Homemade Chicken Stock
Unlock the rich flavors of your kitchen with this easy homemade chicken stock recipe! Using those leftover chicken bones, you'll create a savory base by simmering them with aromatic vegetables like carrots and celery, plus a handful of fresh herbs. It's the perfect way to elevate your soups and sauces while reducing waste—deliciousness has never been so simple!
Prep
15
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- carrots
- celery
- garlic
- onionleeks & mushrooms work too
- water to cover the bones
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- chicken bones/carcass
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- bay leaf
- thyme
📦Other(1)
- peppercorns
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add everything to a pot and bring to a light simmer (to purify you can skim off the scum from the top).
- 2
Leave from anywhere 3-12 hours - I like to leave it at 150 degrees C for 4 hours, you can simmer on low on your hob or use a slow cooker for 4-6 hours.
- 3
Strain all of the bits off through a sieve and/or cheese cloth.
- 4
Add to a jar, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for 3 months.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Keep the stock at a bare simmer (185-195°F) rather than a rolling boil, because vigorous boiling emulsifies rendered fat into the liquid, producing a cloudy, greasy stock instead of a clear one.technique185-195°F
- ✓Skim the gray protein foam that rises in the first 20-30 minutes of simmering, as this coagulated albumin will otherwise break apart and cloud the final stock if left to circulate.timing20-30 minutes
- ✓Extend cooking to a full 8-12 hours if using mostly bones (versus 4 hours for a lighter meat-forward stock), since collagen conversion to gelatin is time-dependent and longer extraction yields a stock that sets firm when chilled.timing8-12 hours
- ✓Cool the strained stock in an ice bath before refrigerating, dropping it below 40°F within 2 hours, to avoid bacterial growth in the 40-140°F danger zone since the stock's protein richness makes it a prime growth medium.equipmentbelow 40°F within 2 hours
- ✓Leave stock unsalted during cooking since prolonged reduction over many hours concentrates sodium significantly, and salting later gives you control when the stock's final volume and intensity are known.ingredient0% salt during cooking
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Homemade Chicken Stock
Unlock the rich flavors of your kitchen with this easy homemade chicken stock recipe! Using those leftover chicken bones, you'll create a savory base by simmering them with aromatic vegetables like carrots and celery, plus a handful of fresh herbs. It's the perfect way to elevate your soups and sauces while reducing waste—deliciousness has never been so simple!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- carrots
- celery
- garlic
- onionleeks & mushrooms work too
- water to cover the bones
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- chicken bones/carcass
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- bay leaf
- thyme
📦Other(1)
- peppercorns
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add everything to a pot and bring to a light simmer (to purify you can skim off the scum from the top).
- 2
Leave from anywhere 3-12 hours - I like to leave it at 150 degrees C for 4 hours, you can simmer on low on your hob or use a slow cooker for 4-6 hours.
- 3
Strain all of the bits off through a sieve and/or cheese cloth.
- 4
Add to a jar, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for 3 months.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Keep the stock at a bare simmer (185-195°F) rather than a rolling boil, because vigorous boiling emulsifies rendered fat into the liquid, producing a cloudy, greasy stock instead of a clear one.technique185-195°F
- ✓Skim the gray protein foam that rises in the first 20-30 minutes of simmering, as this coagulated albumin will otherwise break apart and cloud the final stock if left to circulate.timing20-30 minutes
- ✓Extend cooking to a full 8-12 hours if using mostly bones (versus 4 hours for a lighter meat-forward stock), since collagen conversion to gelatin is time-dependent and longer extraction yields a stock that sets firm when chilled.timing8-12 hours
- ✓Cool the strained stock in an ice bath before refrigerating, dropping it below 40°F within 2 hours, to avoid bacterial growth in the 40-140°F danger zone since the stock's protein richness makes it a prime growth medium.equipmentbelow 40°F within 2 hours
- ✓Leave stock unsalted during cooking since prolonged reduction over many hours concentrates sodium significantly, and salting later gives you control when the stock's final volume and intensity are known.ingredient0% salt during cooking