Place chicken carcass, carrots, onions, celery, thyme, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves into a large stock pan and cover with water.
Bring chicken stock to a rolling simmer slowly over medium heat. Once lightly boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer and simmer for 3-4 hours. Check on the broth as it simmers, and skim off any scum that rises to the surface as the stock cooks with a slotted spoon.
After simmering for 3-4 hours, remove the chicken stock from the heat and use a fine-mesh strainer to strain off the solids. Discard the solids and allow the strained broth to cool to room temperature.
Transfer the stock to storage containers or jars and refrigerate overnight. After refrigeration, skim off any fat solids that may have risen to the top of the broth with a slotted spoon.
Store the chicken stock in the refrigerator for 5 days or freeze in freezer-safe containers, leaving 1-inch room for expansion for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight as needed.
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Notes
Chicken Bones: In place of the chicken carcass, use bones from 2-3 large chicken breasts, 5-6 chicken thighs, 10 chicken wings, or 7-8 chicken legs.Vegetables/Herbs: In place of the carrots, celery, onions, and thyme, feel free to use 3 cups of vegetable scraps. Sodium Content: Feel free to reduce the salt to ½ tablespoon or omit it completely for sodium-free chicken stock. Slow Cooker Instructions: To prepare Crockpot Chicken stock, combine the ingredients in a large crockpot and cook on low for 8-12 hours. Once cooked, strain out the solids using a fine-mesh strainer and allow the stock to cool to room temperature before transferring it to storage containers and refrigerating.