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.
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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.
Pro Tip:
I always keep a Ziploc labeled “stock” in my freezer where I keep scraps and bones until I’m ready to make chicken stock.
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.
- 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)!
- 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.
- 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.
- Add bones, 12 cups of warm water, vinegar, and salt to a 6-quart slow cooker, and cook on low for 10-15 hours.
- 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.
- Place all the ingredients into a 6-Qt Instant Pot or 8 Qt Instant Pot and add water up to the max fill line.
- 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.
Storing Chicken Broth
Each recipe makes about 8 cups of broth, so you can easily have stock on hand.
- To Refrigerate: store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator
- Freezing: pour into freezer-safe containers and freeze up to 3 months (be sure to leave room for expansion)
- Reheating: homemade stock thickens after refrigeration, which is totally normal, but turns to liquid when heated. Use frozen or thaw in the fridge overnight. Be sure to heat it to a rolling boil before consuming.
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.
Chicken Stock
Ingredients
- 3-5 lbs leftover chicken bones and skin, from 1 large chicken (or from 2 rotisserie chickens)
- 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 medium onion, peeled and halved
- 2 celery ribs, cut into thirds, leaves attached
- 2 carrots, peeled & halved
- 2 smashed garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf, optional, but nice
- Filtered Water, Stock Pot: 16 c., 6Qt Slow Cooker: 12 c., 6-8Qt Instant Pot: 10-12 c.
Instructions
Roast Raw Bones (for all methods):
- Roast – (Note: If using bones from a cooked rotisserie chicken, skip this step). Place bones on a lined rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400˚F for 20 minutes.
Stovetop Method (6-15 hours simmering):
- Add – Place roasted bones and any accumulated pan juices into your 8 qt stock pot. Add 16 cups (or 4 Qts) of filtered water along with 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Skim off impurities that rise to the top. Cover and simmer on low heat 4 hrs.
- Add Vegetables – Add onion, celery, carrots, 2 smashed garlic cloves, and 1 bay leaf, and continue cooking on a low simmer another 2-11 hours, depending on how marrow-rich you want your broth. Be careful not to bring it to a hard boil, or the broth will look foggy.
Slow Cooker Method (10-15 hours on low):
- Add roasted bones and any accumulated pan juices into the 6-quart Slow Cooker. Add 12 cups of warm or hot water along with 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Set to low heat for 10-15 hrs.
- Halfway through cooking on low heat, add onion, celery, carrots, 2 smashed garlic cloves, and 1 bay leaf and continue cooking on low. You can let it go longer if needed overnight and strain the next day.
Instant Pot Method (2 hours pressure-cooked):
- Add roasted bones and accumulated pan juices into a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, 1 Tbsp cider vinegar, and 1 tsp salt. Add water or until you reach the max fill line in the pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 2 hours. It will warm up, then cook on high pressure for 2 hours. When cooking is complete, wait 30 min to naturally depressurize, then release pressure (use an oven mitt for safety in case it sputters).
How to Strain Chicken Stock:
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a second pot, extracting as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Cool the strained stock to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. The following day, it will thicken, and you can scrape the fat off the top (see storage instructions below).
Notes
- Refrigerate – Store the stock in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It can thicken in the fridge, but it will liquidify once heated.
- To freeze – divide the stock into freezer-safe containers, leaving room for expansion. Store frozen for up to 3 months.
- To use – thaw in the fridge overnight, or use from frozen. Be sure to heat to a rolling boil before consuming.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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)
I was looking specifically to make bone broth. You call this recipe both stock and broth. It’s my understanding they are 2 different things.
HI Julie this is bone broth but it can be used in any recipe that calls for bone broth or stock. The terms are often used interchangeably but this is officially a bone broth.
Why are different amounts of water used for each cooking method? Is there any reason I can’t use 16 cups in the slow cooker?
Hi Greg, the differing amounts of water depend on the size of your pot and the method. You can’t go above the fill line in an instant pot for example. Each method is strategically calculated but can be adjusted based on your pot size.
