Make a batch of homemade turkey stock with a leftover carcass or neck bone. This from-scratch stock can be used in gravy, soup, or your other favorite meals.
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One of my favorite lessons from culinary school was learning how to run a no-waste kitchen, an important philosophy in Italian cooking. A great way to ensure you make the most of your food is by using leftover bones for stock.
After roasting your holiday turkey, save the neck and carcass to make a batch of homemade turkey stock. This is a great way to make the most of your ingredients and have delicious stock to use for gravy, soup, or sauces.
You'll love not only the taste of this bone broth but also how easy it is to make!
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What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- How to ensure your homemade turkey stock has amazing flavor.
- Tips to freeze the turkey carcass and neck in case you can't make stock right away.
- Storing the stock to use later in gravy, soup, or sauces.
Don't forget to grab a copy of my Thanksgiving timeline to help you stay organized and stress-free during the holiday season.
Ingredients You Need
In culinary school we were taught to make stock with very simple ingredients. You'll notice my recipe uses less ingredients than many others.
This keeps the turkey stock neutral (but still super delicious) in flavor so it can be used for a variety of dishes.
- Turkey carcass/neck: I like to save the neck (just place it in the freezer) until after I roast the turkey. Then, once the turkey has been carved, roast both the neck and the carcass.
- Extra virgin olive oil: We were always taught to use high-quality olive oil for cooking. This will give the bones great flavor!
- Carrots: To prep the carrots, just cut them in half. No peeling required!
- Yellow onions: No need to peel the skin off the onions. You can also use red onions, if that's what you have on hand.
- Water: It's best to start with cold water.
- Morton kosher salt: Always salt the stock after it's done cooking. If you add the salt at the beginning, it could reduce and become too salty.
How To Make This Recipe
Making turkey stock is easier than you may think! Here's what to do:
1. It's important to first cook the bones before making stock. The Maillard reaction causes the bones to become golden brown in the oven, imparting amazing flavor once the bones are simmered.
To do this, toss the turkey carcass and neck with olive oil then place them on a baking sheet. Cook the bones for about 45 minutes at 450°F (230°C).
2. Add roasted bones, any drippings from the pan, carrots, onions, and water to a stock pot. If the bones aren't yet fully submerged, add additional water until they're fully covered.
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until the stock reduces by 25%. This process condenses the flavor to make a delicious stock.
3. Remove any foam or scum that rises to the top of the stock throughout the cooking process.
4. Finally, discard the bones then strain the stock with a fine mesh strainer. Season to taste with salt.
Expert Tips
- If you want to save the bones for turkey stock, you can freeze the turkey neck and carcass for up to 2 months. Then, bake the frozen bones as directed.
- The stock should become slightly gelled once cooled in the fridge. This comes from the collagen in the bones.
- If you notice a skin on top of the turkey stock, don't worry! It's a layer of gelatine/protein from the bones. Just mix it back into the stock.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! You can add celery, peppercorns, or herbs like parsley, thyme, or bay leaves. However, I prefer to keep my stock simple (like I learned in culinary school), which is why I only use carrots and onions.
Yes, if you're trying to make turkey stock before you have a leftover turkey carcass, you can use turkey wings instead. Follow the same instructions in the recipe card below.
I like to use mason jars or quart-sized deli containers to store the turkey stock.
More Turkey Recipes
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Homemade Turkey Stock
Equipment
- stock pot
Ingredients
- turkey carcass broken into large pieces (about 1.7 pounds or 800 grams)
- turkey neck (about 7 ounces or 200 grams)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large carrots unpeeled, roughly chopped
- 2 large yellow onions unpeeled, roughly chopped
- 16 cups cold water plus more as needed to ensure the bones are covered
- Morton kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Toss turkey carcass and neck with olive oil then place on a baking sheet. Cook until bones are golden brown, about 45 minutes.
- Add roasted bones, any drippings from the pan, carrots, onions, and water to a stock pot. Add additional water as needed until the bones are fully submerged. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the stock reduces by 25%, about 3 - 3.5 hours. Remove any foam or scum that rises to the top of the stock throughout the cooking process.
- Discard the bones then strain with a fine mesh strainer. Season to taste with salt.
- Use the stock to make gravy, soup, or your other favorite meals. Store cooled stock in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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