It’s more simple than you may think to make homemade chicken stock – a versatile ingredient that enhances countless recipes. Crafting your own stock is not only budget-friendly but also allows you to maintain control over the ingredients, oftentimes making it a healthier alternative to store-bought.

Chicken Stock in mason jar with ingredients in background.Pin
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Why Make Homemade Chicken Stock?

  • Delectable Flavor Boost: With its rich, savory flavor, homemade chicken stock adds depth and character to soups, stews, sauces, and countless other dishes, making every bite a tantalizing experience.
  • Healthier Option: By making it at home, you control the ingredients, ensuring a stock that’s free from preservatives, excessive sodium, and other additives commonly found in store-bought alternatives.
  • Cost-Effective and Sustainable: Utilize kitchen scraps like vegetable peels and chicken bones to create a flavorful stock, reducing waste and saving money in the process!
  • Makes Multiple Meals: The bonus of this recipe is that not only do you get chicken stock out of it but ALSO fresh cooked chicken, which I put to good use all week in tons of Chicken Recipes that call for cooked chicken.
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What You’ll Need

  • A whole chicken
  • Water
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Onion
  • Bay leaves
  • Fresh thyme
  • Fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper
The ingredients for homemade chicken stock.Pin

How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock

1. Add Ingredients: Place the ingredients in a large pot making sure that all are covered with water.

The ingredients in a large pot, uncooked.Pin

2. Bring to a boil: Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.

3. Simmer: Simmer for a minimum of one hour or up to four hours. The flavor gets better the longer you simmer it. If simmering the stock for more than 1 hour, remove the chicken after the first hour, take the meat off of the bones and set aside. Return bones to the pot and continue cooking.

The ingredients in large pot, cooked.Pin

4. Skim off impurities: While simmering the stock, periodically use a spoon to skim off all the impurities that rise to the top.

5. Strain: Strain the stock into a container and allow it to come to room temperature. You can use the stock at this point or you can store in the fridge over night. The next day, remove solidified fat from the top then use when you’re ready!

Storing/Freezing Instructions

  • Refrigeration Storage:
    • Let the chicken stock cool to room temperature before storing it.
    • Use airtight containers like glass jars, plastic containers, or resealable freezer bags to store the stock.
    • Label the containers with the date of preparation for easy tracking.
    • Store the chicken stock in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Make sure it is in the coldest part of the fridge.
  • Freezing Chicken Stock:
    • Once the chicken stock has cooled, pour it into freezer-safe containers, leaving some space at the top as the liquid will expand when frozen.
    • Alternatively, you can freeze the stock in ice cube trays to have small portions for quick use.
    • Label the containers with the date and quantity of stock for easy identification.
    • Frozen chicken stock can be stored for up to 3-4 months without compromising its quality.
Chicken stock in mason jar with spoonful of stock.Pin

Recipes to Use Chicken Stock

Chicken stock, shredded cooked chicken and other ingredients.Pin

Chicken stock serves as a flavorful base for soups, stews, sauces, and numerous other dishes, elevating the taste and quality of your homemade meals. I highly recommend making your own at home and having it ready to go. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments or tag me on social media if you make this!

Images by Ivan Solis

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Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock is a staple ingredient that I always have on hand. Making your own stock at home is easier than you'd think, super affordable and oftentimes healthier than store bought.
No ratings yet
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cups
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes

Equipment

  • stock pot

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Place all the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
  • Simmer for a minimum of one hour but up to four hours. The flavor gets better the longer you simmer it. If simmering longer than an hour, remove the chicken after the first hour, take the meat off of the bones and set aside. Return bones to the pot and continue cooking. You can shred the chicken to use for other recipes or just eat on its own.
  • While simmering the stock, periodically use a spoon to skim off all the impurities that rise to the top.
  • Strain the stock into a container and allow it to come to room temperature. You can use the stock at this point or you can continue with the steps for storing.
  • Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container over night. The next day, remove solidified fat from the top.
  • Store stock in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or freeze for up to 4 months. More thorough storage/freezing instructions are in the notes below.

Notes

Refrigeration Storage:
  • Let the chicken stock cool to room temperature before storing it.
  • Use airtight containers like glass jars, plastic containers, or resealable freezer bags to store the stock.
  • Label the containers with the date of preparation for easy tracking.
  • Store the chicken stock in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Make sure it is in the coldest part of the fridge.
Freezing Chicken Stock:
  • Once the chicken stock has cooled, pour it into freezer-safe containers, leaving some space at the top as the liquid will expand when frozen.
  • Alternatively, you can freeze the stock in ice cube trays to have small portions for quick use.
  • Label the containers with the date and quantity of stock for easy identification.
  • Frozen chicken stock can be stored for up to 3-4 months without compromising its quality.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Protein: 17g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 171mg | Vitamin A: 127IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. Hello, I was just wondering if you could give me feedback on what brand of container would you use to freeze this stock.

  2. My kid love cooking food with me or with his grandma. I am quite joyful about that and I really take pleasure in lookng smile during cooking food.

  3. Thanks for posting this, I had been wanting to make some for a while, but some of the recipes actually seemed a little complicated, but I always feel pretty confident when I follow yours. I finally got the chicken bones out of the freezer (just used bones, not a whole chicken), and replaced it with delicious homemade stock! My hubby is much happier now. :o) Thanks for making cooking a little less scary! I also used some of the stock to make your chicken noodle soup – super easy and delicious, even made my own egg noodles!

  4. Also, I read a tip for the bones. Before you boil the bones again. Add a splash of vinegar to the pot. It’s supposed to draw calcium out of the bones and into your stock. I’m no chemist, but I do it with every pot now. Every little bit helps. I don’t get any vinegar undertones because you are using just a splash, not a whole lot.

  5. We do something very similar, though we oven roast the chicken first, have it for dinner, pull the remainder of the meat off the bones for future recipes, and then put the veggies, a little apple cider vinegar, and carcass into the slow cooker for 24-48 hours on low. You really need that length of time to get the absolute best nutrition from the bones. And the ACV to make the broth calcium and mineral-rich.

    A good stock is rich in proteins and amino acids, minerals such as calcium and magnesium, and gelatin.
    http://www.www.westonaprice.org/food-features/515-broth-is-beautiful.html

  6. Great recipe! I like the family focus of your cooking blog. Kids are sometimes tough customers, so good tips!
    cupcake

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