turkey carcass bone broth
get the most out of your thanksgiving dinner
Look, I know you're in post-Thanksgiving cleanup mode as soon as everyone leaves your house and so ready to decorate for Christmas (if you haven’t already).
But that turkey carcass? It's got another round in it. And those weird giblets that came in that mystery packet? Finally gonna put those to good use. And you know all those veggie ends and pieces you’ll have from your cooking marathon? Save 'em to throw in too – we're going to make some bone broth.
Sure, the internet has people fighting about whether bone broth is some magical health elixir (eye roll), but here's the deal: it makes a great cooking liquid for rice and vegetables (hello, added flavor), it’s an easy way to increase your protein intake without really thinking about it, and—let's be real—it feels way better to make a bunch with what you already bought than to drop eight bucks on those fancy cartons at the store. All while reducing food waste while we’re at it.
Think of it as your turkey's encore performance.
turkey carcass bone broth
Ingredients:
1 turkey carcass
Turkey neck and giblets (if you saved them)
2 cups onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
Herbs of choice: thyme, rosemary, sage, etc.
Miscellaneous vegetable scraps (if you have any from Thanksgiving meal preparations - anything goes, just avoid skin and peelings, as it can create a bitter stock)
Water
Method:
Throw your turkey carcass back into an oven at 350F for ~30 minutes, until the bones are roasted and start to brown.
Place all ingredients and carcass in a large pot.
Fill with cold water until the carcass is completely submerged. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 12-24 hours, adding water as needed if it starts to reduce. 24 hours is ideal, but I know everyone isn’t comfortable with leaving something on the stove all night (or setting a 3am alarm just to check on it like I do).
Occasionally skim off any film that forms on the top with a spoon and discard.
Using a ladle, ladle the liquid out and strain through a fine-mesh strainer.*
Chill in the refrigerator.
Once chilled, any fat impurities will rest at the top and can easily be scraped off before consumption. Remember that jelly is good — the more gelatinous the stock, the better! Consume or freeze within a week.
*This part is key for the clarity and quality of your stock! Pouring the stock out into a strainer directly allows for any impurities to emulsify back in. This improves the flavor of the stock and gives it more clarity.
You can drink it plain, use it for cooking, or add rice, chopped vegetables, and leftover turkey to make a quick soup!
📝 Your homework: start a "stock bag" while you're doing all that Thanksgiving prep and toss in all your vegetable scraps as you go. By the time you're dealing with the turkey cleanup, you'll have a ready-to-go flavor bomb for your broth.
Oh, and please don't let those giblets do their usual sad journey from mystery packet straight to trash can. These little nuggets are flavor-packed (and actually do have a purpose). And I promise you don’t have to touch them beyond dumping them into your pot.
Your future soups and rice dishes will thank you. Plus, how satisfying is it to be that person who actually uses the whole bird? 🦃
Turning you into a culinary wizard (who’s mindful of food waste), one step at a time!
P.S. You can also start a freezer “stock bag” and save vegetable scraps while you meal prep throughout the year. Those rotisserie chicken carcasses have a second life, too! Save them up in the freezer until you have enough to fill your pot so you can batch-make broth and always have some on hand.