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

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: VariesTotal: Varies
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

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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

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

Find it online: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/turkey-broth/