If you knew how easy it is to make your Chicken Stock (Bone Broth), you would never use the store-bought version again. Not only it is easy to make homemade stock, but it is also healthier and cheaper.
If you want to learn how to make restaurant-style chicken stock, this is the perfect recipe for you!
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Good chicken stock should have a mild savory flavor that enhances the sauces, risottos, soups, or stews you make with it, with no strong flavors that would dominate the dish.
The basic white chicken stock is made with water, chicken pieces or a whole chicken, diced mirepoix (aromatic vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, leek, and garlic), herbs like bay leaves, thyme, or parsley, and a few peppercorns.
I sometimes add mushroom stems or even tomato peels to my stock if I have them around.
Why This Recipe Works
- Chicken Stock or Chicken Bone Broth is the secret ingredient of many good chefs or home cooks.
- This nutritional Chicken Bone Broth is very easy to make and doesn’t require too much effort from you.
- It keeps fresh for up to a week in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer when stored in airtight containers.
- Unlike the expensive store-bought versions, you know exactly what gets into your homemade chicken broth!
Chicken Stock vs Chicken Broth
Although they both are very similar and you can substitute stock for broth or vice versa, they have a few key differences:
Chicken Stock (or Chicken Bone Broth)
- Made with bones and mirepoix.
- Thicker, gelatinous, and has a collagen-rich consistency.
- Doesn't contain salt, neutral flavoured.
- Higher in calories and fat but has more vitamins and minerals.
- Darker and cloudier.
Chicken Broth
- Made with chicken meat.
- Thinner and more flavorful, it can be enjoyed as is.
- Contains salt which makes it more flavoursome.
- Cooked for less, no longer than one hour.
- Lower in calories and fat, and contains very little protein.
- Lighter and clearer.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Best Bones for Making Stock
The main ingredient is bones, and the reason for simmering them for a few hours is to extract the collagen and break them down into gelatin. You can use any type of chicken bones, whole carcass, or wings. Make sure there are some pieces of meat on the bones for a deeper flavor, or just add a piece of meat if the bones are bare.
You can use leftover carcass from your roast chicken or you can buy chicken bones from your butcher.
- Mirepoix - It is a mixture of onions, celery, and carrots. Some recipes suggest putting them whole in the stock but diced ones give the best results.
- Aromatics - You can get creative here and use your preferred aromatics. I usually put some bay leaves, thyme, parsley stalks, and peppercorns. Mushroom stalks or peelings and tomato peelings are also great for adding extra flavor to your stock.
- Water -Start your stock with cold water. Use the double amount of the chicken, this recipe requires 2 liters of water for 1 kilo of chicken bones.
Step by Step Instructions
Making chicken stock at home is very easy and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
Cut your chicken bones into chunks and then place them in a large pot. Add the diced vegetables, aromatic herbs, and peppercorns. Fill the pan with cold water; the amount of water should be double the amount of the chicken.
Bring it to a boil on medium heat and then let it simmer on very low heat for 3 to 4 hours. For a clear stock, let it simmer, not boil! Boiling the stock emulsifies the fat and creates a cloudy, flat taste.
Skim off the scum and foam from the surface throughout cooking. Let it cool down for 10 minutes before passing it through a fine sieve to avoid burning with splashes of boiling liquid.
Store them refrigerated in glass jars or airtight containers.
What is the Chicken Stock Used For?
Chicken Stock (or Chicken Bone Broth) is a great base for stews and soups as well as for making rice or bulgur. Some of my recipes that use chicken stock are:
Hot and Sour Chicken Soup, Braised Beef Cheeks, Orman Kebabi, Kuru Fasulye, Potato Boulangere, Bulgur Pilavi, Creamy Mushroom Sauce for Steak, and Turkish Lentil Soup.
Top Tips From the Chef
- To make sure your chicken bone broth gels every time, make sure to include bones that have connective tissues.
- Make sure there are some pieces of meat on the bones for a deeper flavor, or just add a piece of meat if the bones are bare.
- Fill the pan with cold water, the amount of water should be double the amount of the chicken.
- For a clear stock, let it simmer, not boil! Boiling the stock emulsifies the fat and creates a cloudy, flat taste.
- Let it cool down for 10 minutes before passing through a fine sieve to avoid burning with splashes of boiling liquid.
- Let the fat settle in a layer on top of the stock as it cools. This way, the fat will create a protective layer over the stock and it will last a bit longer in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
Let the chicken stock cool down to room temperature and pour it into plastic airtight containers. You can also use glass mason jars to freeze the chicken stock. Just make sure you don't fill the jar; leave at least 2 cm (1") space at the top to avoid breakage.
Yes, you can use the chicken carcass from the leftover roast or rotisserie to make chicken stock. Follow the instructions as you are making the stock with raw chicken bones. The chicken stock from the cooked carcass will be slightly less flavorsome but still will make a great base for delicious soups and stews.
Yes, if you can get hold of chicken feet, they are a great addition to stocks and broth. They are high in collagen which helps the stock gel perfectly each time.
Related Recipes
More delicious recipes you can use your homemade chicken bone broth:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Homemade Chicken Stock from scratch as much as you enjoy using it in your recipes! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
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Easy Chicken Stock (Bone Broth)
Equipment
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 stock pot
- 1 peeler
- 1 sieve
Ingredients
- 2 ⅕ lbs chicken carcass, wings or bones (cut in chunks) (1 kilo)
- 1 large onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 large carrot (roughly chopped)
- 2 celery sticks (roughly chopped)
- 3 bay leaves
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 6 black peppercorns
- 8 cups water
- few parsley stalks (optional)
- few mushroom stems (optional)
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a large pot.
- Roughly chop the onions, carrots, and celery sticks and add them to the pan.
- Add the aromatics such as bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, parsley stalks (optional), and mushroom stems (optional).
- Fill the pot with cold water and put on high heat until it boils.
- Turn the heat down and let it simmer for 3 to 4 hours on very low heat, don’t let it boil.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool down for 10 minutes before straining.
- When cooled down a bit, strain through a fine sieve and pour into the jars.
- Store in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- To make sure your chicken bone broth gels every time, make sure to include bones that have connective tissues.
- Make sure there are some pieces of meat on the bones for a deeper flavor, or just add a piece of meat if the bones are bare.
- Fill the pan with cold water, the amount of water should be double the amount of the chicken.
- For a clear stock, let it simmer, not boil! Boiling the stock emulsifies the fat and creates a cloudy, flat taste.
- Let it cool down for 10 minutes before passing through a fine sieve to avoid burning with splashes of boiling liquid.
- Let the fat settle in a layer on top of the stock as it cools. This way, the fat will create a protective layer over the stock and it will last a bit longer in the refrigerator.
Kristin says
Homemade stock is easy to make and your recipe looks so good!