This Christmas make ahead gravy recipe is about to change your holiday cooking forever! I'm talking rich, delicious gravy that you make days (or even weeks) before the big meal, freeze it, and just reheat when needed. Remember last year when I was juggling turkey carving, mashed potatoes, and trying to make gravy all at once? Emily watched me nearly knock over the entire pot of boiling stock while scrambling to get everything on the table at the same time. That was the moment I decided enough was enough – there had to be a better way!
It's made from leftover chicken carcasses (which I save throughout the year), and honestly? It tastes better than any gravy I've made on the day itself. The best part? You can make this weeks in advance and freeze it, or whip it up a couple days before Christmas and keep it in the fridge.
When dinner rolls around, you just heat it up while everyone's gathering around the table. Game changer!
Want another stress-free holiday recipe? Check out my easy chicken pot pie recipe with crescent rolls – it's another make-ahead winner that'll save your sanity during the holiday rush.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Make Ahead Gravy
- Ingredients For Christmas Make Ahead Gravy
- How To Make This Gravy Recipe Step By Step
- Storage And Reheating Tips For Make Ahead Gravy
- My Best Tips For Perfect Gravy Every Time
- Frequently Asked Questions About Make Ahead Gravy
- Recipes You May Like
- Make Your Holidays Easier With This Recipe
- Make Ahead Gravy Recipe
Why You Will Love This Make Ahead Gravy
- Saves time on the big day – Make it up to a month ahead and freeze, or refrigerate for 2 days
- Rich, deep flavor – Simmering for hours creates an incredibly tasty gravy
- Uses leftover chicken bones – Nothing goes to waste in my kitchen!
- Foolproof consistency – No lumps, no stress, just smooth gravy every time
- Plenty for everyone – Makes about 3 cups, enough for 6-8 people
- Reheats beautifully – Goes from jelly-like to silky smooth in minutes
Ingredients For Christmas Make Ahead Gravy
- 2 leftover roasted chicken carcasses
- 2 large carrots (broken in half, no need to peel)
- 2 sticks celery (roughly broken)
- 2 onions (sliced in half, no need to peel)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 chicken or turkey stock cubes (crumbled)
- Optional: leftover meat drippings from the roasting pan (don't worry if you haven't got any)
- 3 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 80ml (⅓ cup) cold water
- ½ teaspoon gravy browning (optional)
How To Make This Gravy Recipe Step By Step
Building The Stock Base
- Place the chicken carcasses, carrots, celery, and onions in a large pan and cover with cold water.
- Add in the salt, pepper, and crumbled stock cubes (plus any meat drippings if you have them) and bring to the boil.
- Turn down the heat and simmer for 4-5 hours until reduced by half. (I know it seems like forever, but trust me – this slow simmer is where all the magic happens!)
Straining And Thickening
- Turn off the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then place a fine sieve over a jug.
- Pour the contents of the pan through the sieve, squeezing any juices out with the back of a spoon. You'll probably need to do this in two batches because there's a lot of bones and veggies.
- Clean the pan (or grab a different saucepan) and pour in the strained stock.
- Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while stirring with a whisk, until the gravy reaches your preferred thickness.
- If you want darker gravy, stir in the gravy browning too. (I usually skip this because the natural color is pretty nice already!)
Storing For Later
- Turn off the heat and allow to cool completely, then transfer to an air-tight container.
- Place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month. If freezing, make sure to label it with the date (learned that lesson when I found mystery containers in my freezer last year).
Reheating When Ready To Serve
- If frozen, allow to defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
- Pour into a pan (it'll be really jelly-like – don't panic, that's normal!) and heat over medium-high heat while stirring with a whisk until piping hot.
- If you have meat drippings from your roasting tray, stir them in now while heating.
- Pour into a warmed gravy jug (I fill mine with hot water from the kettle for a few minutes first) and serve immediately.
Storage And Reheating Tips For Make Ahead Gravy
Once you've made your homemade gravy, proper storage is key. Let it cool completely at room temperature first – rushing this step can create condensation in your container, which isn't great for storage.
Transfer the cooled gravy to an airtight container. In the refrigerator, it'll keep beautifully for up to 2 days. Don't be alarmed when you open the fridge and find it's turned into a wobbly jelly – that's exactly what should happen! The gelatin from the bones sets when cold.
For freezer storage, I use freezer-safe containers and leave about an inch of space at the top (gravy expands when frozen). It'll stay good for up to a month. I usually make mine the weekend after Thanksgiving and freeze it for Christmas.
When it's time to reheat, just pour the jelly-like gravy into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk it constantly as it melts and heats through. The texture transforms back into smooth, pourable gravy within minutes. If you've got turkey drippings from your roast, add them during reheating for extra richness!
