Turkey Stock From the Carcass (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)

A jar of homemade turkey stock with carrots, celery, and herbs.

Turkey Stock From the Carcass (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)

Homemade turkey stock made from a leftover roasted carcass or a raw neck, backbone, and giblets, on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. Don't salt it, since the turkey is already seasoned.

Course stock

Cuisine American

Keyword leftover turkey, stock

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 15

Servings cups

Calories 35kcal

Author Lauren LeBlanc

Equipment

6-quart slow cooker or large stockpot
Fine mesh strainer

Ingredients

2 medium yellow onions
2 medium carrots
3 celery ribs
2 garlic cloves
1 leftover roasted turkey carcass and/or 1 raw turkey neck, backbone, heart, and gizzard
1 tablespoon neutral oil optional
2 bay leaves
A few sprigs fresh herbs such as flat-leaf parsley, sage, thyme, or tarragon
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
8–10 cups water or enough to cover

Instructions

PREP: If roasting, preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Wash vegetables; no need to peel. Quarter onions. Cut carrots and celery into 2-inch pieces. Smash garlic. If using a carcass, remove any remaining meat and break the carcass into pieces that fit in the pot.
2 medium yellow onions, 2 medium carrots, 3 celery ribs, 2 garlic cloves, 1 leftover roasted turkey carcass and/or 1 raw turkey neck, backbone, heart, and gizzard
ROAST (optional, for a raw neck and backbone): Toss neck, backbone, onions, carrots, and celery with oil and spread in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer everything to a large stockpot or 6-quart slow cooker.
1 tablespoon neutral oil
DEGLAZE: Add a splash of water to the baking sheet, scrape up the browned bits, and pour the liquid into the pot.
SIMMER (stovetop): Add remaining ingredients to a large stockpot with enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 4 to 6 hours, skimming foam occasionally. Add water as needed to keep everything just covered.
2 bay leaves, A few sprigs fresh herbs, 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 8–10 cups water
SLOW COOK (slow cooker): Or, add remaining ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker with enough water to cover. Cook covered on low for 8 to 12 hours or on high for 6 to 8 hours.
STRAIN: Let stock cool slightly. Use tongs to transfer large pieces to a colander set over a large bowl to drain. Pour the remaining stock through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl.
USE: Use in soup, gumbo, or gravy, or cool completely and store.

Notes

Raw or roasted: Raw neck, backbone, and giblets make a lighter stock. Roasting the neck and backbone first makes a deeper, darker stock. If you're using a roasted carcass, there's no need to roast the neck and backbone too.
Giblets: Use the heart and gizzard, but leave out the liver; it makes the stock bitter. Add the giblets raw; don't roast them.
Salt: Don't add salt. The turkey and its skin are usually already salted, so season the dish you use the stock in instead. Leave on whatever skin is stuck to the carcass, but don't add the loose pile of skin from the platter, especially from a heavily seasoned bird.
Water: 8 to 10 cups covers the neck, backbone, and giblets in a 6-quart slow cooker. A whole carcass in a stockpot will need more, so add enough to keep everything just covered.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 6 months.

Nutrition