Here are all my tips about How to Make Turkey Stock, and this post also has ideas for turning that stock into tasty turkey soup. And I think turning the turkey carcass into turkey stock and making soup with it is one of the best things about Thanksgiving!
PIN How to Make Turkey Stock so you’ll have it later.
Thanksgiving is almost here and soon a lot of you will have leftover turkey, so I’m sharing this updated post so you’ll have it when a big turkey carcass is staring you in the face!
One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is making the house smell good with a big roasting pan of turkey bones and veggies simmering on the stove. And turkey soup is a Thanksgiving tradition in many families, and personally I believe you can’t really make good turkey soup without turkey stock.
I’ve been making turkey stock for years, but I’m not a stock purist; I think a little Penzeys Turkey Soup Base is a good thing, both for turkey gravy and turkey stock. But even if you didn’t remember to order that in time or you don’t want to use it, read on; there are more tricks to making turkey stock taste good.
What ingredients do you need for turkey stock?
Is Turkey Stock Gluten-Free:
Even though I always use either Penzey’s Turkey Soup Base (affiliate link) or Better than Bouillon Turkey Base (affiliate link) I do want to caution that after researching it a bit I can’t confirm that either of those are completely gluten-free. (I’d love to hear about it in the comments if anyone has more information.) So be sure to use a turkey base that’s gluten-free if that’s needed in your household.
Tips for How to Make Turkey Stock:
(Scroll down for more complete printable recipe.)
- Start with turkey scraps, including things like skin and bones.
- Don’t add turkey “giblets” which often come packed inside the turkey.
- Add a generous amount of onion, celery, and carrots.
- I leave the vegetables in fairly big pieces so they’re easier to scoop out.
- Put the turkey scraps and bones, carrots, celery, and onion into a soup pot, add some thyme and sage and a bit of Penzey’s Turkey Soup Base (affiliate link) and cover with water.
- If you don’t have Penzeys Turkey Soup Base, another brand I’ve used is Better than Bouillon Turkey Base (affiliate link), which is sold in many grocery stores. (Edit: Shirley from Gluten Free Easily tells me that Better than Bouillon no longer guarantees their products are gluten-free.)
- If you have a big roasting pan you cooked your turkey in, simmer the stock right in the pan.
- Let the stock simmer and reduce all day, until the flavor is as concentrated as you’d like it.
- Then strain and put it into containers for the freezer and you can enjoy turkey soup all winter long!
Ingredients
- turkey scraps, bones, and skin from the turkey carcass (not giblets)
- onion
- celery
- carrots
- water to cover turkey and vegetables
- turkey soup base, preferably Penzeys Turkey Soup Base
- dried thyme (preferably ground thyme)
- dried sage (rubbed sage)
Instructions
- Start with as many turkey scraps as you can possibly save from the turkey, including things like skin and bones that you might otherwise throw away.
- Don’t add turkey “giblets” which often come packed inside the turkey.
- Along with the turkey scraps and bones, be sure to include a generous amount of onion, celery, and carrots. This is a good place to use things like the celery ends or leaves that get cut off.
- I leave the vegetables in fairly big pieces so they’re easier to scoop out at the end.
- Put the turkey scraps and bones, carrots, celery, and onion into a large soup pot, add some thyme and sage and a bit of Penzey’s Turkey Soup Base (affiliate link) and cover with water.
- If you don’t have Penzeys Turkey Soup Base, another brand I’ve used is Better than Bouillon Turkey Base, which is sold in many grocery stores.
- If you have a big roasting pan that you cooked your turkey in, simmer the stock right in the pan, which will let all those browned bits of turkey and skin get cooked off and they’ll add flavor to your stock.
- Let the stock simmer and reduce all day, until the flavor is as concentrated as you’d like it.
- Then strain and put it into containers for the freezer and you can enjoy turkey soup all winter long!
Weekend Food Prep:
Making things like turkey stock from food that would have been thrown away has to be the ultimate Weekend Food Prep idea! This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Favorite Turkey Soup Recipes from Kalyn’s Kitchen:
Turkey Soup in the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot:
The BEST Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Turkey Soup Recipes ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
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