This is the best turkey stock recipe! It uses leftover turkey bones and trimmings from Thanksgiving dinner, along with some veggies and herbs you likely already have on hand from Thanksgiving prep. Gently simmer everything together for a few hours until a fragrant, wonderfully flavored stock forms. It’s as easy as that!
You can use this flavorful turkey stock in so many different ways. From pot pies, gravy, stuffing, soups, and more, this easy stock recipe adds extra flavor to your cooking. You can also use it in most recipes that call for chicken or vegetable stock! Plus, it freezes really well for several months, so you can always have it on hand. For more turkey recipes, try my air fryer turkey breast, turkey casserole, or turkey meatloaf.
Stock Versus Broth
While stock and broth can be used interchangeably in most recipes, there are a few differences between the two.
Stock is made from cooked meat or bones (like this recipe), which makes good use of leftover bones from a roasted turkey. It results in a thicker liquid that can be darker in color with a stronger flavor. Because of the gelatin extracted from the bones, the stock will often gel once chilled. Stock also simmers for a longer period of time, generally a few to several hours.
Broth is made from fresh, uncooked meat, with or without bones. It is lighter in color and more delicate in flavor. It also requires a shorter cooking time, generally simmering for only an hour or two.
Ingredients
Turkey carcass — if you’ve made a roast turkey for Thanksgiving, this is the perfect way to use the leftover turkey carcass from carving. Also, you can save any other bones, trimmings, or drippings to add to the stock pot.
Vegetables — carrots, celery, and onion add lots of flavor to the homemade stock. They will eventually get strained out, but they are key ingredients in a flavorful stock. You can add more vegetables like fennel bulbs or parsnips, but avoid more bitter vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, or cabbage.
Fresh herbs — parsley and thyme add a light herbal element and help season the stock.
Garlic — garlic infuses the turkey stock with a savory depth of flavor.
Black pepper — use whole black peppercorns. The stock will not be stock spicy, but the peppercorns season it for a deeper flavor.
How To Make Turkey Stock
1. Break the carcass into 4- to 6-inch pieces.
2. In a large pot, like an 8-quart stock pot, combine the turkey parts, vegetables, herbs, garlic, and peppercorns.
3. Add enough water to reach 1 inch below the rim of the pot. Use cold water.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Skim any white foam off of the surface and discard. Simmer for 3 to 4 hours. You will likely need to adjust the heat between medium and medium-low to maintain a low simmer.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the bones and vegetable pieces from the large stockpot and discard them.
6. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer. Then, let the turkey stock cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers.
For The Best Stock, Don’t Let It Boil
Boiling the stock will break up the solids into very small pieces that are hard to strain out, even with a fine mesh strainer, making it cloudy and grainy. High heat also makes the fresh herbs lose their potent flavor, which will affect how the stock tastes. A low and slow simmer is ideal for the best turkey stock that is smooth, clear, and full of flavor!
Do I Have To Use Leftover Turkey Bones For This Recipe?
No. You can make this stock before Thanksgiving for use in sides like stuffing and gravy with fresh turkey wings! You’ll need 3 pounds of turkey wings, but you can also add 1 to 2 turkey necks if you find them in the meat department of your grocery store.
Coat the fresh wings and turkey neck with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then roast them for 45 minutes at 450°F, turning once, until deeply golden. Proceed with the recipe as written.
How to Use Turkey Stock
This easy homemade turkey stock recipe is worth making because it is so versatile. You can use it in place of turkey broth in most recipes, and it is also a convenient swap for vegetable or chicken broth or stock. Here are some of my recipes where you can use it:
The Best Way To Freeze Turkey Stock
You can freeze turkey stock in quart containers or in freezer bags. Measure out the stock by volume (i.e. 4 cups) and label the container with the volume of stock and the date you pack it so you can easily keep track. Turkey stock freezes well for up to 6 months.
- Quart Containers: This will be equal to a store-bought quart container of stock or broth. Leave a little room (about 1 inch) at the top for the turkey stock to expand as it freezes.
- Freezer Bags: Pour in a measured amount of stock and then press out as much air from the bag as possible. (Do not fill the bag completely so there’s room for the stock to expand during freezing.) Seal the freezer bags and lay them flat on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid. Laying the bags flat makes them easy to store neatly in your freezer.
- Thawing: Place containers of frozen turkey stock in the refrigerator with a towel underneath to soak up any condensation. Thaw overnight or for 12 to 24 hours.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Use kitchen shears to snip the turkey carcass into manageable pieces. This way, all of the turkey bones will fit in the pot and can be submerged in the water during simmering.
- Save vegetable scraps for stock! If you’re prepping a big holiday meal, save those garlic, onion, carrot, and celery trimmings used for other recipes and toss them in the stock pot. I like to keep a freezer bag, add scraps to it when I have them, and use it when I make stock.
- Line the fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth before straining to remove as many small particles as possible. This is optional but will result in the smoothest, clearest stock.
- Use this technique to make chicken stock! Use 2 to 3 chicken carcasses (freeze them as you acquire them), then make a batch. Or use 3 lbs of chicken wings or legs.
- Add other seasonings: You can a bay leaf, squeeze lemon rind, sliced ginger, or other herbs like rosemary, sage, and oregano to season your stock just how you like it.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker turkey stock, just throw everything into your slow cooker and set it to Low for 12 hours. Then, cool, strain, and store as directed in the recipe.
You can add the raw giblets that come packed inside a fresh or frozen turkey to the large stock pot along with the other ingredients. There is no need to cook them first!
Once the stock cools completely, carefully transfer it to airtight containers like quart Mason jars. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this turkey stock recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Turkey Stock Recipe
Equipment
- 8-quart stock pot
- Spider
- Fine mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 1 cooked turkey carcass (675g)
- 3 carrots cut into 2-inch pieces (230g)
- 3 celery stalks cut into 2-inch pieces (300g)
- 1 yellow onion peeled and quartered (330g)
- 6 sprigs fresh parsley
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- Break the turkey carcass into 4 to 6 inch pieces.
- In an 8-quart stock pot, combine the turkey bones, carrots, celery, onion, parsley, thyme, garlic and black peppercorns. Add cold water to reach 1 inch below the rim of the pot.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Skim any white foam off of the surface of the stock and discard.
- Simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Adjust the heat between medium and medium-low to maintain a low simmer. (You do not want to boil the stock rapidly or it will be cloudy.)
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Using a spider, remove the bones and any large vegetable pieces from the pot and discard them.
- Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer.
- Let the stock cool completely before placing it in airtight containers. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Notes
- Use kitchen shears to snip the turkey carcass into manageable pieces. This way, all of the turkey bones will fit in the pot and can be submerged in the water during simmering.
- Save vegetable scraps for stock! If you’re prepping a big holiday meal, save those garlic, onion, carrot, and celery trimmings used for other recipes and toss them in the stock pot. I like to keep a freezer bag, add scraps to it when I have them, and use it when I make stock.
- Line the fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth before straining to remove as many small particles as possible. This is optional but will result in the smoothest, clearest stock.
- Use this technique to make chicken stock! Use 2 to 3 chicken carcasses (freeze them as you acquire them), then make a batch. Or use 3 lbs of chicken wings or legs.
- Add other seasonings: You can a bay leaf, squeeze lemon rind, sliced ginger, or other herbs like rosemary, sage, and oregano to season your stock just how you like it.
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