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Stressed over upcoming holiday meals? This Make-Ahead Gravy is the real deal! Made with roasted chicken wings, carrots, onions, fresh herbs and broth, it's not only super delicious, it makes entertaining so much easier!
This make-ahead gravy is a lifesaver, and I'll be the first one to testify!
You might think, being a food blogger, that I'm an expert Thanksgiving cooker. Not so. Years ago, when my children were young, I made a deal with my mother-in-law. Since our children, Cait and Nick, both had birthdays at the end of November, I asked if she (Nanny) would "do" Thanksgiving each year and, in return, I would be the Christmas chef.
It worked like a charm, with her being responsible annually for the Thanksgiving turkey, dressing and mashed potatoes. I had fun coming up with a few sides and dessert and the joint effort produced a wonderful meal.
The problem came many years later when Nanny got too old to take on all the stress of a big dinner. By that time, the kids had grown up, so I didn't think it would be a big deal for me to take over Thanksgiving. Was I ever wrong!
My first attempt to "do" it all was quite a frenzy. I had no idea about all the timing that was involved, getting the turkey done just right, the mashed potatoes perfectly timed and that darn gravy. I didn't understand how tricky it was to prepare it at the very last minute when so many other things needed attention too. I survived, but my gratitude to Nanny was greater than ever!
Make-ahead is the best-kept secret
I'm still not an expert when it comes to Thanksgiving but I've learned a few tricks over the years that make it much easier. Anything that can be made ahead is a huge bonus and, if it tastes just as good as when it's done at the last minute, that's even better!
Our Slow Cooker Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes have become quite beloved with many Café readers who love this, not only for the convenience but the fact that this recipe can be made a day or two in advance and warmed up while the turkey finishes roasting.
This make-ahead gravy is another one of those Thanksgiving Day stress relievers. Trying to make gravy from pan drippings while making sure the turkey doesn't get cold and all the other sides are timed perfectly can set even the best cook's head spinning.
Before Anthony Bourdain (the world-renowned chef) passed away, I heard one of his podcasts. He shared that it was easier for him to cook dinner for 300 at his restaurant than to get it all together for a Thanksgiving dinner at home. That made me feel a little better about not being a super pro when it comes to Thanksgiving!
Make the gravy a day or two in advance
This make-ahead gravy is the antithesis of stress. Prepare the gravy a day or two in advance, or a week before and freeze it till the big day. Just warm it up before serving and then; act cool, calm and collected, like you do this every day!
The gravy's made with chicken wings, carrots and onions, all roasted to golden deliciousness and then simmered in chicken broth with fresh herbs to draw out all the wonderful "real deal" flavor. It can be made anytime you have a few hours at home. Almost all of it is "hands-off" time, so you can just enjoy the wonderful aroma that fills your home as you tend to other things.
This make-ahead gravy not only reduces stress but it's also great for grilled or deep-fried turkeys
Our daughter, Cait, and her family lived in London for 8 years. During this adventure overseas, she was (in a way) forced to start a new Thanksgiving tradition which has turned out to be a keeper. The ovens in most British homes are too small for a big American-size turkey, so for their first Thanksgiving overseas, she decided to grill the turkey. It turned out so delicious, she never turned back. Now that the family is back in the States (yay!) and Cait has a large oven, the tradition of grilled turkey still lives on!
Which is another wonderful reason for make-ahead gravy. When you grill, smoke or deep fry a turkey you don't get the good turkey drippings, which make for delicious gravy. Sure, you can purchase gravy in a jar at the grocery store or make a quick gravy from chicken broth, but it's nothing like the real thing. This make-ahead gravy is loaded with delicious, real-deal flavor and (if you don't tell), I have a feeling, not a soul will know you didn't labor over the hot turkey pan!
Café Tips for preparing this Make-Ahead Gravy
- Don't use a deep-sided pan to roast the chicken wings. You want the oven heat to be able to get at the wings and work its caramelization magic. A deep pan will cause the wings to steam rather than roast. A heavy-duty sheet pan (I love these Oxo sheet pans) or a shallow-sided roasting pan will work best.
- In lots of recipes I like to line the pan I'm using with foil for easy cleanup. Not with this make-ahead gravy recipe. You want to be able to scrape up all the delicious fond (the brown stuff that sticks to the bottom of the pan) after the chicken wings and veggies are roasted to give that wonderful (real-deal) flavor to your gravy.
- Be sure to purchase whole chicken wings for this Make-Ahead Gravy. Wings are sold either whole or separately as drummettes, wingettes and/or tips. You want the whole wings, as the smaller parts will tend to roast too fast and you won't get the wonderful fond.
