Why I Love Penzey’s Turkey Base
I think Penzeys Turkey Base is a MUST-HAVE for Thanksgiving turkey and gravy, and this post is to remind you it’s time to order some! And you’ll also find ideas here to use turkey base to get rich turkey flavor in turkey soup and turkey stock.
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Thanksgiving is less than a month away, and if you’re going to be cooking turkey this year, this Turkey Gravy Public Service Announcement is my yearly reminder to order Penzeys Turkey Soup Base to make your turkey gravy, turkey stock, and turkey soup!
In my family we’re huge fans of this product! And after many years of testing different brands of turkey soup base, in my opinion no other brand compares in flavor to the the turkey gravy, turkey soup, or turkey stock you can get from Penzey’s. (And for anyone who might be wondering, Penzeys has never paid me to promote their Turkey Soup Base, and I’m sure they don’t even know my little blog exists!)
Where can you get Penzey’s Turkey Base?
There are a few different ways to get your turkey soup base:
- If you’re lucky enough to have a Penzey’s store where you live, just go there and get some. (Salt Lake used to have one, but it closed.)
- You can also simply order Turkey Base from Penzeys website, and if you’re like me you might find some other interesting spices there.
- And now you can also order Penzeys Turkey Base (affiliate link) from Amazon.com, which is the way I usually do it.
Why is Penzey’s Turkey Base So Good?
Don’t confuse this turkey base with those horrid packets of turkey gravy mix that come in the turkey! The first ingredient in this product is cooked turkey meat. For anyone who’s even the slightest bit gravy-challenged, this will help you make the best turkey gravy you’ve ever made. And the Penzey’s turkey base is low enough in carbs that you can add a tablespoon or two to a batch of turkey gravy without adding many carbs.
Making Low-Carb Turkey Gravy with Penzey’s Turkey Base:
- If you don’t mind a thin gravy, you can make amazing-tasting gravy just by adding little bit of Penzeys Turkey Base to the pan juices from the roasted turkey and then simmering on low until it’s reduced and slightly thickened. This is probably my preferred method.
- I’ve had turkey gravy made with Arrowroot Powder (affiliate link) which thickens like cornstarch but needs a much smaller amount. But the arrowroot starch gives the food a shiny look, which some people might not like for gravy, and there are also some tricks to using it successfully.
- Ketologic makes low-carb turkey gravy with heavy cream and Xanthan gum, but I haven’t tried that method. I’d definitely add just a little Penzey’s Turkey Soup Base for a stronger turkey flavor.
- My PCOS Kitchen makes Paleo Turkey Giblet Gravy with Tapioca Starch (affiliate link) and this gravy is low in carbs. Again, I’d add a little Penzey’s Turkey Base.
Recipes Using Penzey’s Turkey Soup Base:
I’ve shared a lot of ideas for Leftover Turkey (or chicken), but these are my favorite ways to use Penzey’s Turkey Soup Base.
- I love this Turkey Breast Recipe to make in the Slow Cooker or the Instant Pot, and I’d never make this without a little Penzeys Turkey Base.
- The best turkey soup starts with turkey stock; here’s How to Make Turkey Stock. Making stock from the turkey carcass is definitely one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions.
- This Low-Carb Turkey Soup with Zucchini Noodles is one of my favorite things to make with leftover turkey. If you really want a super low-carb soup, leave out the carrots, but either way this soup is loaded with flavor.
- My blog has a round- up of Low-Carb and Keto Turkey Soup Recipes, and I’d use a bit of Penzey’s Turkey Base in any of those recipes.
More Turkey Recipes Where You Might Use This Product:
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipes ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
- Low-Carb Recipes for Leftover Turkey ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast Recipes ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
- Healthy Recipes for Leftover Turkey ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Turkey Soup Recipes ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
More About Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks:
I purchased the Penzeys Turkey Soup Base myself and this company has no idea that I’m writing about their product. All items featured as Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks are things I happily buy over and over, and because I want readers to know that my opinions are completely unbiased, I don’t accept review products from the many companies who offer to send them to me. You can see the complete list of products I’ve chosen at Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks.
34 Comments on “Why I Love Penzey’s Turkey Base”
I don’t have any of this right now, so I can’t look on the product and answer that. You can probably find that info by googling the question though. I’m sure it’s not low in sodium.
Thanks for all the tips on turkey gravy. I ordered some of the Penzeys today. I love tried and true products so that I am not spending money on the unknown. I love your blog and used your recipes all the time.
Hi Linda,
So glad you are enjoying the recipes. I absolutely love this for turkey gravy and soup; hope you do too!
I wonder where can I buy this?
There are links in the post.
you should try their ham Soup Base, it is so AMAZING!
I do like it too! I am a big fan of their products.
