Southern Giblet Gravy
If you grew up in the South, there are a few things that just belong on the Thanksgiving table — and giblet gravy is one of them. This one goes all the way back to my great-grandma, who didn’t need a measuring cup or a recipe card to make it. She taught my grandma, who taught my mama, who taught me — and we’ve all made it the exact same way ever since.
For years, our family got so big that we couldn’t even fit in a house. We used to have Thanksgiving dinner in the Fellowship Hall at church — long folding tables, kids running everywhere, and everybody carrying in something hot wrapped in a tea towel. There would be more casseroles than counter space, three kinds of dressing, and always this gravy — steaming in a chipped white bowl, waiting to be ladled over everything.
These days the cousins have their own houses and our holidays are split up between different branches of the family tree, but we’re still cooking the same dishes. And every time we whisk this gravy, we remember those Fellowship Hall dinners — loud, crowded, and sweet in the way only a big Southern family can be.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
Giblets and neck from one turkey (liver, heart, gizzard)
4 cups turkey stock (from the roasting pan or boxed)
2 boiled eggs, chopped
1 small onion, finely diced (optional but classic in many South Carolina kitchens)
4 tbsp butter or drippings from the turkey
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
Salt & black pepper to taste
You will also need:
Small saucepan
Skillet
Instructions:
Simmer the Giblets
Place the neck and giblets in a small saucepan and cover with about 4 cups of water or turkey stock. Simmer 25–30 minutes until very tender.
Chop the Good Stuff
Remove the neck and giblets from the pot. Chop the giblets finely and pull any meat from the neck bone if you want to add it into the gravy.
Make the Roux
In a skillet, melt butter or use hot turkey drippings. Add flour and cook over medium heat, whisking until it turns golden — not dark brown, just a warm biscuit color.
Whisk in Stock
Slowly add the reserved broth, whisking until smooth and thickened.
Stir in Giblets & Eggs
Add the chopped giblets, neck meat if using, and the chopped boiled eggs. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
Simmer & Serve
Let it bubble a couple of minutes, then pour it hot over dressing, turkey, or even mashed potatoes.
