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Gravy is essential to a delicious and comforting Sunday roast, Thanksgiving day dinner, or Christmas meal. And it’s never tasted better! This make-ahead gravy will help you avoid the last-minute scramble of getting dinner on the table on time. Not only that, it’s so jam-packed and full of flavor that you’ll never want to use gravy granules again! Let me take you through all the steps you need to create your own make-ahead gravy.
Page Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Free-Range Chicken Legs
- Natural Chicken Stock (low salt homemade or store-bought stock is both ok)
- Shallots
- Carrots
- Celery
- Fresh Herbs
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Butter
- Flour (wholewheat pastry flour, rice flour, or all-purpose flours are all suitable options)
- Tomato Paste (Purée)
- Port
- Raw Honey
- Water
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Make The Best Make Ahead Gravy ~ Step-By-Step
- MAKE AHEAD
PrepPlace the chicken wings, shallots, carrots, celery, thyme, rosemary, and sage into a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and give everything a good toss.
Tip: Slice through the chicken skin and flesh to release flavor.
- Roast
Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 1 hour, turning once halfway through. Once cooked, the contents of the pan should be a deep golden brown.
- Roux
Put a large saucepan or stockpot on medium heat. Add the butter and flour and cook off the raw flour taste for 1-2 minutes. You want it to turn light brown to add extra flavor to the gravy.
- Add
Add the tomato paste (purée) and Port and whisk to combine.
- Add Chicken Stock
Then, pour in the chicken stock and water, a little at a time, whisking until smooth. Now, add the honey.
- Boil
Carefully add the roast chicken, veggies, and aromatics to the pot of liquid. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer
Reduce heat and simmer on low for about 45 minutes – 1 hour, with the lid slightly ajar. The gravy will deepen in color and reduce by about a third.
Tip: The lid will prevent too much of the liquid from evaporating.
- Strain
Pour the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl (preferably with a spout). Use the back of a spoon or potato masher to extract as much gravy from the solids as possible.
- Cool & Store
Pour the gravy into an airtight container before it firms up and turns jelly-like. If a layer of fat forms on top, you can simply scrape it off and discard it. Once it’s cooled, transfer the gravy into the refrigerator and use it within 3-4 days. If you’ve made the gravy more than 3-4 days in advance, store it in the freezer and use it within 2-3 months (for the best flavor).
- THE NIGHT BEFORE
DefrostThaw the gravy in the fridge overnight.
- ON THE DAY
ReheatTransfer the gelatinous gravy to a saucepan and slowly bring it to a boil. It will transform back into a gorgeous liquid.
- Drippings
For extra meaty oomph, add the chicken or turkey drippings to your gravy after scooping off the fat.
- Serve & Enjoy!
Pour into a gravy boat, and enjoy!
Full recipe and ingredients list in the recipe card below.
Why You’ll Love This Make Ahead Gravy
- It’s Delicious – Finally, make-ahead chicken gravy is simply delicious. The rich, savory flavor will complement any dish, and your guests will be back for seconds!
- Time Saver – One of the best things about this make-ahead chicken gravy recipe is that you can save a ton of time by making it in advance. Instead of having to make gravy from scratch when you’re ready to serve it, you can simply reheat the ready-made gravy and enjoy it. This is especially helpful if you’re hosting a large gathering or holiday meal, as it can be tough to find the time to make everything from scratch on the day of.
- Better Flavor – Even though make ahead chicken gravy is made in advance, it still tastes just as good as fresh gravy. This is because the flavors have had time to meld and develop, which results in a more flavorful and delicious gravy.
- Perfect For Busy Weeknights – If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get dinner on the table during busy weeknights, then make-ahead gravy is perfect for you. Simply make the gravy in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to use it. Then, when you’re ready to eat, simply reheat the gravy and enjoy.
- 100% Real Food – This gravy is made with all-natural ingredients.
Recipe Variations
- Raw Chicken – I’m using chicken legs in this recipe. However, chicken wings or drumsticks are a great option. If this gravy is for your Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey, you could turn it into a make-ahead turkey gravy by using turkey legs or turkey wings. If you have your own turkey stock, that would be great here too. Then, add the turkey pan drippings on the big day for an extra flavor boost.
- Alcohol-Free Gravy – To make this recipe alcohol-free, you can use an alcohol-free red or white wine, grape juice, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, watered-down red vinegar, or water.
- Port – I always have Port on hand for making sauces, but I get that not everyone does. If you still want the booze in your gravy, red wine, white wine, or sherry are good alternatives.
- Unami – I think this gravy is perfect as it is. But if you’re looking for even more savory depth to your gravy, there are many options. For example, adding whole chestnut mushrooms to the roasting tray, dried porcini mushrooms to the simmering liquid, a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce, and even a little marmite will add great flavor. Just be sure to taste as you go to avoid overdoing it!
