Our recipe for leftover turkey bone broth will help you utilize every part of the bird that gave its life for your family’s Thanksgiving feast. Anything not eaten in the main meal (or in leftover sandwiches, hash, etc.) can make incredibly delicious, healthy bone broth. What’s even better is that bone broth is the ultimate cure for overindulging in sweets, wine, and too much food in general. If using it in soup is more your speed, be sure to try our Best Leftover Turkey Soup recipe!
This recipe is adapted from Marco’s “End-of-the-Month Broth” from Brodo: A Bone Broth Cookbook. The beauty of this leftover turkey bone broth recipe is that it’s more of a guide – any size turkey carcass will do. There is no need to buy extra meat/bones, however you could always ask your friends or family if they want to get rid of their bones – and share some of the resulting broth with them! If you have some meat left on your turkey carcass, you can reserve at least some of it to put in soup made with this broth. If parts of your turkey got overcooked and dry, those bits are perfect for creating delicious, flavorful broth. Just make sure to discard any big chunks of burnt meat/bones (caramelization is good – we’re just talking about truly burnt bits here).
If you’ve never made bone broth before, make sure to check out our tips and recommended tools.
Makes about 3-4 quarts with 5 lbs. of mixed bones and meat.
Ingredients
- 1 turkey carcass and any leftover meat you’re not using for other purposes
- 3 large onions, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 large carrot scrubbed and roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp. black peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 15 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
- Fine sea salt
Instructions
- Put the bones in a large pot and add cold water to cover by 2 to 3 inches. Bring it to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foamy impurities every 15 to 20 minutes.
- As soon as the liquid boils, reduce the heat to low and pull the pot to one side so it is partially off the burner. Simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes, skimming now and then.
- Add the onions, carrot, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves, tomatoes, and parsley, pushing them down into the liquid. Continue to simmer for 3 to 5 hours, skimming as needed and occasionally checking to make sure the bones are still fully submerged in the liquid.
- Use a spider skimmer to remove the solids and discard. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer. Season with salt to taste and let it cool.
- Transfer the cooled broth to storage containers (leaving any sediment in the bottom of the pot) and refrigerate overnight. Spoon off any solidified fat. Store the broth for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 6 months.