- If you don't have both fresh rosemary and sage, it's fine to just use one or the other. Although fresh herbs add great flavor, you could also use a teaspoon of poultry seasoning when simmering the wings, in lieu of the rosemary and sage.
- The recipe makes a quart of gravy, so there should be plenty for everyone. If you're serving a huge crowd, you might want to double the recipe. If you do make a double batch, use two sheet pans or roasting pans, so the wings can still brown nicely.
- I like Wondra flour for gravy and sauces. It's just ground finer and helps prevent lumps. All-purpose flour will work fine though, just follow the tip below.
- At the very end of the recipe, be sure to add the flour mixture slowly. This will thicken the gravy to your desired consistency but can cause lumping, if it's added too fast. If you get impatient and end up with small lumps, you can put the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve. Just push on any lumps at the end to get all the good gravy through the sieve.
Make-Ahead Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds chicken wings
- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 medium carrots, scrubbed (no need to peel) and cut into approximately 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cups chicken broth, divided
- 1 large bay leaf
- 4 medium size fresh sage leaves
- 2 4- inch sprigs fresh rosemary
- 6 tablespoons flour (preferably Wondra flour but all-purpose will also work).
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Arrange wings, onions and carrots on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread everything out to a single layer.
- Roast wings and veggies 1- 1 ¼ hours until wings are golden brown.
- Transfer wings and vegetables to a large Dutch oven or stockpot.
- Add 1 cup of the broth to roasting (sheet) pan and let sit for 10 minutes, then stir to scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom. Transfer this liquid to the Dutch oven.
- Add 6 ½ cups of the broth (reserve ½ cup), bay leaf, sage and rosemary to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Reduce to a slow but steady simmer and cook, uncovered 1 hour.
- Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days.
- When ready to use, skim the fat off broth and discard. Transfer broth to a large saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer.
- Whisk flour into the remaining ½ cup of broth until smooth and lump-free. To avoid lumpy gravy, SLOWLY pour flour mixture into simmering broth, WHILE WHISKING CONTINUOUSLY, until desired consistency is reached (you might not use all of the flour mixture). Simmer for 2-3 minutes longer. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately or keep warm till ready to serve. Gravy can also be frozen for up to 4 months.
Karen C says
Chris, this recipe sounds delicious. What makes the gravy so dark? I make ours ahead too, using frozen stock I make from chicken, turkey carcuses cooked during the past summer. It is usually light, however. I love the rich dark look.
Margaret says
We went out for Thanksgiving but I did make a Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. The gravy was awesome. I roasted the wings on Tuesday, made the gravy Wednesday and served it Friday. I put the meat from the turkey wings and put it in the gravy along with the additional pan drippings from yesterday’s roasted turkey. This is now my go to holiday gravy.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Margaret, for taking the time to let us know your results. I'm pretty sold on this gravy too, it sure beats all that craziness at the last minute!
Anne Murphy says
This gravy was delicious. Everyone raved about it. Only complaint was that I should've made more!
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! I love it!
Linda Jean says
Made this for Thanksgiving. Delicious, rich flavor. One recipe made more gravy than I could use, so leftovers! I will be making this gravy for years to come. Nothing beats getting a side ready days ahead of the event. It was easy to add the flour at the end and get the gravy on the table.
Gloria says
Thanks for this recipe. I intend to make this for Christmas so am going to try this recipe this wekend as a dry run. Could I use turkey backs instead of chicken wings? Also can I add celery to thr vegetables?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Gloria, I've never worked with turkey backs so I don't want to advise you on this one. Let us know if it works!
p.s. celery would be fine!
Barbara Hussey says
I've been making similar for years using turkey necks. It's a delicious gravy and could not be easier! All the friends I have shared it with have been very "thankful" too --
Sandra L Garth says
Anything that can be done ahead of time is definitely a boon for the cook. This gravy looks fantastic and small bowl to sip on sounds good. Habe a blessed and happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your family.
Adina says
I've never thought of making sauce ahead, I suppose I've always assumed it has to be made with the juices of the roasted bird. But what a great idea to use chicken wings instead, they are easily available and so cheap, I buy them sometimes to add to the pot when making bone broth. I shall keep this in mind, although we don't celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas is just around the corner as well.
Gayann says
There is a beautiful batch of gravy sitting in my fridge, thanks to you! I added a little white wine, used Swanson organic chicken broth, and used some of the fat towards my roux...then added a little Better than bouillon roasted chicken base....the result was fantastic! Just to know that container of gravy is there has me humming away, and thanksgiving will be stress free!!!!!!!!
My two pups thank you for the meat from the wings! Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
Make ahead is such a great secret - your gravy looks perfect!
