Bring flavor and convenience to your cooking with our rich Turkey Stock recipe! This stock is the perfect choice to instantly elevate a wide range of dishes, from stuffing to gumbo to turkey salads. Whip up a batch in advance and freeze for easy access at any time. Make the savory goodness of homemade stock!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Searing the neck and backbone before simmering builds a deeper, roasted flavor into the stock than starting with raw bones straight in the water
- Cooking the vegetables in the same pot right after searing picks up all the browned fond left behind, instead of starting them in a clean pot
- A low, overnight simmer needs almost no attention once it's going, and reduces the stock by half for a more concentrated result
- Freezing the finished stock in an ice cube tray turns it into small, ready-to-use portions instead of one large block that has to be thawed all at once
Turkey Stock from Scratch
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
8 hours
Calories
665
You might think turkey stock is limited in uses, made only as a base for gravy, or saved for the traditional Thanksgiving leftovers “go-to” meal – turkey noodle soup.
Contrary to popular belief, turkey stock can add the perfect punch of savory flavor to your stuffing, rice dishes, gumbo, even turkey salad sandwiches. Make this stock in advance and freeze it for when you need it. Use an ice cube tray and freezer bags to make “flavor bombs” to drop in any dish needing a boost. The possibilities are plenty for this hearty stock recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 turkey neck
- 1 turkey backbone
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 bunch parsley stems
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
-
2 tbsp black peppercorns
Directions
- Cut the backbone into three pieces. Preheat a stock pot over high heat. Put a couple of tablespoons of oil in the stockpot. Sear the neck and backbone pieces in the hot oil, turning until browned on all sides. Remove from the pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery.
- Cook until all the fond, browned bits on the bottom of the pot are released from the pot. Add the neck and backbone back to the pot, along with the remaining ingredients. Cover with one gallon of cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook until reduced by half. On a low enough heat setting, this can be done overnight.
- Strain the stock with a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a bowl or other container.
- Discard the solids. Let the stock cool then remove the fat from the surface.
- Do this the night before your dinner and it will make your house smell wonderful.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why sear the turkey neck and backbone before adding them to the stockpot?
Browning the pieces in hot oil first builds roasted flavor into the bones themselves, something simmering them raw from the start wouldn't develop.
Why cook the vegetables in the same pot right after searing the bones?
Adding the onion, carrots, and celery to the same pot picks up all the browned fond left behind from searing, building that flavor into the stock's base instead of starting the vegetables in a clean pot.
Why simmer the stock until it's reduced by half instead of stopping sooner?
Reducing by half concentrates the flavor considerably, and doing this slowly overnight on low heat means it needs almost no active attention while it cooks down.
Why remove the fat from the surface after the stock cools?
Letting the stock cool first causes the fat to solidify and rise, making it easy to lift off cleanly, rather than trying to skim it while the stock is still hot and the fat is still liquid.
How long does homemade turkey stock keep?
Refrigerated, it keeps about 4-5 days. For longer storage, freeze it in an ice cube tray, then transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag for individual portions that thaw quickly.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5 this comes together entirely on the stovetop in a stockpot; nothing about the process requires a grill or smoker.
Recipe Highlights
Seared bones: Builds roasted flavor before the bones ever hit the water.
Fond-based vegetable start: Onion, carrots, and celery pick up flavor from the same pot the bones seared in.
Overnight reduction: A low, unattended simmer concentrates the stock by half.
Freezer-portioned storage: Ice cube trays turn the finished stock into ready-to-use portions.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 16 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 665
- Carbs
- 49 grams
- Protein
- 77 grams
- Fat
- 20 grams
- Sodium
- 500 milligrams
