This DELICIOUS brown gravy recipe will having you licking the pot and accepting all the compliments from your guests. Made in advance, so totally stress-free.
I adore this silky-smooth herbed peppercorn gravy, especially when I’m hosting a holiday dinner party. It’s so delicious you’ll lick the pot. Best part is that it can be made fully in advance for a no-stress holiday meal.
Am I the only one who is sweating and distracted and faced with performance anxiety by the time the roast is finished and have to make the gravy while all your hungry guests are staring over your shoulder?
This make-ahead turkey gravy is so simple. Just gently re-warm it and serve. The secrets are store-bought turkey broth (or homemade frozen broth from another roast, if you’re that organized) and a really well-browned roux (flour and butter mixture) to get lots of delicious toasty browned flavour in there. A splash of cream at then end contributes to the rich flavour and silky-smooth texture.
How to Make Brown Gravy In Advance
- Cook minced onion in butter until soft.
- Stir in flour and cook to a deep butterscotch colour for a deep nutty flavour and rich colour.
- Slowly whisk in broth and herbs.
- Simmer until thick and then add cream.
- Strain into a heat-safe storage container, cool slightly, then refrigerate until just before serving. Rewarm over low heat when ready to serve.
Can You Freeze Homemade Gravy?
Yes! Push a large freezer bag down into your blender container to stand it up so you can easily ladle in the gravy. Squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing the bag, then lay it flat and freeze up to 3 months. When freezing gravy, leave out the cream. You can add it when you reheat it later.
Other Fan-Favorite Turkey Dinner Recipes
- Easy Roast Turkey with Cranberry Chutney
- The Best Mashed Potatoes You’ll Ever Try
- Cornbread Casserole
- Apple Turkey Stuffing
- Candied Brussels Sprouts with Maple and Bacon
- Maple Five Spice Roasted Butternut Squash
- Super Easy Pumpkin Pie
- Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions
- Turkey Giblet Gravy Recipe (Without Drippings)
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Note:
This recipe yields about 2 1/2 cups of gravy – double it or even triple it if you’re serving a crowd.
Make-Ahead Herbed Peppercorn Brown Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- ¾ cup minced onion from about ½ of a large onion
- 1 tsp coarse salt divided use
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 cups turkey broth
- 1 tbsp rosemary coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and ½ tsp coarse salt and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in flour and cook, stirring frequently, until it turns butterscotch colour.
- Very carefully whisk in the chicken stock in a slow stream. Be careful, it will bubble up quickly.
- Stir in the rosemary and peppercorns and turn the heat down to low. Whisk in cream and remaining ½ tsp salt. When the mixture thickens, turn off heat and cover. Let stand for 1 hour to infuse flavours.
- Just before serving, return the gravy to a simmer over low heat. Force through a fine-mesh sieve into a serving dish. Discard solids.
Notes
- Shown here served with a Butterball Turkey Roast. To cook it, preheat oven to 325°F. Place frozen turkey breast (netting still on) on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with oil. Cook uncovered for 4 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
this is awesome. im going to be making it from now on for family dinners with turkey. only thing i plan on changing is subing cream for milk. that is because of liver issues. cream makes me sick. wonderfull recipe
So happy to hear that, Wendy! Thank you.