This is the easiest chicken broth I’ve made. Our recipe starts with one whole chicken and makes delicious homemade broth that tastes like pure chicken.
This chicken broth recipe has quickly become one of my favorites. It’s ridiculously simple to make, and since it starts with a whole chicken, you are left with a fantastic chicken broth and a whole cooked chicken at the end.
You can use the broth to make your favorite soups (chicken noodle soup for me!) and the chicken to make chicken salad or these incredible chicken enchiladas.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: I use a whole chicken to make the broth and gently poach it in cold water with the other ingredients for just over an hour (that’s all!).. We also have this chicken stock recipe, which I love, but it takes much longer (more like 3 to 4 hours).
- Peppercorns: Pepper has this fantastic ability to make things taste more rounded out and seasoned, which is why it’s a common ingredient when making broth. I use whole peppercorns in this recipe.
- Garlic: I add 2 garlic cloves that I lightly smash with my knife for a light flavor.
- Thyme and Bay Leaf: Super classic and delicious, fresh thyme and a bay leaf bring out the pure chicken flavor and make the broth taste well-rounded.
How to Make Chicken Broth from Scratch
This chicken broth tastes like pure chicken. It’s delightful, and you can use it in any recipe that calls for broth or stock.
To make the broth, I place a whole chicken, breast-side-down, in a pot and add the garlic cloves, peppercorns, fresh thyme, a bay leaf, and a bit of salt. I barely cover it with cold water, bring it to a boil, and then reduce it to a simmer.
Some scum and foam rise to the top as the water heats up. Skim that off the top using a slotted spoon or a soup skimmer. Then, cover the pot and allow the broth to simmer for an hour and fifteen minutes.
Uncover, remove the chicken, and pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Now it is ready to use or store your homemade chicken broth in jars for another day. It keeps in the fridge for four days and in the freezer for a few months.
Since the chicken simmers for just over an hour, it comes out juicy and tender. This is a fantastic bonus to this chicken broth recipe! You can use the tender cooked chicken for other dishes, like chicken salad, green chicken enchiladas, and more! I especially love it when making our homemade French onion soup.
For more broth and stock recipes, see our classic chicken stock recipe, which calls for chicken bones from leftover roasted chicken. We also have this incredible chicken bone broth, which we make using our Instant Pot. Finally, for a vegetable option, I love this homemade vegetable broth (it’s so good that I sip it like tea).
Easy Chicken Broth
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This easy chicken broth recipe has just five ingredients (plus salt and water), starts with one whole chicken, and makes some of the nicest chicken broth we’ve ever made. The broth tastes like pure chicken. Use it in any recipe that calls for broth or stock. It’s delightful.
This broth keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You Will Need
1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 pounds
5 whole peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
Cold water
Directions
1Place the whole chicken, breast-side down, in a pot that is just large enough to fit the chicken — we use our 5 ½ quart Dutch oven.
2Add the peppercorns, thyme, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Barely cover the chicken with cold water — depending on your pot, you will need 7 to 9 cups.
3Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Use a mesh skimmer or slotted spoon to skim any foam that floats to the surface.
4Cook at a low simmer, covered with a lid, for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Use tongs or two chopsticks tucked under the wings to transfer the chicken to a plate. Allow the chicken to cool and save it for another dish.
5Ladle the stock through a fine mesh strainer and transfer it to one-quart jars. Use immediately or save for later. Note that this broth may taste light at first but tastes better after cooling in the fridge. Another option is to continue simmering the broth to reduce the flavor further.
6Refrigerate for up to four days or freeze for up to three months. After the stock has chilled, fat will rise to the surface. We usually leave this, but you can reserve the fat and use it like oil or butter in other dishes.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. It was difficult to estimate actual numbers for this recipe, but we have done our best.
You May Also Like...
