This easy Turkey Broth recipe transforms your Thanksgiving turkey carcass into a rich, flavorful broth. Perfectly seasoned with fresh herbs and aromatics, turkey broth adds flavor to sauces, soups, Dutch oven beef stew and your favorite holiday recipes.
To make delicious turkey broth, all you need are a few simple ingredients and some time. It takes just 5 minutes to throw everything in a pot, and the rest is hands-off as the turkey broth gently simmers and builds flavor.
To make great turkey broth, you’ll need to start with a delicious turkey. If you are cooking a whole bird, try my Garlic Butter Roasted Turkey. My Air Fryer Turkey Breast and Garlic Butter Turkey Breast are great options for a smaller crowd, and my Easy Roasted Turkey Leg is perfect for a Thanksgiving feast for two.
For even more healthy and delicious recipe ideas, check out my Thanksgiving Dinner Menu.
How To Make Turkey Broth
ingredients
- Cooked leftover turkey carcass — You’ll want most of the meat removed and the turkey bones broken into pieces. You can also use chicken carcass and make chicken broth.
- Vegetables — A classic combination of onion, celery, and carrot.
- Black peppercorns — Whole peppercorns work best for this recipe.
- Fresh herbs — Add sprigs of parsley, rosemary, and thyme right into the pot.
- Bay Leaves — A couple of bay leaves add a lot to the overall flavor.
- Chicken bouillon — You can use Better Than Bouillon chicken paste or chicken bouillon cubes.
Instructions
Add ingredients to the pot:
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, place the pieces of turkey carcass quartered onions, chopped celery, and peeled carrots.
- Next, add the black peppercorns, herbs, bay leaves, and chicken bouillon. If you’re using bouillon cubes, you can crush them into the pot, or dissolve them in hot water first.
- Add enough cold water to cover all the ingredients. This is generally between 12 to 16 cups, though the amount of water you’ll need depends on the size of your pot and turkey carcass.
Boil and simmer:
- Place your large stock pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil.
- Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot.
- Gently simmer for 2 to 3 hours and allow the flavors to meld together.
- As the liquid simmers, use a slotted spoon to skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the top.
Strain the stock:
- After the turkey bone broth has simmered for 2 to 3 hours, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool. Make sure to simmer it instead of boiling it. This way, you will retain all the nutrients of this broth.
- Using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain the liquid into a large bowl or another pot. Then, discard or compost the solids.
Chill and remove the fat:
- Let the turkey broth cool to room temperature, and then place it in the refrigerator.
- Once completely chilled, skim off any fat that has solidified on the surface.
Store and enjoy:
- At this point, your turkey broth is ready to enjoy!
- Divide the broth into storage containers and use it in soups, sauces, and all kinds of other recipes!
Expert Tips
- If you like a very clear broth, try straining it twice. First, pour it through a fine mesh strainer, and then do another pass using cheesecloth to catch any leftover particles.
- Use kitchen shears to help divide the turkey carcass into pieces. Kitchen shears are strong enough to break up the turkey and, in this case, easier than a knife.
- Low and slow is the key to this recipe. A gentle simmer will allow the flavors to gradually develop and become richer over time.
- If you’d like to add even more depth of flavor, try roasting your turkey carcass beforehand.
- If the strained broth appears fatty, I refrigerate it overnight and skim off the solidified fat from the top the next morning.
How To Store Leftovers
- To Store: Let the leftovers cool to room temperature and divide into airtight storage containers or mason jars. Then, store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Pour into freezer-safe containers, leaving at least an inch of extra space since the liquid will expand as it freezes. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. I do not recommend using mason jars if you’re going to freeze your broth, as glass does not freeze well.
- To Reheat: Allow the turkey broth to thaw and reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
What To Serve with Turkey Broth
- Cozy soups: Use turkey broth as a delicious base for your favorite soups, like my comforting turkey vegetable soup, cauliflower soup or easy butternut squash soup.
- Rich sauces: Homemade turkey broth adds richness to sauces and gravies, perfect for serving with creamy mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.
