Chicken Broth

Learn how to make chicken broth with all of the best tips and tricks! This old-fashioned homemade chicken broth recipe is a simple combination of fresh, wholesome ingredients. Freeze a batch for later and use the broth in a variety of recipes — from soups to gravy, casseroles to stews. It’s nourishing, versatile, and incredibly delicious!

Homemade Chicken Broth Recipe

This easy chicken broth recipe has a rich chicken flavor that’s seasoned with herbs, garlic, carrots, celery and onion. Not only will you have plenty of delicious homemade chicken broth to use in a variety of dishes, but you’ll also have about 4 cups of tender, moist, shredded, cooked chicken. Both the broth and the meat are perfect for adding to all of your favorite soups, stews and casseroles. So budget-friendly, too!

Chicken Stock vs Broth

Chicken stock and chicken broth can often be used interchangeably in recipes; however, there is a difference between the two. Chicken stock is made by simmering bones or bony parts of a chicken (such as a leftover chicken carcass), while broth is typically made with the bones and meat. Chicken stock tends to have a richer flavor and a thicker mouthfeel, thanks to the gelatin that’s released from simmering the bones over a long period of time. This recipe calls for a whole chicken (with its meat), so you’ll have a delicious homemade broth and plenty of cooked meat to use at the end!

Ingredients

• Whole chicken: or substitute with 4-5 lbs. of bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, just chicken thighs, chicken wings, chicken drumsticks, or chicken breasts. The breast is great if you only like to eat white meat.
• Carrots, celery and onion: use fresh, whole vegetables for the best flavor. I even peel the carrots for better flavor in the broth.
• Parsley, thyme, bay leaf, garlic and peppercorns: herbs and seasonings give the broth great savory flavor.
• Cold water: always use cold water, which helps keep the broth clear and prevent it from becoming cloudy.
• Kosher salt: I use about 1 teaspoon, but you can adjust the amount to suit your taste. If you need a low-sodium broth, you can reduce the salt or omit this seasoning entirely.

How to Make Chicken Broth

Nothing smells better than a big batch of homemade chicken broth simmering on the stovetop! While you’ll need to allow plenty of time for the chicken to cook and the broth to become rich and flavorful, the process is incredibly simple and almost entirely hands-off.

1. Place chicken in a large stockpot.
2. Add carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, garlic, thyme, parsley and peppercorns.
3. Pour in cold water and salt. You should have enough water in the pot to cover the chicken, so add more water, if necessary.
4. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover the pot (leaving a small gap to allow some steam to escape).
5. Simmer on low heat for about 1 ½ hours, skimming the top occasionally.
6. Remove the chicken from the pot, and take the meat off the bones when the chicken is cool enough to handle. Discard the skin and bones; save the meat for another recipe.
7. Strain the contents of the pot through a colander.
8. Pack the liquid in mason jars or other airtight containers.

Storage

Allow the stock to cool to room temperature, then store in airtight containers (like a jar) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Hardened fat will accumulate at the top of the chilled broth (this is normal). Scrape off the surface fat with a spoon, or you can stir the fat back into the broth as it heats through.

What to Make with Chicken Broth

My boys love nothing more than a simple chicken broth soup recipe, which I make by cooking homemade egg noodles in a pot of simmering homemade broth. Similarly, you can cook rice in chicken broth instead of water for great flavor! Here are a few other ways to use your broth and cooked chicken:

• Easy Chicken Noodle Soup or Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
• Farmhouse Chicken and Rice Soup or Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
• White Bean Chicken Chili
• Chicken Stew
• How to Make Gravy with Chicken Broth
• Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice
• Chicken Noodle Casserole
• Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
• Chicken Pot Pie

Tips for the Best Chicken Broth Recipe

• The longer you simmer the broth, the richer the flavor. If you like, you can simmer the broth for up to 5 hours; however, remove the chicken from the pot after 90 minutes to prevent the meat from drying out.
• As the broth is simmering, occasionally skim the foam off of the top. Skimming off the scum and fat that accumulates on the surface of the broth helps create a clear, clean broth.
• Allow the broth to cool completely before packing and storing in the refrigerator or freezer. If you have time, chill the broth in the refrigerator overnight and then scrape off the surface fat before freezing or using.

More Soup Recipes with Chicken Broth

• Italian Wedding Soup
• Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Zuppa Toscana
• Corn Chowder