Homemade Turkey Stock
This homemade Turkey Stock recipe uses a leftover turkey carcass to make a simple and flavorful broth. Perfect for making soup, this is a great way to use up every last bit of your Thanksgiving turkey!
Servings 6
Equipment
- A large stock pot with a lid
- A pair of tongs or slotted spoon
- A fine mesh strainer
- Storage containers
- A ladle or funnel
Ingredients
- 1 turkey carcass broken down
- 1 large onion
- 1 small shallot
- 2 medium carrots
- 2-3 celery stalks with leaves
- ½ cup mushroom stems shiitake or cremini
- 2-3 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 large stems fresh thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 20-24 cups water enough to cover everything
Instructions
- Take out a large stock pot and place the turkey carcass pieces in it. You may need to break the bones up a bit to get them to lay in the pot without peeking over the lip of the pot.
- Peel and chop the onion into quarters with a large sharp knife and cutting board. Peel and chop the shallot in half and place both the onion and shallot in the stock pot. Trim the ends of the carrot off with the knife and cut it into roughly one inch pieces. Cut the celery into three or four pieces and put both the carrot and celery into the pot.
- Add the mushroom stems, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, dried bay leaf, and kosher salt into the pot. Use a measuring cup to pour the water in as well, making sure it covers all the ingredients.
- Place the pot on the stove and cover it with a lid. Turn the heat to high and bring the ingredients to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, turn the heat to low and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 3.5 to 4 hours.
- Once the broth is done cooking, take the pot off the heat and use a pair of tongs and/or a slotted spoon to remove any remaining bones, vegetables, or herbs. I usually do this by setting a large plate or container right next to the pot and placing the remnants in there. You can throw these away.
- Next place a fine mesh strainer over a different large pot and pour the broth into that pot, straining any last bits of bones or vegetables out. Take out your storage containers and pour the broth into them using a ladle or a funnel. Let the broth containers cool completely before putting them in the fridge or freezer.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you've taken the majority of meat off of your turkey carcass before you start! You won't need it for the stock and can instead use it in soups or other dishes.
- The mushroom stems really add flavor and while you can skip them, they're really worth it to include. I recommend using the tops of the mushrooms in some paleo ground beef stroganoff or this hamburger soup, then saving the stems in an air tight container in the freezer to have on hand for when you make the stock.
- If you don't have (or can't find) shallots, you can substitute one chopped leek (white parts only) or half a small onion.
- You can make this stock in the slow cooker, if you have a large enough one. Just make sure you pour enough water in to cover everything. Cook on high for 4 hours, then follow Steps 3 and 4 to drain and store.
- This stock is not very heavily salted and comes out more like a low sodium stock. If using it in a soup, be sure and taste the soup as you're cooking it to make sure it's salted to your liking - you may need to add more salt than the recipe calls for!