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Home Recipe Index Condiments

Turkey Stock

5 /5
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By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 10/16/23Updated: 1/26/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Use a leftover turkey carcass, veggies, fresh herbs, and seasonings to make this simple, flavorful turkey stock (which can be used just like broth) on the stovetop or in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.

Or, if you have a chicken carcass instead, try our chicken broth recipe (3 ways!).

Broth in mason jars labeled turkey broth sitting on a wooden cutting board. this …


 
Table of Contents
  • Why It’s Worth Making Turkey Stock
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Turkey Stock (3 Ways)
  • How to Freeze & Thaw Stock
  • FAQs
  • Recipes With Turkey Stock
  • Turkey Stock

Why It’s Worth Making Turkey Stock

If you’re like most Americans, you end up making turkey once or twice a year for the holidays. It takes some work and it’s not cheap. So, let’s make sure you get your money’s worth out of that bird by using the carcass to make turkey stock–which is actually very easy!

The advantages of homemade turkey stock is that it’s nutrient dense, free from any weird additives that you often find in store-bought broth or stock, and cheap. It’s very versatile and can be used as a substitute for chicken broth in any recipe, too.

Ingredients

As long as you have a turkey carcass on hand, the rest of the ingredients can be adjusted according to what you have.

Ingredients for turkey broth recipe.
  • Turkey carcass – Include the bones, skin, and any leftover meat, such as what’s leftover from Roasted Turkey Breast.
  • Veggies and fresh herbs – Our recipe uses 1 onion, a few carrots, a few stalks of celery (leaves and all), 1-2 garlic cloves, a handful of fresh parsley, and 1-2 thyme or rosemary stems. But, you could also use what’s leftover from Roasted Turkey Breast too.
  • Optional seasoning: peppercorns, bay leaf, and salt

I usually don’t salt my turkey stock/broth so that I can control the amount of salt in whatever recipe I use it in later, but feel free to add in some if you’d like.

How to Make Turkey Stock (3 Ways)

This recipe is all about flexibility–using the ingredients you have on hand and cooking the stock using your method of choice (stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot).

Here’s an overview, but more precise instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Add Ingredients

Place a turkey carcass, your veggies or herbs, and enough water to cover the carcass (about 10-12 cups) in a large stock pot, slow cooker, or Instant Pot. You can also throw in fresh peppercorns, a bay leaf, and salt, if you’d like.

Cook the Broth

You have three choices of how to cook this stock…

Stovetop Method

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 hours.

Dutch oven with turkey breast carcass, onions, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, peppercorns, and water to make turkey broth.

Crockpot Method

Cover with the lid and slow cook on LOW for 8-12 hours.

Slow cooker with turkey breast carcass, onions, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, peppercorns, and water to make turkey broth.

Instant Pot Method

Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 45 minutes with a quick release. 

Instant Pot with turkey breast carcass, onions, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, peppercorns, and water to make turkey broth.

Strain the Turkey Broth

Using a colander/strainer over a large bowl or pot, strain out the solids from the broth. Let cool on the counter up to 2 hours only (then must be refrigerated to be safe!).

Metal colander being used to strain solids out of broth.

Use or Store It

After the broth is cool, either refrigerate and use within 3-5 days, or divide into freezer containers–like mason jars, Souper Cubes, or Pyrex containers with lids (leave at least 1-inch headroom for expansion)–and freeze for up to 3-6 months.

Turkey broth being funneled into mason jars for freezing.

How to Freeze & Thaw Stock

To Freeze: Cook and fully cool the stock. Divide into freezer containers–like mason jars, Souper Cubes, or Pyrex containers with lids (leave at least 1 inch head room for expansion)–and freeze for up to 3-6 months.

To Thaw: Thaw in the fridge for 24-48 hours or using the defrost setting on the microwave.

Tip: I prefer to freeze it in 2-cup increments, making it faster to thaw and a good portion size for recipes.

FAQs

What’s the difference between turkey broth and turkey stock?

