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Make Instant Pot Turkey Stock from a leftover turkey carcass with this easy Instant Pot recipe for homemade turkey bone broth. A delicious way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers or turkey from Christmas dinner!
You’ll want to save this Instant Pot turkey stock recipe to make turkey carcass soup with your leftover Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas turkey. It’s a great way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers or leftovers from any holiday dinner!
So, definitely save that leftover turkey meat and turkey carcass, including the turkey neck, after the turkey dinner! Just pick as much meat off of it as you can and save the turkey meat for leftovers or midnight snacks! I’m one of those people who prefers noshing on cold turkey over eating it at dinner!
I used to make turkey stock on the stove, but making turkey bone broth from a leftover turkey carcass in the electric pressure cooker is a game changer! I’ve been making this Instant Pot recipe for years now, and it’s much faster than using the stove or slow cooker.
Table of Contents
Difference between Stock and Broth
Basically, stock is made from simmering bones in liquid to extract flavor and collagen. Broth is a soup base made from the stock. I found a more in-depth explanation on the difference between bone broth, stock and soup for ya! Once you make the stock, you can use that as a base for turkey soup.
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients for this homemade bone broth recipe. You can find them in most grocery stores or online. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.
- Leftover turkey carcass — from a cooked turkey. Use the roasted neck bone and turkey wings if you have them, as well.
- Water
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Celery stalks with leaves — the leaves add tons of flavor. You can add a carrot, but I usually add most of the seasoning and veggies when making soup.
You will also need an electric pressure cooker — I use my 8 quart Instant Pot so I can fit a larger carcass from up to an 18-pound turkey.
Hot mitts, a large bowl, kitchen tongs and a large mesh strainer are highly recommended.
How to Make Turkey Stock in Instant Pot
The first step in making this Instant Pot bone broth recipe is to remove most of the meat from the carcass or as much meat as possible. Then, place the trivet into the electric pressure cooker. Place the turkey bones on the trivet.
Next, add in the cold water, salt, pepper, and a couple of celery stalks — leaves and all — for flavor. Add water up to the max fill line. There’s no need to fully cover the bones with water.
For extra flavorful stock, you can add some fresh parsley or bay leaves, but remember, you can always add more seasoning and fresh herbs and fresh vegetables when you make turkey noodle soup.
How Long to Pressure Cook Turkey Bones
Cook the turkey carcass in the Instant Pot for 60 minutes on high pressure. This is long enough to get all those amazing nutrients from the bones.
When the pot beeps, allow for a 10 minute natural pressure release — at the minimum. Then do a quick release to release pressure fully.
You can let it go and do a full natural release, which takes around 30 minutes or longer.
When the pressure is fully released, remove the lid. Then, use a hot mitt to lift the trivet, including the carcass, out of the pressure cooker and into the sink or large bowl. It’s very hot, so don’t dump it into the trash bag yet.
Place a large mesh strainer over a large mixing bowl, and carefully pour the stock into the bowl. The strainer will strain any leftover turkey bones and anything else you don’t want going into your delicious stock.
Allow the stock to cool down for a little bit at room temperature. Then, you can refrigerate the stock or freeze it. The easiest way to remove fat from turkey stock is after it solidifies in the refrigerator.
How to Store
Store homemade turkey stock in an airtight container, mason jars or several small containers in the fridge where it’ll last for up to five days.
It is total turkey jelly after spending time in the fridge, which is what you want for bone broth. Now, you can skim the layer of fat off! My kids are a little grossed out by the turkey jelly, but this stuff is liquid gold. And the flavor is perfect!
To freeze the Instant Pot bone broth, place in a ziplock bag, ice cube trays or freezer-safe containers. I like to use freezer bags since you can stack them to save freezer space. Homemade stock will last up to three months in the freezer, for best taste.
How to Use Turkey Stock
Use the stock to make turkey soup in the pressure cooker or stove top turkey soup. You can use the stock in any recipe that calls for turkey broth or chicken broth, including Instant Pot turkey noodle casserole or one pot turkey noodle casserole or leftover turkey stuffing casserole.
