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Home Recipe Index

Turkey Broth

★★★★★ 5 /5
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Rachel Tiemeyer
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 11/9/22Updated: 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 turkey broth on the stovetop or in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.

broth in mason jars for freezing
Contents hide
Ingredients Needed
Video: How to Make Turkey Broth
Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Freeze & Thaw Broth
Recipes With Turkey Broth
Turkey Broth
Did you make this?

Ingredients Needed

As long as you have a turkey carcass on hand, you can make this broth! Use whatever root veggies/aromatics, fresh herbs, and seasonings you want. Ideas are below…

ingredients for making broth
  • 1 turkey carcass (like what’s leftover from Easy Roast Turkey Breast)
  • Leftover veggies and fresh herbs (either from roasting a turkey or using what you have on hand), like a cut up onion, a few cut up carrots, a few stalks of celery, 1-2 garlic cloves, a handful of fresh parsley, 1-2 thyme or rosemary stems
  • Enough water to cover the carcass (about 10-12 cups)
  • Optional: peppercorns, bay leaf

Video: How to Make Turkey Broth

Take a look at how easy it is to make turkey broth on the stove, in the crock pot, or in the Instant Pot.

Step-by-Step Instructions

This recipe is all about flexibility–using the ingredients you have on hand and cooking the broth using your method of choice (stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot). Here’s how to make your broth…

Add Ingredients

Place a turkey carcass, any leftover veggies or herbs from roasting the turkey breast (or any fresh ones you have on hand), and enough water to cover the carcass in a large stock pot, 6+ quart slow cooker, or 6+ quart Instant Pot. You can also throw in ½ teaspoon peppercorns or a bay leaf.

Cook the Broth

You have three choices of how to cook this broth…

Stovetop Method

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

overhead shot of carcass, vegetables, and water in a pot to make broth

Crockpot Method

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

turkey broth ingredients in slow cooker

Instant Pot Method

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

overhead shot of turkey carcass, vegetables, and water in Instant Pot to make 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!).

straining 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 head room for expansion)–and freeze for up to 3-6 months.

turkey broth being funneled into mason jars for freezing

How to Freeze & Thaw Broth

To Freeze: Cook and fully cool the broth. 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.

hand closing lids on mason jars for freezing

Recipes With Turkey Broth

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

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!

overhead shot of turkey carcass, vegetables, and water in a pot to make broth
★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Turkey Broth

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

Yield: About 10 cups broth 1x
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 2 hoursTotal: 2 hours 10 minutes
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Scale:

Ingredients

  • 1 turkey carcass (like what’s leftover from Easy Roast Turkey Breast)
  • Leftover veggies and fresh herbs (either from roasting a turkey or using what you have on hand), like a cut up onion, a few cut up carrots, a few stalks of celery, 1-2 garlic cloves, a handful of fresh parsley, 1-2 thyme or rosemary stems
  • Enough water to cover the carcass (about 10-12 cups)
  • Optional seasoning: peppercorns, bay leaf

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, any leftover veggies or herbs from roasting the turkey breast (or any fresh ones you have on hand), and enough water to cover the carcass in a large stock pot or in a 6+ quart slow cooker or Instant Pot. You can also throw in ½ teaspoon peppercorns or a bay leaf.

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

  • Stovetop: Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and 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.

Equipment

dutch oven

Dutch Oven

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1/2 Cup Souper Cubes

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Chefs Knife

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Slow Cooker

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Instant Pot

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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

Did you make this?

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

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turkey broth in mason jars for freezing
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Rachel Tiemeyer

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. AvatarCarla says

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

    Homemade broth tastes better and is healthier! Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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