These two terms are often used interchangeably. Broth is traditionally made by simmering just the meat and vegetables, while stock is made by simmering primarily the bones and vegetables for a long period of time. Stock is usually more concentrated and flavorful. Broth and stock can be used in the same ways in recipes.

Can I use just turkey bones to make a flavorful stock?

Yes, you can use just turkey bones to make a flavorful stock. Repurposing leftover turkey bones in a stock is a smart way to extract a rich turkey flavor and create a concentrated, gelatinous liquid.

To enhance the flavor, you can add aromatic vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery, as well as herbs and spices.

Simmering the bones for several hours helps to extract the savory goodness from them.

What is turkey stock used for?

Turkey stock can be used interchangeably for chicken stock or broth in recipes. It makes a particularly good base for soups, sauces, and gravies. You can also warm it up and drink as a nutritious, comforting beverage.

How can I remove excess fat from turkey stock for a healthier option?

To remove excess fat from turkey stock, let it cool completely overnight in the refrigerator. Then, discard the layer of solid fat on top.

Is it necessary to roast turkey bones before making stock for a richer flavor?

Roasting turkey bones in a 400°F oven for 30-45 minutes before making stock is not necessary, but it can enhance the flavor of the stock. Roasting the bones, as well as any meat or vegetables you plan to include, can add depth, richness, and a deeper color to the stock by caramelizing their natural sugars.

Are there any health benefits from drinking turkey broth?

According to Medical News Today, bone broth like this turkey stock recipe is highly nutritious, may protect joints, fight osteoarthritis, reduce inflammation and heal the gut, aid sleep, and support weight loss. Sounds good to me!

Hand closing lids on mason jars labeled turkey broth for freezing.

Recipes With Turkey Stock

Turkey stock can be used in nearly any recipe that calls for chicken broth or stock. Try it in some of these…

A large pot of chicken tortellini soup ready to serve.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Cheesy chicken and rice casserole being scooped out of casserole dish.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Chicken and wild rice soup in a white bowl with a spoon.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Two white bowls of lemon chicken orzo soup with spoons in them and crusty bread on the side.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Dutch oven with turkey breast carcass, onions, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, peppercorns, and water to make turkey broth.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

Turkey Stock

Use your leftover turkey carcass and any aromatics to make this simple turkey stock on the stovetop or in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.

Yield: 8–10 cups broth 1x
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 2 hoursTotal: 2 hours 10 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 turkey carcass (like what’s leftover from Roasted Turkey Breast)
  • 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1–2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1–2 celery stalks (leaves and all), roughly chopped
  • 1–2 peeled garlic cloves
  • A handful of fresh parsley (a small bunch)
  • 1–2 fresh thyme stems (sub: small rosemary stems)
  • 12 cups water (enough water to cover the carcass)
  • Optional seasoning: 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

1. Place a turkey carcass, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, and thyme and 12 cups water in a large stock pot or in a 6+ quart slow cooker or Instant Pot. Optional: Add in the peppercorns, bay leaf, and salt.

2. Cook the turkey broth using one of these methods:

  • Stovetop: Bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 hours.
  • Crockpot: Cover with the lid and slow cook on LOW for 8-12 hours.
  • Instant Pot: Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 45 minutes with a quick release. 

3. Using a colander/strainer over a large bowl or pot, strain out the solids from the broth. Let cool on the counter up to 2 hours only (then must be refrigerated to be safe!).

4. Either refrigerate and use within 3-5 days or divide into freezer containers–like mason jars, Souper Cubes, or Pyrex containers with lids (leave at least 1 inch head room for expansion)–and freeze for up to 3 months.


Notes/Tips

  • Can You Use a Chicken Instead? Absolutely! You can use your leftover chicken carcass to make delicious Chicken Broth instead.
  • Where We Get Our Turkey: We get our turkey (in the fall) and all our meat from ButcherBox. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like organic chicken, uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves. Read my full review here.
  • How To Thaw Broth: Thaw in the fridge for 24-48 hours or using the defrost setting on the microwave. 
© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: American Method: Stovetop

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Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. Carla says

    Posted on 2/16/23 at 10:02 am

    Homemade broth tastes better and is healthier! Thank you!

    Reply

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