Learn how easy it is to make Turkey Stock from the bones of your Thanksgiving turkey! All you need is a picked over turkey carcass and some vegetables and herbs that you probably already have on hand from cooking your turkey. You are going to love using this flavorful turkey stock in your next soup! Originally posted November 21, 2012.
The people in the apartment above us vacuum about once a week. (It’s pretty loud because the insulation in our apartment building is practically nil.) Every time I think to myself, Are they vacuuming again?? And then I immediately remind myself: Yes Karen, most people vacuum more than once every 3 months like you.
Anyway. Now that you’re feeling so good about yourself compared to me. We have news! We just found out we are having a baby BOY!! I’m still in complete shock. I was convinced it was a girl. (I think I just told myself that because I didn’t want to have to repaint Charlotte’s room.) Also, I thought Charlotte was a boy, so maybe my mother’s intuition is just in a state of perpetual Opposite-Day-ness. We are so excited to have a little boy!
For now I’m focusing on doing some toddler training before the baby gets here. Whose idea was it to let our toddlers sleep on mini trampolines? Charlotte’s favorite thing to do is jump in her crib (which, by the way, makes it not quite as formidable a time-out spot). You would not believe the height she gets. I know she is up from her nap not when she cries, but when I can hear the springs of her mattress getting a workout. One of these days she is going to go sailing over the edge. I should start lining the floor with pillows.
Have you guys decorated for Christmas yet? I broke down over the weekend. There is nothing better than a lit Christmas tree, yes, even the week before Thanksgiving!!
But don’t worry Thanksgiving, I am still SUPER excited about you. I made my first turkey last week, and wanted to get every last bit out of that bird as I could, so I decided to make some turkey stock. It was super easy. Throw everything in a pot and forget about it for a few hours. And man is it good! This stock makes the BEST soup. My favorite is to use the stock to make this Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup. Here’s what you’re going to need, hopefully you have most of this stuff leftover from your Thanksgiving shopping!
Making your own turkey stock from scratch is easier than you think and can add incredible depth of flavor to your soups, stews, gravies and more. While you may be used to just using store-bought broths and stocks, homemade allows you to control the ingredients and customize the flavors. In this article, I’ll walk you through the simple process of preparing turkey stock using the often overlooked but very flavorful turkey drumsticks.
Why Make Your Own Turkey Stock?
There are a few key reasons why making homemade turkey stock is worthwhile
-
More flavor – Store-bought broths often have a diluted and generic taste. Homemade allows you to craft a rich, savory turkey flavor.
-
Control ingredients – By making it yourself you can avoid unwanted additives like preservatives, MSG and excess sodium found in store-bought.
-
Use turkey parts – Drumsticks, necks, wings and bones that would normally be discarded can be repurposed into stock. Less waste!
-
Versatility – Turkey stock has a multitude of uses beyond just soups. It’s great for gravies, stews, pilafs, risottos and more.
-
Nutritious – Homemade stock is packed with collagen and minerals extracted from the bones during simmering This nourishment gets passed on to any dish you use the stock in
Equipment Needed
Making turkey stock is simple and doesn’t require any fancy kitchen tools. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Large stock pot or dutch oven
- Slotted spoon
- Fine mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth (optional)
- Quart or gallon freezer bags for storage
And the key ingredients:
- Turkey drumsticks
- Water
- Aromatics like onions, carrots, celery
- Herbs and spices
That’s it! Now let’s get to the fun part…
Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps for deliciously flavored turkey stock using drumsticks:
1. Roast the Drumsticks
Roasting the drumsticks before simmering them will add richer, deeper flavors to your finished stock. Here’s how:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse drumsticks and pat dry. Place in a roasting pan.
- Generously season with salt, pepper and any other desired spices like thyme or rosemary.
- Roast for 45 mins until browned, turning halfway through.
2. Sauté the Aromatics
While the drumsticks roast, prep your aromatics – onions, carrots, celery, garlic, etc.
- In your stock pot, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat.
- Add chopped aromatics and cook for 5-7 minutes until starting to caramelize. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Simmer the Stock
Now it’s time to simmer everything together!
- Transfer roasted drumsticks to the stock pot and add enough water to cover by 1-2 inches.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 3-4 hours, uncovered.
- For a richer stock, continue simmering partially covered for up to 8-10 hours.
