Homemade Turkey Stock is so easy to make with a few simple ingredients, and will take your turkey soup and gravy to the next level! Recipe includes stove top and Instant Pot instructions!
Cooked or raw turkey partswings, necks, backbone (if butterflied), and giblets (do not use liver!), trimmed of excess fat, and cut into smaller pieces if necessary*
Aromatics:
1onionpeeled and quartered
1largecarrotcut into large pieces
1largestalk celerycut into large pieces
Bouquet garni:
1small piece of cheesecloth or the dark green top of a leekoptional
kitchen twineoptional
1sprigfresh thyme
1sprigItalian flat leaf parsley
1dried bay leaf
6peppercornsblack, green or multi colored are fine
Instructions
Prepare the bouquet garni
Place the herbs, bay leaf and peppercorns on a piece of cheesecloth or the dark green top of a leek.
Fold up the sides around the ingredients.
Secure well with kitchen twine.
Prepare the stock
Place the turkey bones, onion, carrot, celery and bouquet garni into a large pot or Instant Pot and fill with water until 2" over the ingredients. If using the Instant Pot, make sure the ingredients do not go over the fill line.
For stove top: Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 3 - 3 1/2 hours, skimming the fat from the top occasionally. For Instant Potturkey stock: cook at high pressure for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, then quick release the pressure. Remove the carcass, vegetables and bouquet garni and discard.
Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl and cool completely. Skim any fat off of the top and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
This recipe is based on using an entire turkey carcass, which will yield about 8 cups of stock. You may use any amount of uncooked turkey parts such as wings, neck, giblets or backbone from a spatchcock turkey, or as much that will fit in your stock pot or Instant Pot. Simply cover with 2" of water and toss in your aromatics.
Pro tip: Don't throw away the carcass from your roasted turkey! You will get deeper flavored stock by using roasted bones, and the entire carcass may be frozen for up to 3 months.
Store stock in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Fresh thyme and parsley are recommended for this recipe for their subtle flavor -- dried herbs have a more intense flavor. Be sure to use dried bay leaf over fresh, however, as fresh bay leaves have a more intense flavor than dried.