Thanks so much for reviewing Penzey’s Turkey Soup Base. I love your recipes and I do take into consideration your product recommendations. I am so lucky that I live in Milwaukee, WI, the home base for Penzey’s. One of their stores is a mere 10 minutes away. I’ll be heading over there tomorrow. Thanks again, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Hi Toni. You are SO LUCKY to live by Penzeys. We finally got a store in Utah but it’s about 20 miles from my house, so obviously I don’t go there often. Hope you enjoy this; it’s a tradition in my family.
Coincidentally there is a Penseys store on our 4 hour route to our family gathering so I stopped and got turkey base. We are BBQ our turkey breast so I won’t have turkey drippings, or giblets. I suggest it would be great if you create a recipe to make “turkey gravy without a turkey” using Penseys base. Even their website doesn’t include this.
Interesting idea. Not sure how that would turn out but it might.
Obviously it is your choice whether to use it for not. But everyone in my huge extended family has been using it for many, many years with no problems so personally I don’t believe it has anything that harmful, especially not in the very small amounts you use of it.
Have you used the Seafood Stock? How would you rate that?
I had to Google it; I've never seen that brand here.
Since you first posted about this product, I've become a real fan. I use it in very small amounts to boost the flavor of my turkey gravy, and my family remarks every year how great the gravy tastes.
Lydia, it really doesn't take a big amount of this to make a huge difference in the flavor of your gravy. Love it so much!
Beej, the catalog is still a treat when it comes in the mail, even though I mostly order online now!
Man, I love Penzeys, too! My mom really loved getting their catalog.
Daisy, now I'm jealous. I wish we had Penzeys here!
We have a Penzey's store in town. I'll stop by and check them out!
Kearby, me too on the Penzeys love. I also love The Spice House (sister of Bill Penzey.) I seem to like Penzeys for some things and Spice House for others, but both a great!
Lee Ann, you're welcome.
Roberta, that's my view of it too. It really doesn't take much of the Penzeys soup base to make a huge difference in a recipe.
Ruth, thanks for sharing. Yes, I have used arrowroot. There's a link in the post to a gravy recipe using arrowroot.
I didn't realize Penzey's made "turkey" base, too. I, too, am very concerned about sodium, since I have one kidney and take two high blood pressure medications. But the sparing use of this kind of base, as opposed to nasty bullion (can't spell it properly, sorry) cubes, isn't bad.
I use the "ham" base, for boosting the flavor of bean soups. I love the "vegetable" base for boosting the flavor in brown rice, in parboiled rice, in sauces when I'm using Dreamfield's pasta.
I keep 'em all in my fridge, and a tsp here and there doesn't knock me off low-sodium eats too much.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Love, love, love everything from Penzey's and I'm lucky enough to live close to one of their stores. And like you, they're not paying me a cent to extoll the virtues of their products. Penzey's spices are terrific. If you're not on their catalog mailing list, you need to be. Their catalog is full of great info on their spices and interesting recipes and there's often a card on the front of the catalog good for a free spice from their store, which can be redeemed in person or via mail order.
Anonymous, thanks for the heads up, and sorry it didn’t work out for you.
I just went hopefully to the Penzey’s website. Sadly, the turkey soup base contains chicken fat, as well as ingredients derived from corn. Otherwise I would be an instant fan, as I have been searching for years for a soup base like this. Looks great for those who can eat chicken and corn, but heads-up, those with allergies!
Tanna, I’m jealous that you can walk into Penzeys. That would be the good life!
Meeso, I also love the ham flavor base for bean soup.
Rachael, free Penzeys, now that would be great! I wish they would hire me to write a blog for them.
DeborahD, I think you will like it.
Deborah. you must tell more about the orange gravy.
I love Penzeys. It was a very happy day when I discovered they have a store in my city. It wasn’t quite so happy for my bank account…
One day I need to post about the year my mom made gravy on Thanksgiving for about 20 people and it turned the brightest Halloween orange I’ve ever seen…
I love Penzey’s. I am a turkey gravy addict, so now I will add the turkey base to my list.
Too bad they dont give out free stuff! 🙂
Thanks so much for the heads up!
I am a huge fan of Penzeys! Oddly, I’ve never tried their soup bases. I should give it a try.
Couple of things I’m looking for from Penzey’s but no ordering for me. Ahh, I can walk in!! I’ll check out the turkey base too.
Lydia, Penzeys soup bases taste much less salty to me than other brands. The label says 630 mg sodium in 3/4 tsp. Of course when you eat it, it’s highly diluted with water, and I’m only using about 1-2 T for a big pan of gravy, so I think it’s not too bad. To me, this is a product to enhance gravy flavor so I use it sparingly.
My concern with soup bases is always the saltiness. How does this rate on the salt scale? I’d love to find soup bases that are not sodium-laden.