My Best Tips For Perfect Gravy Every Time
Save those chicken bones! Whenever I roast a chicken (which is pretty often around here), I pop the leftover carcass in a freezer bag. Once I have two saved up, I make this gravy. Emily thinks I'm weird for keeping bones in the freezer, but she changes her tune when she tastes the gravy!
Don't skip the long simmer. I've tried rushing this with just an hour of cooking, and honestly? The flavor just isn't there. The 4-5 hour simmer is what creates that deep, rich taste that makes people ask for your recipe.
Adjust the thickness to your liking. Some people like thin gravy, others want it thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Start with less cornstarch slurry than the recipe calls for, then add more if needed. You can always thicken it more, but you can't un-thicken it (trust me on this one).
Use turkey bones instead. After Thanksgiving, I save the turkey carcass and make an even bigger batch. Turkey bones work perfectly and create an amazing base for Christmas dinner gravy.
The vegetables add flavor, not bulk. There's no need to peel anything – just break them up and toss them in. After 5 hours of simmering, you're straining everything out anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions About Make Ahead Gravy
You can make this gravy up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Yes! Turkey carcasses work perfectly and are ideal for Christmas dinner gravy.
No, it's completely optional. It only adds colour, not flavour.
Yes, it sets like jelly when cold but returns to perfect gravy consistency when reheated and whisked.
Recipes You May Like
- Southern Living Biscuits and Gravy – Since you're mastering gravy, try this breakfast classic with fluffy biscuits!
- Slow Cooker Round Steak and Gravy – Another gravy-centric recipe that's perfect for busy weeknights
- Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese – A classic holiday side that pairs perfectly with any gravy-covered main
Make Your Holidays Easier With This Recipe
This make ahead gravy recipe has genuinely changed how I approach holiday cooking. No more standing over the stove making gravy while everyone's sitting down to eat. No more lumpy disasters or bland, watery sauce.
The secret is in the long, slow simmer that creates incredibly rich stock, and the fact that you can make it way ahead of time. I've served this gravy at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even just regular Sunday dinners, and it never disappoints.
Making gravy doesn't have to be stressful or last-minute. With this recipe, you'll have one less thing to worry about on the big day, and your guests will think you're some kind of gravy genius (I won't tell them how easy it actually is!).
Give this recipe a try, and don't forget to save it to Pinterest so you can find it again when you're planning your holiday menu. Your future stressed-out self will thank you!
Make Ahead Gravy Recipe
Equipment
- Large pan
- Fine Sieve
Ingredients
- 2 leftover roasted chicken carcasses
- 2 large carrots broken in half, no need to peel
- 2 sticks celery roughly broken
- 2 onions sliced in half, no need to peel
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 chicken or turkey stock cubes crumbled
- leftover meat drippings from the roasting pan optional - from roasting a chicken
- 3 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 80ml (⅓ cup) cold water
- 0.5 teaspoon gravy browning optional
Instructions
- Place the chicken carcasses, carrots, celery, and onions in a large pan and cover with cold water.
- Add in the salt, pepper, and crumbled stock cubes (plus any meat drippings if you have them) and bring to the boil.
- Turn down the heat and simmer for 4-5 hours until reduced by half.
- Turn off the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then place a fine sieve over a jug. Pour the contents of the pan through the into the sieve, squeezing any juices out with the back of a spoon.
- You may have to do this in two goes, as there will be enough bones and veg to fill the sieve twice.
- Clean the pan (or use a different sauce pan) and pour in the strained stock.
- Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while stirring with a whisk, until the gravy thickness is to your liking.
- If you want the gravy to be a darker colour, stir in the gravy browning too.
- Turn off the heat and allow to cool, then transfer to an air-tight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month.
- If freezing, allow to defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
- To reheat, pour into a pan (it will probably be quite jelly-like) and heat over a medium-high heat, whilst stirring with a whisk, until piping hot.
- NOTE: If you have meat drippings in your roasting tray from roasting the turkey, you can stir these in now whilst heating the gravy through.
- Pour into a warmed gravy jug (I fill mine with water from the kettle for a few minutes to warm it up) and serve.
Notes
Once the you've made the gravy, allow to cool, then transfer to an air-tight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month.
If freezing, allow to defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
To reheat, pour into a pan (it will probably be quite jelly-like) and heat over a medium-high heat, whilst stirring with a whisk, until piping hot. If you have meat drippings from roasting your Christmas turkey, add them to the pan with the gravy and reheat together. Nutritional information is approx, per serving. This recipe makes approx 700ml (a little under 3 cups) – which i've divided into 8 servings – meaning each serving is approx 88ml (approx ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp). Will I get enough gravy?
This recipe makes approx 700ml (a little under 3 cups) of gravy. If you find you don't have 600-700ml of stock after straining the liquid, you can top up with a little water, as the stock is quite strong after 4-5 hours of simmering. Adding in any turkey drippings mixed with a little boiling water will also increase the amount of gravy slightly.
