How to Make Chicken Stock – Easy Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe
Homemade chicken stock is one of those kitchen basics that can make soups, gravies, sauces, casseroles, and rice dishes taste dramatically better. It’s rich, savory, and surprisingly simple to make with chicken bones, vegetables, herbs, and water.
If you've been wondering how to make chicken stock from scratch, this easy method slowly simmers the ingredients to extract as much flavor as possible. You can make a large batch, refrigerate what you'll use during the week, and freeze the rest for later.
What Is Chicken Stock?
Chicken stock is a savory liquid made by slowly simmering chicken bones and connective tissue with vegetables and aromatics.
The long cooking time helps extract flavor, fat, and gelatin from the chicken. Once cooled, a well-made stock may even become slightly jelly-like in the refrigerator. That's normal and is one of the things that gives homemade stock its rich texture.
Stock can be used as the flavorful base for chicken soup, chicken noodle soup, chicken and dumplings, gravy, stuffing, sauces, and casseroles.
Chicken Stock vs. Chicken Broth
Chicken stock and chicken broth are similar, but they're not exactly the same.
Chicken stock is traditionally made primarily from bones and is simmered longer to extract gelatin and flavor. Chicken broth is generally made with more meat and is often seasoned enough to drink or eat as-is.
The terms are frequently used interchangeably in recipes, however, and either can work in many dishes.
Ingredients
2–3 pounds chicken bones, carcasses, backs, necks, or wings
1 large onion, quartered
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
4–6 sprigs fresh thyme
Small handful fresh parsley
10–12 cups cold water, or enough to cover the ingredients
Optional: 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Do I Need to Add Salt?
It's better to make chicken stock with little or no salt.
Stock often gets reduced or added to recipes that already contain salt. Keeping the stock relatively unsalted gives you much more control over the final dish.
How to Make Chicken Stock
1. Add the Chicken to a Large Pot
Place the chicken bones, carcass, wings, backs, or other chicken pieces into a large stockpot. Using a combination of bones and pieces with cartilage, such as wings, can produce an especially flavorful stock.
2. Add the Vegetables
Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. There's no need to finely chop the vegetables because they'll eventually be strained out.
3. Add the Herbs and Aromatics
Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme, and parsley. If you're using apple cider vinegar, add it now. A small amount can be used without making the finished stock taste noticeably vinegary.
4. Cover With Cold Water
Pour approximately 10–12 cups of cold water into the pot, or just enough to cover the chicken and vegetables. Using excessive water can dilute the flavor, so you don't need to fill the entire pot.
5. Bring It to a Gentle Simmer
Place the pot over medium-high heat until the liquid approaches a boil. Then immediately reduce the heat. You want the stock to maintain a gentle simmer rather than a vigorous rolling boil.
6. Skim the Surface
During the beginning of cooking, foam and impurities may rise to the surface. Use a spoon or fine-mesh skimmer to remove them as needed.
7. Simmer the Chicken Stock
Allow the stock to gently simmer, partially uncovered, for approximately 3–4 hours.
For an even richer stock, you can simmer it longer. Add a small amount of water if necessary to keep the bones mostly submerged.
8. Strain
Remove the large chicken pieces and vegetables with tongs or a slotted spoon.
Carefully pour the remaining stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a large heat-safe container.
Discard the strained bones, herbs, and vegetables.
9. Cool the Stock Safely
Don't leave a large, steaming pot of stock sitting at room temperature for hours.
Divide the stock into smaller, shallow containers so it cools more quickly, and refrigerate promptly. Once chilled, any fat will rise and solidify on top.
You can remove some or all of this fat depending on how you plan to use the stock.
How to Make Chicken Stock in a Slow Cooker
Add the chicken bones, vegetables, herbs, peppercorns, and water to your slow cooker.
Cook on LOW for approximately 8–12 hours. Strain the stock and cool it promptly using the same method as stovetop stock.
