Having a good homemade chicken stock is a really valuable thing to have in your repertoire. Chicken stock serves as the base of so many delicious recipes. It’s the foundation of soups and stews. It can also be used for sauces or to cook more flavorful rice and grains. This Easy Homemade Chicken Stock is a traditional type of stock recipe that I use most frequently, for all of my recipes. While it may be easier to buy a carton of stock in the grocery, I’ve found that homemade has always been more delicious (and satisfying). Store-bought stocks might have come a long way in recent years by cutting down on unnecessary ingredients, limiting the amount of sodium, and using more real ingredients. But no matter how far store-bought stocks have advanced, there is nothing quite like making your own homemade version.

So have you ever made a homemade stock or broth before?

They are incredibly simple to make. In fact, it’s hard to mess up a homemade stock or broth. But even though it may be hard to mess up making a good stock, there are a few things that you should know in order to make a GOOD stock. With broths and stocks, you don’t have to stick to the letter of the recipe. You can make it your own by switching up the vegetables or the herbs. Use this Easy Homemade Chicken Stock recipe as a guide for your next delicious stock. I’ve included some tips and tricks below that I have learned (and researched) along the way.

Broth, stock, and (now) bone broth. What is what? How are they different? And how are they similar?

Notice that this recipe is for an Easy Homemade Chicken Stock. So let’s talk about stocks first. Stocks are different from broths because they are made with bones, while broths are made from meat. Stocks are always made from bones, and there may or may not be meat present on those bones. They are also made from mirepoix- a combination of the vegetables carrots, onions, and celery. Stocks are also thicker and can solidify when refrigerated because of the gelatin and collagen that is cooked out from the bones. Stocks are normally cooked anywhere from two to six hours and are higher in protein, vitamins, and minerals compared to broths. Usually stocks are used when you are meant to taste the flavor of the liquid, where it is the star. Like in soups and stews and sauces.

A broth, by definition, is any meat cooked in a liquid. Although people usually do add vegetables when making a broth as well. Compared to stocks, broths are lower in fat, calories, and carbs. They are usually thinner and cooked for a shorter amount of time, usually around an hour or two. Broths and stocks are very similar, and definitely interchangeable. Don’t fret if your recipe calls for stock and all that you have on hand is a broth.

Okay, so we’ve talked about broths and stocks- then what is bone broth?

Bone broth, despite its name, isn’t a broth at all. Bone broths are cooked from bones, and thus are a type of stock. Typically, bone broths are cooked longer than stocks, sometimes up to 48 hours and usually includes the addition of apple cider vinegar. The point of cooking bone broth so long is to draw out the vitamins and minerals from the bones and to cook down the cartilage. A bone broth cannot be overcooked. In some cases, the bones are roasted ahead of time to create a deeper, darker color (and flavor).

Ingredients that you’ll need for this Easy Homemade Chicken Stock

Whole Chicken Carcass– can be from a homemade whole roasted chicken, a rotisserie chicken, or enough chicken pieces to make up a whole chicken’s worth.

Carrots, Celery, Onion– these are the traditional veggies used for broths and stocks. You can experiment with other veggies, but these are the most traditional. Sometimes I enjoy adding fennel into the mix.

Fresh Garlic– I’d always recommend using fresh garlic over garlic powder when possible.

Herbs– For this recipe, I used a “poultry mix.” It was sold as a bundle and included thyme, rosemary, and sage. You could also add parsley (or any other herbs that you enjoy).

Bay Leaf

Salt & Pepper

Water– you want to add enough water so that everything (that isn’t floating) is covered in water by 1-2 inches.

Let me show you how to make this Easy Homemade Chicken Stock 👇🏻

First, grab a large pot. You could also cook this stock in a slow cooker (on high for the first hour and then lowered to low for 4-6 hours). Place your chicken carcass (or chicken pieces) into the bottom of the pot. You don’t need to clean it up, take the skin off, or do anything else. Everything left on that carcass is going to provide flavor to your stock.

Throw in 3 medium unpeeled carrots (cut into large pieces), 2 unpeeled celery ribs (cut into large pieces), 1 large unpeeled sweet onion (cut into wedges), 3 large garlic cloves (smashed with the skin on), 1 tbsp salt, and 1/2 tbsp black pepper.

Now toss in your poultry herbs. As I explained above, these poultry herbs were sold in a pre-packaged bundle. It included a few sprigs of rosemary, some thyme, and some sage. Throw in 1 bay leaf as well.

And now we’re going to add the water. Measure out 14 cups and pour it into the pot.

Everything (that isn’t floating) should be covered in water by 1-2 inches. Give it a stir to mix a bit, then turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low so that it is at a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot with a lid and let it cook for 2-6 hours. I usually try to cook my stock around 4 hours.

When your stock has cooked for a good length of time and turned a beautiful amber color, remove it from the heat and let it cool. Skim the top to remove any excess fat. Pour your stock through a fine mesh sieve and into the container that you will be storing your stock. I like to store mine in mason jars and typically freeze half of the batch. Discard the vegetables, bones, and herbs.

Let your stock cool before placing in the refrigerator. It will last 4-6 days in the refrigerator or you can freeze it for up to 6 months.

Enjoy!

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