4. Strain and Store
Once your stock has finished simmering, it’s time to strain out all the solids.
- Pass the stock through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
- Let cool slightly then transfer to quart size freezer bags or airtight containers.
- Turkey stock keeps for up to one week refrigerated or up to three months frozen.
That’s all there is to it! You now have a batch of deeply savory homemade turkey stock using drumsticks ready for all your cooking needs.
Flavor Variations
One of the best parts of homemade stock is experimenting with unique flavor additions. Try adding any of the following to your stock pot:
- Fresh herbs – rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley
- Whole peppercorns
- Bay leaves
- Lemon zest
- Garlic cloves
- Ginger
- Tomato paste
- Mushrooms
- Leftover vegetable scraps
Mix and match different flavor combos until you find your favorite!
Uses for Turkey Stock
Homemade turkey stock is endlessly versatile in the kitchen. Here are just a few ideas for how to use that nourishing drumstick stock:
- Turkey Noodle Soup
- Gravy
- Risotto
- Braised Vegetables
- Stuffing
- Pilafs
- Turkey Pot Pie
- The possibilities are endless! Get creative and find new ways to incorporate your homemade turkey stock into meals.
Common Turkey Stock Questions
Here are answers to some common questions on preparing turkey stock:
How long does turkey stock last in the fridge or freezer?
Fridge: 5-7 days
Freezer: 3-6 months
Can I use a whole turkey carcass?
Yes! Use the leftover bones/carcass from a roast turkey.
What turkey parts work best?
Drumsticks, wings, necks and backbones have lots of collagen.
Is it necessary to roast the bones first?
No, but roasting adds richer flavor through the Maillard reaction.
How do I remove the fat after making stock?
Refrigerate and the fat will solidify on top, making it easy to remove.
What herbs and veggies should I use?
Classic aromatics like onion, celery, carrot. Herbs like parsley, thyme, sage.
The Benefits of Homemade Stock
Whipping up turkey stock from scratch offers many perks beyond just better flavor. Here are some of the best benefits:
- Saves money – Much cheaper than store-bought stock
- Reduces waste – Uses turkey parts that would normally be discarded
- Nutrition – Minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium are extracted from the bones
- Collagen – The simmering process draws out collagen from bones and connective tissues
- Versatile – A flavor base for soups, stews, gravies, rice dishes and more
- Control ingredients – Make it exactly how you want with natural ingredients
Turkey Bone Broth FAQs
Yes, the culprit is high heat. A really long simmer time (even up to 4-5 hours) is totally fine, as long as it’s a gentle simmer and not a fast boil. High heat deadens the flavors of all those wonderful herbs. Just as bad, it essentially pulverizes (emulsifies) solids and fat into small bubbles that you can’t separate out of your stock, harming the smooth texture you’re going for and adding unnecessary calories (fat that doesn’t even taste good is not invited to my party). Just keep your heat low and slow and you’ll be good to go.
They’re the same thing, right?? Almost. Stock is: – always cooked from bones – often gels when it cools due from the bone marrow (today’s recipe will gel) – is usually left unseasoned (there is no salt in today’s recipe) – cooks for longer (usually 3-6 hours depending on the recipe)Broth: – can be made from meat without bones – is seasoned with salt – is usually cooked in less than 2 hours
The good news is that you don’t really have to remember any of this. You can use stock and broth interchangeably. Just remember to check the salt level in your final dish when using stock.
How to make Turkey Stock
Turkey stock is super easy to make! It is one of my favorite things to do at the tail end of Thanksgiving Day. Chill on the couch while this simmers in the background, you barely have to babysit it. Once you taste it you are going to want to make it every year, so from now on just remember to over-buy a little bit on all your celery, carrots, onions, and herbs, and you are all set to go for your turkey stock!
Heat your turkey carcass with any turkey parts you have: neck, giblets, any skin, or leftover turkey drippings. You start by shoving your picked-over turkey carcass into the biggest pot you have. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to break down the carcass to make it fit. If there is some meat left on the bones, that’s okay, but just know that once it’s done boiling for 4 hours, it’s going to be rather tough and not very tasty. So gather up the meat that you want to eat now and set aside.