Recipe Tip
You don’t have to cover the carcass with water. If you want to add more water, be sure not to go over the max fill line.
Always do a natural pressure release when pressure cooking soups and stocks.
Can you freeze a turkey carcass for soup?
Absolutely! If you don’t have time to make stock right away, just put the bones into a freezer bag and toss it into the freezer until you’re ready to use them.
Can you overcook stock in a pressure cooker?
Only if you cook the carcass for hours. 1 hour of pressure cooking is enough time to make homemade turkey stock that is collagen rich and very flavorful.
Instant Pot Turkey Stock
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 14 pound turkey carcass, most meat removed
- 10 cups water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 celery stalks with leaves
Instructions
- Place the trivet in the Instant Pot, and place turkey carcass on trivet
- Pour water into the pot, and add sea salt, pepper and celery stalks
- Place lid on Instant Pot, and turn valve to Sealing position. Hit PRESSURE COOK for 60 minutes
- Pot will take a few minutes to pressurize, then it will start counting down and cook for 60 minutes. Allow a 10-minute release (or longer if you want) then do a quick release for remaining pressure to drop. Hit CANCEL to turn pressure cooker off
- When pin drops, open lid, carefully lift trivet (wear hot mitts), and discard carcass. Pour stock through mesh strainer into a bowl, and separate into smaller containers to refrigerate or freeze
- Stock should thicken into jelly when refrigerated. You can skim off the top layer of fat easily and discard before using, or you can use fat in place of oil or butter if making turkey soup
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I hope you enjoy this easy recipe! Be sure to leave a star rating and comment! For more easy recipes, including Instant Pot recipes and holiday recipes, please follow me on social media and subscribe to my weekly newsletter!
Great recipe! Could the fat left from the stock be used in a roux for more gravy? Seems like it could be, just wondering what your thoughts are. Thanks!
That would probably work. I have used leftover fat from the stock to saute veggies for the soup before.
I made this and it is SO delicious! The only other broth I have made in the instant pot is Pho and this has convinced me it is a far better way to make broth. Rather than boiling down the stock to concentrate the flavours on the stovetop, the pressure cooking gave it a rich, deep, turkey flavour that left my kitchen smelling like freshly roasted turkey. I added 1/2 quartered onion; 1/2 a carrot; 1 TBSP dried parsley flakes (fresh would be even better). My new go-to stock recipe. Thank you.
Thank you so much! I make chicken stock the same way –It’s the only way I make any stock now.
What if you have 3 large turkey drumsticks. What would the recipe be?
I haven’t tried using only drumsticks, but I would cook them for the same amount of time as a whole carcass.
Can you re-use the carcass again to make more stock with this recipe? I’ve only ever done stock in the slow cooker, and re-use the bones a couple of times. Just wondering if you’ve tried that.
I haven’t personally tried this. The carcass is reduced to practically nothing after an hour in the pressure cooker, so I don’t know that it would work a second time. You can always try, though.
How do I adjust for a 6:quart Instapot?
Just reduce the amount of water to under the fill line. I believe it’s about 6 to 8 cups.
thanks for the recipe! Is it supposed to be 50 minutes or 60? It says both in different places.
Sorry about the confusion. Both times work, but 60 minutes is what I do now, since it’s easier to remember 1 hour. I updated the recipe. 🙂
Made this as written and it was the best turkey stock I have ever made. Flavorful and the perfect base for a soup or just to drink!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked the recipe!
Did you use the high or low pressure function?
I always use the default high pressure.
Hello! Since this makes a gel, how is it intended to be used? Like 1 cup per so much water? Thank you for your help!
You can use it as is — It turns to broth as it heats. I sometimes add a little water if I want more broth, especially if I make soup on the stove.
I didn’t see the recipe, so only put in 2 cups water to a 9 lb turkey carcass. Can I add more water when it is finished.
Hmm. I can see the recipe on the page so not sure what happened, but you should definitely add more water when it’s done.