Homemade chicken stock

Homemade chicken stock

Flavorful. Comforting. Oh-so-versatile. Chicken stock is a hands-down stellar basic. Use it in sauces, stews, or soup for amazing flavor. Or drink it, straight-up... just pour yourself a big, warm cup and fill-up on some nutrient-packed deliciousness.

Homemade chicken stock

Flavorful. Comforting. Oh-so-versatile. Chicken stock is a hands-down stellar basic. Use it in sauces, stews, or soup for amazing flavor. Or drink it, straight-up... just pour yourself a big, warm cup and fill-up on some nutrient-packed deliciousness.
USMetric
4 servingservings

Ingredients

  • 1 (313 lbs) 1 (1.5 kg) whole chicken
  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 (2¼ oz.) 1 (60 g) carrot, choppedcarrots, chopped
  • 1 (4 oz.) 1 (110 g) yellow onion, slicedyellow onions, sliced
  • 1 (3 oz.) 1 (90 g) leek, thinly slicedleeks, thinly sliced
  • 2 2 garlic clove, mincedgarlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp dried thyme
  • 1 1 bay leafbay leaves
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp peppercorn, whitepeppercorns, white
  • 6 cups 1.4 liters water
  • salt
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Instructions

Instructions are for 4 servings. Please modify as needed.

  1. Brown the vegetables in olive oil in a big pot, preferably one made of enameled cast iron, until they have a nice color.
  2. Split the chicken down the middle and put both halves in the pot. Pour water and spices into the pot. Put the lid on, lower the heat, and let simmer for two hours.
  3. Take out the chicken and remove its bones. Save the meat.
  4. Do you like crispy chicken skin? Then spread out the chicken skin pieces on an oven sheet lined with parchment paper, add spices to taste, and bake in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 15 minutes or until they are crispy.
  5. Crack the chicken bones and break them up into smaller pieces. Put the bones back into the pot and simmer for about three more hours.
  6. Filter the stock through a fine strainer and pour the stock back into the pot. Reduce to half or more, depending on how rich you want your stock to be. The stock isn't supposed to boil vigorously; just let it simmer over medium-low heat. Season with salt to taste towards the end.
  7. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze in smaller packages for up to three months. It's perfect to use as a natural flavor enhancer in soups, pots and sauces.

Tip

Feel free to use the chicken meat in a classic chicken soup. Or, why not use it in a tasty dip with mayonnaise, sour cream, and curry?

Using a slow cooker

If you have a slow cooker, it is wonderful for making stock. In a large pan, brown the vegetables in olive oil and then transfer them into the slow cooker. Leave the chicken in one piece and combine the ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on high for three hours. Remove the meat, switch temperature to low, and cook the bones for at least eight more hours (the longer, the better). Add to a saucepan without a lid and reduce on low to medium heat until you reach the desired concentration.

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17 comments

  1. john church
    if i want to thicken my chicken stock or any stock what can i use as a thickening agent , no flour or corn charch ?
    Reply: #2
  2. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    Try glucomannan or xanthan gum. Add in very small amounts and give it a chance to work before adding more.
  3. Kate
    Dear admins, how about correcting cooking time here for 5 hrs instead of 2 (considering 3 hrs in the sixth step)?
  4. Allison
    How do you count carbs in a stock that was made with vegetables like this?
  5. Gertrude Arora
    We make stock all the time. My daughter is going full keto to manage her seizures. The hospital needs to know precise measurements and given that we eat a pretty healthy non processed diet I’d like to keep it that way. I have questions about the nutrition profile...what size chicken are you using, like 10lb? My husband likes to just use chicken drumsticks I stead of a whole chicken. Could we just use 10lb of drumsticks. ? How big is a serving size ? Thanks !
    Reply: #6
  6. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    We make stock all the time. My daughter is going full keto to manage her seizures. The hospital needs to know precise measurements and given that we eat a pretty healthy non processed diet I’d like to keep it that way. I have questions about the nutrition profile...what size chicken are you using, like 10lb? My husband likes to just use chicken drumsticks I stead of a whole chicken. Could we just use 10lb of drumsticks. ? How big is a serving size ? Thanks !

    Most whole chickens are 2-4lbs. A serving size depends on how much your batch of broth reduces as it cooks down. This makes 4 servings as written.

  7. Ian
    How many carbs and fat if you just use broth from slow cooking chicken legs with skin on ("drumsticks")?
  8. Gemma
    The servings say 4 servings but what does that mean as it’s stock. Is it four cups of stock? 4 liters? What is considered in this recipe to be a serving?
    Reply: #9
  9. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    The servings say 4 servings but what does that mean as it’s stock. Is it four cups of stock? 4 liters? What is considered in this recipe to be a serving?

    It would basically be the entire recipe divided by 4. As 4 servings uses 6 cups of water, it would likely be about 1.5 cups per serving.

  10. Elketo
    I do something similar with chicken thighs in a pressure cooker. Shred the meat for use in various meals and make crisps with the skin. I haven't tried re-adding the bones and reducing, so will have to give that a try. The stock is liquid straight out of the pot but does gel once stored in the fridge, no xanthan gum needed.

    Thanks for sharing such a great basic for use in other recipes.

  11. Yvonne
    I made this for my husband when he lost his taste & smell due to covid, he drank it for two days, his senses returned the following day, a coincidence maybe, but I’m sure this helped.
    I’ve made it again today to make no noodle chicken soup later.
    Reply: #12
  12. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    I made this for my husband when he lost his taste & smell due to covid, he drank it for two days, his senses returned the following day, a coincidence maybe, but I’m sure this helped.
    I’ve made it again today to make no noodle chicken soup later.

    Thank you for letting us know! I hope your husband has had a full recovery.

    Reply: #13
  13. Yvonne
    He’s fully recovered, thankfully I didn’t get it. Thank you Kristin,
  14. Saundra
    I have a mediterranean chicken and "rice" recipe that I adjusted using chicken with carrots, celery , onions and spices for the stock. I use the chicken and some of the stock later in the recipe. When you remove and toss the vegs does it affect the carbs in the broth or the chicken? I ask because I am trying to calcluate the nutrition.
    Reply: #15
  15. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    I have a mediterranean chicken and "rice" recipe that I adjusted using chicken with carrots, celery , onions and spices for the stock. I use the chicken and some of the stock later in the recipe. When you remove and toss the vegs does it affect the carbs in the broth or the chicken? I ask because I am trying to calcluate the nutrition.

    It may affect the nutrition, but there is no way to get a specific and accurate nutrition profile.

  16. Melissa
    Do you skin any fat off this broth? Since it's keto, I wasn't sure
    Reply: #17
  17. Kerry Merritt Team Diet Doctor

    Do you skin any fat off this broth? Since it's keto, I wasn't sure

    Hi, Melissa! That would be personal preference.

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