Homemade Chicken Stock
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Making homemade chicken stock is far simpler than it sounds, surprisingly economical, and full of deep, savory flavor. The next time you roast a chicken — or pick up a rotisserie one for dinner — save the bones and turn them into a pot of stock you’ll be glad to have on hand.
Making homemade chicken stock is one of those kitchen skills that sounds intimidating, but couldn’t be more approachable. This is a truly beginner-friendly recipe — all you do is add chicken bones and a few vegetable scraps to a pot or slow cooker, cover everything with water, and let it gently simmer. Once it’s done, a quick strain is all that stands between you and a deeply flavorful stock.
The beauty of this method is its flexibility. There’s no exact measuring required — just cover whatever bones and vegetables you have with a few inches of water and let time do the work. In its simplest form, chicken bones and water are enough to create a rich, savory stock, but adding onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and a few herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, or parsley brings even more depth. It’s also a great way to reduce food waste, using up bones and vegetable odds and ends that might otherwise get tossed, while stretching your grocery budget a little further.
I always keep a few bags of homemade stock tucked in my freezer — sometimes it’s made with chicken bones, other times it’s beef bone broth, and often a mix of bones saved from different dinners. No matter how it’s made, it adds incredible flavor to soups, stews, and sauces. Once you realize how easy it is, this becomes one of those quiet kitchen habits that just makes everything you cook taste better.
Chicken stock vs broth
You may wonder, “Is chicken stock the same as chicken broth?” Great question!
Stock is usually made from bones, whereas broth is typically made from raw meat. In this instance, you are making chicken stock, since you’ll be using the bones. Chicken stock made from bones delivers a deeper flavor and richer color than the broth made from raw meat.
When it comes to cooking with stock versus broth, you can use them interchangeably.
What kind of chicken bones should I use
Most often, I use either the carcass of a store-bought rotisserie chicken or roast chicken or the leftover bones from baked chicken thighs. You can also use chicken feet, neck, or wings.
While you can use raw chicken (which I do if I debone chicken thighs), the best flavor comes from using roasted chicken. Regardless of the bones you’re using, you will simmer them in water for several hours to extract all the goodness and create a soul-warming chicken stock.
How to store homemade chicken stock
Fridge: Store chicken stock in jars with lids, like mason jars. It will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Resealable bags, like these Stasher bags, are ideal for storing stock. I keep some in 1-cup and 4-cup portions, so the amount I need is always handy to thaw. It will keep for at least 6 months in the freezer.
Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lb chicken bones (or enough to fill your pot halfway full of bones)
- 16 cups cold water (or enough to cover the bones with 2-3 inches of water)
Optional vegetables
- 1 cup chopped onion (leave the skin on for color!)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 6 cloves garlic (unpeeled and crushed with the side of your knife)
- Rosemary branch, a few sage leaves, a few sprigs of thyme, a handful of parsley
Instructions
- Break the bones into smaller pieces and then add them to the pot. If you're using vegetables and herbs, put them on top of the bones. Add the water, making sure to cover the bones by 2-3 inches.4 lb chicken bones, 1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped carrots, 6 cloves garlic, Rosemary branch, a few sage leaves, a few sprigs of thyme, a handful of parsley
- Bring the pot to a simmer over medium-high heat. DO NOT let it boil or your stock will be dirty-looking. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer very gently for 3-4 hours.
- Use a pair of tongs to remove any larger bones from the pot. Set a colander over a large bowl and then strain the stock.
- Set a fine-mesh sieve over another large bowl and strain the stock once more to remove any small pieces.
- OPTIONAL STEP: for extra flavorful stock, return it to a clean pot and boil rapidly until it reduces by ⅓ to condense the flavor.
- Cool the stock for no more than 1 hour on your counter then put it into your fridge to cool completely. If a fat-layer forms on top of the cold stock, remove it before using the stock. The stock will keep for 3 days in your fridge. Or transfer it to freezer-safe containers and freeze it for up to 6 months.
Slow Cooker Method
- Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker then set it on low for at least 8 (or up to 24) hours. Follow the instructions above to strain and store the stock.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
In the write up it says “It’s not suggested to use chicken meat to make stock. If you would like to later turn your stock into a soup, you can save any leftover cooked chicken meat and add it to your soup recipe after using the bones to make the stock.”
Why?
I bought a family pack of chicken leg quarters and they had half of the back attached. I chopped the back portion off and left myself with what we called Pin Wheels – just the leg connected to the thigh. I made this recipe using all the back pieces as well as the wing tips I’ve been saving in the freezer. I brought all the water chicken pieces and veggies up to the start of a boil and knocked it back to a simmer. Simmered for 6 hours. After straining it
and cooling and defatting it I brought it back to a boil to pressure can it. I had 4 full quarts and a left over pint of nice looking stock. I drank the extra pint with the quarts were pressure canning. IT WAS DELICIOUS.
Your stock looks delicious! The reason I suggest not simmering the meat with the bones if you plan on eating the meat after is that it gets cooked too much and the texture won’t be as nice.
I got it. Yes, just out of curiosity after straining out the solid stuff, I did pick out some meat and sampled it, and it wasn’t very pleasant.
Hi, I have six raw chicken backs I want to use to make the stock. Do you think this will be enough? I’m going to use the liquid the next day to make matzoh balls. Thanks so much.
Absolutely that will be enough! Simply cover them with 2-3 inches of water. I’ve made small batches of this stock many times (usually using my slow cooker) and it always turns out great.
