This simple overnight Slow Cooker Turkey Stock is the solid thing to make with your leftover Turkey carcass the night after Thanksgiving. Infused with herbs and spices this broth freezes well and is exactly what you need to sooth a cold or to make Turkey Noodle Soup!

This stock is so rich with marrow that it will turn to jelly when cold. It is packed with nutrients and is one of our favorite things to freeze and heat up when we get sick.

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How to Make Rich Turkey Stock

After the excited blur of Thanksgiving is over, we are usually left with a heap of dishes and a turkey carcass that we don't know what to do with to get all the extra bits of turkey meat off. We have always made stock in the slow cooker after we make chicken so one Thanksgiving night decided to try the same with the turkey.

From-Scratch Turkey Stock Ingredients

Assemble the following ingredients:

Turkey carcass – use the leftover turkey carcass, don't worry about removing all the meat since it will come off the bone easy once slow cooked.
Bay leaves – bay is a wonderful earthy flavor for a stock. We prefer to use fresh bay leaves but dry will work as well. Try putting the bay leaves in the crock pot first so they stay immersed in the water instead of floating on top for a stronger bay flavor.
Sea salt – salt is used to bring the flavor out of all the ingredients. If your turkey was heavily salted when cooked you can add the salt at the end so you don't over salt it.
Black pepper – well ground black pepper adds a touch of heat to this stock which helps give it a more distinct flavor. Use fresh ground if possible.
Water – you will need as much water as it will take to cover the carcass this is the base for the stock.

Steps to Make Turkey Stock

Once you gather your ingredients, we will use the following process:

Combine and Slow Cook

Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, you may need to break the carcass to get it to fit. Add enough water to cover the carcass and the vegetables. Turn the cooler on low for 10 – 12 hours. We usually do this step overnight. When the run time is done unplug the cooker and let the stock cool.

Strain and Pick Meat

Place a colander over a large bowl in the sink. Carefully pour the stock and all the contents into the colander. Taste the stock and season it with salt to taste if you want. Pick out any and all turkey meat from the colander and refrigerate or freeze the stock in the bowl underneath.

Kitchen notes

Like jelly. Since this stock is so rich it will turn to a kind of jelly when it has been refrigerated. This is due to the bone marrow from the turkey stewing so long being released. Don't be alarmed if it goes all jelly on you, when you heat it up it will be smooth and liquid.

Save it for a sick day. This turkey stock is one of the best things you can sip when you have a cold or a sore throat. The bone marrow makes it healthy and good for a cold.

Add some lemon. One of our favorite things to add to broth (especially when sick) is a squeeze of fresh lemon. The citrus brightens the broth.

Freeze in Smaller Portions. If you want to be able to have a little bit of stock once in a while when you are feeling a cold coming on try freezing it in an ice tray or in smaller quantities.

Use a mix of bones if possible—carcass, wings, neck, and legs all add different layers of flavor and collagen for a richer stock.

Break the carcass into smaller pieces so more surface area is exposed to the water, helping extract more gelatin and flavor.

Don't peel the onions or carrots—the onion skins add beautiful color and the vegetables get discarded anyway. rinse and rough chop.

Add a splash of apple cider vinegar (1–2 teaspoons) to help draw minerals and collagen from the bones. You won't taste it.

Keep the water level over the bones—too much water leads to a weaker stock.

Cook low and slow (10–18 hours) to pull out maximum flavor and natural gelatin. Overnight is solid.

Avoid stirring during cooking—stirring makes stock cloudy. let it gently simmer.

Don't add salt—unsalted stock gives you complete control when using it in recipes later.

Use whole herbs instead of chopped so they're easier to strain out, and avoid overpowering the stock.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth for a clearer, smoother stock.

Chill the stock and remove fat easily—once cold, the fat forms a solid layer on top that you can lift off.

Save the fat (schmaltz) for sautéing vegetables, making gravies, or adding flavor to soups.

Expect natural gel—if your stock turns jiggly in the fridge, that's a sign of a well-made, collagen-rich stock.

Freeze in multiple sizes—quarts for soups, cups for recipes, and ice-cube trays for sauces or sautéing.

Label with the date and “unsalted” so you know exactly what you're grabbing later.

From Scratch Turkey Stock FAQs

Can we freeze turkey stock?

Yes, make sure you leave enough space for the stock to expand when frozen. Best way to defrost the stock is place it in the fridge in a bowl.

Can we make this in an Instant Pot?

Yes! You can cut down the time but using an Instant Pot and using high pressure for 4 hours. You can also use the slow cooker option on the Instant Pot.

Can we use an electric Roaster?

Yes! A roaster is in many ways preferable since you can make so much more stock and you can boil it at a high temperature for longer. You also don't have to force the meat in as much since it has a larger capacity.

Do we need to break the turkey carcass down before adding it to the slow cooker?

If it fits, you don't have to—but breaking it into smaller pieces helps it submerge better and extract more flavor.

Can we reuse the bones for a second batch?

Usually no—the bones are fully depleted after 10–18 hours. A second batch will be watery and bland.

Can we use leftover vegetables in our soup?

No—after such long cooking, they're spent and mushy. Strain and discard them; use fresh vegetables when making soup.

What herbs and spices can we add?

Yes—bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, and parsley stems are common. Avoid strong spices like cloves unless you want that flavor in the final stock.

What if our stock turns to jelly when cold?

That's solid! It means the turkey bones released collagen, creating a rich, flavorful, high-quality stock. It will melt back to liquid when reheated.

How do we store homemade turkey stock?

Refrigerate up to 5 daysor freeze up to 6 months in jars, quart containers, or freezer bags. Leave room for expansion if freezing in glass.

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Ingredients

Turkey carcass
2 large carrots, cut into 3” pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 3” pieces
3 bay leaves
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
6-8 cups water

Method

Place all of the ingredients into the slow cooker, you may have to break the carcass to get it to fit.
Pour enough water into the slow cooker to mostly cover all the ingredients.
Set the cooker on low for 10-12 hours, we usually leave it overnight.
Place a large metal bowl in your sink, place a large colander over the bowl.
Carefully pour the stock from the stock pot into the colander, the stock should strain through the holds into the metal bowl. Taste the stock and season with more salt to taste. Remove the colander and let the stock cool before storing it or use immediately. Pick all the extra turkey meat off the carcass in the strainer and use as you like!