Tips For Making The Best Make Ahead Gravy
1Start With A Good Quality Stock
If you want your gravy to be full of flavor, start with a good-quality stock. Natural chicken stock or chicken broth are both fine. However, choose a stock with no added salt, or that is low in salt. The saltiness of the chicken stock will have a big impact on the overall flavor of the gravy. And we want to make sure we have total control over the seasoning. Be sure to taste your gravy as you cook and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
2Make Ahead Of Time
There’s nothing worse than feeling like time is against you when you’re trying to pull all the components of your roast dinner together. That’s what makes a Make-Ahead Gravy so brilliant. Make it a few days, weeks, or even months ahead of time and defrost and reheat it when you need it. Simply make your gravy according to the recipe and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge (3-4 days) or the freezer (2-3 months for best flavor).
What To Serve With Make Ahead Gravy
This Make-Ahead Gravy is amazing served with:
How To Make The Best Make Ahead Gravy ~ Full Recipe
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The Best Make Ahead Gravy Recipe
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 Liter
Description
Gravy is essential to a delicious and comforting Sunday roast, Thanksgiving day dinner, or Christmas meal. And it’s never tasted better! This make-ahead gravy will help you avoid the last-minute scramble of getting dinner on the table on time. Not only that, it’s so jam-packed and full of flavor that you’ll never want to use gravy granules again! Let me take you through all the steps you need to create your own make-ahead gravy.
Ingredients
3.3 lbs (1.5 kg) chicken legs, slice into the skin and meat with a sharp knife
4 shallots, quartered
2 large carrots, scrubed and cut into chunks
1 celery rib, washed and cut into chunks
10 sprigs of fresh herbs (I’m using 6 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs rosemary, & 2 sprigs sage)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour (I use wholewheat pastry flour, but all-purpose is fine)
1 tbsp tomato paste (purée)
4 tbsp (60 ml) Port
4.5 cups (1 L) chicken stock
4.5 cups (1 L) boiling water
2 tsp honey
Instructions
Make Ahead
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC/gas mark 4, and prepare your ingredients.
- Roast: Place the chicken wings, shallots, carrots, celery, thyme, rosemary, and sage into a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and give everything a good toss. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 1 hour, turning once halfway through. Once cooked, the contents of the pan should be a deep golden brown.
- Roux: Put a large pot or stockpot on medium heat. Add the butter and flour and cook it off the raw flour taste for 1-2 minutes. You want it to turn light brown to add extra flavor to the gravy. Add the tomato paste (purée) and Port and stir to combine. Then, pour in the chicken stock and water, a little at a time, whisking until smooth. Now, add the honey. Carefully add the roast chicken, veggies, and aromatics to the pot of liquid. Making sure to scrape all the delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer: Now, reduce heat and simmer on low for about 45 minutes – 1 hour, with the lid slightly ajar. The gravy will deepen in color and reduce by about a third. This is where we get a depth of flavor that turns good gravy into the best gravy! Tip: The lid will prevent too much of the liquid from evaporating.
- Strain: Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl (preferably with a spout). Use the back of a spoon or potato masher to extract as much gravy from the solids as possible. And there you have it – homemade gravy.
- Storing: Pour the gravy into an airtight container before it firms up and turns jelly-like. If a layer of fat forms on top, you can simply scrape it off and discard it. Once it’s cooled, transfer the gravy into the refrigerator and use it within 3-4 days. If you’ve made the gravy more than 3-4 days in advance, store it in the freezer and use it within 2-3 months (for the best flavor).
The Night Before
- Defrost: Thaw the gravy in the fridge overnight.
On The Day
- Reheat: Transfer the gravy to a saucepan and slowly bring it to a boil.
- Drippings (optional): For extra meaty oomph, add the chicken or turkey drippings to your gravy after scooping off the fat. If you’re not confident doing this, you could use a fat separator.
- Serve & Enjoy! Now for the best part! Pour into a gravy boat, smoother your dinner, and enjoy!
Notes
Storage Instructions: Pour the gravy into airtight containers or freezer bags, cool, and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Freezing Instructions: Make ahead gravy can be frozen in an airtight container for 2-3 months (for best quality). Leave room for expansion in the freezer, or your containers may break.
Defrosting Instructions: Thaw your make-ahead gravy in the fridge overnight.
Reheating Instructions: Reheat your make-ahead gravy on the hob or microwave until piping hot.
Nutritional Information: The nutritional information provided for this particular recipe is not an accurate calculation. The chicken legs are not all being consumed. However, some of the fats, etc., will be extracted from the chicken into the gravy. Therefore, I have included 1/4 of the chicken legs in the calculation as a guide. Also, the nutritional panel does not include and additional drippings you may add on the day of your roast dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Roast, Simmer
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: chicken, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, beef, pork, gammon
Thinking of making this ? I’d love to know how it turns out. Get in touch via the comments section, and let me know!
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