Is Butterball Turkey Gravy Gluten Free?

Butterball turkey gravy has gone through some changes over the years when it comes to being gluten free. Many Butterball turkey products come with gravy packets, so it’s an important question for those following a gluten free diet. Let’s take a closer look at whether Butterball turkey gravy is gluten free or not.

A Brief History of Butterball Turkey Gravy

In the past, Butterball gravy packets contained wheat flour, meaning they were not gluten free. Around 2009, Butterball started transitioning to using rice flour instead of wheat flour for the gravy packets. However, this change didn’t happen overnight. For a while, some packets contained wheat flour while others contained rice flour. This caused a lot of confusion among consumers about whether the gravy was actually gluten free or not.

The key was to always check the ingredient list on the gravy packet. If it contained wheat flour, it was not gluten free If it contained rice flour, then it was safe for a gluten free diet. During the transition period, the only way to know for sure was to read the label

Which Butterball Turkey Products Have Gluten Free Gravy Packets?

According to Butterball’s website all Butterball products are gluten free except for the stuffed turkey (which contains bread stuffing) and frozen meatballs. For products packaged with gravy packets the gravy packets are gluten free.

Some examples of Butterball turkey products that come with gluten free gravy packets include

• Ready to Roast Whole Turkeys
• Lil’ Butterball Turkeys
• Whole Turkey Breasts
• Turkey Roast with Gravy Packet

So if you see a Butterball turkey product that comes with a gravy packet, you can be confident that the gravy packet is gluten free. Just be aware that the stuffing in the stuffed turkey contains gluten.

Are There Any Exceptions?

At this point, all of Butterball’s gravy packets are gluten free, with the exception of gravy packets included with the stuffed turkey. However, there were some exceptions early on when the company was transitioning to gluten free gravy packets:

• 2009-2011: Some traditional frozen whole turkeys still had wheat-based gravy packets, so the gravy was not gluten free in those products. The gluten free gravy packets were only included with specialty items during the transition period.

• 2011: For a brief period, Butterball oddly paired the new gluten free gravy packets with their stuffed turkeys that contained gluten stuffing. This defated the purpose of having a gluten free gravy. The company soon realized the mistake and fixed this practice.

So if you have an older Butterball turkey product from 2009-2011, be sure to check the gravy packet. But any Butterball turkeys purchased in recent years should have gluten free gravy packets.

Making Your Own Turkey Gravy

If you want to be extra cautious, you can always make your own gluten free turkey gravy from scratch using the turkey drippings.

To make gluten free turkey gravy:

• Cook the turkey as desired and reserve 2-3 cups of the pan drippings
• In a saucepan, add the turkey drippings along with 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes
• Season with salt, pepper, herbs as desired
• For a smoother gravy, strain out any crispy bits from the drippings before making the gravy

Making your own allows you to control exactly what goes into the gravy for a homemade gluten free option.

The Bottom Line