This is a convenient option when you don't want to keep a stockpot simmering on the stove.
How Long Does Homemade Chicken Stock Take?
Plan on approximately 3–4 hours of simmering for a flavorful homemade chicken stock.
You can simmer it longer for a more concentrated flavor, but you don't necessarily need to cook stock all day to get good results.
The total time will depend on the amount of chicken, size of your pot, amount of water, and how concentrated you want the finished stock.
Ways to Use Chicken Stock
Once you've made a batch, use it for:
Homemade chicken soup
Chicken noodle soup
Chicken and dumplings
White chicken chili
Gravy
Stuffing or dressing
Casseroles
Cooking grains
Mashed potatoes
Can You Make Chicken Stock From a Rotisserie Chicken?
Yes. This is actually one of the easiest ways to turn leftovers into another useful ingredient.
After removing the meat from a rotisserie chicken, place the carcass, bones, skin, and any remaining pieces into your stockpot. Add the vegetables, herbs, and water and follow the same simmering method.
Save the removed chicken meat for another recipe rather than simmering all of it for hours.
Can You Make Chicken Stock From Raw Chicken?
Yes. Chicken backs, necks, wings, and other bone-in pieces can all be used to make stock. Wings are especially useful because their connective tissue helps create a richer stock.
You can also save raw chicken trimmings and bones in the freezer until you have enough to make a batch.
How to Make Chicken Stock From Leftover Chicken Bones
Don't throw away the bones after roasting a whole chicken.
Remove the usable meat and place the remaining carcass and bones into a freezer-safe bag. Freeze them until you're ready to make stock.
When you have enough bones, add them directly to your stockpot with vegetables, aromatics, and water. This is an inexpensive way to get another meal component out of a chicken you've already purchased.
Should You Roast Chicken Bones Before Making Stock?
You don't have to, but roasting the bones first can create a deeper flavor and darker color.
Spread raw chicken bones on a baking sheet and roast them at 425°F for about 30–40 minutes, or until nicely browned. Transfer them to your stockpot and continue with the recipe.
For a lighter, classic chicken stock, skip the roasting step.
How to Store Homemade Chicken Stock
After the stock has cooled, transfer it to airtight containers and refrigerate.
For food safety, use refrigerated homemade chicken stock within 3–4 days, or freeze it for longer storage.
Consider storing it in different portion sizes. Larger containers work well for soup, while smaller portions are useful when a recipe only requires a cup or two.
Can You Freeze Chicken Stock?
Yes. Chicken stock freezes very well.
Pour cooled stock into freezer-safe containers, leaving some room for expansion. You can also freeze small amounts in ice cube trays and transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag.
Small portions are especially convenient for sauces, gravy, rice, and recipes that only need a splash of stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my chicken stock turn into jelly?
That's usually a good sign. Bones and connective tissue release gelatin as they cook. When a gelatin-rich stock becomes cold, it can develop a jiggly texture.
It will liquefy again when heated.
Why is my chicken stock cloudy?
Cloudiness can happen when stock boils too aggressively and fat and other particles become dispersed throughout the liquid.
A cloudy stock is generally still perfectly usable. For a clearer stock, maintain a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil.
Why does my chicken stock taste weak?
The most common culprit is too much water.
Use only enough water to cover the ingredients and allow the stock enough time to simmer. You can also strain a weak stock and continue simmering the liquid to reduce it and concentrate the flavor.
Can I use chicken stock instead of chicken broth?
Usually, yes. Chicken stock and broth can be substituted for one another in many home recipes, although stock tends to provide a richer texture.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to make chicken stock is an easy way to get more use out of chicken bones and leftovers while creating a flavorful ingredient for future meals.
Once you've made the stock, you're already halfway toward another meal. Use it as the base for homemade chicken soup, chicken noodle soup, chicken and dumplings, gravy, or your favorite comfort-food recipes.
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