
How to make a basic homemade chicken stock?
Instructions
- Place the chicken carcasses in a 2-quart heavy duty saucepan.
- Add vegetables, herbs, and seasonings.
- Fill the pan to the top with water and make sure the bones and vegetables are submerged.
- Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook covered for 4 hours. ...
How do you make homemade chicken stock?
To remove the meat from the whole chicken, follow these steps:
- Carefully remove the whole chicken from the pot and set it on a large cutting board. ...
- Use two forks or a knife to remove as much meat as possible. ...
- Put the meat in an airtight glass container. ...
- Place all of the bones, skin, juices, and everything else back into the pot to continue making chicken stock.
How to make the best chicken stock?
Once you have all your ingredients ready—blanched bones or sweated-out vegetables, caramelized aromatics, rice wine, MSG, and sugar—add water and bring it to a vigorous boil. Then sit back and relax.
What is the recipe for chicken stock?
Preparation
- Put everything but the vinegar in a large stockpot. Bring the stock to a boil over high heat, then turn down to a simmer.
- Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. ...
- Simmer the stock for 6 to 8 hours, covered, keeping an eye on it to make sure it stays at a simmer.
- Strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve. ...
- Scrape the fat that rises to the top. ...

How can I use a lot of chicken stock?
5 Ways to Use Chicken StockSimmer a Warming Soup. ... Stir Up a Creamy Risotto. ... Make a Rich Cassoulet. ... Master a Classic Velouté ... Braise Meat or Vegetables.
How long should you simmer chicken stock?
Simmer the stock for 6 to 8 hours, covered, keeping an eye on it to make sure it stays at a simmer. Strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve. Let cool. Scrape the fat that rises to the top.
Can chicken stock be cooked too long?
Simmer Your Bones Long Enough, But Not Too Long Yet, if you cook your broth too long, it will develop overcooked, off-flavors that can become particularly unpleasant if you've added vegetables to the broth pot which tend to break down, tasting at once bitter and overly sweet.
How long does a chicken stock simmer after you add water?
Let simmer uncovered at a low simmer for 4 to 6 hours. Check every hour or so to be sure there is still enough water in the pot. if the water is evaporating too quickly, lower the heat, or add a bit more water.
How much water do I add to chicken stock?
Store Bought or Homemade Chicken Stock The store-bought chicken stock can be too salty, so make sure to dilute with water in a ratio of 2 parts broth to 1 part water (4 cups broth: 2 cups water) as a good starting point. You can always adjust the flavor to your liking by tasting the broth.
What is the difference between chicken broth and chicken stock?
Though their ingredients are largely the same, there is a difference between them. Stock is made from bones, while broth is made mostly from meat or vegetables. Using bones in stock creates a thicker liquid, while broth tends to be thinner and more flavorful.
Why should stock not be boiled?
Just as when you're making stock for soups or stews, boiling will cause soluble proteins and rendered fat to emulsify into the cooking liquid. By simmering, you avoid emulsifying the fat and thus keep the stock clearer, and we found that the scum created simply settled to the bottom of the pot.
How do you know when a stock is done cooking?
Generally, for chicken stock (which is what I make at home the most), when everything is falling apart and the bones are kind of bendy, you have gotten all you can get. This takes about 3-4 hours at a slow simmer depending on the size of chunks you have put into the pot.
How long can you leave stock simmering?
There's a limit to how much flavor a given ingredient will impart—past that, extra time just turns everything to mush. Big beef or lamb bones can be cooked for up to eight hours, or overnight. Chicken bones are more like four to six. Veggies give up all their flavor in about an hour.
Do you cover stock when simmering?
Do you simmer this stock uncovered? A. Yes, but don't let it simmer too hard (a bare simmer is best) because you don't want the liquid to reduce too quickly. In fact, if you have the time, you could partly cover the pot with the lid.
How do you know when chicken stock is done?
You know your stock is done when the color turns a rich golden brown. The texture will be slightly gelatinous and may become more so as it's cooled. Other than the occasional check in, you can go about the rest of your day and have a batch of delicious homemade chicken stock with hardly any effort at all.
