The Best Homemade Turkey Broth Recipe
This is seriously the best homemade turkey stock – it’s the perfect recipe for leftover turkey bones and makes the most delicious homemade broth!
One of the best things about the holidays is the turkey dinner and putting the leftovers to good use. We like to make the most of our leftovers with this turkey bone broth recipe, these leftover turkey salad sandwiches, turkey cranberry sliders and crockpot turkey soup.
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I remember my mother and grandmother making homemade stock every Thanksgiving. They were always surprised when I would pass off the turkey carcass to someone else or throw it out.
So, finally I had my mom teach me how to create a delicious turkey bone broth of my own. It’s great for adding to soup and freezes well.
Everything is thrown into a large stockpot, making this tasty broth a great option for using leftovers the next day.
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The best way to make this easy turkey stock is with leftovers but you can easily substitute many of the ingredients with fresh veggies from the grocery store. Turkey wings, turkey meat or leftover rotisserie chicken may be used as well.
Be sure to check out the entire list of substitutions at the bottom of the blog post.
Turkey broth vs. Turkey stock
Turkey broth and turkey stock are virtually the same thing. People argue that they are different but they can be used interchangeably and are made with the same cooking method.
Often, broth is richer than stock but basically, bone broth, stock, and broth all mean one thing: a liquid made from leftover bones and scraps.
A whole turkey is one of my favorite things to cook during the holidays. I love to roast a whole turkey in the oven or cook a delicious turkey on the Traeger.
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Supplies:
- This 10 quart stock pot is my favorite for large recipes like this.
- A large bowl comes in handy for storing the strained broth.
- Cheesecloth or a fine sieve strainer is needed.
- Be sure to stock the kitchen with helpful tools like this food scale, these measuring cups and a Kitchen Aid mixer.
- Keep a wooden spoon, cutting board and knife handy as well.
- Mason jars, a freezer-safe container or ice cube trays may be used to store leftover stock.
Turkey Stock:
Ingredients:
- 1 leftover turkey carcass, 12-14 pound bird
- 16 cups cold water
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 small onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
**this recipe is a great way to use up leftovers and helps to prevent food waste. We like to use vegetable scraps from our holiday meal whenever possible. Simply set them aside to use later.
Directions:
1. Prepare the whole turkey carcass by removing as much of the turkey meat as possible.
2. Place all of the ingredients into a large pot, using enough water to just cover the bones.
3. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 2-3 hours.
Pro tip: the longer the mixture cooks, the more flavourful the broth.
5. Remove from heat and take out the turkey carcass.
6. Allow the broth to cool before using a strainer or cheesecloth to strain out large pieces of leftovers.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge to use immediately.
Leftover broth may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Broth may also be frozen and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Pour cooled stock into a large freezer bag and lie flat in the freezer for easy storage.
Substitutions:
- Use leftover chicken instead of leftover turkey carcass to make chicken broth.
- Instead of fresh herbs, add dried ones to taste.
- Try adding black peppercorns, an extra bay leaf or poultry seasoning.
- Add sweet potatoes, russet potatoes or baby carrots.
Tips & Tricks:
- Use this homemade turkey bone broth to make a delicious turkey soup with leftovers.
- Save the leftover meat to add to these yummy turkey rolls or turkey salad sandwiches.
- Use just enough water to cover the turkey carcass, this ensures a rich flavor of the stock.
- Store in mason jars in the fridge to use to make the best soup later.
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The Best Turkey Broth Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 leftover turkey carcass 12-14 pound bird
- 16 cups cold water
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 small onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- 1. Prepare the whole turkey carcass by removing as much of the turkey meat as possible.
- 2. Place all of the ingredients into a large pot, using enough water to just cover the bones.
- 3. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- 4. Reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 2-3 hours.
5. Remove from heat and take out the turkey carcass. - 6. Allow the broth to cool before using a strainer or cheesecloth to strain out large pieces of leftovers.
- 7. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge to use immediately.
Nutrition
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