Chicken Stock

I always keep a stash of homemade chicken stock in my freezer for making soups, sauces, and even just sipping. Here’s everything you need to know to make it in your slow cooker, a stock pot, or Instant Pot. It smells and tastes amazing with layers of flavor that boost any recipe – you’ll never want store-bought again.

Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe

Chicken stock is a pantry staple used in so many different ways, from deglazing a pan to making Chicken Noodle Soup. It gives an incredible richness to any recipe. I also love to ladle it into a mug, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and just drink it hot like tea. It’s so soothing. It makes me happy that my kids love to sip their bone broth the same way – it’s just so tasty!

Stock is made by cooking animal bones, extracting the bones’ nutrients and flavor into the liquid (also why it’s called chicken bone broth). It’s incredibly easy to make, and you can make bone broth from any animal bones, from Turkey Stock to beef stock, fish stock, and even veal stock.

Chicken Stock vs Chicken Broth?

You can use them interchangeably, but there is a difference between chicken stock and chicken broth. Chicken Stock is made by simmering animal bones for a long period to extract marrow and add layers of flavor. It’s richer and thicker because it contains more gelatin from the bones. Chicken broth is flavored with meat, simmers for a shorter time, and usually contains more salt.

Ingredients for Chicken Stock

Regardless of what method you choose, you’ll need the same ingredients, with varying amounts of water.

• Chicken Bones – 3-5 lbs of leftover chicken bones and skin – wings, drumsticks, even feet, or carcasses (see How to Cut a Whole Chicken). If using raw bones, be sure to roast them first for a richer flavor (directions below).
• Apple cider vinegar – helps break down the bone to release nutrients. Use white vinegar or even lemon juice in a pinch.
• Seasoning – garlic, salt, and bay leaf
• Mirepoix (Vegetables) – onion, celery, and carrots – I add the celery leaves for more flavor. Some people leave the onion skins, but I like to peel the onions so the stock doesn’t get too dark. You can peel or scrub the carrots before adding them.
• Filtered water – careful to use the right amount for the chicken stock method you choose.

Roasted Bones = Flavor

Start here for all methods! If bones are from a cooked chicken, skip this roasting step. If using a whole raw chicken, watch this tutorial on How to Cut a Whole Chicken.

1. Roast – Arrange raw bones on a lined baking sheet. Roast at 400˚F for 20 minutes, and then add the bones and pan juices to your pot to enhance the stock’s flavor. Flavor Tip: Pour hot water over the baking pan to deglaze it, then add it to the stock to extract all the extra flavor from the pan.

Method 1: Stovetop Chicken Stock

Stovetop chicken stock is best if you want to make a double batch in a large stock pot; otherwise, it requires the most babysitting (from 6 hours or up to 15 hours for a marrow-rich bone broth)!

1. Add the bones, water, vinegar and salt to an 8-quart stock pot, and bring to a boil. Skim foam and impurities off the top, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for at least 4 hours.
2. Add the vegetables, garlic, and bay leaf, and simmer for another 2-11 hours, being careful not to boil, which can make the broth cloudy. Add more water as needed since it evaporates.

Method 2: Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

This is the easy set it and forget it slow cooker method (10-15 hours on low)! Start with warm or hot water to jump-start the process.

1. Add bones, 12 cups of warm water, vinegar, and salt to a 6-quart slow cooker, and cook on low for 10-15 hours.
2. Halfway through, add veggies, garlic, and bay leaf, and finish the timer.

(Favorite Method) Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth

The pressure cooker is the fastest way to make chicken stock (just 2 hours), and to be honest, the Instant Pot is my favorite method because it has the richest flavor and the clearest broth.

1. Place all the ingredients into a 6-Qt Instant Pot or 8 Qt Instant Pot and add water up to the max fill line.
2. Select the soup/broth setting or cook on manual high pressure for 2 hours, and then wait 30 minutes to naturally depressurize then carefully release pressure.

How to Know When Chicken Stock is Done?

The timing depends on what you are after and the cooking method you select. For a marrow-rich chicken bone broth, cook until you can easily break a chicken bone in half – that’s how you know the marrow nutrients are released into your stock.

How to Strain Chicken Stock

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. Once thickened the following day, scrape the fat off the top and continue to store in the fridge or freezer.

Homemade chicken stock adds so much flavor to every dish! It’s rich and layered, boosting everything from pasta dishes to soups, and the nutritional benefits make this recipe a must-try.

So MANY Ways to Use Chicken Stock

You will really taste the difference in your cooking when you use homemade chicken stock. Try it out in these recipes:

• Chicken and Rice Soup
• Zuppa Toscana
• Chicken Stir Fry
• Clam Chowder
• Borscht
• Chicken Tetrazzini
• Chicken Marsala
• Parmesan Risotto
• Split Pea Soup
• Creamy Chicken and Rice (1-pot meal)