Crockpot Turkey Stock
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Crockpot turkey stock is the easiest turkey stock recipe there is! Simply put your leftover turkey into your slow cooker, add some water, and turn it on!
While you're at it, try our homemade chicken stock!
If you haven't tried making turkey stock in your slow cooker, you're in for a real treat. It's almost completely hands-off and is the quickest and easiest way to clean up after a big turkey dinner!
The long and gentle cooking keeps the stock clean (no yucky foam to spoon off the top) and extracts all the delicious flavor from the bones. Cooking the stock in your slow cooker also keeps your house from becoming a hot turkey steam room. Big bonus.
Ingredients needed
The list of ingredients is so short that it feels a bit silly to even talk about it. Here's what you need:
- Bones from your leftover turkey
- Water
That's it! Because the roasted bones have so much flavor, we don't add vegetables or seasonings to the stock. It also means that you can add them straight to your crockpot after dinner without making more (chopping veggies) work for yourself.
How to make crockpot turkey stock
We LOVE making turkey stock in our slow cooker after Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner. The biggest reason why we love it so much is that making the stock becomes part of cleaning up and not a whole other task. Usually, you have to find a place in your full fridge to store the turkey bones until you're ready to use them. But instead, āstore' them in your crockpot and the next day you'll have stock. Two birds, one stone.
- Take as much of the meat off of the turkey bones. (And see below for some ideas about what to make with leftover turkey!)
- Break the bones into pieces small enough to fit into your slow cooker ā don't worry, they break easily. Now put the bones into your crockpot and fill it up with water. You want the water to cover the bones with at least 2 inches of water.
- Turn your crockpot onto low heat and set the timer for as long as it goes. The stock will be ready in 8 hours, but you can easily let it gently simmer for up to 24 hours. This gives you lots of flexibility in when to finish the stock.
- When you're ready, strain the stock once through a colander to remove any large bones and a second time through a fine-mesh sieve to take out the small gritty bits. That's it! You've just made slow cooker turkey stock!
What to make with leftover turkey
If you have any leftover turkey (lucky you!), try one of these recipes:
- Leftover Turkey Pizza
- Leftover Turkey Bolognese
- Butter Turkey Curry
- Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie
- Thanksgiving Leftovers Eggs Benedict
Or for more inspiration, check out all of our turkey dinner leftovers recipes!
Freezing and storage
Once you've cooked and completely cooled your turkey stock you can transfer it to mason jars or airtight storage containers ā we LOVE these reusable Stasher freezer bags.
In the fridge: crockpot turkey stock will last 2-3 days.
In the freezer: crockpot turkey stock keeps for at least 6 months in your freezer.
How to use turkey stock
Use your delicious crockpot turkey stock in one of these turkey soup recipes!
Crockpot Turkey Stock Recipe
Ingredients
- Bones from your roast turkey
- Enough water to fill the slow cooker
Instructions
- If you've stuffed your bird, remove all of the stuffing. Remove the meat from the bones and put aside for sandwiches or soup. Discard any skin.Bones from your roast turkey, Enough water to fill the slow cooker
- Break the bones into pieces that will fit in your crockpot. Fill your crockpot with as many of the bones as you can and then add water to the fill line.
- Now put the lid on and set the timer to cook on low for 8-24 hours.
- Set a colander over a large bowl. Carefully pour the turkey stock through the colander into the bowl. Take a second large bowl and place a fine-mesh sieve over it. Pour the stock through the fine-mesh sieve into the second bowl. You can use it right away to make soup or store it for later.
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our soup recipes!