I want to make chicken soup for a neighbor who is having surgery. After I debone the chicken could I just put the bones in another pot to make stock. And then use that stock to make matzoh balls? I hate to make matzoh balls in water and using soup just clouds the soup and most of it is absorbed by the matzoh balls.
That way I would have one pot filled with soup and soup chicken and another pot filled with matzoh balls. Thanks so much.
Marcia
Yes I think that would work great! I hope your neighbour is doing ok!
What is everyone doing with the leftover chicken?
I followed this recipe as well as the beef bone broth and noted that as the only difference between the two is time, I might as well make chicken bone broth. I added everything bar the meat (grizzle, skin and bones). I wanted a low faff stock/broth so replaced fresh veg with leftover veg cooking water and a pouch of watery vegetable stock, just for no waste. Even with my mix of meat bones (mostly chicken but also a turkey leg and a whole capon (chicken flavour but turkey size) from Christmas), most were merely fried over roasting and most came from a curry haha, I was surprised how much pure chicken flavour came from my pot! (once reduced further). I loved that I could cook the broth on the back hob without stirring (so it was time inexpensive) and I could re-heat it over a couple of days to get the max. 24 hours simmer time. Only disadvantage is straining got a little messy when working with a big batch, as lining up the pouring spout on the pot for a clean pour, was hard. I read afterwards, some add vinegar/lemon juice to break down the bones and get the bone marrow which I’ll try next time for more flavour/easier straining). Anyway, lastly I chilled my broth so it would set/gel and I could scoop the fat off easier before freezing the broth in 100ml (1/2 cup = 120ml) portions for quicker defrosting. Update: I love the depth it adds to a veggie broth (I’ve used in minestrone soup, swapping Italian seasoning for Middle Eastern Za’atar herb/sesame seed blend and in black eyed bean broth – both with no meat pieces).
*It had amazing flavour once reduced and without extra seasoning to boot (just because I’d forget it’s been salted lol). Fascinating stuff
Can you make stock in an Insta Pot or does that cook at too high a temperature? What about a slow cooker?
Thanks
I’m not sure about an instant pot, but a slow cooker works wonderfully for making stock! Here’s how I do it with turkey, the same method works with chicken bones: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/crock-pot-turkey-stock/
I’m excited to try this recipe! I’m new to cooking and have a question. What do I do with the vegetables in the broth? Would I throw it out, or would I use it to say, make chicken noodle soup? Thank you in advance!
I put them in the compost bin. They’re really mushy and pretty flavorless after. 🙂
Im going to sound really stupid but I’m a total newbie to cooking and I’m really trying to learn so please dont make fun. My question is does the 2 stalks of celery mean two sticks or two whole heads of celery?
Not a stupid question at all! It’s 2 sticks of celery. 🙂
Would a store bought rotisserie chicken work the same?
It sure would! Any chicken bones will do the trick. Last night my mom told me that she saves all her chicken bones (from chicken thighs and drumsticks that she’s eaten) and stores them in her freezer. When she wants stock, she just uses those. I thought it was a great idea!
That’s not stupid at all!! Just two ‘pieces’ from the celery you bought at the store :). I think it’s GREAT that you are willing to try!!! I hope it works out and you have an amazing stock!!
Thanks for the no boil tip… Now I too can make clear broth…
No prob at all! It works every time. 🙂
What about using organic chicken stock instead of water? Wouldn’t that make it more chicken-y?
You could, but I think it would be a waste of the chicken stock. Homemade is very chicken-y!
I make stock often. I felt like changing it up a bit and trying a new recipe. This is my new go to. Very good.
I make home made vegetable soup every fortnight. I used to use the store packaged chicken stock and when I make my last batch I used the above recipe for the first time.
OMG what a difference. The most flavorsome vegetable soup I have had in a long time! Thanks for the recipe! I will never go back to the store packaged stock again!!
Cheers,
Mel
You’re so welcome! I still remember the first time I used homemade broth instead of store-bought and how I couldn’t believe what a difference it made. Once you go homemade there’s no turning back!
So easy!! Thank you. Just wondered if you had any idea how long it would last in the fridge?
The FDA recommends storing chicken broth in your fridge no longer than 3-4 days. I always freeze the extra so I have some on hand if I need it. Just make sure to freeze it in quantities that you’ll use. I generally have a few ¼ cup servings and at least one 4 cup serving in case I want to make soup. Freezer ziplock bags work great!
Weird, I definitely found that by the end of the simmering process, I barely had 2 cups of broth. Is there a way to prevent it from simmering off? Do you just keep adding water throughout the process? Am I missing something? :S
Hi Marcela,
How much liquid you have left will depend on how much water you started with initially, what heat it was simmering at (if it was boiling – which you don’t want – then you’ll have much less), and how long you let it simmer for. If you have less liquid then it is likely that it is simply more concentrated, i.e.: more flavourful.
I didn’t give an exact amount of liquid because it is really more important that the water covers the bones by a few inches, you wouldn’t want it less. If your pot is on the small side that might also be why you have less broth in the end.
It will still be great for soup though and you can definitely add some water to get the amount you were hoping for.
🙂
I’ve started just throwing the chicken back in a pot after I butcher it for the week.. fill with cold water, bring to a BARE almost-boil and skim a lot.. then simmer for what seems like forever – at least 8 hours. I’m AMAZED at how flavorful it is! And ridiculously easy. Thank you for this awesome recipe! I love when bloggers pay attention to solid basics/classical recipes 🙂
You are so welcome! It’s funny how some of the basics often seem (or we think they are) difficult when in fact they are some of the easiest. 🙂