Learn how to make the best keto gravy with this easy recipe. So rich and delicious, you won’t miss the carbs! It’s great with roast turkey or chicken.
I should have shared my keto gravy recipe with you long ago. I’ve shared all sorts of other keto thanksgiving recipes, so why have I held back on the gravy?
I promise I was not trying to keep anything from you. It’s just that I’ve never taken the time to formalize it and write it down from start to finish.
I am one of those people who makes gravy on the fly, when the turkey is in the oven. I make it slightly differently every time, depending on what I have on hand and how big the bird is.
But you deserve really good keto gravy for your holiday meals, and so I roasted a chicken and spent time working out the ideal ratios. This is a classic recipe that goes perfectly with chicken or turkey. And it’s highly adaptable for any herbs and spices you want to add in.
Why you need this recipe
The first thing we need to discuss is how to thicken your gravy. Because no one likes thin, watery gravy!
Traditional gravy is thickened with flour or a starch like cornstarch or tapioca starch. Flour gravies usually start off with a roux, a thick paste of butter and flour cooked until brown, before the broth is slowly whisked in. Whereas starch is usually added to the broth at the end of cooking.
Neither flour nor starch are good options for a keto-friendly gravy. But never fear! There are several possible keto solutions – but I find one of them superior to all the rest.
You can always use gums like xanthan and guar gum, but they tend to give the gravy a slightly slimy quality. I’ve also seen recipes that blend cream cheese into the hot broth. But I don’t want cream cheese in my gravy, thank you very much!
So for the best classic keto gravy, do yourself a favor and get some glucomannan powder. It makes your gravy thick and rich, without any sliminess or cream cheese.
Why it works
Glucomannan is fiber extracted from the konjac root, the same ingredient that’s used in shiritaki noodles. It’s often sold as a dietary supplement, so make sure you aren’t purchasing the capsules, rather than the loose powder.
It’s a great thickener and a little goes a long way. For keto gravy, I experimented and found that ¼ teaspoon per 1 cup of liquid was just about right.
One huge advantage over gums like xanthan is that it doesn’t clump up the minute it hits the warm liquid. So you don’t have to work quite so quickly to whisk it into your sauce.
It’s incredibly useful so I promise you it won’t go to waste. I use glucomannan in any number of my recipes, including my Keto Mongolian Beef, Keto Chocolate Pudding, and my updated Keto Rhubarb Crisp.
Reader Testimonial
I cannot thank you enough for this recipe and at the best time of the year when GOOD gravy is one of the highlights of Thanksgiving. I just made this to try before my Turkey day, but used drippings from a pork roast and am blown away by how un-keto the taste of this is. It taste like I’m cheating big time. Amazing mouth feel. 10 out of 10 stars for me. — Sami
Ingredients you need
- Butter: Sautéing the giblets and vegetables in a little butter adds more flavor and deepens the rich brown color.
- Turkey neck and giblets: These usually comes inside the cavity of the turkey. Roasting chickens usually contain them as well.
- Vegetables: Onions and celery give the gravy its classic flavor.
- Chicken broth: A few cups of prepared chicken bone broth add volume and additional liquid. You can use homemade broth if you have some.
- Glucomannan: As I explained above, I have found this to be the best thickening agent for keto gravy. And it’s useful in many other keto recipes as well.
- Salt and pepper
- Additional seasonings: Feel free to add some dried thyme or sage to the broth as well.
Step-by-step directions
1. Sauté the neck, giblets, and chopped vegetables in butter, allowing them to cook until the giblets are browned and the butter has deepened in color.
2. Add in chicken or turkey broth and bring the whole mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the neck and giblets.
3. Once your bird has finished roasting, add all the juices and drippings from the roasting pan into the broth. Make sure to scrape up all the browned bits as that’s where much of the flavor is.
4. Bring the pan of broth and juices to a boil again and cook until reduced by about one quarter. Then use a sieve to strain out all the solids. Return the liquids to the pan.
5. Whisk in the glucomannan and season to taste. Start with ½ a teaspoon and add more if your gravy isn’t thicker after 10 minutes.
6. Spoon it over roast turkey or chicken, or some delicious mashed cauliflower and enjoy!
Expert tips
The gravy will take a bit to thicken up so don’t overdo the glucomannan. Whisk in half a teaspoon and let the gravy sit for 10 minutes, then check the consistency. Add more if needed.
It’s also easy to thin it out if it gets too thick. Simply whisk in a little more broth and put it back over low heat.
You can easily scale this recipe up for a larger bird or if you just love to drown everything in gravy. For every cup of liquid, you need about ¼ teaspoon glucomannan.
Frequently Asked Questions
You have a few options for thickening keto sauces and gravies. Many people use xanthan gum, but it tends to have a slimy quality. It also clumps very quickly so you have to whisk it in quickly. Another possible solution is cream cheese, but this changes the consistency. I recommend using glucomannan as a thickener for this keto gravy recipe.
