Full of flavor, and nutrients, and an easy way to reduce food waste, turning your leftover turkey carcass or bones into slow cooker turkey stock couldn't be easier! The resulting rich turkey flavored liquid can be used to make soups and sauces, to cook rice, couscous, or beans, and even enjoyed as a nutritious drink on its own!
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Why should you save turkey carcasses & bones?
If you've just cooked a turkey for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, you may be tempted to save any leftover meat and simply throw out the bones. But hold on!!
Those turkey bones can be turned into a delicious, and nutritious stock or broth that is full of vitamins (vitamin A, Vitamin K), minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium), amino acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin!
Instead of throwing the bones out, you can easily turn the scraps into a usable food item, reducing food waste, and saving you money!
Benefits of making stock with a slow cooker or crock pot
The benefit of doing all this in a slow cooker? It's an easy hands-off recipe, that requires virtually no work on your part!
How To Make Turkey Stock In A Slow Cooker
So how do you make turkey stock in the slow cooker? You'll need a few basic ingredients, (and the turkey carcass of course), water, and a slow cooker or crock pot.
Basically, you add everything to the slow cooker, cover the ingredients with water, and then let it simmer for 10 to 12 hours.
Ingredients
You'll need:
- 1 turkey carcass
- 2 small carrots
- 1 medium onion
- 2 celery stalks
- 8 whole peppercorns
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
- 4 to 6 cups cold water
Instructions:
Gather all your ingredients, and set up the slow cooker. Roasting the carcass is optional, but should be done first if you go this route. See the tips section below for more info on roasting the bones.
Add the bones, vegetables, and spices to the crock pot. The vegetables do not need to be peeled but should be washed, especially if they came out of your own garden.
Cover all the bones and veggies with water, making sure to leave at least an inch of space from the top of the crockpot. You may have to break the carcass into smaller pieces, depending on the size of your slow cooker.
Turn the slow cooker on and set it to 'low'. If there is a 'time' setting, set it for ten to twelve hours, or set an alarm for that time on your own watch or phone. This can easily be set to cook overnight as well!
After the turkey stock has finished cooking, use a ladle and gently scoop out all the liquid, and strain it through a sieve. A fine mesh strainer such as a chinois is perfect for this and produces a crystal clear liquid. (If you simply pour the stock/broth out of the slow cooker, your liquid will end up being cloudy.)
Cool the slow cooker turkey stock in the fridge, and then use it as needed! Don't be surprised if the stock becomes 'jelly-like' in the fridge. This is the sign of a good strong stock and simply indicates a high level of gelatin (great for your joints!)
How Do You Store Turkey Stock?
Once your turkey stock has been fully cooled, you can store the stock in the fridge for up to 4 days, or choose to freeze it.
Tip: if you cool the stock before freezing, it won't expand as much in the freezer!
If you choose to freeze the stock, you can easily keep it frozen for up to 6 months. Simply thaw in the fridge for a day before using.
Tips & tricks for making turkey stock at home
We've put together a few tips and tricks below to help answer some common questions about making slow cooker turkey stock at home! Don't see the answer your looking for? Ask us in the comments below!
Do you have to roast the turkey bones?
While you don't have to roast the carcass or turkey bones, it certainly adds much more flavor to the turkey stock and creates a rich golden brown color. If you do roast the bones, roast them at 375F until dark golden brown.
How long do you cook turkey stock for?
Turkey stock, (and even chicken stock) should be cooked for at least 10 to 12 hours if cooking in a slow cooker. If simmering the stock on the stovetop, only cook for 6 to 8 hours.
Why do you add vinegar to the turkey stock?
Just like roasting the turkey bones is optional, so is adding vinegar to the stock. Adding vinegar helps break down the bones and cartilage, helping to extract more nutrients from the carcass. Fear not, you won't be able to taste the vinegar in the end product.
Do you add salt when cooking turkey stock?
While salt can be added to the stock, professional cooks will generally leave the salt out, and instead season the final recipe as needed. If you add salt at the start, you run the risk of a salty stock as the liquid reduces.
Can you simmer the turkey stock overnight?
Absolutely! We encourage you to cook the slow cooker turkey stock overnight. Simply set and forget it!
Can you substitute chicken bones instead of turkey bones?
Don't have turkey bones? No problem, this exact same recipe can be made using chicken bones, or any other poultry for that matter. You'll notice our Instant Pot chicken stock and old fashioned chicken stock both have very similar recipes.
What can you use turkey stock for?
This turkey stock is perfect for use in soups, stews, and sauces, used to cook starches and grains, drank on its own, or substituted in any savory recipe that calls for water! Here are a few examples:
Recipe
Slow Cooker Turkey Stock
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey carcass
- 2 small carrots
- 1 medium onion
- 2 each celery stalks
- 8 whole peppercorns
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar optional
- 4 to 6 cups cold water
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients, and set up the slow cooker. Roasting the carcass is optional, but should be done first if you go this route. See the tips section in the [post above for more info on roasting the bones.
- Add the bones, vegetables, and spices to the crock pot. The vegetables do not need to be peeled, but should be washed and roughly chopped up.
- Cover all the bones and veggies with water, making sure to leave at least an inch of space from the top of the crockpot. You may have to break the carcass into smaller pieces, depending on the size of your slow cooker.
- Turn the slow cooker on and set it to 'low'. If there is a 'time' setting, set it for ten to twelve hours, or set an alarm for that time on your own watch or phone.
- After the turkey stock has finished cooking, use a ladle and gently scoop out all the liquid, and strain it through a sieve.
- Cool the slow cooker turkey stock in the fridge, and then use it as needed!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
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