Learn how easy it is to make Turkey Stock from the bones of your Thanksgiving turkey! All you need is a picked over turkey carcass and some vegetables and herbs that you probably already have on hand from cooking your turkey. You are going to love using this flavorful turkey stock in your next soup! Originally posted November 21, 2012.
The people in the apartment above us vacuum about once a week. (It’s pretty loud because the insulation in our apartment building is practically nil.) Every time I think to myself, Are they vacuuming again?? And then I immediately remind myself: Yes Karen, most people vacuum more than once every 3 months like you.
Anyway. Now that you’re feeling so good about yourself compared to me. We have news! We just found out we are having a baby BOY!! I’m still in complete shock. I was convinced it was a girl. (I think I just told myself that because I didn’t want to have to repaint Charlotte’s room.) Also, I thought Charlotte was a boy, so maybe my mother’s intuition is just in a state of perpetual Opposite-Day-ness. We are so excited to have a little boy!
For now I’m focusing on doing some toddler training before the baby gets here. Whose idea was it to let our toddlers sleep on mini trampolines? Charlotte’s favorite thing to do is jump in her crib (which, by the way, makes it not quite as formidable a time-out spot). You would not believe the height she gets. I know she is up from her nap not when she cries, but when I can hear the springs of her mattress getting a workout. One of these days she is going to go sailing over the edge. I should start lining the floor with pillows.
Have you guys decorated for Christmas yet? I broke down over the weekend. There is nothing better than a lit Christmas tree, yes, even the week before Thanksgiving!!
But don’t worry Thanksgiving, I am still SUPER excited about you. I made my first turkey last week, and wanted to get every last bit out of that bird as I could, so I decided to make some turkey stock. It was super easy. Throw everything in a pot and forget about it for a few hours. And man is it good! This stock makes the BEST soup. My favorite is to use the stock to make this Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup. Here’s what you’re going to need, hopefully you have most of this stuff leftover from your Thanksgiving shopping!
Cooking turkey bones to make broth is a great way to use up leftovers and create a nutritious, flavorful liquid that can be used in many recipes. After your Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey save those bones, simmer them with some aromatics and make a batch of homemade turkey broth.
In this detailed guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process of cooking turkey bones for broth, from roasting the bones to straining and storing the finished broth. Whether you want to make broth in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop, this guide has you covered
Benefits of Cooking Turkey Bones for Broth
Before jumping into the steps, let’s look at why it’s worth the effort to cook those turkey bones:
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Saves money – Making broth at home costs just a fraction of what you’d pay for boxed broth at the store. Why waste money when you can make broth for pennies from leftover bones?
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Reduces waste – Throwing away turkey bones and scraps is incredibly wasteful. Simmering them makes use of every bit of the bird.
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Healthy and nutritious – Turkey bone broth contains protein, minerals like calcium and magnesium, and collagen. It supports gut health, immunity, and joint health.
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Delicious flavor – Homemade turkey broth has a rich, savory flavor you just can’t replicate with store-bought broth. It makes dishes like gravy, soup, and rice pilaf taste incredible.
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Versatile – Turkey broth works nicely as the base for sauces, soups, stews, gravy, and more. Get creative with how you use it!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps for foolproof turkey bone broth every time:
Ingredients
- Bones from 1 roasted turkey (carcass, wings, legs, neck)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 6 peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 8 cups water
Directions
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Roast the bones: Spread bones on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 30 minutes. This intensifies the flavor.
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Add to a pot: Place roasted bones in a large stockpot or slow cooker. Add the onion, carrots, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, vinegar, and water.
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Simmer: Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 6-24 hours. Longer times extract more collagen.
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Strain the broth: Line a colander with cheesecloth. Pour broth through to strain out all bones and veggies.
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Defat: Refrigerate broth overnight. Scrape off hardened fat from the top.
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Store: Transfer broth to jars or containers. Keeps 5 days chilled or 6 months frozen.
That’s it! With just a few basic steps, those leftover turkey bones can be turned into a tasty, nourishing broth.
Tips for the Best Turkey Bone Broth
Follow these tips for a more flavorful, gelatinous broth:
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Use an entire carcass including the neck, wings, legs, and back. The bones with more cartilage release the most collagen.
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Add chicken feet or turkey wings for extra collagen and gelatin.
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Keep the heat low to avoid emulsifying the fat into the broth. Barely bubbling is ideal.
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Acidic ingredients like vinegar help break down bone collagen. Add a splash of vinegar or wine.
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Simmering for 12-24 hours extracts the most nutrients. Use a slow cooker to simmer bone broth overnight unattended.
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Straining twice through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth results in a clearer broth.
Flavor Variations
The basic turkey bone broth recipe can be customized with different aromatics. Try these flavor ideas:
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Italian – Use tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic
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Mexican – Add chili powder, cumin, garlic, lime juice
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Moroccan – Use cinnamon, cumin, parsley, lemon
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Japanese – Add kombu, ginger, soy sauce, mushrooms
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Indian – Flavor with turmeric, cumin, coriander, cardamom
Get creative with spices, herbs, and veggies to make your broth unique!