Awesome, thanks. Personally never added vinegar before, but will try next time. As I understand this simply helps to pull all/more the nutrients out, right?
My tip: freeze it using (unused) ice cube tray then zip lock bagged. My experience is 6 cubes is equivalent to 0.5cup, give or take. My kids like rice -more- when cooked with part of the water (>= 0.5cup with equivalent cubes) subbed with this chicken broth.
Prsnl note: If you’re simply using broth for flavor and/or deglazing when sautéing anything or cooking rice (like noted above). No need to worry if it does go foggy, so don’t stress if you ‘accidentally’ boiled it too hard. Worse case, foggy is still as good to use, just pivot on how it’s use.
Thanks for sharing, Eliot!
Great recipe but I have never thrown out food so the comments of discard the bits of chicken and vegetables is hard to swallow. Is there really very little nutrition left in them after this? One of my rules in life, especially in this economy, has been to never waste food.
Hi Angelica, I don’t typically make use of those items. I’d love to know what you use them for. I agree – I don’t like to waste and am one of those people that squeezes out the last bit of toothpaste with a lot of effort – ha!
how to remove fat from broth right away if I want too make chick n dumplings?
Hi Gloria, I would just spoon it off from the top if your broth is still warm. It’s easier when the broth has chilled because it floats to the top and solidifies.
I made this last night in an 8qt pressure cooker- different brand than IP. I filled it with water to the full line and I got more than 8 cups worth- it was more like 17 cups! It tastes great and I’m looking forward to using the stock in clam chowder today.
Thank you for great tip using the instant pot, so easy and the chicken stock tasted amazing !!!🤩
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Zuzana!!
Can I use rotisserie chicken bones to make this bone broth? If so, no need to roast bones, right? Thanks!!!!!
Hi Shanna, I often use the whole leftover carcass from a rotisserie chicken so that will work!
I love broth from rotisserie chicken the best. For some reason the bones just make great stock. And I always roast the bones, regardless of whether it was cooked or raw chicken. I do remove all meat first. Thanks for the vinegar tip. I’m about to make stock and I will definitely give it a try
You’re welcome! I hope it becomes your new go-to recipe.
Thank you SO MUCH for the instant pot method! I always save the broth whenever I cook any of our chickens with bones and save it for rice, soup “of”, etc. But we just processed a large quantity of meat birds and had more carcasses than I was used to cooking with and wasn’t sure on how much water to use. I started out with 10 cups water and 2 carcasses but the results didn’t gel. So when I reduced it to 8 cups it “gelled”. It took so much guess work out of it for me – thank you!!
Good to know that you liked the results! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience with this recipe, April.
The broth is very good, but be very cautious about turning it off overnight, also cooling it at room temperature.
Has she checked the safety of doing this? Bacteria can grow .
Also, way too many annoying ads covering the recipe
Hi Linda, you can speed cool by setting it over a bowl of ice water. Also, the ads are necessary for us to be able to provide the recipes for free. When considering ads versus a paid membership site, most people prefer getting recipes for free and seeing the ads.
Can I use chicken feet instead of the bones from thighs, wings, backs, etc?
Hi Sarah, I bet that could work. I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Chicken feet are great for making chicken bone broth! So much collagen!
Thanks for sharing!
My water seems to be reducing significantly. I still have 9 hours to go (stove top method), and I’m worried there will be nothing left; should I top the pot off by adding more water? Also can I make this without the salt? Some of the bones I have are from wings I got at the bar, so they have a bunch of sauce still on them. Also I don’t have bay leaves or carrots; can I leave them out or replace with something else?
Hi Sarah, I typically don’t keep adding water until it has visibly reduced down (keeping it covered helps with this also). You can add more water – it won’t hurt anything.
i roasted chicken backs . about 2 pounds in nuwave oven for 25 minutes then put in pot with carrots, onions, celery, chicken thighs meat on, garlic and gallon of water to cover. bringing to a boil then removing thighs after 30 minutes to debone and continuing to simmer rest in pot for 3 hours before using for soup. dont have time for 15 hour stock but want to do that eventually.
