Welcome back, everyone! Today I want to share with you the best chicken stock recipe! That’s chicken “stalk” – for all the voice search people out there like me who are often misunderstood. I’m looking’ at you, Siri-girl, and you Alexa! Shaking my head. Seriously.
I believe that once you make your own chicken stock, you may never go back to the boxed variety again! Making your own chicken stock at home is easy and affordable and if you’re like me, you will get several meals out of it. Plus it makes the BEST chicken stock!
The resulting chicken is tender and pulls apart easily and it’s perfect anywhere you would use shredded chicken like Chicken Salad, Baked Chimichangas, or Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings.
What is Chicken Stock
Chicken Bone Broth (Chicken Stock) is a stock made with chicken meat and bones which are simmered on the stove. It has a light chicken flavor and is perfect to use in soups, like our Chicken Pot Pie Soup.
Chicken Broth vs. Stock
What’s the difference between chicken stock and Chicken broth, anyway?
The number one question people ask “Is chicken stock is the same as chicken broth?” The answer to this question is No. They are similar but not the same.
Typically Chicken broth is lower in calories since it’s made by just simmering chicken meat but not the bones. This makes it the preferred option for those who are trying to limit their calorie intake.
Chicken stock contains more nutrients, minerals. and collagen than broth which more than makes up for the slight calorie difference in the added health benefits alone. The extra 50 calories are nominal.
The second biggest question I hear is “Why is chicken stock gelatinous?” This has to do with the chicken bones themselves. Slowly simmering the bones draws out all the vitamins and nutrients into the broth but it also draws out the collagen and marrow.
The collagen is what gives the chicken stock its silky texture. Once you reheat the stock, it will all become fully liquified again. The bone stock adds a beautiful depth of flavor to rice and chicken dishes and is great for other uses like gravy and even ramen noodles.
The flavor of this chicken bone broth recipe is reminiscent of chicken noodle soup.
Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Stock recipe
For the full set of ingredients, see the printable recipe card below.
- Chicken with bones
- Water
- Celery
- Onions
- Carrots
- Salt
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Bay leaves
- Pepper Corns
- Other herbs as desired: rosemary, thyme, sage
How to Make Chicken Stock from Bones
For the full set of instructions, see the printable recipe card below.
- Arrange the bone-in Chicken in a large stockpot or Dutch oven [paid link]. I use chicken legs but you could also use a chicken carcass, chicken feet, or chicken necks.
- Add chopped vegetables and your favorite seasonings.
- Cover with water.
- Simmer slowly over low heat to draw out all the nutrients and collagen.
- Strain, package, and use or freeze.
Why Skim and Strain the Stock
Why skim chicken stock? Skimming the finished stock removes the excess fat floating on the surface of the stock. You can do this while it’s hot with a spoon, or you can chill the stock so that the fat hardens on the surface and you can easily remove it that way.
Why Strain Chicken Stock? Straining removes all the vegetables, bone fragments, and any other unwanted particles from the broth. I use a double fine mesh sieve [paid link] but if you are seeing a lot of particles left in your stock, I recommend using a paper towel or cheesecloth [paid link] to line the strainer.
How to Store Stock
Chicken stock may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Can Stock be frozen? Yes. It can be frozen and I recommend making a big batch and then filling the freezer.
I store mine in a variety of sizes in food storage containers [paid link]. Two cups, 4 cups (1 Quart), and an ice cube tray (2 ounces). This makes it very handy to pull out exactly the portion I need when I meal plan for the day with very little waste.
How long can stock be frozen? The answer to this question, for me, is it depends. For the ice cube size portions, I say no more than 3 months for the fear of freezer burn. For the larger portions in air-tight containers, I say up to 6 months. After that, the quality could start to diminish.
Can I store Chicken Stock in my pantry? The only way to safely store chicken stock in the pantry is after pressure canning (see the video).
Uses for Stock
- Gravy
- Ramen Noodles
- Risotto
- Soups and stews
- Instant Mashed Potatoes
- Quinoa
- Rice Pilaf
- Simmering vegetables
- Stuffing
- Anywhere you want to add a little extra chicken flavor.
Variations
Beef Bone Broth [Beef Stock] – swap out the chicken for beef bones. Try and use a mix of marrow bones and bones with a little meat on them, such as oxtail, short ribs, or knucklebones (cut in half by the butcher).
I generally save the “rack” from the prime rib for this purpose. It’s good and meaty and makes a great broth.
Vegetable Broth – omit the chicken bones and double up on your favorite vegetables.
![a large metal serving spoon is being used to skim excess oil off the top of the finished Chicken bone broth [Chicken stock].](https://kitchendreaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Homemade-Chicken-Bone-Broth-Chicken-Stock-7-483x650.jpg "How to Make Easy Homemade Chicken Bone Broth (Chicken Stock) 7")
Chicken Bone Broth (Chicken Stock)
Equipment
- Heavy Stock Pot or Dutch Oven [paid link] with tight-fitting lid
- Fine mesh sieve [paid link]
- storage containers [paid link]
Ingredients
- 3.5 lbs Bony Chicken Pieces Legs, wings, necks, or back bones
- 4 ribs Celery tops and leaves, too!
- 4 medium Carrots cut into 2 inch chunks
- 2 large Onions quartered
- 3 cloves Garlic peeled
- 3 Bay leaves
- 10 Whole peppercorns
- 2 quarts Water
Optional Herbs & Spices
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Ginger
Optional Aromatic Vegetables
- Parsnips
- Celery Root
- Green Onions (Scallions)
Instructions
- Layer all ingredients into the pot. Pour in the water.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the pot comes to a rolling boil, cover and reduce the heat to a slow simmer over low heat. Only a very low bubble is needed for this slow simmer. The slow simmer is what draws out all flavor!
- Simmer covered over LOW heat for 3 hours, checking the pot occasionally for the water level. If the water level seems to be dropping, add additional water to keep the pot at around two quarts of water. If foam develops, skim the foam away with a spoon and discard.
- After the stock is done, it will have a light golden color and smell and taste like chicken soup. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.Remove the chicken to a large bowl or plate and set asideOnce the stock is cool enough to safely handle. strain the stock by pouring it through a fine-mesh sieve into another large pot or bowl to remove the spent vegetables, herbs, bones, and cartilage. Let the stock cool and skim the fat off the top. The cooler the stock is, the easier it will be to remove the fat floating on the surface.
- For the reserved chicken meat, This can be shredded off the bones and the bones be discarded. The shredded meat is perfect anywhere you would use pre-cooked shredded chicken meat like soups, tacos, chicken salad, and chimichangas.
- IMPORTANT TO NOTE: The chilled Chicken stock will turn gelatinous. This is perfectly normal.This has to do with the chicken bones themselves. Slowly simmering the bones draws out all the vitamins and nutrients into the broth but it also draws out the collagen and marrow. The collagen is what gives the chicken stock its silky texture. Once you reheat the stock, it will all become fully liquified again. The bone stock adds a beautiful depth of flavor to rice and chicken dishes and is great for other uses like gravy and even ramen noodles.
Looks great. Thanks for sharing.
The broth is full of flavor. I froze mine. How do I reheat it once it congeals?
I wanted some shredded chicken meet for enchiladas and thought why not. I got a good broth and a bunch can of shredded chicken. Win-win.
I had some drumsticks in the freezer and thought I’d give this a whirl. It was very easy to make and tastes great. I wouldn’t have thought the chicken meat would have still had flavor and be edible but it was. I’d definitely make this again.
I froze mine in zip top bags laid flat.