How to Make Chicken Stock (Chicken Bone Broth)

The ultimate guide on how to make chicken stock (aka chicken bone broth) with a whole chicken, chicken parts, or carcass (bones). This “liquid gold” homemade chicken stock is packed with flavor and healthful nutrients and is the perfect addition to soups, stews, gravies, and sauces! Best of all, it’s highly adaptable, is naturally gluten-free, and can be made organic and/or as a low-sodium chicken broth!

I’ve already posted recipes for homemade vegetable stock and bouillon cubes (or powder). However, a new project I’m working on relies a lot on chicken and beef stock/broth (check out my beef broth recipe too!). So, I thought it was time to share my method for how to make chicken stock (aka bone broth or “liquid gold”).

While there are many options out there, including liquid stock/broth, tablets, and, of course, store-bought bouillon, once you’ve made homemade chicken stock in all its rich, velvety, flavorful glory, it’s honestly hard to go back to the store-bought stuff. Instead, you’ll find yourself spending years tweaking and experimenting with homemade chicken stock (like I have).

Unlike store-bought chicken stock, this homemade chicken bone broth is far healthier – you can tweak ingredients, control the amount of sodium, avoid preservatives, and – best of all – you get all the healthful benefits from the chicken bones, including the collagen, iron, and vitamins from the marrow.

I’ve also included several variations below. That includes a way to prepare chicken broth vs. chicken stock and a way that involves searing the chicken first. Once prepared, use the aromatic, savory liquid to add flavor to soups, stews, gravies, sauces, and more!

What is Chicken Broth vs. Stock?

While similar, chicken stock usually utilizes more chicken bones than chicken broth (which primarily uses the meat). The difference affects the flavor and texture. Chicken stock has a richer flavor and silkier mouthfeel due to the gelatins from the simmered bones.

Chicken stock is prepared by simmering chicken and vegetables in water for low-slow cooking to infuse the liquid with flavor. As a result, it is usually darker in color than broth, with a more concentrated flavor. For that reason, the stock is often used for soups, stews, sauces, rice/grain dishes, and more.

Meanwhile, the broth is lighter and contains less protein, and sometimes no vegetables. The thinner, lighter liquid is good for dishes where you don’t want the chicken flavor to overwhelm the other elements. It’s also important to note that stock is usually cooked for longer to simmer and break down the bones slowly.

However, perhaps confusingly, “chicken bone broth” is essentially chicken stock. Meanwhile, vegetable stock obviously contains no bones and yet is titled stock.

Honestly, in many cases, the titles and uses for “broth” and “stock” are interchangeable. For example, in the below recipe, you can create a chicken stock (bone broth) or chicken broth depending on what part of the chicken is used and whether you focus more on bones, meat, or a mixture of the two.

What is In Chicken Broth/Stock?

• Chicken: you can use a whole chicken, parts of a chicken, or just the chicken bones depending on if you want a thinner vs. thicker stock/broth and how strong you want the flavor to be. I made mine using a whole chicken (flesh and bones) for a hearty chicken bone broth. This method is also a great way to use the “carcass” after making a roast dinner.

Note: The amount of chicken you use changes how “rich” the final chicken stock will be. I recommend around 6 lb chicken to 16-18 cups water for lighter (but still flavorful) results. Increase the chicken by 50-100% for a richer stock.

• Vegetables: for this homemade chicken stock, I’ve used a combination of onion (no need to peel; the peel will give it a lovely caramel-like color), garlic, celery, ginger, and carrot. You could also use vegetable scraps instead (the flavor will vary based on what scraps are used).
• Herbs/Spices: to create a full-bodied chicken bone broth, I’ve included cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, thyme, cloves, and salt and pepper.
• Water.

Other Optional Add-ins & Variations

• Herbs: For extra flavor, you could add herbs. I recommend parsley for pairing well with chicken without overwhelming the taste. Dill and rosemary would also work.
• Minimize the aromatics: for a more subtle chicken broth, you can make a simple version with only bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
• Other vegetables: leeks or scallion greens could also be added.
• Acid: you could use lemon, apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar, or another acid (a few Tbsp). Not only does it add brightness to the flavor, but it extracts the minerals and “goodness” from the bones.

How to Make Chicken Stock (Bone Broth)

Step 1: Prep the ingredients

First, clean the chicken well and pat dry. You can optionally remove the skin and chop the chicken into pieces so it fits your pot.

You can save the chicken skin to make “chips.” To do so, lay the skin on a parchment-lined large baking tray and sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and herbs (like oregano, sage, etc.). Next, place another layer of parchment paper over the seasoned chicken skin, and top with a second baking sheet. Bake for around 15-20 minutes at 360ºF/160ºC. Remove from the oven and cool for several minutes before removing the top pan, seasoning any further and enjoying.

