How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth

Say good-bye to the can ~ and make your own flavorful chicken broth at home!  Just follow these simple steps on how to make Homemade Chicken Broth.  You'll be surprised at how easy it is, and how much flavor gets packed into that broth when you make it yourself.
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I'll admit, I usually use canned chicken broth.  And I'd bet most of us probably do.  

It's just so stinkin' convenient to grab a few cans at the grocery store, keep them handy in the pantry, and pop a can open whenever I need some chicken broth for a recipe I'm making.  I'm seriously all about convenience most of the time.

But when we do say good-bye to that can?

Whenever I do make my own and use it in my recipes, I always kick myself for not making it homemade more often.  

Oh, we get so much more flavor by making our own homemade chicken broth!  Whenever I do make my own and use it in my recipes, I always kick myself for not making it homemade more often.  Because truly, the flavor is seriously that much better. 

You can definitely tell a difference in both the broth itself, and in the finished dishes its used in.

And fortunately for us, when we do make that decision to step away from the can and make our own chicken broth from scratch?  It's actually a pretty easy thing to do. 

Follow these simple steps on how to make homemade chicken broth to whip up a big batch, store it in your freezer, and always have rich flavorful broth on hand for your family-favorite recipes.

Start by cutting up a whole chicken into its eight parts ~  2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 wings, and 2 breasts.  You'll want to start with about a 3 & 1/2 to 4 pound chicken.  

To help release more chicken flavor into the broth, cut each chicken piece into two or three smaller pieces, except for the legs which can remain whole.  No need to cut those little legs up.

Sautéing the chicken pieces before simmering them with the other ingredients brings super rich flavor to the broth. I highly recommend this step not be skipped!

Be sure to leave the skin on the chicken pieces.  The chicken skin ... and the bones ... will release an amazing amount of flavor into the finished broth.  The broth would definitely be lacking some depth without them.  It would still be good ... but not the absolute best that it can be.  

If you'd rather skip the step of cutting up a whole chicken, just buy about 3 & 1/2 to 4 pounds of bone-in chicken parts instead.  I recommend getting a combination of both light and dark meat chicken pieces.

Sautéing the chicken pieces before simmering them with the other ingredients brings super rich flavor to the broth.  You may be tempted to skip this sauteing step, but it's a step well worth the time and effort.  

I highly recommend this step not be skipped! 

To saute the chicken, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil in a large stock pot.  Add half of the chicken pieces and sauté until they're no longer pink.  

Remove those pieces to a bowl and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

If you'd like, include the chicken giblets in the stock pot ~ they also add great flavor.  Just be sure not to include the liver because the liver can contribute an "off" taste to the broth.

Once all the chicken pieces are all sauteed up, return the reserved pieces to the pot and add 6 to 7 quarts of hot water along with the chicken.  Bring all this to a boil and then lower the heat, reducing the liquid down to a simmer.

Keep in mind, the longer the stock simmers, the more concentrated the flavor will be.  And concentrated flavor is good stuff.  

At this point, skim off any froth that forms on the top before adding the other ingredients.

Now comes some more things to pack flavor into the broth!

Add some celery, carrots, large quartered onions, garlic cloves, parsley, bay leaves, whole peppercorns, and kosher salt to the pot.  Then cover and simmer it all together for 2 to 3 hours.  

Keep in mind, the longer the broth simmers, the more concentrated the flavor will be.  And concentrated flavor is good stuff.

Once everything's done simmering, use a slotted spoon to remove the large chicken and vegetable pieces to a bowl.  

To remove any remaining solids, pour the broth through a large colander that's set over a large heatproof bowl or a clean pot.  Set the strained broth aside to cool to room temperature.

Discard the chicken pieces, vegetables, and other solids strained out of the broth.  If you'd really like to, you can use the chicken in soups or casseroles, but I recommend tasting it first to see if it has any flavor left in it.  Remember ~ most of the chicken's flavor was pulled out into the broth! 

After the broth has cooled to room temperature, cover it and chill it for several hours or overnight. 

Then use a slotted spoon to skim off the layer of fat that forms on top of the broth.  The fat will turn solid, which makes skimming it super easy to do.

And now you're done making your very own batch of homemade chicken broth!

Pour the finished broth into clean, airtight containers and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.  I find for freezer storage, plastic containers work best.  When filling containers for freezing, just remember to leave a little bit of unfilled space at the top of the container to allow for expansion as the broth freezes.

Then use and enjoy your homemade broth in your family-favorite recipes when needed!  And oh, remember to say good-bye to that can.

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homemade chicken broth, homemade chicken stock, how to make chicken broth, recipe

Soups

Yield: about 6 quarts

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth

Say good-bye to the can ~ and make your own flavorful chicken broth at home! Just follow these simple steps on how to make Homemade Chicken Broth. You'll be surprised at how easy it is, and how much flavor gets packed into that broth when you make it yourself.

prep time: 30 Mcook time: 3 H & 15 Mtotal time: 3 H & 45 M

ingredients:

• 1 (3 ½ to 4 lb.) whole chicken
• 2 T. vegetable or canola oil
• 4 celery stalks, cut into thirds
• 6 carrots, cut in half
• 3 large onions, quartered {cut off the bottom root end, but there’s no need to peel them}
• 4 garlic cloves, cut in half
• 1 small bunch parsley, washed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp. whole peppercorns
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 6 to 7 quarts hot water

instructions:

How to cook How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth

1. Cut up the chicken into its eight parts (2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 wings, and 2 breasts). To help release more chicken flavor into the stock, cut each piece into two or three smaller pieces, except for the legs which can remain whole.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large stock pot. Add half of the chicken pieces and sauté over medium high heat until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
3. Return reserved chicken pieces to the stock pot. Add 6 to 7 quarts hot water; bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Skim off any froth that forms on the top.
4. Add celery, carrots, quartered onions, garlic cloves, parsley, bay leaves, whole peppercorns, and kosher salt to the pot. Cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Keep in mind, the longer the stock simmers, the more concentrated the flavor.
5. Use a slotted spoon to remove large chicken and vegetables pieces to a bowl. To remove remaining solids, pour stock through a large colander set over a large heatproof bowl or clean pot.
6. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
7. Cover and chill stock several hours or overnight. Use a slotted spoon to skim off the layer of fat that forms on top.
8. Pour into clean, airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Use and enjoy in your family-favorite recipes when needed.

TRACEY'S NOTES

1. You can use a combination of 3 1/2 to 4 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken parts instead of the whole chicken, if you'd like.
2. Sautéing the chicken pieces in step #2 before simmering everything together brings rich flavor to the broth. I don't recommend skipping this step.
3. Include the chicken giblets in the stock pot if you'd like, as they also add great flavor. Just be sure not to include the liver because it can contribute an "off" flavor to the broth.
4. The vegetables are added to build flavor, not to be eaten. Wash the veggies and trim the ends, but there is no need to peel them!
5. For freezer storage, plastic containers are best. When filling, leave a bit of unfilled space at the top of the container to allow for expansion as the stock freezes.

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Use your homemade chicken broth in these tasty recipes:

Chicken Pot Pie {2 Ways}

Creamy Turkey Soup with Spinach

Baked Rice with Sausage, Peppers & Corn

White Bean & Sausage Soup

Southern Collard Greens

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