Next, add in all your veggies and herbs. Add roughly-chopped onion, carrots, garlic and celery. Add parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. (Feel free to sing along. You do know the Simon and Garfunkel song, right? If not, look it up immediately!) Add bay leaves and peppercorns. There’s no need to be overly particular here. If you are missing an herb or two, don’t sweat it. The onions, celery, and carrots are most important as far as flavor goes.
Add about 4 quarts of water, covering most of the turkey and vegetables. Cover all of it with water. I filled my pot all the way to the top!
Simmer 2-4 hours.
After about 2-4 hours, your water level will have lowered a bit, and the turkey and veggies will have softened and shrunk. This recipe is pretty chill! 2 hours, 3 hours, basically whenever I want to go to bed on Thanksgiving night is how long I let mine simmer, haha. 2 hours is the minimum, 4 hours will give you a more condensed stock.
Pour the stock through a colander into a large bowl (or two) and separate out the fat. Drain through a colander into a large pot. I think it’s easier to use tongs to get the larger pieces out instead of dumping the whole pot of boiling hot stock all at once.
You can also make turkey stock in the slow cooker! Just put it all in the crock pot and turn it to low for 10-12 hours. SO easy.
How To Make Turkey Stock – Turkey Broth Recipe
FAQ
What parts of a turkey are used for stock?
Making turkey stock is a great way to use what you have on hand post-Thanksgiving. It’s easy and economical: Almost all leftover parts of the bird can be put to use, including the bones, the skin, and small bits of meat attached to the carcass. Just place them into a large soup pot with a generous amount of water.
Can you mix turkey and chicken bones for stock?
-
Flavor profile:Combining turkey and chicken bones will result in a slightly richer, more complex poultry flavor compared to using just one type of bird.
-
No negative interaction:There’s no chemical reaction or issue with mixing the bones, so you can freely combine them in your stockpot.
-
Consider proportions:Depending on your preference, you can adjust the ratio of turkey to chicken bones to achieve the desired flavor balance.
What is the difference between turkey stock and turkey broth?
Stock has a richer, deeper flavor and mouthfeel, making it better at adding body to a dish, whereas broth might be a better choice when you want to let other …Mar 21, 2022
Why did my turkey stock turn to jelly?
BUT: The sign of the ‘jelly’ is what lets you know you’ve cooked the bones long enough, you’ve not used too much water, and you’ve used bones that have high gelatin in them. Gelatinous bone broth is the visual sign (when it’s wobbly once cooled in fridge) that you’ve got a great amount of gelatin in there.
How do you use drumstick stock?
Here are just a few ideas for how to use that nourishing drumstick stock: Turkey Noodle Soup – A classic! Use your stock as the base for hearty turkey noodle soup. Gravy – For incredible scratch-made gravy, use turkey stock instead of water. Risotto – Substitute turkey stock for part or all of the broth.
Can you use Turkey stock instead of chicken stock?
Use turkey stock the same way you’d use chicken stock: in turkey soup, stews, stir-fries, sauces. You can even drink it straight if you want. If you’re subbing it in for chicken stock, like in this turkey potpie recipe or turkey and wild rice soup, make sure to check the salt level in whatever you’re cooking (it may need more seasoning).
Can you make Turkey stock from turkey carcass?
Put your turkey carcass to good use for this gorgeous, richly flavored turkey stock. It’s the perfect base for soups, stews and other dishes down the line. It doesn’t take a lot of effort for homemade turkey stock.
How do you cook a Turkey in a stockpot?
Transfer turkey parts and all fat and juices to a large stockpot. Cover turkey with water and place pot over high heat and bring water to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for as long as you can manage, even overnight. Add vegetables, bay leaves, thyme and pepper and continue to cook another hour, then strain stock into a clean container.
Should you add Turkey skin to stock?
Adding the turkey skin translates to tons of flavor. Skim the fat off the finished stock once it cools Omitting the skin will yield a stock with a thin, flat flavor. If you happen to have turkey bones that aren’t roasted, you can still follow this recipe. Your resulting stock will have a more neutral flavor and subtle color.
Can you make Turkey stock on the day you Dry Brine?
I find that it’s easiest to make my stock on the day that I dry brine my turkey. This is because I clean up the turkey and remove the neck and giblets and what not. As you’ll see below, I do buy turkey wings for the stock, but you can use the neck for extra flavor if you wish.