Cajun Gravy (With or Without Drippings)

Cajun Gravy (With or Without Drippings)

Cajun gravy made with a light brown roux, Louisiana spices, and either turkey drippings or butter. Rich, smooth, and perfect for roasted turkey, chicken, or mashed potatoes.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Cajun

Keyword gravy, holiday, turkey

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 91kcal

Author Lauren LeBlanc

Equipment

Fine mesh strainer
Small saucepan

Ingredients

¼ cup strained turkey or chicken drippings, or UNSALTED butter
¼ cup flour
2½–3 cups turkey or chicken stock warmed
3 cloves garlic
¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1–2 tablespoons butter
1–2 teaspoons parsley finely chopped
Salt to taste* see note

Instructions

PREP: Strain turkey or chicken drippings and measure out ¼ cup. If you don’t have drippings, you can use butter. Warm stock. Mince garlic. Chop parsley.
¼ cup strained turkey or chicken drippings, or UNSALTED butter, 2½–3 cups turkey or chicken stock, 3 cloves garlic, 1–2 teaspoons parsley
ROUX: Heat drippings in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour a little at a time until smooth. Cook, stirring often, for 4–5 minutes until roux darkens to a light brown color. It might be clumpy at this point, that’s ok.
¼ cup flour
SIMMER: Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in warmed stock until smooth. Simmer for 5–8 minutes, until thickened to desired consistency. It will thicken more as it cools.
FINISH: Add smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and finish with 1–2 tablespoons of butter. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Garnish with chopped parsley.
¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1–2 tablespoons butter

Notes

I don’t like using cajun seasoning for this recipe since most blends will contain salt, and your drippings will likely already be salty.
If your gravy is too salty, add ½ cup cold water or unsalted chicken broth to a small bowl and whisk in 1 tablespoon of flour until smooth. Then slowly whisk the slurry into the simmering gravy. Let it cook for 1–2 minutes to thicken and mellow out the saltiness. Add more water or broth, a little at a time, until the flavor and consistency are right.
If using butter instead of drippings, cook the roux for longer until it gets to a medium brown color, for about 12–15 minutes. This will give it a stronger flavor.

Nutrition