This is my year-after-year go-to technique for making turkey broth. Smoked turkey wings make an absolutely delightful smoked turkey broth that, with just a few more ingredients added, makes a gravy that is perfect for Thanksgiving turkey. It is also a great substitute for chicken broth in soups. The smoked turkey adds the perfect lightly-smoky flavor, all in a very rich broth. You could just eat it out of a bowl by itself.
You’ll get about 8 cups of smoked turkey broth when you are done. You can find turkey wings that already smoked in some grocery stores. You can use them instead of smoking your own, but you may want to get more than 4 of them. They tend to be smaller. As you can tell from the picture above I grabbed the largest fresh turkey wings I could find and then smoked them at home. It’s very easy and well, cool looking.
I prefer to use fruit or nut woods when I smoke unless I want a heavier smoke flavor. Pecan, apple or cherry are my favorites. I used apple to smoke the turkey for this recipe.
If you prefer to roast your turkey wings instead and use them to make a broth, check out my holiday make-ahead gravy recipe.
You can also make this broth using roasted turkey wings or legs.
Smoked Turkey Broth
Ingredients
For the smoked turkey wings
- 4 large turkey wings
For the stock
- 8 ribs celery
- 2 onions quartered
- 1 head garlic cloves removed but not peeled
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 quarts of water more or less
Instructions
For the smoked turkey wings
- Fire up your smoker for cooking at 250 F. Use a wood such as hickory. You’ll want plenty of smoke.
- Place the wings onto the smoker. No need to season them.
- Smoke for approximately 2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
- Remove from the smoker and make the stock.
For the broth
- Place all of the ingredients along with the wings into a large stock pot.
- Add enough water to just cover everything.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for at least an hour, up to 4 hours, until the turkey meat is falling off the bone. Add more water if needed.
- Let cool completely then filter the broth through a sieve.
- You can use the broth immediately but I prefer to refrigerate it overnight first. This lets all of the fat coagulate on top, making it easy to remove before using the broth.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
I made the smoked turkey broth, but now I’m not sure how to use it. The flavor and scent seem SO strong. I would be afraid the smoke flavor would overpower recipes where I would use regular turkey/chicken broth. What are the best uses for smoked turkey broth?
I’m sorry it seems to strong to you. You can use it wherever you would normally use broth, like gravies or soups. But, if you find it to be overpowering, you might want to dilute it first. So say a recipe calls for 4 cups of broth, perhaps try 1 cup of the smoked broth and 3 cups regular and see if that is thinned down enough for your tastes.
Regards,
Mike