This is a very easy turkey broth recipe. It’s always great to use up every piece of that Thanksgiving turkey! The carcass has so much to offer and with a little bit of prep, you will be making a homemade turkey bone broth. Your house will smell amazing and you will have a flavor-packed ingredient ready for soups and other recipes. Turkey broth is the star of this “Mushroom and Turkey Soup (Thanksgiving Leftovers) “ but you can use it as a substitute for chicken stock in all kinds of recipes.
Stock vs Broth:
What’s the difference between broth and stocks in general? Stocks are made from simmering the bones in fresh water over a long period of time to extract the flavor. A broth not only uses the carcass, but extra meat or skin as well, along with vegetables and herbs to add additional flavor. Broth can be used in the same way stock is used.
What you need:
- Time- This broth is not hard to make but it takes some time. I would consider this a weekend recipe, where you have some time to enjoy the amazing smells.
- Turkey carcass- After you’ve stripped most of the usable meat off the turkey carcass, save it to make a broth. If there’s a little bit of meat or skin don’t worry about it, that will just add some extra flavor to the broth.
- Turkey neck- If the turkey neck is included with the giblets, set it aside in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator before you roast the bird. When it comes time to make the stock it will add some more bones to draw flavor from.
- Vegetables- Onion, carrot, and celery help to flavor the broth. They are a jumpstart to any delicious soup.
- Bayleaf- It’s a fairly mild addition that sits in the background and enhances other turkey flavors.
- Things you don't need:
- Energy- after all that goes into prepping for Thanksgiving and then cleaning up, you might be thinking “there is no way I am going to have the energy to make homemade stock”. Luckily this doesn't take much more energy than just throwing out the carcass.
- Exact amounts- There is no need to measure the water, just cover the bird.
How to make turkey broth from leftovers:
If you have the turkey neck, start by browning it in a drizzle of oil at the bottom of a large soup pot. Don’t worry about fully cooking it, just allow it to brown on each side. If you don’t have a turkey neck, don’t worry, this is completely optional.
Place the turkey carcass and any extra bones into the large soup pot. Add the onion (peeled and halved), celery, and peeled carrots. Cover the carcass with water and add the Bayleaf. Bring the water to a boil for 30 minutes. (this will ensure that the neck is cooked through after simmering.)
Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to cook for 4 to 24 hours. I think the most important ingredient to good broth is time, and the more you can give to this process the better the final product will be.
While the process may take a long time, it’s pretty hands off. All you have to do is add water once in a while to make sure the carcass is covered.
When you’re done simmering the broth, remove from the heat and strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve.
The obvious answer is soup! Try this Turkey Mushroom Soup or use it to make some risotto or lentils.
Yes. If you are hosting and there is a lot going on, just throw the carcass in a plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator for a day or two before making your stock.
Recipe
Homemade Turkey Stock (Broth)
Ingredients
- The carcass of a roasted or smoked turkey
- 1 onion peeled and halved
- 2 carrots peeled
- 2 celery stalks
Instructions
- If you have the turkey neck, start by browning it in a drizzle of oil at the bottom of a large soup pot. (If you don’t have a turkey neck, don’t worry, this is completely optional.)
- Place the turkey carcass and any extra bones into the large soup pot.
- Add the onion (peeled and halved), celery, and peeled carrots.
- Cover the carcass with water and add the Bayleaf. Bring the water to a boil for 30 minutes. (this will ensure that the neck is cooked through after simmering.)
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to cook for 4 to 24 hours.
- When you’re done simmering the broth, remove from the heat and strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve.
[…] start by making Homemade Turkey Stock (Broth) out of the turkey carcass. It’s surprisingly easy and is the foundational flavor for this turkey […]