Name: Leftover Turkey Bone Broth
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 130 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs turkey bones; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 celery rib ((chopped coarsely)); 1 carrot ((chopped coarsely)); 1/2 onion ((quartered)); scraps from turkey dinner prep: carrot peels, celery leaves, etc.; leftover herbs from turkey dinner prep; 10 cups water ((or fill to 2 inches below the top of the Instant Pot))

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Leftover turkey bone broth is the perfect way to use up your turkey leftovers! Nutrient-dense, immune-boosting, and the best way to use every part of the turkey.

I don’t know about you, but the day after a turkey dinner, I am lethargic and feeling a bit depleted. It could possibly because of the energy involved in cooking and hosting a turkey dinner, but also from over-indulging in too much rich, heavy food.

I am craving a little ‘detox’, and this turkey bone broth recipe is just what the doctor ordered!

Not only is bone broth nutrient-dense, full of natural collagen, and hydrating, but it’s the best way to use every part of the turkey. I hate seeing those bones and the bits of meat stuck to them go straight into the compost.

PST! Check out this post for a great Turkey Stock Recipe!

Reasons to love this leftover turkey bone broth

you can use up the whole turkey carcass
it is nutrient-dense, hydrating and full of collagen
it’s the perfect post-turkey-dinner detox

How to make turkey bone broth

Thanks to the Instant Pot, it’s super simple to make this turkey bone broth recipe!

Here’s how to make turkey bone broth:

Add 1.5 – 2 lbs of turkey carcass to an Instant Pot. Add all different parts especially ones containing cartilage. I recommend adding the wings as they are great sources of collagen!
Add veggie scraps & leftover herbs that you collected while prepping turkey dinner. You can stash them in the freezer until you’re ready to make your bone broth.
Add apple cider vinegar and water. The ACV helps pull the minerals out of the bones.
Pressure cook for 2 hours. Let it naturally release for 10-20 minutes.
Strain off the bones & veggie scraps.
That’s it!

What’s the difference between turkey stock and turkey bone broth? They are very similar, however bone broth is either simmered for much longer or pressure cooked in a way that extracts the collagen from the bones and joints. Bone broth will gel when cooled, whereas turkey stock will remain liquid and is thinner in consitency.

Why should I drink homemade bone broth? Bone broth is FULL of nutrients, collagen and gelatin, which is great for your hair, nails and skin (hello, fountain of youth!). Not only that but it’s great for healing your gut, supporting your immune system, and protecting your joints. See more details here.

Whoa. My bone broth gelled when I cooled it! What’s up with that? That’s actually a great sign that your bone broth is rich in gelatin! Just like jello, which gels thanks to gelatin. If your bone broth doesn’t gel, don’t worry, it probably just means that you didn’t have quite enough gelatin-rich bones in your stock, or maybe you had a lower bone : water ratio. You will still have plenty of nutrition in your bone broth!

How long is this turkey bone broth recipe good for? I would keep your homemade bone broth in the refrigerator for no longer than 5 days. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.

How can I use up my homemade bone broth? Here are some ways to use turkey bone broth:

sip it
make it into soup (stay tuned for my leftover turkey detox soup recipe!)
to cook your rice or grains
use it in a casserole
to any pureed foods for baby

Recipes to use your homemade bone broth

One of these 7 Easy Rice Recipes, or this Cranberry Almond Rice Pilaf
Healthy Butternut Squash Soup, Healthy Broccoli Soup, or Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup (which obviously would no longer be vegan 😉 )
In this Baked Ravioli with Butternut Squash
in this Creamy Parmesan Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower recipe
in this Sundried Tomato Chickpea Pasta recipe

Tips & Equipment for Instant Pot bone broth

I used my 6 quart Instant Pot; this recipe has not been tested in an 8 quart
Storage- I used 2 quart mason jars (yes, I freeze right in the jars, just leave 1/4 of the volume empty so there’s room for it to expand!). If you’d prefer, I also like these re-usable Bernardin Plastic Freezer Jars
Looking for more “how to” recipes? Check out these Perfect Baked Chicken Thighs, this post on How to Bake Sweet Potatoes and How to Cook Perfect Rice

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