Healthy Turkey Gravy Recipes

Those who love tender, moist dark meat will love these slow-cooker turkey thighs. If turkey thighs aren't available, ask your butcher to cut up a whole turkey and give you the bone-in thighs. Feel free to substitute an equal weight of chicken thighs for the turkey thighs, if desired. This pairs well with a simple side of steamed green beans.

This rosemary seasoned turkey breast is prepared in the slow cooker. Drizzled with a homemade gravy and served alongside carrots, new potatoes and onion--it's a good reminder that turkey's not just for holidays!

The giblets and neck from a turkey make a great flavorful stock that helps ensure a rich, tasty gravy, but you may substitute more chicken broth if you prefer.

We tend to think of gravy as a last-minute holiday hassle, whisking like mad over a hot stove right before dinner is served. But there's absolutely no reason not to make it ahead of time using turkey parts.

Fennel has sweet flavor notes that pair vibrantly with tart lemon in this juicy Thanksgiving turkey recipe. A rub of herbs mixed with olive oil and lemon juice infuses the meat with flavor without all of the space needed to soak the turkey in a liquid brine. Making the giblet gravy in a large saucepan rather than in the unwieldy turkey roasting pan is way easier to manage on the stovetop--plus it frees up a burner.

In this herb-roasted turkey recipe, apples and shallots cook inside the bird to keep the meat moist and add rich flavor. The extra shallots in the roasting pan also give the gravy recipe a rich, caramelized-onion depth and, with apple cider, the gravy is out-of-this-world delicious. The easy turkey stock adds extra flavor to the gravy, but you can use chicken broth instead with good results.

When a whole bird is just too much--time and effort, as well as size--there is a quicker, simpler way: what's known in French cuisine as a roulade. Using a boneless turkey breast, butterflied and flattened, you can serve a beautiful spiral of juicy meat and herb-flecked stuffing that cooks in an hour and is a cinch to carve. Here, the turkey braises in thyme-infused apple cider, creating the basis for a savory sweet-tart gravy that gives the dish an elegant finish.

Plan ahead to make this succulent turkey recipe--brining the turkey for 12 to 18 hours before roasting makes the meat super-juicy and flavorful. The gravy, made silky-smooth in a blender (no lumps!), is thickened with potatoes instead of cornstarch or flour.

Dried cherries and sage tucked under the skin of the turkey breast give each serving a hint of sweetness mixed with a fabulous herb flavor.

This roast turkey recipe is flavored with sage and served with gravy made extra-tasty with the lemony pan drippings from the turkey and bay leaves in the giblet stock. The salt rub in this recipe acts as a “dry brine,” plumping and seasoning the meat for moist, juicy, flavorful turkey.

This gorgeous herb-rubbed turkey--complete with luscious gravy--is the quintessential holiday centerpiece. It is particularly fitting for Thanksgiving because Madeira, a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of the same name, flowed like water through the Colonies, having arrived here as ballast in ships. Sweet and mellow, reminiscent of sherry, Madeira beautifully enhances a turkey gravy.

Here's the best roast turkey recipe for your holiday festivities. To make the gravy, use instant flour (aka Wondra), which is flour that has been steam-treated then dried. You can use it straight from its package to thicken gravy for your Thanksgiving turkey without making a slurry, as you would have to with regular flour, to get lump-free results every time.