- Flavorful sides: Turkey broth is especially great for adding extra flavor to holiday side dishes, like my easy sausage stuffing or cauliflower rice.
- Sipping broth: Turkey broth isn’t just an ingredient, it’s also great on its own! Enjoy a hot mug of turkey broth with a piece of fresh garlic bread or gluten-free cornbread.
Recipe Variations
- Herbs: This turkey broth recipe calls for sprigs of fresh rosemary, parsley, and thyme. Feel free to add other herbs, like sage, chives, or oregano.
- Vegetables: Add more flavor and nutritional benefits to your turkey broth with extra vegetables such as mushrooms, garlic, leeks, or parsnips.
- Spice: If you want to give your turkey broth an extra kick, try throwing in a couple of dried chili peppers or a piece of ginger root.
- Acid: Adding a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar will bring a nice brightness to the broth.
- Turkey wings: Instead of the turkey carcass, you can use turkey wings if you prefer. Or you can use both.
Recommended Tools
- Large Dutch oven: You’ll want to use a Dutch oven or stockpot with plenty of room so that all the ingredients fit comfortably, and your pot is not too crowded.
- Large Measuring Cup: A large 8-cup measuring container will come in handy and save you a few trips to and from the sink.
- Fine Mesh Strainer: Pouring the turkey broth through a fine mesh strainer will catch any solids or particles. If you don’t have a mesh strainer, cheesecloth will also work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Turkey broth and turkey stock are very similar, but there are some key differences between the two. Turkey stock is often just bones and water cooked for around 4 to 6 hours, whereas turkey broth uses additional ingredients like vegetables and aromatics and is cooked between 1 and 3 hours. The flavor of turkey broth is on the lighter side, while turkey stock is more concentrated.
Making turkey broth is a great way to use up veggies, but not every vegetable is ideal. Avoid using starchy vegetables like potatoes, which will make the broth too thick. Vegetables that have a strong taste, like asparagus, cabbage, or beets may overpower the broth, while zucchini and green beans can make it taste bitter.
Don’t be alarmed if your turkey broth has a little jiggle after it’s been in the fridge for a while. That texture comes from the collagen in the bones, which breaks down into gelatin as the broth simmers.
More Homemade Kitchen Staples
Turkey Broth Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 cooked turkey carcass meat mostly removed and bones broken into large pieces
- 2 large onions quartered
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 4 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 sprigs of fresh parsley rosemary and thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon chicken paste or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
Instructions
- In a large stockpot or a large Dutch oven, place the turkey carcass pieces. Add the quartered onions, chopped celery, and peeled carrots to the pot.
- Add black peppercorns, fresh herbs, bay leaves, and chicken bouillon (paste or cubes). If using chicken bouillon cubes, you can either crush them and sprinkle them into the pot or dissolve them in a cup of hot water and pour the mixture into the pot.
- Pour enough cold water into the pot to cover all the ingredients. The amount of water needed will depend on the size of your pot and the amount of turkey carcass, but generally, it’s about 12-16 cups of water.
- Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 2-3 hours. This will allow all the flavors to meld together.
- While the broth simmers, skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface with a slotted spoon.
- After simmering, remove the pot from the heat. Let it cool slightly, then strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer or a cheesecloth into a large bowl or another pot. Discard the solids.
- Allow the strained broth to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it. Once it's chilled, you can skim off any fat that solidifies on the surface. Your homemade turkey broth is now ready to use in soups, sauces, or other recipes.
Tips
- If you like a very clear broth, try straining it twice. First, pour it through a fine mesh strainer, and then do another pass using cheesecloth to catch any leftover particles.
- Use kitchen shears to divide the turkey carcass into pieces.
- Low and slow is key. A gentle simmer allows the flavors to gradually develop and become richer over time.
- If you’d like to add even more depth of flavor, roast your turkey carcass beforehand.
- To Store: Let the turkey broth cool to room temperature and divide it into airtight storage containers or mason jars. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Pour the turkey broth into freezer-safe containers, leaving at least an inch of extra space, and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- To Reheat: Allow the turkey broth to thaw and reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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