How Long to Boil a Turkey Carcass for Broth – The Perfect Timing

Cooking a turkey and enjoying the meat is always a delicious treat. But for many cooks, the real prize is the turkey carcass left behind. Simmering the bones and scraps transforms them into a rich, flavorful broth perfect for soups, gravies, and more. But how long should you boil the turkey carcass to extract the most flavor and nutrients into the broth?

Why Make Turkey Broth from the Carcass?

Rather than tossing the picked-over bones and scraps into the trash after carving your holiday or Sunday bird, put them to work creating a nutritious homemade broth.

• It reduces waste by repurposing ingredients that would otherwise be discarded.

• The collagen-rich bones and connective tissues simmered over several hours impart a rich, full bodied flavor and luxurious mouthfeel.

• You control the ingredients, avoiding preservatives, excess sodium, and other unwanted additives in commercial broths.

• The broth freezes beautifully for several months, ready to lend its Turkey Day essence to all sorts of dishes

Factors That Affect Cook Time

Several factors impact the time needed to extract optimal flavor from a turkey carcass

Size of the Carcass

The larger the bird, the more time needed to draw out flavors from the bones and joints. A 10 to 15 pound turkey carcass requires a good 4 to 6 hours of simmering. Smaller birds may need only 2 to 3 hours.

Amount of Meat

If abundant scraps of meat remain on the bones, a longer simmer softens and infuses flavor from the turkey. Bones picked clean won’t benefit as much from extended time.

Water Amount

The more water used to cover the carcass, the longer it takes for flavors to concentrate into the broth. A good rule of thumb is using 1 quart of water per pound of turkey carcass.

Temperature

Gentle simmering around 180°F efficiently extracts essences without agitating the broth. Rapid boiling causes proteins to coagulate and turn cloudy. On the other end, an overly lazy simmer won’t adequately blend the ingredients.

Standard Turkey Carcass Broth Cook Times

For a typical post-Thanksgiving turkey carcass weighing 10 to 15 pounds, simmering times of 4 to 6 hours yield a nicely concentrated broth.

• 2 – 3 hours is the minimum to get good flavor from the bones of smaller birds under 10 pounds.

• 4 – 5 hours is ideal for average sized turkey carcasses between 10 and 15 pounds.

• 6 – 8 hours may be needed for extra large birds or when using an abundance of scraps and meat on the bones. Just keep an eye that the broth doesn’t evaporate too low.

The broth can simmer safely up to 10 to 12 hours, though the marginal increase in flavor won’t usually justify the extra time.

Tips for Perfect Turkey Broth Every Time

Follow these tips for getting the most out of your post-holiday turkey bones:

• Use a large pot – Leave room for the broth to simmer freely. Avoid cramming in too many bones.

• Add veggies – Mirepoix of onion, celery, and carrot boost flavor. Garlic, parsley, bay leaves, peppercorns, and other aromatics also enhance the broth.

• Skim the scum – Bits of fat and protein will float to the surface as it simmers. Skim for a clearer final product.

• Keep the heat low – A lazy simmer around 180°F extracts the best flavors. Boiling clouds the broth.

• Check and top off – Monitor the pot to ensure bones remain covered. Add water as needed.

• Strain well – Pour broth through a fine mesh strainer to catch bits of bone, skin, and veggie remnants.

• Cool and skim fat – Once cooled, any fat congeals on the surface for easy removal before use.

• Portion and freeze – Freezing broth in 1 cup containers makes it easy to defrost just what you need.

Sample Timelines for Turkey Broth

To summarize, here are sample boil times based on the size of your turkey carcass:

• 8 pound carcass – Simmer 2 hours

• 12 pound carcass – Simmer 4 hours

• 16 pound carcass – Simmer 6 hours

The broth can certainly simmer longer with no harm if your schedule requires. But much beyond these times, the incremental benefit becomes minimal.

For food safety, do not leave the broth sitting out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours total before refrigerating.

Put Turkey Broth to Use in Delicious Recipes

Homemade turkey broth shines in all sorts of soups, stews, gravies, rice and grains, casseroles, and more. Get creative stretching your post-Thanksgiving ingredients into even more meals.

• Turkey Noodle Soup – Classic noodle soup soars with turkey broth as the base. Dice up turkey meat leftovers to bulk it up.

• Turkey and Wild Rice Soup – Earthy wild rice pairs perfectly with your homemade turkey broth.

• Leftover Turkey Pot Pie – Bubbling hot turkey pot pie is comfort food at its finest. You already have the two key components on hand!

• Turkey or Chicken Rice/Grain Bowls – Take your pick of whole grains, fresh veggies, and turkey meat over turkey infused rice or quinoa.

• Healthy Turkey Ramen – For a lighter but still comforting noodle bowl, try ramen in your homemade broth with crispy baked tofu and veggies.

• Green Bean Turkey Casseroles – Making casseroles is a great way to use up leftover green bean casserole veggies in combination with your turkey broth and bits of meat.

The flavorful broth is also the perfect base for creamy turkey gravies and sauces for holiday meals. Just remember to chill the broth first and skim off the fat before using in gravy recipes.

With so many possibilities, you’ll look forward to simmering up batch after batch of turkey broth from the carcass each year. No more wasting those bones and scraps after carving!