Homemade Chicken Stock

Homemade Chicken Stock is easy to make at home with these step by step instructions on how to make homemade chicken stock on the stove or in the Slow Cooker. This rich chicken stock is made with chicken bones, herbs, and vegetables scraps for a tasty broth that is healthier and richer than store bought chicken broth. 

I am about to CHANGE YOUR LIFE with my recipe for Chicken Stock.

Okay, maybe not CHANGE your life, but I am going to save you money AND make your recipes taste better with my homemade chicken stock.

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You are about to learn how to make homemade chicken stock with kitchen scraps.

YES–things you would normally throw away!

Homemade Chicken Stock

Making chicken stock takes hardly any hand on time at all and uses ingredients you already have.

Not to mention YOU get to control the quality of ingredients and level of sodium in this chicken stock recipe.

PLEASE stop wasting your money and make your own chicken stock.

This easy chicken stock only needs two essential ingredients:

• Chicken Bones
• Kitchen Scraps

Trust me, I have not gone off the deep end with this one, the very things the majority of people toss into the trash, is all you need for a rich and flavorful stock.

What are Kitchen Scraps?

When I am talking about kitchen scraps, I am referring to vegetable peels, herbs that have lost their vibrant color, or vegetables that you will not be using.

The BEST vegetable scraps for Chicken Stock

• Carrot Peels
• Onion Peels
• Celery Leaves
• Garlic Cloves
• Rosemary, Thyme, & Parsley

Using Vegetable Peels for Chicken Stock

• Get a gallon size bag that is freezer safe.
• Every time you chop an onion, peel a carrot, or chop celery place the scraps and skins in this freezer bag.
• Just add to it as you collect more scraps and store in the freezer.
• Chopping herbs? Toss the ends or wilted pieces into your scrap bag.
• Dicing veggie for a vegetable platter? Toss in the ends of the veggies.

How to make Chicken Stock

Once you have roasted chicken with bones, be it a whole chicken or bone-in chicken breasts or bone-in chicken thighs, you are ready make chicken stock.

1. Place all your scraps and bones into the pan of your choice. You can see that for this batch of stock, I had carrot peels, onion peels, pepper pits, bay leaves, bones and rosemary to make this stock.
2. Cover with cold water.
3. Add 3-4 tablespoons kosher salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. I like to toss in a bay leaf or two as well.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook for at least 3 hours or longer.
5. Strain out the solids.
6. Cool the broth and store in the fridge overnight.
7. Skim off any fat that has risen to the top with a slotted spoon (this step is not necessary, but I prefer to remove the tiny bit of solid fat.)
8. Store in 2-4 cup freezer safe containers or glass jars.

PRO-TIP: I like to use my large 8 quart pan with a colander/steamer insert, which makes straining out the solids extremely easy.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stock

1. Place all your scraps and bones into the crock pot.
2. Cover with cold water.
3. Add 3-4 tablespoons kosher salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. I like to toss in a bay leaf or two as well.
4. Cook on low for 8-12 hours.
5. Strain out the solids.
6. Cool the broth and store in the fridge overnight.
7. Skim off any fat that has risen to the top with a slotted spoon (this step is not necessary, but I prefer to remove the tiny bit of solid fat.)
8. Store in 2-4 cup freezer safe containers or glass jars.

PRO-TIP: A time saving hack, is to let your chicken stock cook overnight in the slow cooker. 

Storing Chicken Stock

• Once the stock has cooled completely, measure out the chicken stock into several 2 and/or 4 cup containers.
• Chicken Stock will last 5 days in refrigerator and 3 months in freezer.

To Freeze Chicken Stock

• Once stock has cooled completely, pour chicken stock into freezer safe quart size bags or 4 cup freezer safe containers.
• Be careful to not over-fill your bags/containers as liquids expand when frozen.
• Place in freezer (if using freezer bags to store chicken stock, lie them flat to take up less room in freezer.)
• Store in freezer for up to 3 months for best flavor.
• Defrost chicken stock in fridge overnight, or speed up defrosting, by placing frozen container of chicken stock into a bowl of cold water in the fridge.

What is the difference between Chicken Stock and Chicken Broth?

• Chicken Stock is made with the BONES or the chicken.
• Chicken Broth is made with the MEAT of the chicken.
• Chicken Stock is RICHER than chicken stock.

Recipes using Chicken Stock

• Creamy and Cheesy Chicken and Rice
• Chicken Pot Pie
• 30 Minute Healthy Potato Corn Chowder
• 30 Minute Baked Potato Soup

Chicken Stock Recipe

5 from 2 votes

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Chicken Stock

A rich and flavorful homemade chicken stock is made with chicken bones and vegetable scraps. Can be made in slow cooker or on stove top. 

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken Stock

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 3 minutes

Servings 16

Calories 15 kcal

Ingredients

• chicken bones from one whole chicken or 3 pounds chicken thighs or chicken breasts
• 3 cups vegetable scraps carrot peels, celery stalks, onions, wilted herbs, etc
• 3-4 tablespoons kosher salt
• bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 12-16 cups cold water

Instructions

Stove Top Chicken Stock

1. Place vegetable and herb scraps and bones into the pan of your choice. 

2. Cover with cold water.

3. Add 3-4 tablespoons kosher salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. Add in bay if desired. 

4. Bring chicken stock to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and allow stock to cook for at least 3 hours or longer.

5. Strain out the solids.
6. Cool the broth and store in the fridge overnight.
7. Skim off any fat that has risen to the top with a slotted spoon (this step is not necessary, but I prefer to remove the tiny bit of solid fat.)
8. Store in 2-4 cup freezer safe containers or glass jars.

Crock Pot Chicken Stock

1. Place bones, scraps and seasonings into slow cooker and cover with water. 

2. Cook on low for 8-12 hours. 

3. Strain out solid and cool stock for 20-30 minutes before storing in 2-4 cup containers in fridge or freezer. 

Recipe Notes

• Use the bones from 1 whole chicken or 2-3 large chicken breasts or 5-6 chicken thighs. Chicken wing bones and chicken leg bones can be used as well.
• Use any vegetable scraps you like for this Homemade Stock. I recommend carrot and onion peels, celery leaves, and rosemary, thyme and parsley. 

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Stock

Amount Per Serving

Calories 15

% Daily Value*

Sodium 200mg 8%

Potassium 79mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 3g 1%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Calcium 4%

Iron 3.2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.