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)
Hi Natasha (and Mony),
The main reason for the cloudy broth is likely from not removing the fat as it rises to the surface while bringing it up to the boil. The fat will emulsify in the water (fat and water molecules bond together). Once they have bonded you can’t un-bond them. The remedy is for you to skim the fat off the surface while the temperature rises. This will leave you with a clear broth and less fat that at the surface when chilled in the fridge overnight. Also, the 4-Cup Fat Separator makes this process easier and allows you to return back the broth that is inadvertently removed with the fat when skimming. Hope this helps. Cheers, David
What happens if I add the veggies from the beginning instead of waiting 6 hours (crock pot method)?
HI Caroline, they get a bit mushy with extended cooking but lately I’ve just been adding everything together and it works fine if you’re straining with a fine mesh sieve.
Hi Agan,
I used my first and last name on a recent email about bone broth.
Could you ensure that you use just my first name if you post the question.
Thanks.
Hello! Was it another comment from this recipe? So far, only your first name shows here.
Hi Natasha,
I just made this bone broth however right now it looks like gravy.
The bones I used were wings and drumsticks that I roasted in the oven and then removed the meat.
I did roast them at 400 as the recipe instructed however there were little bits of meat on the bones.
I used the stovetop method.
The am a bit concerned as the picture you have for the recipe is such a clear broth.
Any thoughts on what I may have done wrong?
Also, I’d like to say how much I appreciate the way you share your faith and also your thankfulness for what Jesus has done for you.
You are a blessing!
Hi Mony! Thank you for the kind words.
Regarding the stock, did you strain it? It needs to be strained through a fine mesh sieve. Once it thickens you will also need to remove the fat off the top. This will help you obtain a more clear broth. If it’s foggy, it likely due to it reaching a hard boil during the cooking time (see step 2).
HI Natasha,
I did strain it and have taken the fat off the top. I did see your note about not allowing it to come to a hard boil….Now it looks like a very jellied gravy.
So I’m not sure what to do next.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks so much for getting back to me about this.
God Bless you and your family.
Hi Mony. It is normal for it to solidify when it cools. It’s due to the gelatin released during the cooking process. It will return to a liquid state when reheated.
Hi Natasha. Can I use the bones from the chicken I made stock with to make the broth? Also, would I still need to roast the bones?
That should be fine. It’s not really necessary but it enhances the flavor.
I learned this from my maternal grandmother. When wanting to remove the fat and floatable bits, put it in the FREEZER overnight or longer. The longer it is in the HARDER the fat and more compact. There will be a ‘hill’ where the fat has cracked open and I use a narrow Cutco blade spatula to get under the fat and pop out pieces and remove them to the trash immediately. another way I have done this is keep a 1 inch wide wood chizzel in the back of the flatware drawer and us this IF I am using a metal bowl or pot for the broth.
I use a 14″ stainless steel bowl which can hol about 6 qt of liquid which was bought just for that purpose.
Hi Natasha, I’ve cooked many of your recipes and they’re so tasty and economical!
So, for this recipe, on the instapot, do you select high or low for pressure cook? I have a 3-quart which is perfect for 2 people.
Thank you!
Hi Mark! My instant pot has a soup/broth option that I select, so I don’t manually set it on high or low. The soup/broth option should be a low pressure setting.
Hi Natasha! I have troubles finding chicken bones in the store, can I use leftover bones from baked chicken drumsticks for instance? And if so how to adjust the weight? Obviously raw bones are heavier than the roasted ones. Thank you!
Hi Tatiana, I do recommend asking at your stores meat counter if they have any also, if they don’t, I also heard that about chicken legs. but adding wings or bones from drumsticks can definitely help. I wish I could be more helpful.
I keep a gallon ziplock bag in the freezer ( one labeled chicken and one beef) and save all bones we’ve left over (from bbq chicken to steaks and any others we’ve eaten). When the bag gets full, it’s time to make another batch of bone broth! I also add roasted chicken feet to get a really good gel and increase the collagen! Then I can the broth 😊.
