This smoked turkey gravy is the perfect sauce to elevate your Thanksgiving turkey. It's entirely homemade and can be prepared well in advance of the big day.
No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a boat of smooth, rich gravy to drizzle over the turkey and creamy mashed potatoes. This recipe adds an element of smoke to the classic condiment, making it the perfect pairing for your favorite grilled turkey recipe.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Turkey necks--Most turkeys purchased at the store will come with the turkey neck inside, and you can usually purchase turkey necks at large supermarkets or from your butcher around Thanksgiving. For the smokiest flavor, I recommend using two turkey necks for this recipe, but one will still give you a subtle smoke flavor.
- Flour--Use regular all-purpose flour, or substitute cornstarch to make it gluten free.
- Butter (not shown)--This is the base of the roux. You can use salted or unsalted butter here, as you're going to be adjusting the seasoning later.
- Drippings (not shown)--Drippings from your turkey will give you the best flavor in your gravy, however, it's not required.
How to Make Smoked Turkey Gravy
1. Smoke the turkey neck(s) until cooked through.
2. Combine the turkey neck, onion, celery, carrots, parsley, and peppercorns in a pot of water and simmer.
3. Strain the turkey stock.
4. Stir the flour into melted butter and cook until smooth. Slowly whisk in the drippings (if using) and turkey stock until smooth and pourable. Season to taste.
FAQs
There are two important steps to avoid lumps in your gravy, or any sauce that's thickened with flour. First, begin by cooking the flour in fat (butter or drippings) until you have a smooth, thick paste. The flour paste should be thick enough to heavily coat a spoon but should not be grainy or stuck to the pan.
Next, add the liquid to the paste slowly, particularly at first. You need to be whisking constantly as you add some liquid, then make sure that the resulting slurry has an even consistency before adding more liquid. Adding all the liquid at once will result in lumps that will be very difficult to incorporate into the liquid.
Definitely. The turkey stock can be prepared and refrigerated up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months before preparing the gravy. The gravy itself can be made a couple of days in advance. Rewarm it just before serving.
I find that apple and cherry wood pair beautifully with poultry when smoking. Stay away from very strong smoke flavors, such as mesquite or oak, as they'll overpower the turkey.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Season your gravy aggressively, tasting frequently. Turkey can be a little bland and the homemade stock doesn't have any of the salt that store-bought broth does, so you may need to be generous with the salt and pepper.
- Store leftover gravy in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed through. It will thicken as it cools and if you find it too thick when you reheat it, whisk in some leftover broth or turkey drippings.
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Recipe
Smoked Turkey Gravy
Equipment
- Smoker or grill with smoke box or smoke pouch
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 turkey necks
- 1 medium onion halved
- 2 medium carrots chopped into a few chunks
- 2 celery stalks chopped into a few chunks
- 1 handful fresh Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups water
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- De-fatted turkey drippings (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare your smoker or grill with a smoke box according to manufacturer's directions, using apple or cherry wood chips or chunks and preheat it to 250°F (120°C). Get a good stream of smoke going before adding the turkey necks.
- Place the turkey necks in the smoker and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (72°C), about 2 ½ hours. Replenish the wood as needed to maintain a steady stream of smoke.
- Transfer the cooked turkey necks to a large pot and add the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, peppercorns, bay leaf, and water. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 1 ½ hours.
- Let the stock cool slightly, then strain it through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the turkey necks and vegetables. If you're not using the turkey broth immediately, let it cool to room temperature, then store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until you have a thick roux, about 1 minute.
- If using turkey drippings, slowly add up to ½ cup of drippings to the roux, whisking constantly. If not, proceed to the next step.
- Slowly add 2 cups of the turkey broth to the gravy, whisking constantly. Let it come to a simmer and cook until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Continue adding broth until your reach your desired consistency. You may not need all of the broth.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Notes
- Season aggressively--Turkey can be a little bland and the homemade stock doesn't have any of the salt that store-bought broth does, so you may need to be generous with the salt and pepper. Taste frequently so that you don't overdo it.
- Storage and reheating--Store leftover gravy in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed through. It will thicken as it cools and if you find it too thick when you reheat it, whisk in some leftover broth or turkey drippings.
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