Who doesn't love having homemade chicken stock readily available for cooking? I'm about to share with you my tried and true homemade chicken stock recipe! So keep reading!
Table of contents
Why We Love Making Our Own
I love, love, love making homemade chicken stock. The homemade chicken stock offers many nutritional benefits, since you control what ingredients go in it, you can be sure you are getting a very wholesome product. If you use leftovers like chicken bones and vegetables, you can feel great knowing that you didn't waste anything. And since we use chicken carcass from our own kitchen, see my recipe for Roasted Chicken, you can be rest assured it is nothing but wholesome ingredients going into this recipe.
The Difference Between Stock and Broth
The key difference between stock and broth is that stock uses the bones of the meat, whereas, broth just uses the meat, when simmering.
Another difference is in the flavor. Since the stock is simmered in water for longer hours with bones, vegetables, herbs, and spices, it will be more robust, healthier, and more concentrated. On the other hand, you'll need to add more seasoning to the broth, like salt, to give it more flavor.
The color is another differentiator between the stock and broth. A stock will be darker and richer while the broth will be lighter and less concentrated.
You can use the chicken stock as a base to make soups. Check out some of our recipe where we used chicken stock as a base:
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken carcass from Roasted Chicken
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Onion
- Black Peppercorns
- Dry Laurel Leaf
- Cider Vinegar
How to Make This
- STEP 1: In a Dutch oven, place chicken bones and pan drippings, garlic clove, whole onion, carrots, celery, whole black peppercorns, apple cider vinegar and laurel leaf.
- STEP 2: Add enough water to the pot to cover all of the ingredients, leaving one inch from the top of the pot.
- STEP 3: Place the Dutch oven on medium high heat, uncovered, and let it boil. Using a strainer or meshed ladle, skim the foam from the stock, then lower heat to simmer, and cover the pot. Continue to skim the foam from the stock every few minutes for about an hour, until stock is clear off foam.
- STEP 4: Let the stock simmer in very low heat for a minimum of 4 hours up to 12 or maybe even 24 hours. I'm old school and I let my stock simmer on top of the stove for 24 hours. I feel like I get all the vitamins and minerals from not only the vegetable but from the bones of the chicken too.
- STEP 5: After your desired time of simmering the stock, you can let it cool then strain. Then I strain all the bones and veggies.
- STEP 6: Divide up the stock in ziplock baggies and freeze for later use.
Cooking Tips
Using the onion with the skin on gives the stock a nice golden color. If you want clear chicken stock, then leave the skin off the onion.
The carrots I choose to peel because I find that by peeling them, gives the broth a sweeter taste. But I have to say, there are lots of vitamins and minerals on the skin of the carrots, so there's a benefit to leaving it on, especially if you're using organic carrots. SO this is entirely up to you whether you want to leave the carrots skin on or off.
Let the stock cool in the fridge, this allows you to be able to skim the solidified fat which forms on the top of the stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can freeze chicken stock by either putting them in quart-sized freezer bags or using a mason jar. If using a mason jar, be sure to leave enough headroom to allow for the stock to expand when it freezes. And in either case, be sure to let the stock cool completely before putting them in designated containers.
You will need chicken, water, aromatics (like onion, garlic, celery and carrots), and herbs (bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme, and rosemary)
You can use chicken stock as a base for soup, sauces, rice or pasta dishes, and gravy.
Ingredients
- leftover bones and pan drippings
- 1 whole garlic clove
- 1 medium onion with skin on
- 3 medium sized carrots
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoon Organic Cider vinegar
- 1 dry laurel leaf optional
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or stockpot, place chicken bones and pan drippings, garlic clove, whole onion, carrots, celery, whole black peppercorns, apple cider vinegar, and laurel leaf. Add enough water to the pot to cover all of the ingredients, leaving one inch from the top of the pot.
- Place the Dutch oven on medium high heat, uncovered, and let it boil. Using a strainer or meshed ladle, skim the foam from the stock, then lower heat to simmer, and cover the pot. Continue to skim the foam from the stock every few minutes for about an hour, until stock is clear off foam.
- Let the stock simmer in very low heat for a minimum of 4 hours up to 12 or maybe even 24 hours. I'm old school and I let my stock simmer on top of the stove for 24 hours.
- After your desired time of simmering the stock, you can let it cool then strain. I let mine cool in the fridge. This allows me to be able to skim the solidified fat which forms on the top of the stock. An added healthy benefit! Then I strain all the bones and veggies.
Notes
- NOTE:Using the onion with the skin on gives the stock a nice golden color. If you want clear chicken stock, then leave the skin off the onion.
- Peeling the carrots gives the broth a sweeter taste.
- Leaving the carrots unpeeled, gives the broth a golden color and provides more nutrients, especially if using organic carrots.
- Divide up the stock in ziplock baggies and freeze for later use.
Lori
Thank you for sharing this. Tried it for the first time and it made the best chicken stock. No more store bought chicken stock for me!