The BEST Turkey Gravy recipe to complete your turkey feast! For your turkey, veggies, mashed potatoes and everything in between!
Plus, my cheeky tip for how to darken gravy to make it a beautiful deep brown colour, as well as how to make gluten-free gravy. This turkey gravy recipe is for oven roasted turkey OR slow cooker turkey!
When it comes to turkey, there are those in the Cranberry Sauce camp, and those in the gravy camp. Me – I’ve got a foot in both camps.
There’s nothing quite like the combination of turkey with sweet-tart cranberry sauce. But on the other hand, gravy and I are very good friends. You’d be hard pressed to find a roast on this site that doesn’t come with a gravy recipe!!
I have a regular “formula” I use for all my gravies which I also apply to turkey gravy:
Gravy is a classic accompaniment to turkey, adding moisture and flavor to the meal. While bone-in turkey breasts make rich gravy from the drippings, you can also make delicious gravy from a boneless turkey breast. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Make Boneless Turkey Breast?
A boneless turkey breast is convenient for smaller gatherings It cooks faster than a whole turkey, usually in about 1-15 hours. Since it’s smaller, it’s easier to manage in the oven and on the carving board. Many home cooks also find deboning a whole turkey challenging. opting for a boneless cut saves time and hassle.
Key Benefits of Boneless Turkey Breast
Here are some of the advantages of cooking boneless turkey breast:
- Takes less time – Cooks faster than a whole bird
- Easy to prepare – No complicated boning needed
- Portion control – Good for feeding a smaller crowd
- Lean and tender – Provides moist, delicious meat
- Kid-friendly slices – Easy to cut and serve
While you lose some flavor from the bone the boneless breast still makes a tasty entrée. With the right technique you can still get delicious gravy too.
How to Make Gravy from Boneless Turkey Breast
While you won’t get rich pan drippings like a bone-in breast, you can still make excellent gravy with a boneless turkey breast. Here are some tips:
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Use an aromatic base – Line the pan with onions, carrots, celery and fresh herbs before cooking. The vegetables and herbs impart flavor as they roast.
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Brown the turkey first – Searing the boneless turkey breast before roasting helps develop fond on the pan bottom. This strengthens gravy flavor.
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Deglaze the pan – After removing the cooked turkey, scrape up browned bits from the pan. Add broth and let simmer to develop flavor.
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Use turkey stock – Turkey stock instead of plain chicken broth provides more meaty turkey flavor.
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Cook down pan juices – Let pan juices simmer and reduce slightly to concentrate flavors before making gravy.
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Whisk in flour – For thick gravy, whisk in a flour paste after deglazing. Simmer until thickened.
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Strain for smooth gravy – Pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove veggie solids.
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Finish with butter – Whisk in butter just before serving for a silky texture and sheen.
With these tips, you can make rich, savory gravy with your boneless turkey breast that’s just as delicious as gravy made from a whole turkey.
Easy Roasted Boneless Turkey Breast Recipe
This easy recipe produces tender turkey breast with pan drippings perfect for gravy:
Ingredients:
- 3 lb boneless, skinless turkey breast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- Fresh thyme, rosemary, sage
- 2 cups turkey or chicken broth
- 4 tbsp butter, divided
- 1/4 cup flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
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Line a roasting pan with chopped onion, carrots, celery and fresh herbs. Place turkey breast on top. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
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Roast at 400°F for about 1 hour until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove turkey to a cutting board to rest.
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Place roasting pan on stovetop over medium heat. Add broth and simmer, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
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Whisk in 2 tbsp butter until melted. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes until thickened.
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Strain gravy through a mesh strainer into a saucepan pressing on solids. Whisk in remaining 2 tbsp butter.
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Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Slice turkey and serve with gravy.
With a flavorful aromatic base and proper deglazing, you can make delicious gravy for your boneless turkey breast. This method extracts maximum flavor from the turkey juices.
More Tips for Boneless Turkey and Gravy
Here are some additional pointers for success:
- Chill breast overnight with salt and herbs for extra juicy meat
- Use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking
- Let breast rest at least 10 minutes before carving
- Use kitchen shears or knife to remove netting after cooking
- Add extra broth if gravy seems thick
- Boost flavor with gravy enhancers like pan drippings from side dishes
With boneless turkey breast, gravy prep does require a few extra steps compared to a whole turkey or bone-in breast. However, with the right techniques, you can produce amazing gravy full of rich, savory turkey flavor. A boneless breast should not deter you from serving traditional homemade gravy for Thanksgiving or any special meal.
While gravy may be slightly easier with a bone-in cut, with some simple tricks you can make delicious gravy from a boneless turkey breast. An aromatic base, proper deglazing, and turkey stock build savory flavor in the gravy. Letting the juices reduce concentrates the turkey taste. Thickening with a butter-flour roux and straining delivers velvety, full-bodied gravy that perfectly complements the juicy turkey. With the right method, boneless turkey breast and homemade gravy can be a big holiday meal hit.
How to darken gravy
Because we don’t get caramelisation in slow cookers, Slow Cooker turkey gravy is pale unless you use a gravy darkener of some sort. The taste is great, it’s just a visual thing that bothers some people (like me!).
You can buy gravy darkeners, but my cheeky tip to darken gravy as well as add seasoning is to use dark soy sauce. I know what you’re thinking – “that’s so Asian!!” And sure, I thought of this because I know Asian condiments well.
But it’s 100% effective. It darkens the gravy as well as seasons it but it does not make it taste Asiany! Soy sauce nowadays is used as a means to add salt and flavour into many non-Asian recipes. It’s a better version of salt because it has more umami (savouriness) than salt.
Try it – you’ll be converted for life!
Alternative: Worcestershire sauce can also be used but approach with caution because the flavour can overwhelm. You won’t achieve the same dark brown colour (or if you do, the gravy flavour will be dominated by Worcestershire sauce).
Here’s a comparison of the two gravies. On the left is the gravy for Juicy Roast Turkey made using the pan drippings. A natural deep brown colour.
And on the right is the gravy from the Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Turkey Breast I shared recently.
While the two methods are different, both yield an intensely savoury, can’t-stop-mopping-it-up delicious gravy that you’ll want to pour over everything!
Enjoy! – Nagi x
PS All my turkey recipes come with a gravy recipe, but in case you’re wanting to browse, here’s a list of them.
Turkey Gravy recipe – for SLOW COOKER turkey
The steps depicted above for making gravy using pan drippings is the classic way to make gravy. Making gravy for slow cooker turkey is different because we do not have a pan of browned pan drippings to use as the starting point.
Instead, I either skim fat off the strained slow cooker liquids OR use butter as the starting point (if there’s not enough fat in the liquids).
Then mix in flour and use the slow cooker juices as the broth for the gravy.
Easiest-Ever Roast Whole Turkey Breast with Gravy
FAQ
Is a bone in turkey breast better than a boneless turkey breast?
What is the difference between a boneless turkey breast and a turkey crown?
Is boneless turkey breast already cooked?
Does turkey breast cook the same as chicken breast?