Last Updated on November 4, 2021

One way to get the most out of your Thanksgiving spread is by making turkey stock after enjoying a turkey-filled meal. The resulting broth can be frozen and used as an amazing base for soups, sauces, gravy, and even braising.

To make a small amount of stock, you can use the leftover bones or the neck that you remove from the turkey pre-cooking. I’ll use literally all the leftover scraps and the whole carcass for a delicious stock, the only part I’ll leave out are the internal organs that are usually included in the turkey because they can create an unpleasant mineral-ly flavor.

turkey stock prep with carrots, onions, celery

Be careful when simmering stock to make sure it doesn’t boil. Simmering gently keeps the stock clear and the flavors clean and distinct. The easiest way to do that is to simmer the roasted turkey bits in a big pot with water and well as carrots, onions, celery, and fresh herbs or whole dried spices.

After cooking for a few hours, pour the entire pot through a mesh sieve to separate the solids and refrigerate it in quart containers overnight. The extra fat will congeal on the surface, making it easy to skim it off, leaving you with a light, lovely golden broth that you can use immediately or freeze and use whenever needed.

Homemade Turkey Stock

Using turkey leftovers, this recipe will result in a turkey stock that can be used in soups, sauces, or gravy.

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Protein: Poultry

Cut: Whole Turkey

Course: Soups/Stews

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 3

Total Time: 3 15

Ingredients

All turkey scraps and neck roasted
6 onions quartered
3 carrots rinse and chop into 2-inch chunks
3 celery stalks rinse and chop into 2-inch chunks
6 each bay leaves
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch parsley stems
1 gallon water

Instructions

Take turkey neck and all turkey scraps (including leftovers and bones) and roast in oven at 500°F for 10 minutes.
Place all ingredients in a large pot and cover with the water.
Heat on low to a gentle simmer.
Continue to cook at a simmer for 3 to 10 hours.
Separate the solids from the liquid by pouring through a kitchen sieve.
Let the liquid cool overnight in the refrigerator and then skim off the top layer of fat. Use within a few days for sauces, soups, or gravy, or freeze to use later.