Homemade turkey broth is the key to a flavorful gravy, soup, and even as a sipping broth. By roasting turkey parts and slow-cooking them, you’ll draw out a rich, deep flavor. It’s also a great way to prepare a delicious base for a turkey gravy ahead of time!
What to Do with Turkey Bones
From homemade broth with extra flavor to a savory homemade soup and turkey gravy, this simple recipe has so many uses. So don’t toss out your turkey carcass or any of the smaller turkey bones because it makes the best turkey stock ever.
You can make it days in advance of Thanksgiving or Christmas to create a rich and flavorful gravy as the perfect finishing touch to your dinner.
Or, make it ahead of time so you can put those prime roast turkey leftovers to good use soon after the holidays with easy soup recipes like our Lentil Turkey Soup and Turkey Noodle Soup.
Why This Turkey Bone Broth Recipe Works
Instead of making a turkey broth from a whole turkey carcass, the roasted bones and vegetables will leave you with more pan juices and a flavorful stock.
Our homemade stock is the best way to make use of smaller bones like the neck, wings, and drumsticks, which contain more collagen and connective tissue than a leftover carcass. That means more flavor for your homemade broth or gravy!
Let it roast for about an hour, then slow cook all of that in a large stock pot, Dutch oven or even a Crockpot, to create a savory broth seasoned with aromatics.
It freezes well too, so you have every reason to make a large batch to use throughout the holiday season!
Our homemade broth is:
- So much better than any turkey broth you’d find on a grocery store shelf.
- An easy recipe you can make in advance and save precious prep time come Thanksgiving Day.
- A rich turkey broth with incredible flavor, thanks to a long, slow simmer and clean ingredients.
- Easy to prepare and store for later!
Ingredients Needed for Turkey Carcass Broth
To make our homemade broth, you will need:
- Leftover turkey parts. We use the neck, wings and drumsticks but you can use the whole carcass if you want These are often sold separately at most major supermarkets.
- Vegetables. A mix of onion, carrots, celery stalks and a whole garlic head infuse the broth with incredible flavor. Make sure to cut the whole head of garlic in half crosswise to expose the garlic cloves.
- Vegetable oil. This coats the turkey pieces and veggies and helps them roast well in the oven.
- Fresh herbs. Use a fresh herb bundle, tied with cooking twine. We like a combination of fresh parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme.
- Salt and pepper. To season the broth and add to the flavor.
- Chicken broth and cold water. This forms the liquid for the brothy base, which seeps up all that delicious turkey flavor. If you have homemade stock, feel free to use it!
How to Make Homemade Turkey Bone Broth
Here’s a look at the process for making turkey broth with a flavor like no other!
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to view the printable recipe card with all of the details, ingredient amounts and recipe notes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and toss the turkey parts and fresh veggies in the oil on a large baking sheet. Roast together for 1 hour.
Remove the bones and veggies from the pan using tongs, and place them in a large pot or Dutch oven.
Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to the hot sheet pan and scrape up any loose bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Pour the mixture into the large stockpot.
Add 3 cups of water and the rest of the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
Remove the bones and large pieces of veggies. Pour the flavorful stock through a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl or pan. Toss out the solids.
Pro tips for the Best Turkey Stock
- Usually, a slow roasted or smoked turkey will not leave any juices in the pan for making gravy. You can use this turkey stock recipe to create a rich and savory gravy days prior to your Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner.
- For even more flavor, you can add 1 pound of raw, ground turkey to the soup pot with the roasted bones and veggies.
- Roasting the neck, wings and drumsticks with the vegetable variety is the best way to add an even deeper, richer flavor to the stock.
- Store cooled turkey stock in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. To freeze the stock, store it in freezer-safe containers and keep in the freezer for up to two months.
Slow Cooker Turkey Stock Recipe
Save time and free up your stove top by making this homemade stock in your slow cooker! Follow the recipe as written to roast the bone parts and vegetables.
Then, transfer everything to the slow cooker pot and proceed with the recipe instructions. The turkey broth will cook on low temperature in the slow cooker for 8 hours.
Uses for Turkey Stock
You can use this turkey broth recipe to make homemade soups, gravies, and anything else that needs a splash of rich flavor.
While it’s not quite as packed with collagen as a turkey bone broth since the stock only simmers for a little while, it still makes a cozy sipping broth (like our Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth).
Here are a few recipes that our turkey broth works great in:
- Turkey Gravy from Drippings
- Creamy Turkey Pot Pie (with White Sauce) as a replacement for the chicken broth
- Roasted Turkey Thighs with Mushroom Stuffing
- Turkey Vegetable Farro Soup
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Turkey Broth
Ingredients
- Neck wings and drumsticks from a leftover turkey carcass
- 1 large onion peeled and quartered
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 stalks of celery cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 whole garlic head halved crosswise
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Fresh herb bundle tied with a string (bouquet garni)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth divided
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the neck, wings, drumstick, onion, carrots, celery and garlic with the oil and arrange in one layer. Roast on the center rack of the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and with tongs, transfer to a large Dutch oven or soup pot.
- Add ½ cup of chicken broth to the baking sheet scraping loose any bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Pour the mixture into the Dutch oven.
- Add 3 cups of water and the remaining 2-½ cups of chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil then immediately reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1-½ to 2 hours.
- Remove and discard bones and large pieces of vegetables.
- Pour the broth through a strainer set over a pan, discard the solids.
Notes
- Most often a smoked or oven slow-roasted turkey will not leave any juices in the pan for making gravy. This homemade stock is made by roasting the bones and vegetables then slow-cooking them to bring out their amazing flavors. The rich, savory broth can be used to make a gravy days in advance.
- Making this stock in a slow cooker is a great time-saver and frees up your stove top. Add the roasted bones and vegetables to a slow cooker and proceed with the recipe instructions. Cover the slow cooker, set the temeperature to low, and cook for 8 hours.
- Optional: Add 1 pound of raw, ground turkey to the soup pot with the roasted bones.
- Bones with joints, such as the neck, wings and legs will have more collagen then the carcass.
- Roasting the neck, wings and drumsticks with a variety of veggies imparts a ton of flavor to the broth.
- This broth can be used to make gravies, soups, and sauces.
