Chicken stock is made with chicken (bones and/or meat), vegetables, herbs and spices. Just like this bone broth, this recipe is full of amazing flavor and a must have ingredient.
Basic Chicken Stock (White Chicken Stock)
Stocks and broths are the secret weapon of restaurant kitchens and a budget friendly pantry staple. They are the building blocks of many recipes like soups, sauces and reductions.
White chicken stock is made by simmering chicken and vegetables without roasting them first. It is the simplest and easiest way to make homemade chicken stock as it requires minimal effort yet yields rich, deeply flavored chicken broth.
Chicken Stock Ingredients
This recipe is made with a simple combination of ingredients however, ingredients like fennel, leeks, parsnips, rosemary and ginger can be used. Here is a list of the ingredients I use for this homemade chicken broth:
- Chicken – (meat and bones)
- Water – cold water
- Onions – unpeeled and chopped.
- Celery – chopped. You can use the leaves if you wish.
- Carrots – unpeeled and chopped.
- Garlic – whole and lightly smashed.
- Parsley – fresh is a must.
- Thyme – fresh is a must.
- Bay Leaves – dried.
- Peppercorns – I use black peppercorns.
How To Make Chicken Stock
- Place all the ingredients in a stock pot. Make sure the chicken and vegetables are covered by at least one to two inches of water.
- Bring to a boil and reduce the heat.
- Simmer.
- Strain stock and discard the solids.
- After the stock cools, you can remove the fat on the surface. This is optional.
Do I Have To Skim The Stock While Cooking?
I skim my broth once during the cooking process – usually towards the beginning when the protein solids first float to the top. Since the stock needs to be strained at the end, skimming is not really necessary.
Is Chicken Stock And Chicken Broth The Same?
Chicken Stock and Chicken Broth are very similar and can be interchangeably used in recipes. However, there are differences between stocks vs broths.
Stocks are made mostly with bones. In order to extract flavor and collagen from the bones, they simmer for longer periods of time. This results in a rich, full bodied stock. Stocks are made without any salt.
Broth is made with the meaty parts of the chicken. Broths cook much quicker and are a bit lighter in flavor.
What Can Chicken Stock Be Used For?
You can use stock to make soups like this Chicken Tortilla Soup, chicken stew recipes, and sauces like in this Chicken and Mushrooms recipe. You can also use it to cook grains like rice and quinoa and to braise vegetables and meats.
Because of its nutritional value and high collagen content, chicken stock can be sipped warm and it is believed to have many health benefits.
How Long Does Chicken Stock Last?
Homemade chicken broth will last in 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can divide the broth into quart sized or cup sized containers and freeze it for up to 2 months.
What Parts of The Chicken Make The Best Broth?
You can make this recipe with a whole chicken, a chicken carcass or with different chicken parts. The color, flavor and consistency varies depending on what part you use.
Chicken wings for example, produce a more gelatinous broth than chicken thighs. Chicken breasts produce a very tasty broth that is light in colored and very thin in consistency.
chicken Stock Recipe Tips
- As your stock cools, it usually gets thicker and gelatinous. This is to be expected especially if you use chicken wings.
- You can use leftover rotisserie chicken bones to make this recipe. I usually collect bones in a large zip top bag until I have enough.
- You don’t need to peel your carrots or onions to make this recipe.
- My favorite basic equipment for stock making: stock pot, stainless steel chinois (fine mesh strainer)
This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated to improve reader experience. The recipe remains the same.
Chicken Stock
Ingredients
- 4-6 pounds chicken, parts, bones or whole chicken
- 4 quarts water
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 2 carrots, chopped in big chunks
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 4 sprigs of parsley
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- Combine the chicken, cold water, onions, carrots, celery, garlic parsley, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- As the water heats up, froth will rise to the top. Once it comes to a boil, skim off the froth and lower the heat to a very gentle simmer. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer. Let cool and transfer to containers and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 5-6 hours. Skim off and remove any fat from the surface.
- Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
- You can use any chicken parts like wings, breasts, backs or legs.
- Nutritional facts are only an estimate.
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