Uses for Turkey Bone Broth
Homemade turkey broth is endlessly versatile in the kitchen. Here are some delicious ways to use that nutritious liquid:
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Drink broth plain or with a squeeze of lemon
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Use as the base for soups, chilis, stews, gravy
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Cook rice, quinoa, oats, or other grains in broth
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Braise meats and vegetables in broth
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Use in place of water when cooking beans or lentils
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Poach lean proteins like chicken, fish, or tofu in broth
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Make a veggie-packed broth bowl for a quick meal
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Mix broth with miso paste for miso soup
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Whisk an egg into broth for egg drop soup
As you can see, the uses for turkey bone broth are limitless. It adds flavor and nutrients to all kinds of recipes.
Troubleshooting Tips
Making turkey bone broth is simple but there can be a few tricky spots. Here’s how to troubleshoot common issues:
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Greasy mouthfeel – Make sure to chill and defat the broth fully before use.
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Cloudy broth – Don’t boil. Simmer gently and strain through cheesecloth.
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Weak flavor – Simmer longer and add more bones like wings, feet, and neck.
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Won’t gel – Add vinegar to help extract collagen from bones. Simmer for 12+ hours.
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Spoils quickly – Let broth cool fully before refrigerating. Store in very clean containers.
With a few tweaks to your technique, you can overcome any broth-making hurdles.
Cooking turkey bones for broth is easy, budget-friendly, and results in a nutritious superfood ingredient for your kitchen. Just remember to roast the bones, simmer gently for several hours, strain, then defat and store the broth properly. In no time, you’ll have quarts of rich, savory turkey bone broth ready to enhance all sorts of delicious recipes. Give it a try after your next turkey dinner!
How to make Turkey Stock
Turkey stock is super easy to make! It is one of my favorite things to do at the tail end of Thanksgiving Day. Chill on the couch while this simmers in the background, you barely have to babysit it. Once you taste it you are going to want to make it every year, so from now on just remember to over-buy a little bit on all your celery, carrots, onions, and herbs, and you are all set to go for your turkey stock!
Heat your turkey carcass with any turkey parts you have: neck, giblets, any skin, or leftover turkey drippings. You start by shoving your picked-over turkey carcass into the biggest pot you have. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to break down the carcass to make it fit. If there is some meat left on the bones, that’s okay, but just know that once it’s done boiling for 4 hours, it’s going to be rather tough and not very tasty. So gather up the meat that you want to eat now and set aside.
Next, add in all your veggies and herbs. Add roughly-chopped onion, carrots, garlic and celery. Add parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. (Feel free to sing along. You do know the Simon and Garfunkel song, right? If not, look it up immediately!) Add bay leaves and peppercorns. There’s no need to be overly particular here. If you are missing an herb or two, don’t sweat it. The onions, celery, and carrots are most important as far as flavor goes.
Add about 4 quarts of water, covering most of the turkey and vegetables. Cover all of it with water. I filled my pot all the way to the top!
Simmer 2-4 hours.
After about 2-4 hours, your water level will have lowered a bit, and the turkey and veggies will have softened and shrunk. This recipe is pretty chill! 2 hours, 3 hours, basically whenever I want to go to bed on Thanksgiving night is how long I let mine simmer, haha. 2 hours is the minimum, 4 hours will give you a more condensed stock.
Pour the stock through a colander into a large bowl (or two) and separate out the fat. Drain through a colander into a large pot. I think it’s easier to use tongs to get the larger pieces out instead of dumping the whole pot of boiling hot stock all at once.
You can also make turkey stock in the slow cooker! Just put it all in the crock pot and turn it to low for 10-12 hours. SO easy.
Ingredients for Turkey Bone Broth
Here’s a quick list of what you need to make turkey broth. Scroll down to the recipe card for more details!
- Turkey carcass, picked over. Mine was 12-15 pounds
- Turkey neck, if you have it (it’s ok if you don’t)
- Giblets, if you have them (it’s ok if you don’t)
- Leftover turkey drippings, if you have them (it’s ok if you don’t)
- Onion
- 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
- Large carrots
- Celery, leaves included
- Parsley
- Sage
- Fresh rosemary
- Thyme
- Bay leaves
- Whole peppercorns
How To Make Turkey Stock – Turkey Broth Recipe
FAQ
How long should you cook turkey bones for broth?
- Fill the stockpot. In a large stockpot, add the cooked turkey carcass (broken into large chunks), onions, celery, and carrots. …
- Bring to a boil. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer for about 3 hours. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. …
- Strain. …
- Cool and store the stock.
How long should you boil bones for broth?
- Fish: 6–8 hours
- Chicken: 12–24 hours
- Beef: 24–48 hours
Do bones need to be roasted for bone broth?
Depends on what you are using it for. Roasted bones will produce deeper, richer flavors which would be good for a soup, where you want the flavors of the stock to really come through. Unroasted bones produce a lighter stock that is more useful when you want the stock to play a supporting role, like a sauce.
How healthy is turkey bone broth?
Amino Acids: Turkey bone broth contains amino acids like glycine and proline, which play vital roles in brain health and neurotransmitter function. Glucosamine: Supports joint health and can alleviate inflammation, which can have a positive impact on mood.