This homemade turkey broth recipe is a carcass, assorted vegetables, herbs and spices that are all simmered together with water to make a rich and flavorful liquid. Turkey broth is great for soups, sauces and makes the absolute best turkey gravy.
When I have leftover turkey after the holidays, I repurpose every part of the turkey to make dishes such as turkey casserole, turkey salad, and delicious homemade turkey broth.
Making your own turkey broth is so easy to do, and it’s a great way to use up all the odds and ends of veggies in the fridge!
Table of Contents
Turkey Broth Ingredients
This recipe consists of a leftover turkey carcass, onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, garlic and bay leaves. You will also need enough water to cover the ingredients in the pot, which is typically about 10 cups.
How Do You Make Turkey Broth?
Place the turkey carcass in a large pot along with the vegetables, herbs and spices. Pour at least 10 cups of water into the pot, or more if needed to cover the carcass. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 3-4 hours. Strain the broth through a sieve to remove all the larger pieces. Use right away, or refrigerate or freeze for later use.
Tips For The Perfect Broth
- This recipe makes a lightly salted broth, with a lower sodium content than you would find with store bought broth. If you prefer a saltier broth, you can add an extra teaspoon of salt, or simply add salt to taste when you season the final recipe in which you’re using the broth.
- You should end up with about 8 cups of broth in the end. Store the broth in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze it for 3 months.
- The longer you simmer your broth, the more flavorful the end result will be. My recommendation of 3-4 hours is the minimum cook time, but you can simmer the broth for as long as 6 hours.
- Sometimes I need a smaller amount of broth for recipes such as gravy, but I don’t have a leftover carcass on hand. In those instances, I cut this recipe in half and use 2 pounds of raw turkey wings as a substitute for the carcass.
- Typically, there is not much fat in broth. If you refrigerate or freeze the broth, you may see a thin layer of fat on top which you can scrape off and discard.
Quick Tip
This recipe can also be made in a large crockpot. Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker, then cook on low for 8 hours. Strain the broth as directed in the recipe, and you’ll be ready to go.
Recipe FAQs
The primary difference between turkey stock and turkey broth is that stock is made out of turkey bones, whereas broth is also made with meat and vegetables. This recipe combines all three elements with bones, meat and vegetables together.
Turkey broth is perfect as a base for any soup that contains diced or ground turkey, such as turkey noodle soup or a turkey chili. It’s also a critical element to make a rich and flavorful gravy. Turkey broth is also great in pasta dishes and casseroles as a substitute for chicken broth.
Turkey broth will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you need to store your broth for longer than that, I’d recommend freezing it in airtight containers or resealable bags.
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Flavor Variations
This broth recipe is great as-is, but you can easily add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your taste.
- Meat: Use a chicken carcass instead of a turkey carcass to make homemade chicken broth.
- Vegetables: You can stir in some extra veggies including leeks, parsnips, celery root or green onions.
- Seasonings: Feel free to add other herbs and spices such as sage, rosemary, paprika, dried chili peppers or fennel seeds.
In my opinion, soups and stews that are made with fresh broth taste so much better. There’s just an added level of richness and flavor that can’t be recreated with the store bought variety!
Ways To Use Turkey Broth
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Turkey Broth
Ingredients
For the broth
- 1 turkey carcass
- 1 medium onion peeled and quartered
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces
- 3 stalks celery with leaves, cut into 3 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the broth ingredients in a large pot. Cover with cold water (at least 10 cups).
- Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, uncovered, for at least 3-4 hours or up to 6 hours, skimming the surface occasionally.
- Pour the broth through a fine mesh sieve into a container. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
Notes
- This recipe makes a lightly salted broth, with a lower sodium content than you might find with store bought broth. If you prefer a saltier broth, you can add an extra teaspoon of salt, or simply add salt to taste when you season the final recipe in which you’re using the broth.
- You should end up with about 8 cups of broth as an end result. The broth can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or frozen for 3 months.
- Sometimes I need a smaller amount of broth for recipes such as gravy, but I don’t have a leftover carcass on hand. In those instances, I cut this recipe in half and use 2 pounds of raw turkey wings as a substitute for the carcass.