Hi Jim, this is why. I love to use the instant pot method above – it’s so fast – done in 2 hours and it’s actually the least inflammatory according to my MD.
Natasha,
I’ve used your Bone broth recipe numerous times. It’s just delicious. I agree with you that roasting the bones is crucial for flavor. I liked the slow-cooker method compared to cooking on the stovetop. It came out perfect in comparison. Why is the instant-cooker method “least inflammatory”? Can you clarify, because we are very focused on fighting inflammation. It was the whole reason I sought out this bone broth recipe. (I’m seeking gut health.) Thank you!
My Doctor shared that the lengthier cooking time beyond 2 hours makes it more inflammatory which is why he says the instant pot is his preferred method. I believe he said there is a higher histamine release with longer cooking times. If you are concerned about gut health, I suggest talking to your Dr about the gut health aspects. Here’s an article by Dr. Becky Campbell that I found online which confirms that the longer you cook broth, the more histamine it releases.
We made this once so far. My husband and I love it! I lost 2 lbs in about 3 days drinking it in place of breakfast. Not hungry all day! Problem: I have to make more and can’t eat all the chicken from 2 Roasters. I’ll figure out something. ALSO, need a recipe for Beef Broth. If you have it, Please post.
Good to know that it helped! I don’t have a recipe for beef broth yet but thanks for the suggestion, I’ll try to add that to our list.
Can I use the leftover meat from the chicken for chicken soup, or would it be too tough after the process of making the bone broth?
Hi Kristen! Yes, you can. 🙂
I do not have an instant pot. Can I use a pressure cooker instead? I have a 6 quart one and a large canner one. If so, how much pressure and for how long? I have roughly 25 carcasses to cook that have the breasts, thighs, and legs cut off. I plan to roast them like the instructions, then cook them.
Hi Lora, I imagine the time will not change by much since we use the pressure cooker setting on the instant pot. Some instant pots have a higher pressure though. but If you experiment, please let me know how you like that, but also I recommend reading through the comments of this recipe, I see a few readers may have tried that method.
Hi Natasha
first time making your stove top recipe. The broth turned out amazing however, forgot to add salt and the apple cider vinegar. Can I add after the broth has been cooked and do I have to re-boil. I may just make another batch so as not to spoil this batch. What is the purpose of using apple cider vinegar?
Hi, apple cider vinegar helps draw out the good minerals from the bones. I think that’s alright.
First time making the bone broth and I accidentally added one tablespoon of salt instead of one teaspoon. Is this now ruined?
Hi Marjorie, that’s quite a bit more; but you can try it for the flavor to see if it’s to your liking. But you will likely need to dilute it more.
Thank you so much for your recipes they are great. I will definitely try this one with the instant pot – winter is coming
I hope you will love the recipes that you will try!
I SO enjoy your website, your recipes, of course, your videos – everything.
In the last 2 days, I’ve done two batches of the slow cooker chicken stock (SO much easier than stovetop)and followed the recipe 100%. You mentioned the instant pot version made clearer stock. The photo you have with the recipe looks very, very clear. I have never done an egg raft to clarify stock, but think I will try it with 1 qt. Have you ever done a raft?
Thank you!
Hi Natalie! Thank you for your great feedback! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes and videos! I have not tried that myself; I haven’t tested that, If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Natasha, I really like your website and all the recipes you’ve posted and even the stories of your dishes and family. Thank you. The photography is great! I make broth with a bone from a steak with bone in, chicken bones from a deli chicken and sometimes use veggies that are starting to go. I’ve even used wilted lettuce and cabbage. The lettuce is a little sweet but balances any acidity. Homemade chicken broth wonderful for matzo ball soup!
Hi! I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes. Thank you for sharing! 🙂