flavor? My incredibly delicious giblet gravy recipe is bursting with rich, savory flavors and a hint of traditional nostalgia.

Turkey giblet gravy served in a white bowl.

Recipe Science

Simmering the giblets releases their rich, savory flavors into the broth, creating a flavorful base for the gravy.
Adding flour or cornstarch to the simmered broth acts as a thickening agent, creating a smooth, velvety texture as the gravy cooks.
Incorporating the cooked giblets back into the gravy adds texture and depth, enriching the overall flavor with the giblets’ tender, finely chopped pieces.

Why It Works

Have you ever roasted a turkey and removed the bag of giblets and neck, then wondered what you should do with them? Don’t toss them out! Let me show you how to make a giblet gravy. You’ll be impressed with how much flavor and dimension it adds to the sauce. What’s great is you can even use this recipe when roasting a whole chicken.

The giblet pieces are browned first, then sauteed with a classic vegetable mirepoix. It’s simmered with fragrant herbs until a rich stock is formed. The great thing about this recipe is you don’t have to wait for the bird to finish cooking, as the gravy can be made in advance. However, using the flavorful pan drippings will further enhance the gravy.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make this giblet gravy recipe.

Giblet Parts: You’ll need the neck. When cooked, it’s full of gelatin, adding body to the sauce. The tail can also be used. Look for the organs, consisting of the heart, gizzard, and liver, in a small paper pouch, usually stuffed near the neck of the bird.
Vegetables: A mixture of chopped onions, sliced carrots, and celery creates a flavorful base for the stock. A smashed clove of garlic adds a delicate allium flavor.
Herbs: Bay leaf and fresh thyme sprigs add a pleasant fragrance to the gravy.
Roux: A mixture of butter and flour creates a paste that thickens the sauce. It’s easy to adjust the consistency, adding more or less roux.
Liquid: Unsalted chicken stock or broth allows for a more intense flavor of poultry stock. Water can be used instead. You can control the salt and pepper levels of the liquid.
Pan Drippings: Reserve the pan drippings from the roasted turkey to season the gravy. Some of the homemade stock can be replaced with juice, and the fat can be used instead of butter. This depends on the yield of drippings.

See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).

Ingredient Substitutions

It’s easy to switch up the flavor of the giblet gravy. Try these tasty ideas!

Egg: Add chopped hard-boiled eggs to the gravy to add richness and texture. About 2 to 3 works well. The egg yolks have a similar texture to the liver and dissolve into the sauce.
Herbs: Add fresh or dried herbs to the gravy, like rosemary, sauce, thyme, tarragon, or parsley.
Heat: For spiciness, add red chili flakes, chili powder, cayenne pepper, or chipotle pepper. Mince up jalapenos or serranos to simmer with the stock.
Dairy: For a creamier texture, add milk or heavy cream. This should replace a portion of the homemade turkey stock.
Alcohol: Add dimension with dry white wine, brandy, or sherry. This is often added to the roasting pan and reduced if making the gravy with pan drippings. This can also be added to the roux before the stock.
Seasonings: Soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce bumps up the savory umami taste. A splash of vinegar or Dijon mustard adds pungency. Add in lemon or orange zest or juice for acidity.

How to Make Giblet Gravy

Turkey neck, liver, heart, and gizzard in a saucepan.

Step 1: Brown the Giblets

Remove the giblets from the turkey or chicken. Giblets are organs from the bird, consisting of the long neck, gizzard, small heart, and liver. They contribute to the taste and texture of the gravy when cooked. The neck has meat, the gizzard and heart have some chew, and the liver breaks down like a cooked egg yolk for richness.

Searing the parts in butter adds flavor by browning the surface and develops fond in the pan. This will create a more interesting stock for the turkey giblet gravy.

Vegtables and browned turkey giblets in a pot.

Step 2: Make the Stock

Saute until the onions, carrots, and celery start to caramelize. This brings out their natural sweetness.

Stock and thyme sprigs in a pot covering the turkey pieces.

Add the chicken stock, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer.

Liquid and vegatbles in a pot that has concentrated after simmering.

Cover the pot, leaving it ajar to allow some steam to escape while concentrating the liquid.

Fine mesh strainer removing the vegetables and turkey pieces of a gravy.

Strain the giblet stock to reserve just the liquid. You could also puree the vegetables to thicken the sauce with it instead.

Turkey giblets cut into pieces on a wooden board.

Step 3: Mince the Giblets

Remove the cooked giblets from the strainer and let them cool on a cutting board. Trim off any tough bits from the gizzard. Shred the meat off of the neck bone. Chop the meat, gizzard, heart, and liver into smaller pieces.

Some people dislike the taste of the liver because it’s slightly bitter. But if you are a pâté or foie gras fan, add it! It breaks down in the gravy, adding richness to the sauce. If you want the flavor of the giblet but not the chunkiness, blend it in the sauce until smooth after making the gravy.

Melted butter and flour in a saute pan that has turned into a roux.

Step 4: Make a Roux

When I make gravy, I prefer a thick and velvety consistency. In this recipe for giblet gravy, I use a ratio of 2 tablespoons of butter and flour for every 1 cup of stock. For a thinner consistency, use 1 or 1 ½ tablespoons instead.

To make a golden roux, start by melting the butter over medium heat, then whisking in the flour. This will create a paste with a sort of butterscotch color.

Step 5: Thicken the Consistency

Gradually whisk in the homemade giblet stock over medium-high heat. The temperature will help thicken the sauce. If it is too thick, add more stock. Taste it and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Step 6: Finish making the Gravy

Now stir in the chopped giblet meat and parts. The sauce thickens as it cools. Reheat or add in some hot stock to thin it out.

Giblet gravy poured over a plate of sliced turkey and green beans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I include the liver in the giblet gravy?

The liver adds a unique flavor and richness to the sauce. It’s an acquired taste with slight bitterness, acidity, and sweetness. You can omit it entirely or add a small amount at a time until the desired flavor is reached. It can also be chopped up and served on the side for those who enjoy it to add on.

Can I use chicken giblets instead of turkey giblets?

Chicken or turkey giblets can be used for the gravy. Chicken giblets tend to be smaller and may not include the neck.

Can I substitute the turkey drippings with chicken or vegetable broth?

The use of turkey drippings is optional but adds tremendous flavor. It also pairs well with the meat because it has similar seasonings. Any chicken, homemade turkey stock, or vegetable stock can be used.

How can I make my giblet gravy smoother?

Strain the gravy through a fine mesh sieve. Alternatively, blend the chopped giblets with the gravy, then strain.

Can I make the giblet gravy in the turkey roasting pan?

You can make giblet gravy directly in the pan. Just make sure to pour the drippings into a fat separator or container. This helps measure the amount of juice and fat collected. Add the amounts instructed in the recipe, plus more butter or turkey stock as needed. Place on the stovetop, turning on one or two burners, making the roux, and thickening the sauce in the pan.

Can I make giblet gravy in advance and reheat it later?

Yes! The giblet gravy reheats well. The sauce will thicken when cold due to the solidifying starches and butter. Reheat and add more stock or water to thin out the consistency. It can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.

How do you fix and thin or thick gravy?

Once removed from the heat, it will thicken up. However, you can do two things if it’s still too thin. First, simmer the sauce to evaporate some of the water. This will concentrate the solids for a thicker gravy. Secondly, beurre manié (kneaded butter). Mix equal parts softened butter and flour. Whisk ½ to 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time to the hot gravy, adding more as needed to thicken. The flour is coated in the fat, making it easy to disperse the particles into the sauce, which swells and thickens the gravy.