Instant Pot Turkey Back Broth. A big batch of pressure cooker broth for Thanksgiving, made with a pack of turkey backs.
I need a lot of broth for Thanksgiving. It’s a key ingredient in my gravy and stuffing recipes, so I like to make a big batch before the big day. The problem is finding the bony castoffs that make the best broth. I usually wind up making chicken broth, because I can get cheap packs of frozen chicken backs from my local grocery store.
So, imagine my delight when cryovac packs of frozen turkey backs showed up next to the chicken backs. They are exactly what I need to make Thanksgiving turkey broth ahead of time.
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This recipe is a cross between my turkey bone broth (which uses the leftover carcass from a Thanksgiving turkey) and chicken back broth (which uses chicken backs, obviously.). If you only need enough broth for a serving of gravy, try my turkey giblet and wing broth.
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🥫Ingredients
- Turkey backs
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrot
- Fresh thyme
- Salt
See recipe card for quantities.
🥘 Substitutions
Turkey backs: My local grocery store carries frozen turkey backs in the meat department. If you can’t find backs, you can substitute turkey wings. Drumsticks have too much meat and not enough bone, so they aren’t an ideal substitute, but they’ll work in a pinch. If you’re stuck, you can use chicken backs, which are easier to find…but that’s a different recipe.
Onion, Celery, Carrot: I like a mix of all three vegetables in my broth, but when my pantry is running low, I’ll skip the carrot and/or celery. I like the sweetness that an onion adds to the broth, but if I’m out, I’ll substitute two cloves of unpeeled garlic.
Fresh thyme: Substitute 2 bay leaves, or ½ teaspoon of dried thyme, or skip it.
🛠 Equipment
📏Scaling
This recipe scales down easily - cut everything in half if you don’t need as much broth, or have a 3-quart pressure cooker. Scaling up runs into space issues; if you have an 8-quart pressure cooker, you can double this recipe, but it’s too much to fit in a 6-quart pressure cooker.
💡Tips and Tricks
- Turkey broth with frozen backs: Frozen backs work fine in this recipe, as long as the block of frozen backs will fit in the pressure cooker. Sometimes I have to pull out my 8-quart pressure cooker to get the backs to fit, if they’re in an awkward shaped block.
- Defat the broth: Turkey is already pretty low-fat, but if you want to completely defat the broth, store the pot of strained broth in the refrigerator overnight. The fat will rise to the top and solidify into a fat cap. Lift the fat cap off of the broth and discard, and voila - defatted broth.
Instant Pot Turkey Back Broth
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups of broth 1x
Description
Instant Pot Turkey Back Broth. A big batch of pressure cooker broth for Thanksgiving, made with a pack of turkey backs.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds turkey backs (about 4 backs)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and halved
- 1 stalk celery, broken into pieces
- 1 carrot, scrubbed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 cups of water (or to cover, or to the max fill line of the PC)
Instructions
- Everything in the pot: Put the turkey backs in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. Add the onion, celery, carrot, thyme, and salt to the pressure cooker pot, then add the 8 cups of water.
- Pressure cook for 1 hour with a Natural Release: Lock the lid. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes in an Instant Pot, electric, or stovetop PC. (Use "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode in an Instant Pot.) Let the pressure come down naturally – at least 30 minutes. (It takes a long time for all that water to cool off.) If you’re in a hurry, let the pressure come down for at least 20 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Strain and save the broth: Scoop as much of the solids out of the pot as you can with a slotted spoon and discard. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Refrigerate the broth for up to 3 days, or freeze in 2-cup containers for up to 6 months.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
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☃️ Storage
Broth will last in the refrigerator for a couple of days. I freeze any broth I’m not going to use immediately in 2-cup containers. It will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
🤝 Related Posts
Instant Pot Turkey Bone Broth (Turkey Carcass Broth)
Pressure Cooker Day-After-Thanksgiving Turkey Carcass Soup
Pressure Cooker Turkey Giblet Gravy
Rotisserie Pan Bread Stuffing with Cranberries and Apples
My other Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes
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John Bolz says
Curious as to how you get your broth/stock so light and clear after roasting which darkens everything.
Mike Vrobel says
This recipe doesn’t roast the backs - they go into the pressure cooker raw. (And the backlighting in the picture makes the broth look extra clear.)
Lisa says
Love all your pressure cooker recipes--and this one is no exception. Here's a tip for finding bones for broth--have you explored the international markets in your area?? The best place for finding meat and bones that are, shall we say, out of the ordinary can be Asian or Latin markets. That's my go-to here in the Albuquerque area! Also for any sort of offal, they are the best.... tripe and the like.
Mike Vrobel says
Yes, I have: https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/ethnic-and-gourmet-markets-in-akron/ - if you are in Akron, check out Difeo’s poultry downtown.
Darren M says
Thank you! This is exactly what I needed for Thanksgiving!!!
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome!