Easy Turkey Stock Recipe

This easy turkey stock recipe is made with leftover turkey bones, a handful of vegetables, and a little bit of time (and water)! It’s great for flavoring soups, stews, gravies and more!

Homemade stock is easier than ever with my go-to recipe. It requires the leftover bones from a roast turkey, vegetables that are probably already in your crisper, and doesn’t need to be canned! Make a big batch and freeze it to use whenever the need for stock arises! What more could you want in an easy turkey stock recipe?

Homemade Stock Ingredients

• Turkey Carcass (it’s a weird word, but it is what it is, we need the carcass)
• White Onion
• Carrots
• Celery
• Garlic
• Parsley
• Black Pepper
• Kosher Salt
• Water

I love making homemade stocks with leftover roasted birds. It’s a great way to use up ingredients that would normally go to waste, saves money because you’re not buying store-bought, and is so healthy! It’s full of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Not to mention flavor!

How to make this Easy Turkey Stock Recipe

1. Fill the pot. With the carcass, veggies, and seasoning.
2. Add water. Fill up the stock pot so that the water comes up 1 inch above everything. For me, it was about 16 cups of water.
3. Simmer the stock. Over medium-low heat. We don’t want to rapidly boil the liquid, but gently simmer it until it is reduced by half.
4. Remove the solids. The bones and veggies. I use a kitchen spider for this. It’s the perfect tool!
5. Strain the stock. Into a big measuring cup. A fine mesh strainer will help to catch any small bits of solids you may have missed.
6. Pour into jars. Through another mesh strainer. This will help you achieve a very clear stock!
7. Freeze! I don’t have the time and patience (nor the pressure canner) to dunk most stocks into a water bath. I fill glass jars with the homemade stock, leaving 1-inch of room at the top, secure the lid tightly and freeze. Then when I want to use the stock, I just thaw it in the fridge overnight!

Tips on making stock from scratch

• Getting smooth stock. I like to run my stock through two fine mesh sieves to take care of most of the solids. But, inevitably some small bits of seasonings and spices do get through. If you’re adamant about getting a perfectly clear stock I suggest lining your sieves with cheesecloth. This will catch virtually 100% of the solids.

• Using chicken bones instead. Turkey stock is a stock made from turkey so it’s easy to surmise that chicken stock would be…stock made from chicken! I use this same exact method with leftover roasted chicken bones with wonderful results!

• Skimming the fat. If you’re not like me and you have more time and patience, feel free to make this stock recipe right up to removing all the pieces of bones and vegetables. Then cool the stock and refrigerate overnight. All the fat will rise to the top and solidify. Remove that fat, reheat the stock, and proceed with freezing directions!

• Storing stock in a freezer bag. Don’t have canning jars? Running low on freezer space? Might I suggest using freezer-safe zip-top bags to store the stock. It’s what I do with any leftover stock, too! Simply fill the bag, release the air, and seal. Lay flat to freeze into a perfect little thick stock sheet!

• Label it! This is more of a general tip for freezing anything but be sure to label the jars or bags of stock with the contents and the date so you always know what you have!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Easy Turkey Stock Recipe

Homemade turkey stock is easier than ever with this go-to recipe. It requires the leftover bones from a roast turkey, vegetables that are probably already in your crisper, and doesn’t need to be canned! What more could you want in an easy turkey stock recipe?

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time3 hrs

Total Time3 hrs 10 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Homemade, How To, Soup, Stock, Turkey

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 17kcal

Author: Amanda Gajdosik

Equipment

• Stock Pot
• Kitchen Spider
• Large Measuring Cup
• Fine Mesh Sieve

Ingredients

• Turkey carcass leftover from a roast turkey
• 3 medium carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 large white onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 parsley bundle
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 16 cups water

Instructions

• Place the turkey carcass, vegetables, herb, and seasoning in a large stock pot. Cover with water (making sure the water comes up 1 inch over all the ingredients).
• Set the pot over medium-low heat and bring up to a gentle simmer. Simmer until reduced by half, about 3 hours. Remove from heat.
• Using a kitchen spider, remove the vegetables and bones from the stock and discard.
• Set a fine mesh sieve over a large measuring cup and pour the stock into it. Discard any solids that were caught in the sieve.
• Place the sieve over a glass canning jar and pour the stock from the measuring cup into the jar. Leave 1 inch of space from the top of the jar.
• Tightly secure the lids on the jars. Label the jars with a piece of tape – stating the contents and the date the stock was made.
• Freeze stock for up to one year.

Notes

• To thaw frozen stock: remove from freezer and thaw in refrigerator overnight before use. Shake stock, if necessary, as the fat may have separated out of the stock during thawing.
• Freezer-safe zip-top bags can be used in place of canning jars, if desired. Simply lay the bags flat to freeze.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 17kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3832IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg