How To Make Gravy From Smoked Turkey Drippings

Smoked Turkey Gravy with Bourbon is truly the most delicious gravy to serve aslope your Thanksgiving or vacation dinner. And did yous know you can make Smoked Turkey Bourbon Gravy for Thanksgiving without a smoker? Whaaaat?! Yes! And you don't even need to grab any turkey drippings. We have the greatest shortcuts for your gravy this year!

Smoked Gravy goes well on annihilation.

Why This Recipe Works

• Smoking or grilling turkey leads to no drippings, which are traditionally used to make a gravy.
• Using a smoked turkey leg or thigh, you can replace the loss of drippings with added stock.
• The infusion adds smoke flavor.
• It can be easily modified if you take no smoker.

The first time we cooked Thanksgiving dinner outdoors we assumed our gravy would be made in a traditional method, by using turkey drippings. Only we quickly realized that smoked turkey on the outdoor grill doesn't yield the same corporeality of drippings (fifty-fifty when cooking the turkey in a pan), leaving us gravy-less and sad. What a Thanksgiving tragedy for smoked food lovers.

Bound to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• If No Smoker
• Smoked Stock
• Smoking Turkey Leg or Thigh
• Other Ingredients for Smoked Turkey Gravy
• How to Smoke a Turkey Leg or Thigh for Smoked Turkey Gravy
• How to brand the Smoked Turkey Gravy
• Turkey Recipes for your Gravy
• More than Holiday Side Dishes
• Smoked Turkey Gravy Recipe with Bourbon

Throughout the years we've been celebrating Thanksgiving outdoors nosotros've learned several tips and tricks making sure no soul would be left gravy-less e'er once more. And the all-time role? You don't even demand a smoker to make accurate smoked gravy. They key ingredient yet is a smoked turkey leg.

Nosotros are going to utilize the smoked turkey leg or thigh as the base to infuse your gravy, which volition be made in a stock pot on the stovetop.

If No Smoker

Buy a store-bought smoked turkey leg or thigh (they sell them during the holidays near the whole turkeys or in the deli section). Just inquire your butcher and they will find them for you lot. This is a keen option of y'all don't have a smoker. Only use the store-bought smoked turkey drum and simmer it in your chicken stock to infuse it. This volition infuse the stock with that lovely smoked flavor (basically creating your own smoked chicken stock). And then employ a slurry to thicken the stock and create your gravy.

Smoked Stock

Making your own smoked chicken stock as a base of operations for a traditional gravy (no turkey drippings needed). Smoked craven stock is then full of succulent flavor. Buuuut, making homemade chicken stock takes fourth dimension. Knowing this is one actress thing most people don't desire to commit to when they're already making tons of other things, you can endeavor method 3. By the way, yous can find our recipe for smoked chicken stock exclusively in our cookbook Fire + Wine.

Smoking Turkey Leg or Thigh

Smoking your own turkey drum or thigh kickoff, and and so braising it in your stock to infuse it with smoky season.

Buy the unabridged smoked turkey leg at store, or smoke one yourself.

These are all great means for making the very BEST Smoked Turkey Gravy! The thought is to apply a piece of smoked meat and infuse it into your gravy liquid. No meat drippings required. You merely need 1 thigh or leg for this smoked gravy recipe.

Other Ingredients for Smoked Turkey Gravy

In addition to the smoked turkey piece (similar a thigh or leg), the following are needed to maximize flavor. When the gravy is done, strain it for a smoothen texture.

• Onions and Garlic – adds savory season
• Bourbon – adds a fun caramel and spicy element and unique richness
• Stock
• Thyme – a simple herbal element that elevates the season
• Flour – this volition help in making the slurry that thickens the gravy

How to Fume a Turkey Leg or Thigh for Smoked Turkey Gravy

1. Preheat smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit using fruit wood or oak.
2. Liberally season the leg with extra virgin olive oil and our poultry seasoning.
3. Fume the leg until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This takes roughly 45 minutes to one hour.

Smoke on indirect heat for about an hour or an internal temp of 160 degrees F.

Now information technology's fourth dimension to brand the smoked turkey gravy.

How to make the Smoked Turkey Gravy

Starting time with a large Dutch oven over medium heat coated with olive oil.

