Name: Old-Fashioned Turkey Gravy with Egg (Southern Giblet Gravy)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 cups turkey or chicken broth; 1 diced hard-boiled egg; 1/2 cup shredded turkey breast (or chopped cooked giblets); 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup warm water

Pass the gravy boat at a Southern Thanksgiving and there’s a good chance you’ll find this old-fashioned turkey gravy inside, the egg-studded giblet gravy my family has poured over dressing for generations. It’s ready in about 25 minutes on the stovetop and makes enough for 4 people to spoon over everything on their plate.

Old-fashioned turkey gravy with egg being poured over cornbread dressing

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Easy Turkey Gravy
Serves: 4
Main Ingredients: turkey or chicken broth, diced hard-boiled egg, shredded turkey breast, all-purpose flour, warm water
Why You'll Love It: This easy turkey gravy is an old-fashioned Southern recipe. Bursting with turkey flavor and a secret ingredient, enjoy it this Thanksgiving.

Mama Reed always stirred the chopped turkey giblets right into hers. Mama and I usually leave them out and add a little chopped turkey breast in their place, which makes it a whole lot easier to win over younger tastebuds. The hard-boiled egg is the part that surprises people who didn’t grow up with it, but it gives the gravy a richer flavor and a little texture in every spoonful. I’ll show you both ways below, so you can make it with giblets like Mama Reed or with turkey breast like we do now.

Why This Turkey Gravy Works

A lot of turkey gravy recipes depend on pan drippings, which means you’re stuck waiting on the bird. This one starts with turkey or chicken broth, so you can make it on the stovetop while the overnight turkey rests, or any night you’re serving a crock pot turkey breast instead of a whole bird.

A flour and warm water slurry thickens it in just 2 to 3 minutes, and the diced egg and turkey make it hearty enough to stand up to a big scoop of dressing.

What You Need for Old-Fashioned Turkey Gravy

Ingredients for old-fashioned turkey gravy: broth, hard-boiled egg, shredded turkey, flour and water

Broth: Turkey or chicken broth both work. If you’d like to use turkey pan drippings for part of it, skim the fat off the top first.
Hard-boiled egg: This is the old Southern secret ingredient. Dice it small so you get a little in every bite.
Turkey: A little shredded turkey breast, or chopped cooked giblets if you want true giblet gravy.
Flour and warm water: Mixed together into a slurry, this is all it takes to thicken the gravy.

How to Make Turkey Giblet Gravy

If you’d like to make giblet gravy the way Mama Reed did, look for the little bag of giblets tucked inside your turkey. It usually holds the neck, heart, gizzard and liver.

If you cook them with the turkey: Mama Reed cooked her giblets right along with the turkey, then chopped them up and added them to the gravy at the same time as the eggs.
If you simmer them separately: Cover the neck, heart and gizzard with water or broth and simmer until tender, about 1 hour, adding the liver for just the last 10 to 15 minutes. Pull the meat off the neck, finely chop everything and use the cooking liquid as part of your broth.
Then follow the recipe: Use about 1/2 cup of chopped giblets in place of the shredded turkey breast.

Helpful Tips Before You Start

Boil the eggs a day ahead and keep them in the fridge, so all you have to do on Thanksgiving is dice them.
All you need is a medium saucepot, a whisk or fork for the slurry and a gravy boat for the table.
Use warm water for the slurry and stir it with a fork until there are no lumps before it goes into the pot.
Keep the heat low once the slurry goes in so the gravy thickens gently.
If the gravy gets too thick, stir in more broth 1 tablespoon at a time. If it’s too thin, mix another tablespoon of flour with 1/4 cup of water and slowly stir it into the simmering gravy.

How to Make Old-Fashioned Turkey Gravy

Turkey broth coming to a simmer in a saucepot

1Simmer the broth

Pour the broth into a medium saucepot and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Diced hard-boiled egg and turkey added to simmering broth

2Add the egg and turkey

Stir in the diced hard-boiled egg and the shredded turkey (or chopped giblets), then turn the heat down to low.

Smooth flour and water slurry in a small cup

3Make the slurry

In a small cup, mix the warm water and flour together with a fork until there are no lumps left.

Stirring the flour slurry into turkey gravy to thicken it

4Thicken the gravy

Stir the slurry into the simmering broth and cook over low heat, stirring, until the gravy thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Old-fashioned turkey gravy poured into a gravy boat

5Serve it hot

Pour the gravy into a gravy boat and get it to the table while it’s hot.

What to Serve with Turkey Gravy

Old-fashioned turkey gravy with egg in a gravy bowl

This gravy has graced our Thanksgiving table every year for generations, and my favorite place to pour it is over Grandmama’s crock pot cornbread dressing. It’s just as good over Southern dressing with cornbread, a pile of homemade mashed potatoes or cheesy mashed potatoes, and a warm homemade dinner roll dragged through whatever’s left on your plate.

Round out the table with candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, crock pot creamed corn and homemade cranberry sauce. If you’re planning the whole meal, my Thanksgiving menu ideas and make-ahead Thanksgiving dishes will help you get it all on the table at the same time.

More Southern Gravy Recipes

Turkey Gravy FAQs

What is giblet gravy?

Giblet gravy is turkey gravy made with the chopped giblets that come tucked inside the bird, usually the heart, gizzard, liver and meat from the neck. In a lot of Southern families it also has diced hard-boiled egg stirred in, the way this one does.

Why do you put eggs in turkey gravy?

It’s how Mama Reed made it, and it’s an old Southern tradition. The diced egg adds richness and a little texture, and it makes the gravy hearty enough to spoon over dressing like a sauce.

How far ahead can I make turkey gravy?

Make it up to 2 days ahead and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat it on the stovetop and stir in a splash of broth if it has thickened too much.

How do you get the lumps out of gravy?

Pour it through a mesh strainer or give it a quick spin in the blender. In this recipe, though, most of the lumps are bits of turkey and egg, and we like to keep those right where they are.

This gravy is just as good spooned over oven roasted turkey breast when you’re cooking for a smaller group.

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