My Favorite Way To Make Thanksgiving Gravy Gets an Upgrade From a Cozy Fall Ingredient

I absolutely can’t resist adding a little bit of something sweet—especially if it’s tart or spiced—to something savory. With so much delicious, decadent, rich food on the plate, it’s helpful to have a gravy that’s velvety smooth, but also sharp enough to cut through it all.

This recipe for Apple Cider Turkey Gravy, developed by Allrecipes Allstar Kelsey Riley, is an instant winner in that regard. “The hint of sweetness from the apple cider is such a great way to balance the savory flavors of the turkey gravy,” says Riley. “The two are also both such classic fall flavors that they compliment each other so beautifully and create the ultimate autumn flavor profile!”

Sweet-tart cider, homemade turkey stock, pan drippings, and a silky, fragrant roux make the end result it’s effortlessly rich and unctuous—the perfect complement to a roast turkey. Pour it generously over your Thanksgiving meal, or spread a heaping spoonful onto your favorite post-Thanksgiving sandwich. Here’s how to make a turkey gravy that kicks things up a notch.

Cooking With Apple Cider

While apple cider is perhaps more commonly associated with fall desserts like doughnuts, cakes, and crisps, it has zippy, piquant notes that lend an extra level of spice and mouthwatering tang to savory dishes like skillet chicken or even beef stew. Apple cider is very acidic, which helps tenderize even gamier meats (like turkey), but it also has spicy and sweet notes that balance and enhance the strong flavors of a roasted meat dish.

This is because the concept of sweet-and-sour, often combining honey or sugar with an acid like lemon juice, wine, or vinegar, is a global cooking technique that often crystallizes in sauce form, from French gastrique to Mexican chamoy, Italian agrodolce, or Filipino agre-dulce—and much more. One thing is for certain: Sweet and savory taste great together, especially when the time is right.

How To Make Apple Cider Turkey Gravy

This recipe calls for making your own turkey stock, which requires a package of turkey legs and wings. Trust us, the extra steps are worth it—you end up with leftover turkey meat which makes for extra-yummy Thanksgiving leftovers—but you can always pick up store-bought turkey stock in a pinch.

Note: Legs and wings are packaged separately and commonly available during the holiday season—and they’re also often on sale!

Making Turkey Stock

• Roast turkey legs and wings. Prepare a turkey stock by first roasting turkey legs and wings. While turkey legs consist of dark meat and wings are technically a white meat, the combination of both lends a concentrated, richer flavor—especially as the surrounding turkey skin roasts and crisps up in the oven. Be sure to reserve the fat and browned bits that render on the pan to incorporate later while building the stock, making for an ultra-rich, flavorful gravy.
• Add roasted turkey to a pot with aromatics and bring to a boil. Transfer the roasted, crispy turkey legs and wings to a pot with aromatics like carrot, onion, celery, herbs (like sage, rosemary, thyme, or bay leaf), and salt to season. Cover the contents with water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook for 3 to 4 hours adding more water and skimming foam as needed. Once stock is flavorful, strain out the turkey and veggies with a fine mesh strainer and discard them.
• Heat apple cider, and incorporate drippings. While stock is simmering, add fresh apple cider to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil to reduce it by about half—this concentrates the cider flavor. At this stage, add the reserved drippings from the pan used to roast the turkey legs.
• Add stock and flour to thicken. Add about 1/2 cup of stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour vigorously to create a roux. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is light brown and fragrant.
• Add remaining turkey stock. Gradually add the remaining turkey stock, whisking often, until thickened to your desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tips, Tricks, and Swaps

This recipe is surprisingly adaptable, says Riley, who says the recipe was inspired by her mother’s recipe tweaked to perfection together. “One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can make it ahead of the big day which will take one major recipe off your plate and leave room for you to focus on other preparations,” she says.

• Make it ahead. Believe it or not, this gravy recipe can be made ahead—yes, really. Either prepare the turkey stock or apple cider reduction ahead of time in order to combine them on the day of, or prepare the entire gravy in advance and stir it in the refrigerator. Reheat it in the microwave and whisk vigorously until it’s smooth again.
• Use prepared stock. Skip the stock-making step, and use boxed turkey stock. Turkey stock, while slightly less common than chicken or beef stock, is often more prevalently available around Thanksgiving and the holiday season. Look for it in the grocery aisle with other soups and stocks.
• Save the turkey meat, and make a casserole. If you choose to make your own stock, you’ve got built-in prepared turkey meat for a turkey leftovers casserole.

Get the recipe: Apple Cider Turkey Gravy