Lynda Plummer says
Chris,
Just finished making this gravy and put it in the fridge. It smells awesome, and I am so excited to have this done ahead of time.
Tomorrow , do I go ahead and thicken it, and then freeze?
Also wanted to thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes and ideas. I have just discovered your blog, and look forward to getting your newsletter. I made the banana bundt cake with toffee sea salt icing for our church bazaar, and they were a hit!
I made small bundts and they were so pretty and delicious. Thanks again and have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lynda, thanks so much for your kind and encouraging words. I really appreciate them!
As for the gravy, I would just freeze it tomorrow after you skim off the excess fat. Then thaw on the day you want use it and bring it to a simmer and add the flour mixture. You could do that early in the day if you want and stick it in the fridge and just rewarm it on low OR you could thicken it right before using. Either way will work.
Margaret says
I just printedthis off so I can make it. I already bought turkey wings but it should work just fine. Gravy looks great so I hope mine turns out as well.
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert says
A terrific idea to make gravy ahead! It looks and sounds terrific. This year is the first time since 1991 that I won't be making Thanksgiving dinner for my family. I am actually pretty sad about it which is odd because it is so much work. Anyway - hope you have a terrific Thanksgiving in Memphis with your whole gang!
NJ says
Hi.. would you have a gravy recipe that’s for vegetarian?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi NJ, so sorry, I don't.
Liz says
I have friends who do this every year! I'm not sure I could track down their recipe, so I'm happy to have your recipe for reference! One less thing to worry about at that chaotic last hour 🙂 Hope you and your beautiful family have a most wonderful Thanksgiving!! xoxo
Carol says
I have used a similar recipe from ATK, however this one looks better/simpler. The ATK recipe uses turkey wings and/or thighs, which can be difficult to find. It also seems a bit more complicated, although the resulting gravy is very flavorful. I think I’ll try yours this year - thank you for making things easy!
Susan says
I use a very similar recipe to make my turkey stock for gravy, Chris! It's been a delicious life-saver as I have cooked Thanksgiving dinner for many years. I try to do as much as I can the week and two days before and if it's a real big group I'll even make the turkey a day ahead and use the turkey stock to pour over the sliced meat before I reheat it. Have a Happy Thanksgiving with your family in Memphis, Chris!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
Love this Chris ~ I've never really been in charge of Thanksgiving in our family either, so I'm a total novice when it comes to roasting a giant bird. This gravy looks absolutely perfect! Have a wonderful holiday with the gang 🙂
Madonna says
The gravy is what always holds up our meal. I pinned this for future use just in case gravy is my assignment. I really appreciate all the notes and cautions, I tend to want to use foil or parchment for an easy cleanup.
Beverly says
It looks as though Thanksgiving with your family is every parent's dream and I'm truly happy for you.
I printed this recipe for future use as I have for many others you've offered and I always appreciate any make-ahead recipes and ideas; however, I do have a request. If it's possible for you to do this, I would love to see the box with the nutrition facts in the space to the right of the ingredients so printing wouldn't involve using 2 sheets of paper and retaining it would also be a bit easier.
Thanks-a-million.........
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Beverly! Hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving too!
Regarding the nutritional information, the recipe template is set up to have the nutritional facts on the bottom but I will talk to my designer and see if it's possible to not have an option that that information would not be printed. Thanks for bringing that up. I don't ever print my own recipes 🙂
Marilynn says
What an incredible recipe! I can smell & taste it as I read!
Can the gravy be frozen, to be pulled out at different events this season? I have a number of pot lucks & dinners this year.
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marilynn, yes you can definitely freeze it and thaw it out whenever you want to use it.
Judi says
WOW. I can't WAIT to give this a shot. We have celebrated our Thanksgiving already (Canadians) but I am helping with the Christmas dinner at my daughter's new home (Yes, I have passed the baton) and will be in charge of the turkey and gravy. I have never had great luck before so this could be another recipe to pass on for future celebrations. Thanks so much. Oh, and I will also be doing the slow cooker mashed potatoes - another tough dish to time perfectly. THanks for always coming up with such helpful and delicious recipes. You are taking the stress out of the family dinners that we all love.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
The gravy looks so great! Have a wonderful time in Memphis with your family, Chris.
Patsy says
This is a wonderful idea. Do you also have a make ahead gravy for beef?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Patsy, I haven't done it for beef but now you're giving me an idea... 🙂
Monique says
Such a great idea..I saw a story on IG about make ahead also..
I am so happy you will all be in Memphis..all of you together..especially since it has been such a long time..all the little cousins:) All your children.
That..is..C'est la belle vie!