1. Brown the smoked turkey leg or thigh. While it's already fully cooked, browning helps add that season to the pan (and the browned bits) as you sauté the onions and add together the liquid. Brown and turn the turkey four times to get the most season from each side.
2. Sauté Onions and Garlic. After browning, add the diced onions and continue to stir. Soften the onions, but don't caramelize, almost 6 – 7 minutes. So add garlic and stir for 1 boosted minute.
3. Add Bourbon, Stock, and Thyme. Pour bourbon to deglaze the pan and stir while information technology simmers (nearly 2 minutes). Then add chicken stock and thyme and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for thirty minutes to let the smoke from turkey leg infuse and liquid reduce. Adjust oestrus up or down to keep it from humid.
4. Add Slurry, Common salt, and Pepper. Combine one cup of stock and flour in a minor jar, shake and add together to the gravy. Next, add kosher table salt, and pepper. Stir and bring back to a simmer for x more minutes. The gravy will thicken upward after 10 minutes of a simmer.
5. Strain. Remove the turkey leg, and then strain the gravy. Serve with your holiday meal.

Chef'south Tip: Consider tying the thyme up equally a bunch with kitchen twine. This way you lot don't have to fish them out when the gravy is done.

Meridian your favorite dish with this holiday gravy recipe.

Turkey Recipes for your Gravy

If you are looking for more great recipe ideas for Thanksgiving, visit our round-up featuring our favorite Thanksgiving Recipes for the grill or smoker, including our:

• Bourbon Brined Smoked Turkey
• Smoked Turkey Breast with Maple Coat
• Cajun Grilled Turkey Breast
• Spatchcock Smoked Turkey

More Holiday Side Dishes

• Smoked Sausage, Caramelized Onion, Cornbread Stuffing
• Maple Glazed Carrots on the Grill
• Grilled Dark-green Beans
• Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey Leg
• Grilled Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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This recipe was originally published in November of 2015, and updated in November of 2021 with updated photos and video. The recipe remains the same.

If you like this recipe we'd truly capeesh it if you lot would give this recipe a star review! And if you share any of your pics on Instagram use the hashtag #vindulge. We Love to see it when yous melt our recipes.

• Strainer

• ▢ ane tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 smoked turkey drum or thigh, fully cooked (bootleg or store-bought)
• ▢ 1 cup diced red onions
• ▢ i clove garlic
• ▢ ¼ cup bourbon
• ▢ 5 cups chicken stock, separated (reserve i cup for slurry)
• ▢ 10 sprigs of thyme
• ▢ ¼ cup flour (all purpose, or gluten-free 1:ane flour, both piece of work)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher table salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon fibroid black pepper

Cook Way Preclude your screen from going dark

• Dark-brown the smoked turkey leg or thigh. Add together olive oil to a big stock pot over medium heat and add the smoked turkey leg. While it'south already fully cooked, browning helps add that flavor to the pan equally you sauté the onions and add together the liquid. Brownish and turn the turkey 4 times to go the most flavor from each side.

• Sauté Onions and Garlic.After browning, add the diced onions and go along to stir. Soften the onions, but don't caramelize, about 6 – 7 minutes. Then add garlic and stir for ane additional minute.

• Add together Bourbon, Stock, and Thyme. Pour bourbon to deglaze the pan and stir while it simmers (most 2 minutes). Then add together the stock and thyme and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for thirty minutes to let the smoke from turkey leg infuse and liquid reduce. Adjust rut upward or downwards to keep it from boiling.

• Add Slurry, Salt, and Pepper. Combine the remaining one loving cup of stock and flour in a small jar, shake and add to the gravy. Add kosher common salt and black pepper. Stir and bring back to a simmer for x more minutes. The gravy will thicken up after 10 minutes of a simmer.

• Strain.Remove the turkey leg, and and so strain the gravy. Serve with your holiday meal.

Turkey Leg: If you do non have a smoker, then purchase a pre-smoked turkey leg or thigh. You can commonly find them at the supermarket during the holidays near the whole turkeys or in the cafeteria section. I've also seen them in the frozen meats section as well.

How to Smoke a Turkey Leg:

1. Preheat smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit using fruit forest or oak.
2. Liberally season the leg with extra virgin olive oil and our poultry seasoning.
3. Smoke the leg until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 45 minutes to one hour).

Bourbon: If the pan is as well hot, the Bourbon could completely evaporate. Be sure to adjust the temperature of the pot once y'all add the Bourbon to avoid it boiling out.

Find the perfect wine pairing at the Vindulge Wine Store

Calories: 880 kcal | Carbohydrates: 38 g | Protein: 81 yard | Fat: 36 g | Saturated Fatty: ten g | Cholesterol: 255 mg | Sodium: 1234 mg | Potassium: 1581 mg | Fiber: 2 m | Saccharide: xiii 1000 | Vitamin A: 238 IU | Vitamin C: 11 mg | Calcium: 101 mg | Iron: 9 mg

Mention @vindulge or utilise the hashtag #vindulge

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Source: https://www.vindulge.com/smoked-turkey-and-bourbon-gravy/

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