Add an extra touch of deliciousness to chicken, turkey, roasts and mashed potatoes with a beyond-easy, smooth and flavorful Better Than Bouillon gravy. Just 5 minutes with 3 simple ingredients (plus water).
We have no affiliation with this company. We just love the huge convenience and quality of this base. It’s a great flavor-enhancing secret ingredient for making a basic, easy gravy recipe – any kind – in a matter of minutes.
Gravy with drippings from a roast such as boneless pork roast with gravy (reverse sear) or roast chicken breast with gravy uses the natural oils released from the cooked meat – and adds rich flavor to the gravy.
I prefer using fresh ingredients whenever possible, but I also love conveniences and shortcuts as long as the quality and taste is good.
I’ve made hundreds of gravies in my long years of cooking. I’m a big fan. Better Than Bouillon base or a concentrated undiluted broth are my two favorite options for a delicious gravy when from-scratch homemade gravy is not in the cards.
Making Delicious Turkey Gravy with Better Than Bouillon
Gravy is an essential component of many holiday meals, including Thanksgiving turkey. With its rich, savory flavor, gravy brings all the elements of your meal together beautifully. But making gravy from scratch can be time consuming and messy. This is where Better Than Bouillon can help!
Better Than Bouillon is a highly concentrated base that allows you to make rich, delicious gravy in minutes. Here are tips for making the best turkey gravy using Better Than Bouillon:
Ingredients Needed
- 4 cups water or turkey broth
- 2-3 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon turkey base
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup cold water
- Salt, pepper and other seasonings to taste
Selecting the Right Better Than Bouillon Flavor
- For traditional turkey gravy, use the turkey or chicken base
- For a bolder flavor, try the beef or vegetable bases
- The reduced sodium bases work well for those monitoring salt intake
Browning the Drippings (Optional)
- For deeper flavor, sauté the turkey neck and giblets
- Cook any broth drippings from the turkey to brown them
- Deglaze the pan with a splash of wine or broth
Making the Gravy
- In a pot, bring 4 cups of turkey broth or water to a boil
- Whisk in the Better Than Bouillon to dissolve completely
- In a bowl, whisk cornstarch into the cold water
- Slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened
- Add extra broth or water if the gravy is too thick
- Season with salt, pepper and other spices as desired
Finishing Touches
- For a smooth gravy, pour through a fine mesh strainer
- Keep warm in a gravy boat or serve immediately over turkey
- Garnish with fresh herbs like parsley, thyme or sage
The concentrated flavor of Better Than Bouillon allows you to skip many tedious steps and still end up with rich, savory gravy every time. Whisking it into hot liquid is much easier than making a roux or boiling down drippings for hours.
Better Than Bouillon also gives you versatility to make any type of gravy. Try mushroom, onion or other bases for unique flavors. The vegetarian bases make inclusivity easy for family meals.
With minimal effort, Better Than Bouillon can take your holiday meals to the next level. Homemade turkey gravy infused with Better Than Bouillon is sure to become your new secret weapon for flavorful, stress-free gravy!
3 reasons to make gravy without drippings
- Whatever you’re cooking produces no drippings (or not enough).
- You are a vegetarian and love gravy on mashed potatoes or fries.
- With so many other tasks to take care of, you want to avoid last-minute prep and make your gravy ahead of time.
Of course, you absolutely CAN use chicken drippings (or any fat drippings) with this gravy recipe instead of the oil or butter if you prefer.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Better Than Bouillon base – choose the kind you like or need. The more common ones are roasted chicken, roasted beef, seasoned vegetable, mushroom, turkey, sauteed onion and roasted garlic. The company also has a culinary collection (more sophisticated flavors), and even organic, reduced sodium and vegetarian/vegan collections. List of better than bouillon bases.
Variations
- Sauté chopped green onions or shallots with the oil before adding flour and the base.
- Boost the flavor further with additional seasonings like garlic powder, thyme, poultry seasonings, Italian seasoning, fresh herbs or a few drops of soy sauce, sherry, light or heavy cream, or Worcestershire sauce.
A great way to keep gravy hot for hours is to put it in an insulated gravy boat or thermos.
According to the company, Better Than Bouillon is a concentrated food base made of cooked meat and/or vegetables with natural flavors that can be used in a variety of ways – from making a simple soup to adding flavor to your favorite meal. Each jar has 38 one-teaspoon serving (except at Costco which sells larger jars).
Use 1 teaspoon per 8 ounces/1 cup/237ml of liquid. For a deeper more intense flavor, you can use a little more. I do.
No, better than bouillon base is not gluten free as wheat flour is used in the facility where it’s housed.
I prefer the flour (roux) method as per the recipe, but you can definitely use a corn starch slurry instead to thicken the gravy. Here’s a recipe for gravy using the corn starch method. Keep in mind, this will not make the gravy gluten-free if you are using the Better Than Bouillon base.
How to Make Turkey Gravy without Drippings
FAQ
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