Homemade Chicken Stock

This is more of a guide or template for how to make homemade chicken stock instead of being a strict recipe. Making a stock from scratch is a labor of love, but the good news is that it’s mostly hands-off cooking time, just letting the ingredients slowly simmer away and develop flavor, and the payoff you get from making your own stock is tremendous! Homemade chicken stocks are so much fresher, flavorful, and richer compared to store-bought options. This beautiful development of flavor really shines when you use your homemade stock to make soups, pastas, stews, or even just enjoy a warm mug of it for a pick-me-up. The best part of all that I haven’t even mentioned yet — the main ingredient of this chicken stock (the chicken bones) would have been thrown away if not put to use in this way, making gold from something otherwise seen as useless.

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Making the Stock

What ingredients are in homemade chicken stock? A traditional homemade chicken stock uses a combination of aromatic vegetables (such as onions, celery, and carrots), chicken bones, and salt and black peppercorns for seasoning.

What vegetables or flavor additions can I add to homemade chicken stock? The classic variety of vegetables and seasonings used in a traditional homemade chicken stock are carrots, onion, celery, salt, and peppercorns. I like to spin this recipe by:

Adding savory herbs such as bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, parsley, or even cilantro, depending on the flavor profile you’re looking for. A pro tip is to save the stems from herbs such as parsley and cilantro and use them in homemade stocks. The stems of these soft herbs pack a lot of flavor, but often get thrown away for their toothsome texture.
Adding a sliced fennel bulb. Fennel is a light and almost fruity vegetable that has a subtle but delicious flavor. Add this alongside the other vegetables for an extra punch of flavor.
Substitute the onion for leeks, shallots, or scallions. All of these onion varieties will have similar flavor, and it all just depends on what you have on hand.
Add additional aromatics such as ginger or garlic. The next time you make this recipe, toss in a few smashed garlic cloves or thickly sliced ginger. These two ingredients add beautiful richness and depth to the broth without being overpowering.

Putting Homemade Chicken Stock to Use

How to use homemade chicken stock? You can use this chicken stock in any recipe that calls for a broth or stock, and you’ll be happy you did because of the great flavor this will provide to the dish. Some examples of recipes we have developed that would shine with this chicken stock are:

Troubleshooting

Why is homemade chicken stock gelatinous? When chilled, homemade chicken stock can appear to be gelatinous because of all the collagen in the chicken carcass used to make the stock. The gelatin you’re seeing is not fat or anything undesired; it’s actually the collagen from the chicken breaking down into gelatin. This is actually a good thing to notice in your stock because it means that you’ve successfully created a rich stock with depth of flavor and a rich mouthfeel.

Why is my homemade chicken stock cloudy? Homemade chicken stocks often become cloudy when they’re cooked at too high a temperature, causing the liquid to rapidly simmer or even boil. Stock should be cooked low and slow, maintaining a gentle simmer, and skimmed for any foam or excess fat during the cooking process to ensure a clear broth. This way, you’re still getting all the flavor from the ingredients used in the stock, but you’re not getting any of the unwanted particles from the chicken. Another way to ensure your stock stays clear is by avoiding stirring the ingredients once you reach a gentle simmer. Homemade stocks are intentionally non-fussy in this way, and if you’re constantly stirring all of the ingredients, it can cause them to break down and make a cloudy stock.

Storage

Can homemade chicken stock be frozen? Yes, I love preparing homemade chicken stock in advance and storing it in the freezer so I can easily grab it for a quick soup or pasta recipe. For best results, I recommend measuring out the stock and storing it in freezer-safe zipper bags. This way, you know exactly how much stock is in each container you freeze, and you can easily compare it to the amount needed for the recipe you’ll use it in. You can also store it in ice cube molds in the freezer for smaller portions of stock. I recommend using the frozen chicken stock within 3 months of preparing it so that it stays at its peak freshness, but it’s so delicious that chances are it won’t last that long anyway!

How long can homemade chicken stock last in the fridge? I recommend consuming or freezing homemade chicken stock within 3-5 days of preparing it to ensure it stays as fresh as possible.

How to make homemade chicken stock:

homemade chicken stock, chicken broth, soup, stew

dinner

American

Yield: 5-8

Author: Blossoming Menu

Learn how to make rich, flavorful homemade chicken stock with this step-by-step guide. Perfect for soups, stews, and adding depth to your favorite recipes.

Prep time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

1 chicken carcass
2-3 carrots
2-3 stalks of celery
1 large onion
Salt
Whole black peppercorns

Instructions

Place a very large pot (the biggest you have) on the stove and begin preheating it over low heat.
Roughly chop the celery, carrots, and onion into halves, then add them to the pot.
Place the chicken carcass in the pot whole.
Pour in about 20 cups of water—or more, if your pot allows.
Season generously with salt and whole black peppercorns.
Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, being careful not to let it reach a full boil.
Let the stock cook for 3–5 hours, depending on the time you have. Do not stir during this entire process.
Every hour or so, skim off any impurities that rise to the surface — this may look like foamy bits or pockets of fat.
When the stock has turned golden, tastes rich and full, and has a clear appearance, remove it from the heat. Allow it to cool until hot but not scalding. Before straining, lift out the large bones and vegetables to make the process easier. Then pour the broth through a fine metal sieve.
Let the stock cool completely, then store it in the refrigerator or freezer — or use it right away in your favorite soups, stews, and sauces!

Notes

Note: It’s important to keep all ingredients in larger pieces (the chicken carcass, vegetables, and peppercorns) because it makes it easier to strain them out at the end and end up with a clear broth.