Make your own chicken stock! It is one of the easiest and most rewarding kitchen tasks you can do. Whether you’re making a comforting sopita, a flavorful enchilada sauce, or delicious Chile con carne, homemade chicken stock adds depth and richness that store-bought options simply can’t match. Plus, it’s a great way to use up leftover chicken bones and scraps, reducing waste while creating something flavorful.
In this blog post, we’ll go through the step-by-step process of making your own chicken stock from scratch. You’ll learn how to create a rich, hearty stock with simple ingredients that can elevate your cooking. Let’s get started!
Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Stock
The ingredients for chicken stock are simple, and you probably already have most of them in your kitchen. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken Bones or Carcass: The bones from a rotisserie chicken or leftover roast chicken work great. You can also use raw chicken parts like wings, necks, or backs. The more bones, the richer the stock will be.
- Vegetables: Typically, you’ll want onions, carrots, and celery. These classic “mirepoix” vegetables are the base of many stocks, adding sweetness and earthiness to the broth.
- Herbs and Spices: Fresh thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves are traditional choices. You can also add peppercorns and garlic for extra flavor.
- Water: This is the primary liquid for simmering the ingredients. You’ll want enough water to fully submerge the bones and vegetables, typically around 10 cups.
Why Make Homemade Chicken Stock?
Before we dive into the recipe, you might wonder why you should bother making chicken stock yourself when there are so many options available at the grocery store. Here are a few key reasons to try homemade chicken stock:
- Better Flavor: Homemade chicken stock is rich, aromatic, and full of flavor. By simmering chicken bones and vegetables, you extract the deep essence of the ingredients.
- Healthier: Many store-bought stocks contain added preservatives, sodium, and artificial flavor enhancers. When you make your own stock, you control what goes in.
- Cost-Effective: Making stock from scratch is an affordable way to create a flavorful base for many dishes.
- Zero Waste: Homemade chicken stock is a great way to use leftover chicken bones, carcasses, and vegetable scraps, making it an eco-friendly choice.
Optional Add-ins:
- A splash of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar helps extract minerals from the bones and contributes to a more flavorful stock.
- Leeks, parsley stems, or even a few whole tomatoes can be added for additional layers of flavor.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Chicken Stock
Making chicken stock is easy, but it does take time. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients
Start by gathering your chicken bones, vegetables, and herbs. I like to purchase bone in leg quarters, split breasts or bone in chicken thighs. If you’re using a whole carcass, you can break it up into smaller pieces to help release more flavor. Throughout the week, when I cook with onions, bell peppers or root vegetables like zucchini or potatoes and even the ends and skin of my garlic. I keep a discard bowl next to my cutting board while I’m chopping so I don’t have to take my discards all the way to trash and waste them. You’d be surprised at how much accumulates after a quick mirepoix chop. It makes your prep go a lot quicker! I keep my bowl or yogurt container full of vegetables discards in the fridge. If you don’t have any discards to use, roughly chop carrots, celery, onion and any other vegetables you might have in your fridge drawer that might need to be used up. There’s no need to peel the vegetables as you’ll be straining the stock later.
Step 2: Combine the Ingredients in a Pot
Place the chicken or carcass in a large stockpot. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and herbs. Pour in enough cold water to cover the ingredients by about 2 inches (roughly 10 cups of water, depending on the size of your pot).
Step 3: Bring to a Boil, Then Simmer
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam or scum that rises to the top using a spoon or ladle. This will help ensure a clear, clean broth.
Step 4: Simmer for Hours
Let the stock simmer for at least 2–3 hours, but the longer you cook it, the more flavor you’ll extract. A simmer of 6–8 hours is ideal for a deep, rich stock, and you can even let it go overnight if you’re using a slow cooker. Add more water as needed to keep the bones submerged.
Step 5: Strain the Stock
Once the stock has reached the desired flavor, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. Use a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain out the solids, discarding the bones and vegetables. You can also use a ladle to separate the stock from the solids.
Step 6: Store Your Stock
Let the stock cool completely before transferring it to containers for storage. You can refrigerate the stock for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. If you want to store it in the freezer, consider using ice cube trays for easy portioning.
Step 7: Use in Your Favorite Recipes
Now that you’ve made homemade chicken stock, it’s ready to use! You can incorporate it into your family’s favorite soups like sopita, guisados (Mexican meat stews), Mexican rice, salsas, and more.
Homemade Chicken Stock
Ingredients
- 5 lbs bone in chicken
- 1 carrot roughly chopped
- 1/2 white onion halved
- 4 ribs celery roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic plus garlic skin
- 2 dry bay leaves
- 3 sprigs rosemary optional
- 3 sprigs thyme optional
Instructions
- Combine the Ingredients in a PotPlace the chicken or carcass in a large stockpot. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and herbs. Pour in enough cold water to cover the ingredients by about 2 inches (roughly 10 cups of water, depending on the size of your pot).
- Bring to a Boil, Then SimmerBring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam or scum that rises to the top using a spoon or ladle. This will help ensure a clear, clean broth.
- Simmer for HoursLet the stock simmer for at least 2–3 hours, but the longer you cook it, the more flavor you’ll extract. A simmer of 6–8 hours is ideal for a deep, rich stock, and you can even let it go overnight if you're using a slow cooker. Add more water as needed to keep the bones submerged.
- Strain the StockOnce the stock has reached the desired flavor, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. Use a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain out the solids, discarding the bones and vegetables. You can also use a ladle to separate the stock from the solids.
- Store Your StockLet the stock cool completely before transferring it to containers for storage. You can refrigerate the stock for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. If you want to store it in the freezer, consider using ice cube trays for easy portioning.
- Use in Your Favorite RecipesNow that you’ve made homemade chicken stock, it’s ready to use! You can incorporate it into your family’s favorite soups like sopita, guisados (Mexican meat stews), Mexican rice, salsas, and more.
Notes
- Roast the Bones: For an even richer flavor, consider roasting the chicken bones in the oven at 400°F for about 30 minutes before making the stock. This will caramelize the bones and add depth to the flavor.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pot: You want enough water to cover the ingredients, but don’t overcrowd the pot. If you have too many ingredients, the stock won’t have room to develop its full flavor.
- Skim Regularly: Skimming the foam during the initial boil helps keep the stock clear and ensures the final result isn’t too clou
Other benefits of making your own Chicken Stock
Making your own chicken stock from scratch is an incredibly rewarding process that adds rich, homemade flavor to your dishes. Plus, it’s a great way to reduce waste and save money. If you needed any more reasons, you will also render some chicken fat while making the stock.
The collagen found in this rendering can benefit your skin, hair and nails! You can use the rendered chicken fat (commonly referred to as “schmaltz” )as you would use oil, lard or butter. With just a few simple ingredients you can lazy cook a chicken and create a delicious base that enhances your meals and gives you multiple benefits. Give this homemade chicken stock recipe a try and discover just how easy it is to add flavor to your favorite recipes with homemade stock!