Gravy of any kind is best made fresh but this does do well in the fridge for several days. So you can enjoy leftover turkey and keto gravy as long as you have the taste for it! It will thicken more as it cools. If it’s very thick, place it in a saucepan and add a few tablespoons of broth. Warm over low heat and whisk frequently until it thins out.
This keto gravy recipe has 1.1g of carbs and 0.3g of fiber per serving. That comes to 0.8g net carbs per ⅓ cup serving.
More delicious Keto Thanksgiving Recipes
Easy Keto Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 pkg turkey neck and giblets (or chicken neck and giblets)
- ¼ medium onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- Salt and pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or sage (optional)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon glucomannan
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the neck, giblets, onion, and celery. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and any addtional herbs. Sauté until nicely browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer 30 to 40 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the neck and giblets.
- When the chicken or turkey is done cooking, remove to a platter and tent with foil. Pour any pan juices and drippings into the stock, scraping up any browned bits for flavor. Spoon off excess any fat from the top.
- Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by about one quarter. Set a fine mesh sieve over a bowl to strain out the solids. Discard the solids and return the liquid to the pan.
- Whisk in ½ teaspoon of glucomannan and let sit 10 minutes to thicken. If you like very thick gravy, whisk in the remainging glucomannan. The gravy will continue to thicken up as it cools. If it gets overly thick, add a little chicken broth to thin it out as you re-warm it.
Leslie says
This is a HELP question. It’s not about the gravy. Lol
I’m trying to get a hold of Carolyn to see if she can help me make a Keto Charoset for Passover.
Normally it’s made with apples, walnuts, honey and cinnamon with grape juice. I’m trying to be creative. I’m sure I can figure a sweetener from Carolyn’s recipes but to replace the apple. It’s a small recipe so I’m trying to make sure I stay on plan with my eating.
Forgive me for texting in the ‘gravy’ box.
Grateful for you whether you reply or not as I know you are busy!
Blessings, Leslie
Maggie says
I’m not Carolyn, but I do have a couple of thoughts for you re charoset. My best suggestion would be to use jicama, which is much lower in carbs than apple, but has much of the same kind of juicy crunch. Of course, it doesn’t have the sweetness or the apple taste. For the latter, you might want to play with an apple extract or flavoring — OOOFlavors has several different ones. Actually, I am betting that the trickiest bit would be finding a substitute for the sweet wine. You could probably reduce dry red wine down with some sweetener and perhaps a tiny bit of thickener to get the right level of viscosity. If you REALLY feel like playing with this, I see that Amoretti makes a “sweet wine” extract (they call it eisewine). It’s insanely expensive, but might be a lot of fun to play with. The carb count looks horrendous, but remember, you would only be using a tiny amount.
Alternatively, you could change up the charoset. I know, I know, apples and cinnamon is traditional in the US, but there are zillions of charoset recipes out there, and some of them are more keto-friendly. I just made one of Carolyn’s cake recipes, for example, using Cape gooseberries (subbing for unavailable cranberries), and they are delicious. Very tart, so you’d want to sweeten them up, but they have a really nice texture, like a perfectly ripe cherry tomato. I be they’d be terrific in charoset.
Laurie Hale says
I read this recipe,clicked the link,made the purchase and have made good gravy since! Thank you so much!!
Pam says
Thank you , I have used xanthan gum . It does not thicken and can get slimy. I purchased the glucomannan. I have used it serveral times now. It works great. I pull some of the broth out, let it cool a bit , then add the glucomannan and stir over heat.
Melissa Zmerz says
Hi Carolyn,
This is a repost further up the thread. I first tried using the glucomannan powder in my gumbo but used too much and had to throw it out. I next used the right amount and stirred it in and ended up with bits of glop that I would spit out–gross! This time, I mixed the 3 tsp with some chicken broth before going into the pot and it turned into jello. I mixed in the entire quart of broth and heated it and couldn’t get rid of the glop. Now my gumbo is soup. What am I doing wrong??? Can I still recover from this and thicken my gumbo?
Cheryl says
Carolyn, I just used the glucomannen for the first time (about 3-4 cups broth including all the veggies and half tsp of the powder) in a beef stew recipe. Yippee! Its real gravy in all its glory without being “slick or slippery”. Thank you so much! I’ve been looking for something to replace xanthan gum and my search is over. Can’t wait to make gravy for Thanksgiving! Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Carolyn says
So glad you like it!
Lisalia says
Perfect Keto Gravy! Great flavor and texture. Can’t wait for Thanksgiving… bring it on!
Toni Dash says
This is seriously amazing! Such a great alternative for those in keto! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Jen says
It’s definitely not the holidays without gravy to pour over just about everything! Can’t wait to try it.
Sami says
I cannot thank you enough for this recipe and at the best time of the year when GOOD gravy is one of the highlights of Thanksgiving. I just made this to try before my Turkey day but used drippings from a pork roast and am blown away by how un-keto the taste of this is. It taste like I’m cheating big time. Amazing mouth feel. 10 out of 10 stars for me.
In the past I’ve tried xanthan gum to thicken and always ended up with a slimey texture that was never pleasing. This recipe is a definite keeper for all time. Thank you again.
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Mary says
Ya kinda lost me at “shirataki noodles.” I bought them once and they went straight into the trash because of the HORRIBLE ODOR. Do they stink because of the glucomannan in them? I certainly don’t want my gravy smelling like that.
Carolyn says
Trust me, it won’t at all. And your noodles needed to be soaked for a while, then they lose their odor. 🙂
Amanda says
I really don’t know what I did wrong with this, but it is the consistency of stock/broth, did not thicken at all. I added around 1.5 tsp in the end to what was around 3 cups of liquid. I mean, tastes great, but I don’t know why it didn’t thicken. I bought the brand on your link from Amazon. Curious.
Carolyn says
Well that makes me wonder if it’s an off batch of glucomannan, because 1 1/2 teaspoons should have made it so thick and gloppy, you wouldn’t want to touch it. I find that very strange and I am not sure what to say. I use glucomannan frequently so I do know it works as stated in the recipe.
Amanda says
I put it in the fridge and it turned pretty solid overnight (like something set with gelatin). The dogs loved it!
Carolyn says
Yes but did you see my tips on thinning it back out? It loosens when it’s warm but you can also add additional broth or water.
Jennifer says
This sounds perfect for Thanksgiving! In defense of the gravy made with cream cheese – it is perfect for replacing “milk gravy,” which is popular in the south served over biscuits.
Diane says
BEST KETO GRAVY!! Your recipes never disappoint! Thank you
Melissa Zmerz says
Hi Carolyn,
It’s gumbo time so I was insterested in how you were making roux. I searched this site and used the info for the glucomannan for my roux. However, instead of 3 tsp, I used 3 Tbls and now have glop in my gumbo. My gumbo tastes great but I have to spit out the glop. Is there anyway to save my pot of gumbo??? TIA
Carolyn says
Oh no!!! The only way I can think to rescue it is to warm it up with additional broth or liquid. But you’re going to need a LOT more liquid, which will obviously thin the whole thing out quite a bit…
Melissa Zmerz says
Thank you! I was afraid that would be the solution. I think I’m going to have to start over 🙁
Melissa Zmerz says
Carolyn, please help! This is the third attempt making gumbo with glucomannan powder. This time in a small bowl I mixed my 3 tsps with some chicken broth and it immediately turned into jello. I added more broth but it’s lumpy. I’ve almost used the entire quart of chicken broth. What do I do now?
Melissa Zmerz says
I also heated it and tried to get it to dissolve. Now it’s all sitting in my strainer. What did I do wrong?
Eileen says
Thank you for all your great Keto recipes! I’ve saved many and this gravy recipe will be one of them.
BTW is that gravy ladle pattern “Grosvenor” by Oneida? It look just like my silverplate flatware pattern.
Claire says
It says on the Glucomannan info that it should only be taken a while BEFORE eating and there are risks of blockages in the gut as it swells. Makes me a little nervous to use it in food.
Carolyn says
That’s when taken as a dietary supplement, which is 1/2 teaspoon. This recipe uses 1/2 to 3/4 tsp spread out over 8 servings, which is a tiny fraction of that. I’ve never experienced any issues when using it in a recipe like this one. It’s simply a soluble dietary fibre, which many food contains naturally anyway.
Brad Dawkins says
Can you use xanthan gum or glucomannan to make an actual roux, that you brown in butter? I have read that this can be done, and am considering making a roux in this way for a seafood gumbo. Wondering if you have tried and what your experience has been.
Carolyn says
Not in my experience. It thickens so quickly, it wouldn’t turn into a roux. Plus you use only 1/2 tsp… but you can still brown the butter and get great flavour.
Cae says
Carolyn, This is absolutely the right recipe for the right time!! I’ve been working on a replacement for Xanthan Gum too and have been trying to use Acacia Gum powder with limited success. I can’t wait to use Glucomannan for my gravies and sauces that need a little thickening. Hubby hates the mouth feel of Xanthan and I’ve really tired of using cream cheese & heavy cream to thicken most saucy dishes. Thanks for continually sharing your expertise. Good Wishes!
Christa says
Do you have to ‘strain’ out the bits? Asking for a friend.
Carolyn says
Read the instructions… you do strain the broth.
Isabel says
Hi Carolyn,
I am excited to try this gravy recipe. I have used xanthum gum to thicken gravy, and while the gravy turned out good, I think it could be better. What brand of Glucomannan do you use? Prices seem all over the board and I want good quality but don’t want to spend a fortune. Thank you!
Carolyn says
Please click either the link in the blog post or in the recipe. It takes you right to what I use.