When you prepare a big holiday meal, leftovers are almost guaranteed — and that’s a good thing. Leftover turkey meat is wonderful, but the carcass offers something even better: the base for a rich, nourishing bone broth made quickly in the Instant Pot.
Make a batch, freeze it in portions, and keep a supply on hand for soups, stews, risottos, or simply to sip warm. This broth extracts vitamins, minerals, and collagen from the bones so you can get the most nutrition from your holiday bird.
These straightforward Instant Pot methods are efficient and reliable. After using a slow cooker for years, I adapted my process to the Instant Pot and now make flavorful, gelatinous bone broth in a fraction of the time.
Why I love this Turkey Bone Broth Recipe
Making bone broth from a turkey carcass is both frugal and satisfying. It lets you use every part of the bird and stretch a single meal into many more. Buying a higher-quality turkey — organic or pasture-raised when possible — can make a difference in flavor and overall satisfaction, and you’ll get more nutritious broth from those bones.
Using the Instant Pot shortens the process dramatically while still producing a broth rich in collagen and minerals that can support skin, hair, joints, and general health.
Turkey Broth Recipe Ingredients
- Turkey carcass (about half a carcass per batch)
- Carrot
- Celery
- Onion
- Bay leaves
- Fresh herbs (parsley recommended)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Water
How to make Turkey Broth
Instant Pot vs Slow Cooker
Traditional slow-cooker bone broth can take a day or more to extract nutrients from bones. The Instant Pot delivers comparable results in a much shorter time: you can make a robust, nutritious broth in a matter of hours instead of days.
Making the broth
Use about 3–4 pounds of turkey bones — roughly half a carcass — for one batch. You can include the neck as well. Even roasted bones have plenty to give, so don’t worry if your carcass came from a roasted turkey.
Place the bones and any saved scraps in the Instant Pot with roughly equal parts of aromatic vegetables: carrots, celery, and onion. Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to help draw minerals and gelatin out of the bones (the vinegar flavor won’t be noticeable in the finished broth). Season with about 1 teaspoon of salt, a few peppercorns, and 2–3 bay leaves. Fresh herbs such as parsley are optional but add brightness.
Fill the Instant Pot with water to just below the maximum fill line. Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to cook on High Pressure for 2 hours (120 minutes). When the cycle finishes, allow the pot to naturally release pressure for at least 30 minutes before opening.
Storing Instant Pot Turkey Stock
After cooking, let the stock cool slightly and strain it from the solids. A colander lined with a couple of layers of cheesecloth works well; pour the broth through into a large bowl. Gather the cheesecloth and squeeze the solids to release any remaining liquid.
Transfer the strained broth to freezer-safe containers, label, and freeze. Many people prefer glass mason jars, but plastic containers are less likely to break. If you use glass, leave headspace for expansion or fill jars only partway before freezing. Wide-mouth jars are safer than narrow-necked jars, which can be vulnerable when liquid expands.
A well-made bone broth should become slightly gelatinous when chilled. That gelatin is a sign of collagen extracted from the bones and connective tissue, which is a desirable trait in homemade bone broth.
Uses for your turkey bone broth
Bone broth is a flexible pantry staple. Use it for soups, stews, risottos, or any recipe that benefits from rich, savory liquid. Some people enjoy sipping a warm cup of broth on its own to enjoy the nourishing warmth and collagen boost. Either way, having homemade turkey bone broth in the freezer makes it easy to add extra nutrition and flavor to everyday meals.
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Instant Pot Turkey Bone Broth FAQs
Bone broth contains collagen and minerals derived from bones and connective tissue. These compounds can support joint health and contribute to healthier-looking skin, hair, and nails. Adding vegetables during cooking increases the vitamin content and enhances flavor.
Turkey broth is typically made from meat and cooks for a shorter time, resulting in a lighter, thinner stock used for everyday cooking. Bone broth emphasizes long cooking of bones to extract collagen and minerals, producing a richer, gelatinous stock when chilled. The Instant Pot reduces the traditional long cooking time to a few hours while still producing a nutrient-rich, gelatinous broth.
Homemade bone broth is economical if you save bones and vegetable scraps from meals rather than buying specialty bones. Store bones and vegetable trimmings in the freezer until you have enough to make a batch. Add water and a splash of apple cider vinegar for an inexpensive way to create several quarts of nourishing broth.
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Turkey Stock
Equipment
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Instant Pot
Video
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds Turkey bones about one half a carcass
- 10-12 cups water
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery ribs
- 1 onion peeled and quartered
- 2 TB apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 peppercorns
- Parsley or other fresh herbs – optional
Instructions
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Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot. Seal and set to cook 2 hours on high pressure. When the cycle finishes, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for at least 30 minutes.
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Allow the broth to cool slightly, then strain it from the solids using a colander lined with cheesecloth.
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Transfer the strained broth to freezer-safe containers and freeze for later use.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only. Verify using your own data if needed.