Golden Homemade Turkey Broth: How to Turn Leftover Bones into Rich Liquid Gold
Whether you’ve just wrapped up a big holiday feast, roasted a whole turkey breast for weekend meal prep, or harvested a wild turkey, there is one step you should never skip before cleaning up: saving the frame!
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Tossing a turkey carcass into the trash is like throwing away liquid gold. With a little water, a few kitchen scraps, and a few hours of gentle simmering, those leftover bones transform into a rich, gelatinous, nutrient-dense homemade turkey broth that puts store-bought cartons to shame.
Here is your complete guide to making flavorful, gut-nourishing turkey broth on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or in a pressure cooker!
Why Make Your Own Broth?
Zero Waste: It makes full use of every part of the bird you paid for or raised.
Nutrient-Dense: Slow-simmered connective tissue, cartilage, and marrow release collagen, gelatin, amino acids, and minerals into the broth.
Unbeatable Flavor: Store-bought broth is often watered down, heavy on sodium, and artificial in color. Homemade broth is deep, rich, and naturally flavorful.
Budget-Friendly: You can use leftover veggie scraps (like onion skins, carrot tops, and celery ends) stored in your freezer!
What You Need
The Basics
1 Turkey Carcass: Bones, skin, wing tips, neck, and any leftover meat scraps (cut into smaller pieces if needed to fit your pot).
Cold Water: Enough to cover the bones by about 1 to 2 inches.
Acid: 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. (The acid draws out essential minerals and collagen from the deep inside the bones!)
Flavor Aromatics (Scraps or Fresh)
1–2 Onions: Quartered (leave the yellow skins on for a rich golden color!).
2–3 Carrots: Roughly chopped.
2–3 Stalks Celery: Roughly chopped, leaves included.
4–5 Cloves Garlic: Smashed.
Herbs: Fresh or dried thyme, rosemary, sage, bay leaves, and whole black peppercorns.
Pro-Tip on Salt: Keep your broth unsalted or lightly salted while simmering! Unsalted broth gives you complete control over the seasoning when you use it later in soups, gravies, and rice dishes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep the Bones
If your turkey was roasted and eaten fresh, your bones are ready to go! If you're starting with raw bones or a raw carcass, roast them on a baking sheet at 400°F (200°C) for 30–40 minutes first. Roasting browns the proteins and creates a much deeper, richer flavor and color.
Step 2: Combine in the Pot
Place the turkey frame, veggies, garlic, herbs, peppercorns, and apple cider vinegar into a large stockpot, Dutch oven, or Slow Cooker. Cover with cold water until the ingredients are submerged by 1 to 2 inches. Let it sit cold for 15–20 minutes so the vinegar can start going to work.
Step 3: Choose Your Cooking Method
Stovetop Method (Best Flavor Control): Bring the pot to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the top. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and let it barely simmer for 6 to 12 hours (or up to 24 hours for bone broth).
Slow Cooker / Crockpot (Hands-Off): Set on LOW and let it cook undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker (Fastest): Seal the lid and cook on High Pressure for 120 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release (about 20–30 minutes).
Step 4: Strain & Cool
Set a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth (or a clean flour sack towel) over a large bowl or heat-safe pot.
Carefully ladle or pour the hot broth through the strainer to catch all the bones, veggies, and herb stems. Press gently on the solids to extract every last drop of liquid, then discard the solids.
Allow the strained broth to cool down near room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator.
The "Gel" Test: How to Know You Nailed It
Once your broth spends a night in the fridge, it should set up like a soft gelatin or jelly! This gel is a great sign—it means you successfully extracted rich collagen and gelatin from the bones. As soon as you warm the broth up, it turns back into a silky liquid.
Note: A layer of fat will settle on top of your chilled broth. Leave this fat cap in place while storing—it acts as a natural seal that keeps the liquid below fresh! Simply scrape the fat off with a spoon right before cooking.
Storing Your Turkey Broth
In the Fridge: Keeps fresh in airtight glass jars for 5 to 7 days.
In the Freezer: Pour cooled broth into freezer-safe Mason jars (leave 1–2 inches of headspace for expansion!) or freezer bags. Freeze flat for up to 6 months.
Pressure Canning (Pantry Stable): For long-term shelf stability without freezer space, process in a pressure canner at 10 lbs pressure (adjust for altitude):
Pints: Process for 20 minutes.
Quarts: Process for 25 minutes.
Delicious Ways to Use Turkey Broth
Use it as a base for classic turkey noodle soup, turkey chowder, or pot pie.
Swap water for broth when cooking rice, quinoa, grits, or stuffing.
Reduce it down to make rich gravy or pan sauces.
Sip a hot mug of seasoned broth on chilly mornings!
What is your favorite dish to make with fresh homemade broth? Let me know in the comments below!
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