The Genius Make-Ahead Gravy Trick You Need to Know About

When you spend all week prepping for and cooking a huge Thanksgiving meal, the last thing you need is for it to be ruined by a bad gravy. Gravy is supposed to be a rich, savory sauce that compliments your meal. It’s a Thanksgiving essential, tying together all the delicious elements on your plate—turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls. Its smooth, velvety texture and deep, umami flavor make every bite even better, but if the gravy isn't done right, it can throw off the whole meal.

Conventional wisdom says that you make the gravy the day of the meal, and generally the best time to make gravy for Thanksgiving dinner is right after the turkey finishes roasting. Once the turkey is done, it needs to rest for 20–30 minutes to let the juices redistribute. During this time, you can use the drippings in the roasting pan to make the gravy. The drippings are packed with flavor, and making the gravy immediately after the turkey is done ensures that you capture all that richness while it’s still warm and easy to work with.

Gravy thickens as it sits, so making it just before serving your food ensures it’s smooth and pourable. If it’s ready too early, you may need to reheat and adjust its consistency, but making the gravy as your guests are waiting for dinner to be served can be stressful. so if you want to make it the day before, you can with a little help from the Food Network.

The popular food site shared a make-ahead gravy on its Instagram (@foodnetworkkitchen) and we can't wait to try it! This will definitely make the big day much easier.

Related: We Tried 17 Different Kinds of Store-Bought Gravy and You Can Buy the Winner at Walmart

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How To Make Turkey Gravy Ahead of Time

According to Food Network, the best way to make make-ahead turkey gravy is to start with that bag of turkey giblets that's inside the turkey cavity, plus the turkey neck. Season them with salt, then roast them at 425° until they're cooked through. Next, boil them in a pan with turkey stock or chicken broth, bay leaves and thyme.

As the mixture boils, make a roux using equal parts butter and flour. (In the video they use 1 stick of butter and 8 tablespoons of flour.) Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it turns light golden brown. Strain the turkey innards from the stock and slowly whisk the stock into the roux. You want both the roux and stock to be hot so the flour doesn't clump. Bring the gravy to a boil and let it simmer for five minutes.

Once the gravy base cools off, you can stick it in the fridge. The next day, after your turkey has rested, pour the gravy base into a pan and slowly warm it up. Add the turkey drippings from the roasting pan and cook the gravy to your preferred consistency.

It's that simple to create a make-ahead gravy that's full of flavor and was less stressful than starting from scratch the day of.

"Great idea!! Thank you!" someone commented on the Instagram post.

"I’m soo doing this!!" another person said. So are we! This is going to make Thanksgiving much easier this year.

"This is genius! Why have I been a crazy lady in the kitchen after the Turkey comes out making the gravy all these years!! You have saved my family from Crazy Karen. I am making my gravy like this and my family will be so happy!!" someone else chimed in. We agree that anything that makes cooking the perfect Thanksgiving meal easier is a win.

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