^{Making homemade chicken stock is by far the easiest way to get as much as you can out of a few ingredients. And it’s the best for kickstarting more recipes!}

I absolutely LOVE making my own homemade chicken stock! I feel like I am being super resourceful and rustic in my own kitchen. My family always made turkey stock after Thanksgiving and I’ve learned that this is actually why all the post holiday soups taste a bit more rich and comforting. The secret is homemade.

The coolest part about this recipe is that it makes something so soothing and delicious with a lot of the ingredients you would otherwise place in the trash (try not to take that the wrong way). It’s such a creative way to clean out your fridge and have your leftover scraps actually work for you.

I think the thing that’s best to know about homemade chicken stock is that it’s almost foolproof. If you plan your ratios well then you’re guaranteed the perfect base to almost any soup, stew or sauce.

Chicken stock (broth or bouillon) is also used in so many recipes – there is a slight difference between the names because stock is primary extracting from the animal bone. I feel that stock has a deep, rich flavor that some broths may not have. Here are some of the recipes in which you can incorporate this stock:

Chicken Tortilla soup
Turkey Chili
Sausage, Kale & Cauliflower soup
Any non vegetarian or vegan recipe that requires broth

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Roasted Chicken Stock

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Making homemade chicken stock is by far the easiest way to get as much as you can out of a few ingredients. And it’s the best for kickstarting more recipes!

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:6

Total Time:6 20

Ingredients

4 pounds chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
1 ½ tablespoon salt divided
1 ½ tablespoon pepper divided
1 ½ teaspoon italian seasoning (basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram), divided
1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder divided
16 cups water
2-4 celery stocks whole
2-4 medium carrots whole
2 heads garlic halved
2 small onions cubed, skins, all parts
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 bundle fresh herb blend (rosemary, thyme, terragon, parsley)

Instructions

For the Chicken

Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare a roasting pan with a rack. Or use a baking sheet (top with wire rack if possible)
Heat a cast iron pan or a large frying pan with olive oil on medium-high heat for 1 minute. Evenly season the entire pack of chicken thighs, both sides, with one teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of pepper, one teaspoon of italian seasoning, and one teaspoon of garlic powder.
Add 3-4 pieces of chicken skin side down in the pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes on each side until the skin renders down and becomes golden brown in color. This should be done in batches to prevent steaming. Place all of the cooked chicken in a roasting pan or baking sheet.
Bake for another 10-15 minutes in the over. Remove and let cool for 30-40 minutes.

For the Stock

In a a large 6 qt. or larger slowcooker add water, carrots, celery, garlic, onion, oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Pull apart all the chicken adding all bones and only half the skin to the slowcooker. Save chicken meat for another use. Cook on high for 6-8 hours.
When done, remove and drain liquid through a colander from the slow cooker into a large serving bowl. Discard all the bones and vegetable scraps from the slow cooker.
Using another large bowl, strain stock through a sieve into the other bowl. Allow the stock to completele cool before storing in airtight containers for the fridge or freezer.

Notes

Ingredients, Techniques, Tips & Tricks

I love using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. They are super inexpensive and you’re using the meat for another meal but you don’t have to waste the other half of the chicken. And the crispy skins that are cooked are fun to munch on if you’re not throwing them all in the stock.

You can also use the remains of a whole chicken as well with the same weight.

I usually buy a bag of celery and carrots with high hopes of using them in tons of recipes. Somehow they become the most forgotten vegetables in my fridge. If you don’t want to use them right away you can freeze these. Another great flavor boosting tip is to roast these alongside the chicken in the oven with a little salt, pepper and olive oil. This will caramelize their natural sugars and also bring out somewhat of a toasty, nutty flavor.

Recently, I learned that adding a bit of vinegar adds a little more flavor and balance to the recipe. What I didn’t know, but was reluctant to learn, was that the acid helps break down the carcass. By taking this step, you’re extracting more from the bone and the stock become gelatinous when is cools. That may seem wrong but it’s not. Everything that is extracted from the bones is nutritious and has health benefits. Because I’m not a scientist or a nutritionist, I won’t go into details about all of this but just know from experience, it’s really good.

I also had a ton of herbs left after the holidays so every single one of them was added. Even better, when I was searing the chicken, I was able to pan fry some of the rosemary and sage in the rendered fat.

Sodium – Notice that a lot of broth and stock options in the store have variations of sodium. Usually I buy low sodium or less sodium stocks if I don’t have any on hand. When making this version, limit the amount of added salt you use in order to control the sodium levels in the recipes you make later.

How long does it last and where?

This will last for about a week in the fridge. After a day or so I like to go in and remove the fat layer from the top if any.

Can you freeze it?

Absolutely! I make this in large batches and freeze several 32 oz. containers (4 cup portions) to have on hand for tons of recipes. The leftover chicken can be frozen as well but it will need to be in a sealed bag on a single layer.

Great tip – if you’re roasting chicken and turkey (with bones), you don’t have to make the broth immediately. You can freeze the bones until you are ready to make the stock. I also wait to use the frozen carcass when I need to clean out my fridge and pantry and have those last few remains of carrots, celery and onions.

You can freeze the vegetable scraps as well, such as carrots, celery, onion end and garlic.

Substitutions?

What I love about this recipe is it works well with whatever you have. If you have a turkey carcass you can use that. If you have tons of leftover carrots or even left over sweet potatoes that are raw, it works. If you really want to prepare for this and know that you’re planning on making this stock soon, save all the scraps from when you’re cooking. For example, if I am preparing vegetables and garlic for a few recipes the day before, I will store all the scrap in a large plastic zipper bag in the fridge. It’s definitely a waste not, want not mentality 😉

What to serve with it?

Use this recipe in almost every non vegan-vegetarian soup. It’s also great to help in tomato sauces where you may need to loosen the sauce. I have also boiled potstickers with the stock as well for a touch more flavor.
And if your are cold and feeling somewhat under the weather, it’s perfect for sipping from a mug!

The nutrition facts are not added for the fact that they could be very inaccurate. This varies more than most recipes because of the added fat and sodium, however, it is not a calorie dense recipe considering it is a water based recipe. As seen in some grocery stores, notice that most broths and stocks in the soup aisle range from 5-40 calories on average per cup. Below is a rough estimate based off of store brands, generic recipes, etc. This is an estimate, not something that you should stick to if you’re seriously worried or monitoring calories: