Brining a turkey before roasting can help keep the meat moist and flavorful. However, some people wonder if brining also makes the turkey gravy too salty. Here’s a look at how brining impacts gravy and tips for making great turkey gravy whether you brine or not.
Does Brining Make Turkey Gravy Salty?
Brining does add extra sodium to the turkey through the salt in the brine solution. However, with the right techniques, you can still make tasty gravy that isn’t overly salty.
When you brine a turkey, the salt penetrates into the meat. A basic brine is made from water, salt, and often sugar or herbs and spices. The salt helps denature the turkey proteins, allowing the meat to retain more moisture during roasting.
Some of the salty brine will come out of the turkey as it cooks. However, not all of the salt washes away. The leftover salt in the turkey meat and drippings can get incorporated into the gravy, making it saltier than gravy from an unbrined bird.
Tips for Making Great Gravy from a Brined Turkey
You don’t have to resort to buying an unbrined turkey or skipping gravy entirely to avoid overly salty gravy. With the right techniques, you can make delicious gravy with the drippings from a brined turkey.
Here are some tips:
- Use a moderately salty brine. A brine with 1/2 to 1 cup of salt per gallon of water is enough to flavor and tenderize the meat without making it too salty.
- Rinse the turkey after brining. Thoroughly rinsing the brined turkey will wash away some excess surface salt.
- Use defatting tools. A gravy separator or fat separator cup can help you pour off the fatty drippings after roasting the turkey, leaving behind more concentrated turkey juices for the gravy.
- Add extra liquid. Adding broth, wine, or water to the gravy can help dilute any excess saltiness.
- Skip adding extra salt. Taste the gravy as you make it. You likely won’t need to add any extra salt due to the brining.
- Use cornstarch, flour, or a roux to thicken. This gives you more control over the gravy’s thickness than just reducing it, which concentrates flavors.
- Add cream or milk. The dairy helps mellow and balance salty flavors.
- Finish with acid and herbs. A splash of lemon juice or vinegar brightens the gravy. Fresh sage, thyme, parsley or other herbs add flavor without salt.
Making Gravy from an Unbrined Turkey
If you want to avoid brining or are concerned about salty gravy, you can roast your turkey without brining. You’ll need to closely monitor the roasting and resting time to keep the meat as moist as possible.
For the gravy, you’ll start with the drippings from the unbrined turkey. While you don’t have to worry about excess saltiness, you may need to add extra flavor.
Tips for great gravy from an unbrined turkey include:
- Use turkey wings or neck while roasting. This adds more gelatin and flavor to the pan drippings.
- Sauté aromatics in the drippings. Cook onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and herbs to boost the flavor before making the gravy.
- Add stock for extra flavor. Chicken, turkey, or vegetable broth adds moisture and flavor to the gravy.
- Use a gravy enhancer. Products like chicken or turkey base can quickly add savory flavor to gravy made from unbrined turkey.
- Finish with cream or butter. This helps enrich and round out the flavors.
- Season assertively. Use plenty of black pepper, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, or other seasonings to boost the gravy’s flavor.
Conclusion
Brining a turkey does result in some carryover of saltiness into the drippings and gravy. However, you can take steps like rinsing the turkey, adding liquid to the gravy, and using finishing touches like cream and herbs to make a properly seasoned gravy that complements your roasted turkey.
If you prefer to avoid brining, you can still make delicious, flavorful gravy by using turkey parts while roasting, sautéing aromatics, and incorporating broth and seasonings. With the right techniques, you can enjoy fantastic gravy and a perfectly cooked turkey, whether you brine or not.