Turkey Bone Broth {How to Make Turkey Bone Broth}

Homemade Turkey Bone Broth is an amazing way to use up every last bit of your roasted turkey. Learning how to make turkey stock is a very simple, sustainable, and affordable process! This recipe includes tips for freezing your delicious stock.

Everyone knows that the best part of making an amazing turkey dinner is the delicious and nourishing bone broth you can make from leftovers. Because let’s face it…turkey on its own is kinda boring.

Use the meat for Leftover Turkey Casserole With Rice and Simple Shepherd’s Pie With Turkey (which also uses up leftover Fluffy Mashed Potatoes), but the rest of the turkey is about to be transformed into an incredible homemade turkey bone broth. 

Made by you. Like you’re Martha freaking-Stewart or something.

Buying a whole turkey can be expensive, and making your own bone broth is a way to stretch your hard-earned cash even further. Not to mention using up every part of the bird is a sustainable practice that allows you to make multiple meals from just one thing.

It’s not hard to see why shelf-stable bone broth is a staple in our Pantry Essentials, and a few jars can always be found in our well-stocked freezer.

If you don’t have any turkey on hand, you’ll love my guide on How to Make Chicken Bone Broth. And if making your own just isn’t your thing, check out this guide on where to buy bone broth. It includes a free printable guide that breaks down the costs per ounce, protein and sodium contents on the various brands. #nerdalert

Check out all my Instant Pot Soup recipes for more inspiration. 

HOW TO Use BONE BROTH

Many people drink it in a mug with or for breakfast like coffee or tea. It’s wonderful in soups (as is everything) like Instant Pot Paleo French Onion Soup or Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana, for veggies, instead of water in rice (related: Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, Garlic Parmesan Rice, and Instant Pot Coconut Rice), cooking grains, and roasting meats. Check out all of my soup recipes for more inspiration.

Can I Make It in the Instant Pot?

Yes, but you’d have to have a large Instant Pot and a very small turkey (or you’ll need to break down the turkey carcass). If those two things are happening, add everything to the Instant Pot insert.

Fill with water to the “max fill” line. Flip the steam release handle to “sealing”.

Press manual>high pressure>120 minutes

When it has finished cooking allow it to do a natural release. Given the volume of the liquid in the pot, it may take 30-60 minutes to fully depressurize.

Any questions about this process? Check out this post on Instant Pot for beginners for all the tips and tricks on using your Instant Pot.

What’s in this?

The best part of making your own bone broth is that you can control all the ingredients! For this recipe, I used:

• Leftover turkey carcass
• Veggies – mix of carrots, celery, onions
• Herbs & seasonings – sage, rosemary, bay leaf, parsley, peppercorns
• Splash of apple cider vinegar

While doing my weekly easy healthy meal prep, I’m often chopping and prepping veggies for multiple dishes. When peeling carrots, chopping onions, or other veg, I save the “scraps” in freezer bags (I love these reusable silicone ones) for making stock.

Using all the scraps is why my husband hilariously calls bone broth “garbage water”. It is literally the parts of everything that was destined for the trash.

My most common veggie scraps are: carrot peels, celery tops and pieces, onion odds and ends. I avoid scraps from root vegetables like beets and potatoes as the flavors they add are not usually desirable.

If you’re making this the day after Thanksgiving, add any leftover herb stems from other dishes.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Bone broth that is cooked at too high of a temperature may produce a foam on the top. You can skim that off and discard it to produce a deeper and cleaner stock.
• The fat that you skim off the cooled bone broth can be used for cooking or roasting veggies. You can also discard it.
• Store for up to five days in the fridge or six months in the freezer.

More Amazing Recipes Like This

• Freezing Zucchini {How to Freeze Zucchini}
• Homemade Ramen Noodle Bowls
• Whole30 Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Tortilla Soup With Rice

Print Recipe

Turkey Bone Broth

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time12 hrs

Total Time12 hrs 5 mins

Homemade Turkey Bone Broth is an amazing way to use up every last bit of your turkey.

Servings: 4 quarts

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to make turkey stock, Turkey stock

Calories: 50kcal

Author: Sarah Cook - Sustainable Cooks

Ingredients

• 1 turkey carcass1 turkey carcass
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp black peppercorns1 tsp black peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves3 bay leaves
• 5 cups veggie scraps carrots, onions, and celery (5 cups total, not of each veggie)5 cups veggie scraps carrots, onions, and celery (5 cups total, not of each veggie)
• water to coverwater to cover

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions

• Place all ingredients in the largest stockpot you have. You may need to break down the carcass to get everything to fit. Add your herbs and veggies.
• Slowly add water until it reaches about 2 inches from the top of your pot. Pro tip: the amount of water will vary depending on the size of your stockpot.
• Bring it to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Cover with the lid, but set it slightly ajar.
• Allow the bone broth to simmer for 12 to 24 hours.
• Strain the bone broth through a colander.
• Using a canning funnel, fill jars or storage containers. Leave 1 inch of headspace which is the space between the top of the bone broth and the top of the jar.

Instant Pot Instructions

• Add everything to the Instant Pot insert.
• Fill with water to the “max fill” line. Flip the steam release handle to “sealing”.
• Press manual>high pressure>120 minutes
• When it has finished cooking allow it to do a natural release. Given the volume of the liquid in the pot, it may take 30-60 minutes to fully depressurize.
• Follow instructions 5-6 above.

Slow Cooker Instructions

• Place all ingredients in your slow cooker. You may need to break down the carcass to get everything to fit. Add your herbs and veggies.
• Slowly add water until it reaches about 2 inches from the top of your crock. Pro tip: the amount of water will vary depending on the size of your slow cooker.
• Cover with the lid and cook on low for 12-18 hours.
• Follow instructions 5-6 in the stovetop instructions.

Notes

If you are going to freeze the broth, use only wide-mouth canning jars and leave 1 inch of headspace to allow for the liquid to expand while it freezes. To prevent cracking, make sure the broth has cooled before placing it in the freezer.

 

The fat that you skim off the cooled bone broth can be used for cooking or roasting veggies. You can also discard it.

 

Store for up to five days in the fridge or six months in the freezer.

Nutrition Facts

Turkey Bone Broth

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 50 Calories from Fat 5

% Daily Value*

Fat 0.5g1%

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Sodium 90mg4%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Sugar 0g0%

Protein 10g20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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