Homemade Chicken Stock
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Making homemade chicken stock is incredibly easy and inexpensive, not to mention it's bursting with flavor and good-for-you nutrients. The next time you have a roast chicken (or buy a rotisserie chicken) for dinner, save the bones and give this chicken stock recipe a try!
Also, check out these beef bone broth and shrimp stock recipes!
All hail chicken stock! This is what the greatest of soups are made from, like your family recipe for chicken noodle soup or your bubba's matzo ball soup. It's warm and delicious and all kinds of nourishing.
This chicken stock recipe will come in handy this fall or winter when you're in full-blown soup mode, or the next time someone in your household comes down with a cold. It's packed with vitamins and minerals, and really just tastes like home.
What is chicken stock?
Let's start from the top. What is chicken stock?
Chicken stock is made from the bones of a chicken that you simmer with vegetables and water for several hours until a rich, flavorful, and nutrient-dense liquid is created. You can use it in soups, sauces, and any dish that calls for stock or broth.
Chicken stock vs broth
You might be wondering, “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.
As far as cooking with stock vs. broth goes, you can use them interchangeably in any recipe that calls for either option.
Chicken stock vs bone broth
There are two main differences between chicken stock and bone broth:
- Time needed to cook: While chicken stock can be made in 4 hours, bone broth is simmered on low heat for 24-48 hours.
- Consumption: chicken stock can be slurped up on its own or added to other dishes. Bone broth, on the other hand, is usually sipped while hot.
Ingredients to make chicken stock
In its simplest form, you can use chicken bones and water to make chicken stock. And that's it!
You can also optionally add in vegetables and herbs to give an abundance of flavor to your stock:
- Vegetables: Chopped onion, celery carrots, and garlic
- Herbs: Rosemary branch, sage leaves, sprigs of thyme, and a handful of parsley
How to make chicken stock
If the idea of making homemade chicken stock sounds too time-consuming, especially when there are premade store-bought options available, we applaud you for rethinking this misconception.
Making your own chicken stock is super simple, and the majority of the time needed to make it is stove-top time when you don't have to babysit it.
Here's what you'll do:
- Throw all the ingredients into a big pot and pour cold water over the top.
- Turn up the heat and keep it at a gentle simmer for 4 hours.
- Remove from the heat and strain the stock twice to remove the bones and sediment.
Ta-da! Just like that, you've got homemade chicken stock!
Is Stock Wasteful?
This chicken stock recipe is the opposite of wasteful. By making your own chicken stock you'll be using as much of the bird as possible, including leftover bones, plus any scraps of vegetables that you would have otherwise composted a long time ago. It extends the value of both the chicken and vegetables to make something wholesome and delicious. Win-win!
That said, many homemade chicken stock recipes out there are wasteful. We've seen recipes that call for several whole chickens to be used and then discarded as waste. Unless you have a very large budget and don't mind throwing away perfectly good food, use this chicken stock recipe instead.
Resourceful tip
Instead of throwing out bones after dinner, save them! We have a ‘bone bag' in our freezer all the time. If we eat bone-in chicken, steak, or pork, we take the bones off our dinner plates and put them into the bone bag. (Make sure to rinse off any sauce first.)
Also, instead of tossing onion, celery, garlic, and carrot scraps into the compost, put them into the bone bag. And if that parsley you bought last week is looking pretty sad, put it in the bone bag, too.
Once the bag is full, tip it out into a pot and make stock!
What kind of chicken bones should I use?
You can use the entire chicken carcass from a whole chicken; the neck, feet, and chicken wings also deliver a lot of flavor.
You can use raw chicken bones or the bones from a cooked chicken.
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. But don't worry about the small bits of meat left on the bone – they'll add flavor to the stock.
No matter what bones you're using, you will simmer them in water for many hours to extract all the goodness and create a soul-warming chicken stock.
Recipe FAQs
Do I need to add vegetables?
We list the vegetables as optional as we've made incredible stock many times using only bones.
Can I add other bones?
Yes! We keep a bone bag in our freezer where we store all of our leftover bones until we have enough to make stock. If we've eaten a bone-in pork chop or steak, we'll toss those bones in there, too. Of course, it won't be chicken stock anymore. But it will be a super delicious stock that is perfect for making soup!
NOTE: Don't add seafood bones or lamb bones to the bag as both have very strong flavors. If you'd like you can store them separately and make stock from them. But as the flavors are so strong it won't be a versatile stock.
How should I store homemade chicken stock?
Store chicken stock in airtight containers or jars with lids, like mason jars. It will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and in the freezer for at least 6 months.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes! This is something we do all the time. Instead of putting everything into a pot, put it into your crockpot and cook it on low heat for at least 8 hours. You can see our crockpot turkey stock recipe for more information!
More homemade stock recipes
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.
For more inspiration, check out all of our soup recipes!
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 am on a low carb diet and counting grams of macronutrients until I get familiar with how much I need of things. Can you give a shot at estimating the carb, fat and protein content of a good chicken stock?
Hi Thinley,
I really wish I could but I haven’t the faintest idea.
Not sure how accurate this is but perhaps this will help you:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/362476-the-nutritional-information-for-homemade-chicken-stock/
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
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. 🙂