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My Turkey Stock Recipe will add flavor and depth to all your Thanksgiving recipes, or even use in place of store-bought stocks for soups and more! This incredible turkey stock recipe makes full use of the parts of a turkey you would normally discard and takes only a few other simple ingredients to come together.
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Homemade Turkey Stock
Making homemade stock is a total game-changer from using store-bought and the best time to make it is for the holidays! Homemade turkey stock is simple to make ahead of time and can be used in everything from stuffing recipes to gravy and soup.
You will not believe how richly flavorful a dish becomes when you use this turkey stock recipe. It adds so much to every meal – and you can even use it with leftovers!
If you have never made homemade turkey stock before, I promise it’s easier than it might seem. All you need are pieces of the turkey you would normally discard – or even leftover roasted turkey! – and a handful of other simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Turkey Stock Ingredients
- Raw turkey
- Water
- Carrots
- Celery stalks
- Onions
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh sage
- Fresh thyme
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
How to Make Turkey Stock
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place raw, thawed turkey and place on the baking sheet along with carrots, celery, and onions. Brush the turkey and vegetables with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- Add roasted ingredients to a stock pot along with thyme, sage, parsley, and water. Drain the juices from the baking sheet into the stock pot.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then cover it with the lid and simmer for 3 hours. Occasionally check the pot to be sure the water has not evaporated too much.
- After 3 hours, remove from the heat and allow the stock to cool until excess fat has hardened at the top. Using a slotted spoon, remove all large chunks from the stock and as much of the fat as possible, and discard.
- Lay a cheesecloth or flour sack towel over a large bowl or container big enough to fit the stock liquid. Carefully pour the stock into the container over the cheesecloth, making sure the sides don’t fall into the bowl.
- Slowly lift all sides of the cloth/towel up and let the liquid drain through it. When it stops draining, slowly squeeze from the top down to get any remaining liquid out. Do not squeeze too hard, or you may squeeze through excess fat. Taste the stock and add more salt and pepper if desired. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or use immediately, and enjoy!
Turkey Stock Recipe Tips
- You can use any piece of the turkey you like – I used the neck and spine from a Spatchcock Turkey – but skip red parts such as the giblets. They do not add a good flavor.
- If you want to cool the stock in the refrigerator overnight, that’s fine. Note the color may be darker, but that’s just extra flavor!
- Do not simmer on too high of heat, or your water will evaporate too quickly.
- Leave the lid on so it allows the moisture to cycle back into the pot. This usually prevents you from having to add more water partway through.
- Add as many herbs as you like, to taste, while it cooks. Once the stock finishes, you can always dilute it with water if you find it too flavorful – but you can’t add more flavor after it’s done cooking!
Homemade Turkey Stock FAQs
Broth tends to be thinner than stock as it generally uses only meat, and not bones. The stock uses bones, and not necessarily meat. For this turkey stock recipe, meat with bones is used for the best combination of flavors.
For the best flavor, do not cook turkey stock for more than 10 hours. Turkey fat can develop an unwanted flavor if cooked for too long. In the case of this turkey stock recipe, 3 hours is plenty of time to cook turkey stock.
You can make turkey stock in a slow cooker easily. Prepare turkey and vegetables by roasting them first, then add them to the slow cooker with the liquid and seasonings. Cook on high for about 6 hours, or on low for 10 hours.
How to Store Homemade Turkey Stock
Store homemade stock in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I like storing mine in a mason jar.
Freezing Leftover Stock
You can also freeze the stock in an airtight container for 2-3 months – just let it cool first, and leave room at the top of the container (about half an inch) for liquid expansion. Make sure to label with the date.
Best Turkey Recipes
- Best Turkey Recipes
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Thanksgiving Turkey
- How to Smoke a Turkey
- Grilled Turkey
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Boneless Turkey Breast
- Spatchcock Turkey
- Deep Fried Turkey
- Easy Thanksgiving Dinner Tips
Definitely use my stock to make Turkey Carcass Soup! It is the perfect pairing! Don’t forget to try my Dry Turkey Brine, Turkey Rub, Butter Injection for Turkey, Compound Butter for Turkey, and other Leftover Turkey Recipes, too.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating below to let us know what you think! We love to hear from you!
📋 Recipe
Turkey Stock Recipe
Equipment
- 10-Quart or Larger Stock Pot
- Baking sheet
- Slotted spoon
- Tongs
- Cheesecloth or Flour Sack Towel
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds Raw Turkey
- 1.5 Gallons Water
- 8 Whole Carrots chopped
- 8 Celery Stalks chopped
- 2 Onions quartered
- 2 Cups Fresh Parsley loosely packed
- 1 Cup Fresh Sage loosely packed
- 5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place raw, thawed turkey and place on the baking sheet along with carrots, celery, and onions. Brush the turkey and vegetables with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.3 Pounds Raw Turkey, 8 Whole Carrots, 8 Celery Stalks, 2 Onions, Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper
- Bake for 45 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- Add roasted ingredients to a stock pot along with thyme, sage, parsley, and water. Drain the juices from the baking sheet into the stock pot.1.5 Gallons Water, 1 Cup Fresh Sage, 5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme, 2 Cups Fresh Parsley
- Bring the pot to a boil, then cover with the lid and simmer for 3 hours. Occasionally check the pot to be sure the water has not evaporated too much.
- After 3 hours, remove from the heat and allow the stock to cool until excess fat has hardened at the top. Using a slotted spoon, remove all large chunks from the stock and as much of the fat as possible, and discard.
- Lay a cheesecloth or flour sack towel over a large bowl or container big enough to fit the stock liquid. Carefully pour the stock into the container over the cheesecloth, making sure the sides don’t fall into the bowl.
- Slowly lift all sides of the cloth/towel up and let the liquid drain through it. When it stops draining, slowly squeeze from the top down to get any remaining liquid out. Do not squeeze too hard, or you may squeeze through excess fat. Taste the stock and add more salt and pepper if desired. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or use immediately, and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use any piece of the turkey you like – I used the neck and spine from a Spatchcock Turkey – but skip red parts such as the giblets. They do not add a good flavor.
- If you want to cool the stock in the refrigerator overnight, that’s fine. Note the color may be darker, but that’s just extra flavor!
- Do not simmer on too high of a heat, or your water will evaporate too quickly.
- Leave the lid on so it allows the moisture to cycle back into the pot. This usually prevents you from having to add more water partway through.
- Add as many herbs as you like, to taste, while it cooks. Once the stock finishes, you can always dilute it with water if you find it too flavorful – but you can’t add more flavor after it’s done cooking!
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!