Why do you put vinegar in chicken stock?
Whether it's white wine or vinegar, a touch of acid added to the simmering pot will create a richer finished product. That's because acid helps break down the cartilage and other connective tissues in the bones of the chicken, which helps speed up the formation of gelatin in the stock.
Directions
Place raw chicken in a large pot. Optional: For deeper flavor, roast the chicken parts for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F before proceeding with the recipe.
How to Store Homemade Chicken Stock
You can store it in the fridge for up to three days, or, if you don't need the full amount for soup, pour it into smaller containers and freeze for up to 6 months. Then you'll have small amounts ready to use when making a sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes, casseroles, or rice dishes.
VIDEO: How to Make Rapid Chicken Stock
Ready for a speedy alternative? See how to make chicken stock in your pressure cooker! "This simple yet flavorful chicken stock is great for everything," says Liam Walshe, "and the pressure cooker is the magic tool here! You need a decent-sized pressure cooker for this recipe.
Homemade Chicken Stock
This is actually my first year making homemade chicken stock and I’m sold! It’s so flavorful and is the perfect addition to any recipe that calls for chicken broth. Plus it’s especially good for sipping on those sick days.
How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock
Place chicken carcass (including any wing bones or leg bones) into a large pot.
So Whats the Difference Between Chicken Stock and Chicken Broth?
Chicken stock is richer and tends to have more flavor, it’s made with the bones whereas chicken broth is simmered with chicken meat.
Can I Use Different Herbs?
You can use other herbs here such as thyme, rosemary or bay leaves for a bit of extra herb flavor if desired. A clove or two of garlic can also be added to for a light garlicy flavor.
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken Bones?
Yes you can use rotisserie chicken bones here so don’t throw them away. If you don’t don’t get to making it right away you can chill chicken bones and make the broth within the next few days.
How Long Will the Stock Keep For?
This should keep well in the fridge for 5 – 6 days or frozen for 2 months. Cool completely before freezing and allow 1-inch space at the top for expansion.
Can I Make This in a Slow Cooker or Instant Pot?
I’ve also tried this in a slow cooker and it works great. Just cook on low heat 8 – 12 hours (or high heat 4 – 5 hours). You can also make it in the Instant Pot, set to 45 minutes (let pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes).
A rich, flavorful, and versatile chicken stock, made with a minimal investment of time and effort
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
What Makes a Good Chicken Stock?
In my eyes, a good white chicken stock should have the full, clean flavors of chicken and aromatic vegetables, and have more body than water. If it gels at least slightly when chilled, that's a good sign as far as body is concerned.
The Building Blocks of Stock
A very basic white chicken stock is a pretty simple affair: It's made with water; chicken; aromatic vegetables, like onion, carrot, and garlic; and herbs. The exact ingredients are up to the cook.
Consider the Chicken
Stock can be made with a whole chicken, any of its parts, or a combination. In practice, it's usually made with the scraps and bones of a chicken that's already been butchered for other uses. Still, it helps to know how each part of a chicken can change the flavor of stock.
Arming the Aromatics
Another big question with stock is how to handle the aromatics. It's common to just throw halved onions and big chunks of carrot and celery into the pot. But is that the best way?
The Ratio and Cooking Time
One of the keys to good stock is simply to not dilute it too much. When I started my tests, I was limited by pot size and dimension, and had to use one pound of chicken per two quarts of water (any more, and I'd overflow my smaller pots). But that produced stocks that were a little too weak.
Ingredients
4 to 8 pounds (1.8 to 3.6kg) chicken parts, such as wings, bones, breasts, and legs (see note)
Ingredients
2 to 3 pounds chicken feet, a combo of bones and feet, or the carcass from a roasted chicken
Steps to Make It
I don't like this at all. It's not the worst. Sure, this will do. I'm a fan—would recommend. Amazing! I love it! Thanks for your rating!
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.
How to Make Chicken Stock (Bone Broth)
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Soups and Stews
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!
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!
