How to Make Turkey Stock

5 from 1 vote

Save those turkey bones / carcass after the holiday meal and make your own turkey stock. You’ll love using the stock to make cozy soups all winter long.

This recipe can be made using whole chopped carrots, celery, or onions or save and use the vegetable scraps from preparing the rest of the holiday meal.

This makes between 10 and 14 cups of stock, depending on the size of the pot you use.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Total Time2 10

Course: Soups/Stews

Keyword: broth, homemade stock, turkey stock

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $2.00

Equipment

Large Stockpot
Strainer

Ingredients

Bones from 1 whole roasted turkey (any size)
1 large Onion, chopped into large pieces
3 stalks Celery, chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
2 Bay Leaves (optional; you can also use a few sprigs of fresh parsley or thyme)

Instructions

Combine turkey bones, onion, celery, carrots, and bay leaves. (Note: You may need to break down the bones a bit to fit in the pot you are using. If some meat remains on the bones, you can pull it off eat or leave it on the bones to add flavor to the stock.)
Pour water over ingredients to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Once the stock is boiling, reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. (Be sure to keep the stock at a low simmer to prevent too much liquid from evaporating and add more water as needed to keep the ingredients covered.)
Taste stock and add some salt, if you'd like. (If the turkey was fairly salty when it was cooked, the stock may already taste fairly salty. But if the flavor is very mild, you can add a small amount like 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Keep in mind that you can always add more salt when you use the stock in a recipe later.)
Pour stock through a fine mesh strainer (or any strainer, lined with cheesecloth).
Cool completely and strain off any fat that has risen to the top.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes

Vegetable scraps - Instead of using chopped onion, celery, or carrots, you can just save the vegetable scraps of onions, celery, and carrots when you’re making other dishes (like the stuffing). Don’t worry too much about measurements for the vegetables - if you use scraps, just use all the scraps you have.

Nutrition