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    Where Is My Spoon > Recipes > Chicken and Turkey

    Turkey Bone Broth Recipe (3 Methods)

    Published by: Adina February 8, 2016 ยท Last modified: January 12, 2024 12 Comments
    Jump to Recipe
    pinterest image for turkey bone broth jellified in a jar.

    This easy turkey bone broth recipe uses leftover turkey bones or the carcass. It's rich and nourishing and makes an excellent base for other dishes. Learn how to make it on the stovetop, instant pot, and slow cooker.

    jars and bottles containing turkey bone broth.

    A whole turkey for Thanksgiving, roasted turkey legs, or wings are delicious! But what to do with the bones? The simplest answer is to make stock or, even better, a delicious turkey bone broth.

    Make a homemade turkey bone broth with basic ingredients like turkey bones, veggies, and water. Learn to make this wholesome broth easily from scratch and use either a pot, the instant pot, or the slow cooker. Enjoy this homemade elixir's health benefits and rich taste; it adds depth to your favorite meals.

    For instance, make this Lentil and Turkey Soup or the Stewed Turkey using our homemade turkey broth.

    Jump to recipe
    • ๐ŸฒWhat is bone broth?
    • ๐Ÿ“‹Recipe ingredients
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿปโ€๐ŸณHow to make turkey bone broth?
    • ๐ŸฆƒVariations
    • ๐Ÿ”ŠExpert Tips
    • โ“Recipe FAQ
    • ๐ŸบHow to store?
    • ๐Ÿฝ๏ธHow to use homemade bone broth?
    • ๐Ÿ“–Recipe
    • Turkey Bone Broth Recipe

    ๐ŸฒWhat is bone broth?

    The liquid is obtained by slowly simmering the bones, bits of meat, and connective tissues of animals for a long period of time. It can be made from turkey bones, chicken, beef bone broth, pork, lamb stock, or venison broth. I often use the bones of our Christmas duck or geese.

    Broth versus stock

    Broths are made by boiling pieces of meat for a relatively short time.

    Stocks are made by simmering the bones for a bit longer, usually 4-6 hours. I prefer making homemade turkey stock or chicken stock as they are more flavorful than simple broth and allow me to use the bones I would not use for any other purpose.

    Bone broth is made by cooking bones that still have bits of meat attached to them in water for a long time, about 24 hours. The long cooking time extracts lots of nutrients from the bones. More collagen and amino nutrients are released into the liquid. The liquid will have a gelatinous texture once cool.

    Bone broth benefits

    • Flavor enhancement: Bone broth adds depth and richness to various dishes, making them more flavorful.
    • Versatility in cooking: It is a versatile base for soups, stews, sauces, and gravies.
    • Economical and reduces waste: Utilizing leftover bones and veggie scraps minimizes food waste, making it a cost-effective cooking ingredient.
    • Homemade goodness: Making bone broth at home allows you to control the ingredients, ensuring a wholesome and preservative-free product.
    • Healthy: Bone broth contains essential stuff like collagen, amino acids, and minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which can help your body stay healthy.

    ๐Ÿ“‹Recipe ingredients

    labeled ingredients for making turkey bone broth with leftover turkey bones.
    • Bones: You can use the leftover carcass from your Thanksgiving turkey or any bones from your holiday meals. You can also make bone broth using fresh bones, but in this case, you should roast them first; roasting will deepen their flavor.
    • Vegetables are optional, but I always add them to any bone broth or stock I make. I usually have celeriac or celery stalks, carrots, onion, and garlic.
    • Spices: Fine sea salt or kosher salt, black peppercorns, bay leaves, a splash of apple cider vinegar (or another vinegar), parsley. You can add other fresh herbs for extra flavor, such as one sprig of rosemary or a few small thyme sprigs.

    ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿปโ€๐ŸณHow to make turkey bone broth?

    • Roast the bones, but only if they are fresh. Leftover carcasses or other bones from a roast don't have to be roasted again.

    Instant pot bone broth instructions

    • Advantage: It cooks much faster compared to other methods.
    • Disadvantage: The instant pot has a smaller capacity than regular soup pots, so you'll need to prepare a smaller batch of bone broth, using approximately 1.7 โ€“ 2 lbs/ 800 โ€“ 900 g of bones.
    turkey bones and vegetables in an instant pot before being cooked.

    Place all the ingredients in the instant pot and cover them with cold water.

    finished bone broth cooked in an instant pot.

    Pressure cook for 2 hours. Natural release 30 minutes.

    Slow cooker turkey bone broth instructions

    • Advantages: You can begin the preparation in the morning and complete it upon returning home in the evening, or let it cook overnight.
    • The slow cooker has a larger capacity, allowing you to prepare a bigger batch than an instant pot.
    cooked bone broth in a slow cooker.

    Place all the ingredients in the instant pot and cover them with cold water. Slow cook for 12 hours.

