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Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe

Making homemade chicken stock is incredibly easy and inexpensive, not to mention it's bursting with flavor and good-for-you nutrients. The next time you have a roast chicken for dinner, save the bones and give this chicken stock recipe a try!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 16 cups
Calories: 33 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: North American

Ingredients

  • 4 4 lb chicken bones or enough to fill your pot halfway full of bones
  • 16 16 cups cold water or enough to cover the bones with 2-3 inches of water
Optional vegetables
  • 1 1 cup chopped onion leave the skin on for color!
  • 1 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 6 6 cloves garlic unpeeled and crushed with the side of your knife
  • Rosemary branch, a few sage leaves, a few sprigs of thyme, a handful of parsley

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Break the bones into smaller pieces and then add them to the pot. If you're using vegetables and herbs, put them on top of the bones. Add the water, making sure to cover the bones by 2-3 inches.
  2. Bring the pot to a simmer over medium-high heat. DO NOT let it boil or your stock will be dirty-looking. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer very gently for 3-4 hours.
  3. Use a pair of tongs to remove any larger bones from the pot. Set a colander over a large bowl and then strain the stock.
  4. Set a fine-mesh sieve over another large bowl and strain the stock once more to remove any small pieces.
  5. OPTIONAL STEP: for extra flavorful stock, return it to a clean pot and boil rapidly until it reduces by ⅓ to condense the flavor.
  6. Cool the stock for no more than 1 hour on your counter then put it into your fridge to cool completely. If a fat-layer forms on top of the cold stock, remove it before using the stock. The stock will keep for 3 days in your fridge. Or transfer it to freezer-safe containers and freeze it for up to 6 months.
Slow Cooker Method
    Cup of Yum
  1. Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker then set it on low for at least 8 (or up to 24) hours. Follow the instructions above to strain and store the stock.

Notes

  • The optional vegetables:
  • We've made very good chicken stock many times without using vegetables. If you want to add them, go for it. Or you can save your veggie scraps in your freezer and use those instead!
  • We always have a 'bone bag' in our freezer. We put the bones into the bag after dinner when we eat bone-in chicken. Also, when we cut an onion, carrots, celery, or garlic, we put the scraps into the bag. And when the parsley in the fridge is looking limp, it goes into the bag, too. When the bag is full, we empty it into our slow cooker, add water, and make chicken stock. The exact proportions vary each time, but it is always delicious. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 cup Calories 33kcal (2%) Protein 8g (16%) Sodium 89mg (4%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 33

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 cup
Calories 33kcal 2%
Protein 8g 16%
Sodium 89mg 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.