My favorite homemade chicken stock recipe will knock the socks off of anything you buy at the store. You can use chicken bones or chicken parts for this easy recipe.
Not only does this chicken stock taste better than the box, but it is also easy to make and lasts in the freezer for up to 3 months. I especially love making chicken stock after making our roasted chicken.
I use this chicken stock to make many of the soup recipes on Inspired Taste, including our highly-rated chicken noodle soup! For a more delicately flavored broth, see my easy chicken broth, or for bone broth, see my recipe for Instant Pot bone broth.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken parts: Make this recipe using chicken parts or leftover bones (say from roasted chicken or a rotisserie chicken). My favorite way to make chicken stock is using chicken wings. They are inexpensive and have lots of cartilage and connective tissue, which are rich in collagen. As they simmer in the stock, the collagen breaks down into gelatin, giving our chicken stock a rich flavor and silky texture.
- Aromatics: For classic chicken stock, use onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.
- Herbs: Using a variety of herbs makes the best stock, tasting better than store-bought. I love bay leaves, thyme, parsley, dill, and peppercorns.
- Salt: I season my homemade chicken stock with salt early on, adding more to taste as it simmers.
How to Make Chicken Stock
Making chicken stock is super simple! Add everything to a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. As it heats up, you’ll notice some foam, sometimes called scum, rise to the surface. I scrape that away and discard it. Removing the foam keeps our stock more clear.
Reduce the heat so that the water is gently simmering, and then cook for about 4 hours before straining and storing in the fridge or freezer.
My Favorite Ways to Use Homemade Chicken Stock
You can use homemade chicken stock in so many delicious recipes. I love it for creamy chicken noodle soup and my favorite vegetable soup. I also use it as a base for sauces and gravy, like in this gravy recipe.
You can also use it as a cooking liquid for rice and grains. It makes this cilantro lime rice and Mexican rice extra flavorful, and I love it for this mushroom risotto.
How to Make the Best Chicken Stock
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Thanks to the aromatics and fresh herbs, my favorite chicken stock recipe has so much flavor. Add more or less chicken, depending on how rich you want the stock. For a light but flavorful chicken stock, use about 4 pounds of chicken parts. For a rich, ultra-flavorful broth, use about 8 pounds of chicken.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
4 to 8 pounds chicken parts, such as whole chicken, bones, wings, breast, and legs
1 pound onion, peeled and chopped (2 large)
1/2 pound carrots, chopped (4 to 5 medium)
1/2 pound celery, chopped (3 to 4 celery ribs)
6 medium cloves garlic, crushed with the back of a knife
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Small bunch of fresh parsley, dill, or both
2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
2 teaspoons sea salt, or more to taste
12 cups cold water
Directions
1Place the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, parsley or dill, peppercorns, and salt in a large stockpot.
2Add 12 cups of water and bring to a boil. If the water does not cover the contents of the pot, add a cup or two more water.
3Reduce the heat to low and cook at a gentle simmer, uncovered, for about 4 hours. As it simmers, it is normal for some foam or scum to rise to the top. Use a spoon to remove it.
4After three hours, taste and adjust the broth with more salt.
5To strain the stock, use a slotted spoon to remove the larger pieces of bone and vegetables. Then, pour the stock through a fine-mesh strainer to catch all the smaller bits.
6Transfer to containers and refrigerate for up to five days or freeze for up to 3 months.
7After the stock has chilled, fat will rise to the surface. We usually leave this, but you can remove the fat for a leaner broth.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Homemade chicken stock will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Freeze for up to 6 months. When filling your freezer-friendly containers, leave a little headspace for the stock to expand as it freezes.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. It was difficult to estimate actual numbers for this recipe, but we have done our best.
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I always struggle with what to add to make great chicken stock and this recipe is perfect. I followed it exactly and ended up with the best stock I’ve ever made. Thanks so much for sharing it.