    Stovetop turkey bone broth instructions

    • Advantage: No need for special gadgets, though you'll have to be okay with letting the broth simmer on the stovetop overnight (24 hours).
    • Disadvantages: The necessity to leave it simmering on the stovetop for an extended period might be a concern. This is why I prefer using the instant pot or slow cooker. The stovetop method is ideal for making turkey stock, usually ready in about 6 hours.
    broth, onions, and carrots simmering in a silver soup pot.

    Place all the ingredients in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil on high heat.

    pot full with turky bones and vegetables that were just cooked into broth.

    Turn down the heat immediately, and simmer for 6 hours for stock or 24 hours for bone broth.

    straining broth through a sieve leaving the bones and vegetables behind.

    Strain the liquid through a sieve and discard all the solids. Strain again through a fine mesh strainer or a clean cloth.

    โ€‹How to remove the excess fat?

    Let the bone broth cool down completely in the pot. Cover it and put it in the fridge overnight. The fat will become solid on top, and you can scoop it out easily with a spoon.

    Or, pour the broth into jars and refrigerate once it's cool. When you take out a jar to use, simply remove the fat layer from the surface.

    ๐ŸฆƒVariations

    • Use this recipe to make bone broth from fresh or leftover chicken bones, goose, duck, veal, beef, lamb, pork, venison bones, or any of them. If buying fresh bones, ask for โ€œsoup bonesโ€ and add some beef marrow bones, if available.
    • Also, include parts like knuckles, feet, or wings; these parts contain more cartilage.

    ๐Ÿ”ŠExpert Tips

    I use turkey bones for this homemade broth. They are either already roasted after making roasted turkey legs, for instance, or fresh. Regarding the fresh parts, I use the neck, wings, and backbone.

    You can buy these parts at the butchers and make sure to include some parts like knuckles, feet, or wings; these are the parts that contain more cartilage, which contains a lot of collagen.

    You can also make it using the carcass of a Thanksgiving or Christmas bird; never throw that away. I always use the Christmas goose or duck carcass.

    When using fresh bones, it is recommended to roast them first. Place the wings/neck/backbones on a baking tray and roast them in the oven for about 1 hour.

    Salt: Begin with a small amount as you cook. As the liquid reduces, adding too much salt might make it overly salty. It's better to adjust the flavor towards the end or add more salt to taste when using the broth in other dishes.

    โ“Recipe FAQ

    What's the quantity of stock produced by this recipe?

    About 12 cups/ 3 liters, butI can't accurately measure how many cups of stock it yields. The amount depends on the quantity of water used, combined with other ingredients. You can estimate the output by measuring the cups of water added to your batch.

    Why is the broth cloudy?

    That is usually the result of boiling the stock instead of simmering it.
    The secret is never to let it come to a boil, which will cause the proteins to break into small particles, making the stock cloudy. You should also never stir it either.
    However, apart from it not being as pretty anymore, the cloudy broth is just as delicious as the clear one.

    Why is my broth a jelly now?

    It's what it is supposed to happen. Cooled bone broth turns into a very rich, dark jelly, which is incredibly deep-tasting and delicious.
    The jelly will become liquid again when reheated.

    ๐ŸบHow to store?

    • Sieve through a large sieve to remove the bones, vegetables, and spices and through a finer sieve to remove the small impurities. Pour the liquid into large jars with lids or other containers. Let cool on the counter.
    • Refrigerate once cool. Pour it into large mason jars or an airtight container. It can be safely stored for 4 to 5 days. Always check that it is still okay before using it; if it starts to smell weird (sour), discard it. 
    • Freeze it in freezer-safe containers; it will be good for up to 1 year. It can be frozen in freezer containers, freezer bags, or cube trays. Freezing it in cubes will allow you to defrost smaller portions needed to enrich the taste of a soup or stew to make sauces or gravies.
    a tall jar full of golden broth made with turkey bones.

    ๐Ÿฝ๏ธHow to use homemade bone broth?

    Make soups, stews, sauces, or gravies.

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    Do you like this recipe?

    Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Donโ€™t forget to tag #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!

    ๐Ÿ“–Recipe

    turkey bone broth being poured from a tablespoon in a jar.

    Turkey Bone Broth Recipe

    Transform leftover turkey bones into a rich, versatile turkey bone broth! Learn stovetop, instant pot, and slow cooker methods.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 day day
    Total Time: 1 day day 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 cups/ 3 liter
    Calories: 42kcal
    Author: Adina

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot OR
    • Slow cooker OR
    • Large soup pot
    • Sieve
    • Fine mesh sieve
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    Ingredients 

    • 4-5 lbs turkey bones or leftover turkey carcass 1.8 - 2 kg Notes 1, 2
    • 2 tablespoons oil optional if roasting the bones
    • 3 large carrots unpeeled, large chunks
    • 4-5 celery sticks or 1 piece of celeriac, large chunks
    • 3 onions unpeeled, halved
    • 3-4 garlic cloves unpeeled
    • a bunch of parsley stalks optional
    • ยฝ tablespoon coarse salt + more at the end Note 3
    • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
    • 3 bay leaves
    • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
    • cold water Note 5

    Instructions

    Instant Pot (Note 4):

    • Ingredients for instant pot: If using the instant pot, you might need to make a smaller batch, as the pot usually has a smaller capacity. You will need about 1.7 โ€“ 2 lbs/ 800 โ€“ 900 g of bones, 2 carrots, 2 onions, 3 celery sticks, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, ยฝ teaspoon peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, and ยฝ tablespoon vinegar.
    • Pressure cook: Place all the ingredients in the instant pot and cover them with cold water. Pressure cook for 2 hours. Natural release 30 minutes.

