Some of the best things in life are simple, and homemade turkey broth is an excellent example. You don't need any bunches of special herbs, heaps of assorted vegetables, or fancy tricks in order to achieve an incredibly rich and flavorful broth. In fact, you don't even need all that much time to pull off this incredibly easy kitchen coup! And in the end, there's nothing more nourishing than a spoonful of this pure liquid gold.
Ingredients for Homemade Turkey Broth
- turkey giblets (only the heart and the gizzard...do not include the liver), the neck, and a wing or two (if available)
- yellow onion
- olive oil
- water or chicken broth
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Begin by roughly chopping the onion.
Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium to medium-high.
Then add the chopped onion, turkey giblets, and neck (plus the wing, if using). Sauté until the turkey parts have lost their raw color and the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, tightly cover the saucepan, and cook for 20 minutes.
(The turkey parts will release a significant amount of liquid during those 20 minutes of cooking time.)
Add the water or broth, and then bring to a boil.
(If using bouillon, you can simply mix it with the water right in the same saucepan with the turkey parts and onion.)
Reduce the heat to medium-low or low, partially cover the saucepan, and simmer gently until the broth is rich and flavorful, about another 30 minutes.
Strain the broth. (Once cool, you can skim the fat, if desired.)
Hint: If you opt for plain water (rather than chicken broth) when it comes to the liquid here, you may need to add a bit of salt after simmering your broth. Just be sure to check for seasoning at the end!
Equipment
You will need a large saucepan with a lid, as well as a sturdy strainer, to make this homemade turkey broth.
Storage
Allow the broth to cool completely before covering (or placing in an airtight container) and storing in the refrigerator. Homemade turkey broth can be kept for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Top tip
After the turkey parts have been browned (along with the onion), covering the pot and allowing them to further gently cook over low heat for 20 minutes is key to achieving excellent results here. The juices released from those parts impart tons of rich turkey flavor to the broth. In other words, do not be tempted to speed things up by skipping this step!
Related
If you're interested in homemade turkey broth, you may also enjoy these other easy Thanksgiving staple recipes:
📖 Recipe
Homemade Turkey Broth
Equipment
- large saucepan with lid (minimum 3 quart capacity)
- sturdy strainer
Ingredients
- the turkey giblets (only the heart and gizzard...do not include the liver), the neck, and a wing or two (if available)
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups water or chicken broth ("better than bouillon" works beautifully here)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium to medium-high. Then add the chopped onion, neck, and giblets (plus the wing, if using). Sauté until the turkey parts have lost their raw color and the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, tightly cover the saucepan, and cook for 20 minutes. (The turkey parts will release a significant amount of liquid during this time.)
- Add the water or broth, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low or low, partially cover the saucepan, and simmer gently until the broth is rich and flavorful, about another 30 minutes.
- Strain the broth. Once it is cool, you can skim the fat, if desired.
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