You can get more value from the time and money spent roasting or smoking a turkey by turning the leftover bones into rich, flavorful turkey stock. With only a little effort, you’ll have a versatile homemade stock that enhances gravies, soups, risottos, mashed potatoes, and even makes a nourishing sipping broth.
Making turkey stock in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot produces a gelatinous, deeply flavored broth in under an hour. It’s economical, convenient, and easy to store for future use.
Turkey stock can be used in countless ways: make turkey gravy, freeze portions for your next holiday, build a comforting turkey soup or ramen, or add it to recipes that call for stock or broth. If you enjoy bone broth, you can sip it warm as a restorative drink.
How to Make Turkey Stock in a Pressure Cooker
Stock is simply water infused with the flavor and nutrients drawn out from bones and aromatics. Typical aromatics include onion, garlic, carrots, celery, leeks, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley. In a pressure cooker, these ingredients combine with the turkey carcass to create a concentrated, flavorful liquid.
To prepare in a pressure cooker, add the chopped carcass and neck along with aromatics and cold water. Bring to high pressure and cook for 45 minutes, then allow a 15-minute natural pressure release. This timing helps extract maximum flavor and gelatin from the bones. If you prefer a stronger stock, reduce it further on the stovetop after pressure cooking.
If you don’t have time right after dinner, freeze the carcass until you’re ready. Frozen turkey bones work just as well as fresh ones for making stock and can be stored until convenient.
After cooking, strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer to remove solids. Ideally chill the strained stock quickly in an ice bath before refrigerating overnight. Once cold, any fat that solidifies on the surface can be skimmed and discarded for a clearer, leaner stock.
Storage Instructions
Keep homemade turkey stock in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to six months. A helpful tip is to freeze stock in ice cube trays, then transfer the cubes to freezer bags for easy portioning and quick use in sauces or recipes.
More Delicious Turkey Recipes
- Smoked Turkey
- Sous Vide Turkey Breast
- Smoked Turkey Breast with Honey Glaze
- Spatchcock Smoked Turkey
- Brine for Smoking Turkey
- Turkey Eggs Benedict
Turkey Stock in a Pressure Cooker
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Ingredients
- 1 cooked turkey carcass and neck coarsely chopped
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 1 head garlic halved
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 leek sliced and rinsed
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- other leftover fresh herbs such as parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 cups cold water
Instructions
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Place the chopped turkey carcass and neck, aromatics, herbs, peppercorns, bay leaf, and cold water in the pressure cooker. Fill to the recommended level, cover, and bring to high pressure. Cook for 45 minutes.
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Turn off the heat and allow a natural pressure release for about 15 minutes before opening the lid.
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Remove the larger bones with tongs to make pouring easier, then strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or container. Discard the solids.
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Cool the strained stock quickly in an ice bath if possible, then cover and refrigerate.
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Refrigerate overnight and skim off any solidified fat before using or freezing.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 2 quarts of turkey stock.
- If you’re missing some aromatics, the stock will still be flavorful—the turkey bones are the main contributor.
- If you don’t have a pressure cooker, simmer the ingredients uncovered in a stock pot for 3–4 hours or until richly flavored.
- I recommend not adding salt to the stock if you plan to reduce it or use it in recipes, since salt amounts vary (for example, if the turkey was brined). Season later to taste.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Freeze smaller portions for convenience.
- If you want an even more concentrated flavor, reduce the strained stock uncovered on the stovetop until it reaches the intensity you prefer.
Nutrition
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