Next, prepare the vegetables by rinsing them well, roughly chopping the onion and carrots.

Step 2: Bring to a boil then simmer

Place the chicken and the other ingredients into a large enough pot and pour enough cold water over it to “just” cover the chicken. The amount needed will vary based on what chicken you’re using, the amount used, and the pan you’re using. You want to only just cover the chicken. Add too much, and you’ll be watering down the flavor of the chicken bone broth.

You can sauté the chicken pieces first (like the wings, back, etc.) until browned to lock in more flavor. When using just the bones, you can drizzle them with oil and bake in the oven at 400ºF/200ºC for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Then, bring the mixture to a boil over medium-low heat. A foam “scum” will start to appear on the surface of the liquid. Use a spoon or skimmer to remove this as needed (this usually happens in the first 30-40 minutes only).

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pot with a lid. Allow the mixture to simmer for at least an hour to infuse with all the flavors.

I like to salt only very lightly for a low-sodium chicken broth, as I prefer to add salt to the individual dishes made with the prepared stock. If you plan on reducing the stock – only add salt at the very end, so you don’t accidentally over-salt.

If making bone broth, you can simmer it for between 4-6 hours minimum, with the lid slightly askew. You can cook it up to 48 hrs in total – though 24 hrs is a good standard. I recommend tasting after six and increasing, to taste. This time is needed to properly break down the bones, cartilage, etc., into collagen.

Finally, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, allow it to cool slightly, and then decant it into jars/containers to store.

Top Tip: I recommend labeling the jars/containers you use to store the stock (especially when freezing). That way, you won’t accidentally waste any.

How to Use Chicken Stock

To say the uses for chicken stock are plentiful would be an understatement. However, here are a few of my favorite ways to use this “liquid gold.”

• Add the homemade chicken stock to soups.
• Season stews – like this green bean stew, okra stew (bamya), butter bean stew (fasolia), and pea and carrot stew (bazella w riz).
• Cook grains for more flavor – rice, pasta, quinoa, or even risotto all benefit from the use of stock instead of water.
• Use in casseroles.
• Or add it when cooking polenta and savory oatmeal.
• Use it within gravies and sauces.

How Long Does Chicken Broth Last?

Fridge: you can store the jars of homemade chicken stock in the refrigerator for between 5-7 days. The fat layer on top can extend the shelflife to up to 10 days; however, I aim to use it within a week to be safe.

Note that bone broth will gelatinize slightly in the fridge due to the collagen content. However, it will return to a liquid state when reheated.

Freezer: pour the chicken bone broth into several freezer-safe jars, leaving at least 1-inch headspace (for expansion as it freezes). Then store in the freezer for 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Alternatively, you can pour the stock (portioned) into ice cube trays or large airtight Ziplock bags. Lastly, you could pour the stock into a large dish, freeze for several hours (or overnight), and then slice into stock cubes and store in a Ziplock bag. That way, you can easily defrost the amount needed, and it’s easier to store.

Reheat: you can reheat the homemade chicken broth either on the stovetop, in the microwave, or by adding it directly to your dish (soup, stew, etc.) to heat.

FAQs

Recipe Notes and Top Tips

• To remove excess fat: when storing the homemade chicken stock in the fridge, the fat will naturally separate and float at the top of the broth. You can then simply move it aside when pouring out the liquid.
• Two boil method: there is a version of making chicken broth (with meat and bones) that has you start by bringing water to a boil with the ingredients, then discarding that first water and using more for a second boil. However, having tried both methods, I think this unnecessarily gets rid of lots of flavor and adds extra steps to a process where it simply isn’t needed.
• For a concentrated stock: after straining the mixture, you can further simmer the chicken bone broth on the stovetop for 1-2 hours. This will reduce the liquid for more concentrated flavor (and reduced storage space needed).
• Save bones: you can save chicken bones in a bag in the freezer until you gather enough to make a large batch of homemade chicken stock. This is great if you make chicken often and remove the bones, and it gives you more time to gather what’s needed. Likewise, you could use vegetable scraps instead of whole veggies – though the flavor will vary based on what you use.
• Make notes of your experiments: once you start making homemade chicken stock, it’s easy to become obsessed, and next thing you know, you’ve spent years tweaking and adjusting the recipe, never once having a stock that’s the same as the time before. So you don’t accidentally forget the “winning ratio”, though, I recommend making notes every time you add new ingredients/change ratios. That way, you’ll be able to replicate your favorite version repeatedly.

Soups and Stews

• Lebanese lentil soup
• Japanese ramen noodle soup
• One-pot turmeric, ginger & pumpkin immune-boosting soup
• Vegan potato leek soup
• Butternut squash carrot soup
• Thai vegan green pea soup

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If you try this method for how to cook chicken stock, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d really appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!