    Slow cooker:

    • Slow cook: Place all the ingredients in the instant pot and cover them with cold water. Slow cook for 12 hours.

    Stovetop:

    • Turkey stock: The necessity to leave the broth simmering on the stovetop for an extended period might be a concern. This is why the stovetop method is ideal for making turkey stock, which is usually ready in about 6 hours. Bone broth will need 24 hours.
    • Simmer: Place all the ingredients in a large pot, cover them with cold water, and bring to a boil on high heat. Turn down the heat immediately, and simmer the turkey stock for 6 hours (bone broth 24 hours). Add more water if necessary; the bones and veggies should be permanently submerged.

    Finish turkey bone broth:

    • After such a long cooking time, the bones should begin to crumble; that is a good sign that all the nutrients have been extracted.
    • Strain and discard the bones and vegetables. Strain the bone broth again through a fine mesh sieve or a clean cloth.
    • Remove fat (optional): Chill the bone broth completely in the pot, covering it before refrigerating overnight. As it cools, the fat will solidify on the surface, making it easy to scoop out with a spoon.
      Alternatively, pour the cooled broth into jars before refrigerating. When you use a jar, remove the layer of solidified fat from the surface before using the broth.
    • Transfer: Pour bone broth into jars or other containers (suitable for freezing if you want to freeze the bone broth).

    Notes

    1. Bones: You can use any bones to make bone brothโ€”chicken, turkey, duck, goose, beef, veal, lamb, pork, or a mix.
    2. Roast fresh bones: If the bones are fresh, lightly oil them and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper at 400ยฐF/200ยฐC for around 1 hour, flipping halfway through.
    3. Salt: Begin with a small amount. As the liquid reduces, adding too much salt might make it overly salty. It's better to adjust the flavor towards the end or add more salt to taste when using the broth in other dishes.
    4. Add as many bones as will fit snugly in your pot or kitchen gadget. For an instant pot, which is usually smaller, you might need to reduce the number of bones cooked at once.
    5. Water: Use as much as needed to cover the ingredients with it. If cooking the broth on the stove, you might need to add some water as the broth cooks; the ingredients should be submerged in water permanently.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cups from 12 | Calories: 42kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3017IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Meghan | Fox and Briar says

      February 09, 2016 at 7:53 pm

      I keep hearing about how healthy bone broth is too. After reading your post, I feel like I need to try it. Health benefits aside, it does sound like it is so flavorful and such a great base to soups!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        February 09, 2016 at 7:57 pm

        The taste is amazing! I do hope you try it, I am sure you would love it.

        Reply
    2. Summer says

      February 09, 2016 at 7:50 pm

      This broth looks so warm and inviting โ™ฅ

      summerdaisy.net

      Reply
      • Adina says

        February 09, 2016 at 7:57 pm

        Really good for this weather. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    3. Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says

      February 09, 2016 at 2:27 pm

      I have heard so much about broths, but haven't tried making my own yet. And I think it needs to change now. ๐Ÿ™‚ This looks super awesome and sounds fantastic, Adina! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Adina says

        February 09, 2016 at 7:58 pm

        You should try it, Anu, they are much easier to make than one might think.

        Reply
    4. Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says

      February 09, 2016 at 2:12 pm

      I can't imagine the level of flavor that comes from the bones! It has to be truly amazing. I love recipes that use up everything...this used to be the way it was done so many years ago. Nothing ever went to waste...even the bones. This sounds delicious.

      Reply
      • Adina says

        February 09, 2016 at 7:59 pm

        It was like that in my childhood as well, we didn't have as much as we have today, so nothing was ever wasted. There is so much good stuff in those bones, it is a shame to throw them away.

        Reply
    5. Kate @ Framed Cooks says

      February 09, 2016 at 1:33 pm

      I have heard *so* many good things about bone broth - and now I know how to make it, thanks to you! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Adina says

        February 09, 2016 at 8:00 pm

        I hope you make it, Kate, you will like it.

        Reply
    6. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

      February 08, 2016 at 7:42 pm

      I wish I had patience to make some bone broth! My brother used to make fish broth and it was absolutely delicious. Your meatball soup looks very tasty!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        February 09, 2016 at 8:00 pm

        Thank you, Angie. Fish stock coming tomorrow... ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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