Hi, do you know how much protein there is per serving (also how much is 1 serving?) & also collagen? (No biggie if you don’t know that though) thank you 🙂
Hi Kayleigh! At the top of the recipe card, it shows the number of servings that the recipe makes. The nutritional label is per serving.
I hope that helps.
Should I cover the pot (stove-top method) while simmering or not? Or leave it half-covered?
Hi Shelley, I covered it when simmering on low heat 6 hrs.
Can you not use the whole chicken afterwards? I bought a raw one to make some broth with but also planned on deboning and whatnot to use the meat for soup
Hi Jen! You can use the whole chicken on various dishes afterwards.
stop to use lbs. 95% of world population use metric system
Excellent instructions for the Instant Pot! I confess that I started it a bit late and reduced the time to 60 mins…but still it was delicious. I used only 9 or so cups of filtered water because after straining the solids, I typically pour an additional cup of COLD filtered water over them and PRESS a bit to be sure I get all that flavor. This has the additional benefit of helping to cool the stock. I also divide into two stainless steel bowls to hasten the cooling. (I gotta look into those “cooling paddles” so I’m not staying up waiting for the liquid to cool enough to refrigerate. Thank you Natasha and Vadim!
You’re so very welcome!
Delicious and easy. I put my broth in ice cube trays. Then in zip locks.
Great idea!
Hi Natasha! Is there a way to can it, instead of freezing it?
Hi Amy, I have not tried canning this recipe to advise.
Hi Natasha!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have made it so many times in the past 4 years. This recipe is perfect for rich, delicious bone broth. The instructions are easy to follow and it is perfect every time. I use the Instant Pot method and have roasted the bones as described. I use the broth to make a variety of soups. It is also delicious as is, especially if you are feeling chilled or under the weather. For your followers that are nervous about using an Instant Pot, don’t be! You really can go wrong. You let it do its thing and in less that 3 hours will be sipping a golden, rich, homey broth!
Thank you again for this wonderful recipe!
Hi Donna! You’re very welcome. Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha, I don’t have a instapot but I have a pressure canner stove top style presto. Do I still do it like the instapot?
Hi! I’m not familiar with that, so I am not sure how it works or if modifications need to be made. I would reference the manual if you have it available or look it up online to see if there are directions for how to convert Instapot recipes successfully to use your device. I’m sorry I can’t be more.
I use my presto pressure canner for bone broth all the time, add your ingredients to the canner pot, bring it to a boil(clean the scum off if you want but it contains a lot of flavor, too), then cover it and let it pressure cook for an hour on 12-15 PSI. Remove it from the heat and let the pressure come down, once it’s safe to remove the lid I give it another hour to boil without the lid and periodically break up the bones with a spatula to release the marrow(every 10 minutes is usually sufficient). Strain the contents and store the liquids as mentioned in the recipe.
If you happen to see chicken feet at a good price they also add a lot of richness and flavour to the broth.
This recipe is FANTASTIC! I’ve done it twice now- both times using your “how to roast two chickens recipe”- which is also FANTASTIC! I followed both recipes to the letter and the chicken is the most flavorful and delicious I’ve ever had. And the broth is rich and delicious and nutritious. I was going to make soup with it but my family just ends up drinking it as is. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipes! I will be checking out others soon!
Hi Amy! That’s so great to hear. Thank you for sharing. I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes.
Hello! I was wondering, will raw chicken bones work fine? My local supermarket sells raw chicken bones. How can I modify the recipe if I use raw chicken bones?
Hi Anushka, yes, raw bones will work, ensure you follow the roasting instructions section in this recipe “*Roast the Bones (for all bone broth methods):” I hope this helps.
Hi, how should I roast the raw bones if I don’t have an oven?
Thanks.
Hi Ajeng. I don’t have another method for roasting the bones. You could use bones from a cooked chicken instead.
You can do some online research to see what others have tried, such as browning the bones right in the bottom of a stock pot on the stove top. I just haven’t done this to advise.
Hi, I was just wondering. What’s your favorite stock pot? I’m looking to get a stock pot. Looking for ideas. I have a slow cooker and an instant pot.
Hi Shauna! Click on “shop” from the menu at the top of the page, it’s my amazon affiliate shop which has my favorite items linked.