The Ultimate Guide to Making Rich, Flavorful Homemade Chicken Broth
Nothing truly compares to the deep, unparalleled richness of homemade chicken broth. This essential ingredient isn’t just a base; it’s a game-changer that will effortlessly elevate your soups, sauces, and countless other culinary creations to an entirely new level. In this comprehensive guide, I will share my perfected chicken broth recipe, ideal for crafting the most comforting chicken soup, enhancing pan sauces, and adding incredible depth to your favorite dishes.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s the secret to the best chicken broth I’ve ever made. I’m talking about that hearty, restorative, cold-curing elixir that only a slow-simmered homemade broth can provide. Its complex flavor profile far surpasses anything you’ll find on supermarket shelves. Imagine using it as the foundation for homemade chicken noodle soup, enriching a vibrant tomato pasta sauce, creating the perfect base for this one-dish roasted chicken and vegetables, or bringing my ground turkey soup recipe to life. It even makes for an incredibly quick and flavorful pan sauce on a busy weeknight.
To make homemade broth even more convenient, I’ve perfected a brilliant method for freezing perfect, pre-portioned amounts: silicone ice cube trays. Once your beautiful, rich broth has cooled, simply pour it into these trays, freeze solid, then pop out the exact amount you need for any recipe, minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Homemade Chicken Broth
- Professional Tips for Making Superior Chicken Broth
- Essential Ingredients for Rich Chicken Broth
- Flavorful Variations to Customize Your Broth
- Step-by-Step: How to Make Chicken Broth
- Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip for Freezing Broth
- Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Broth
- Detailed Chicken Broth Recipe Card
- Explore More Recipes
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Chicken Broth
- You control the sodium: Unlike store-bought varieties, this easy homemade chicken broth allows you to dictate the salt level, relying on the natural, savory flavors of the chicken, fresh vegetables, and aromatic spices rather than excessive sodium. This is a huge benefit for health-conscious cooks or those following specific dietary needs.
- Unbelievably rich and flavorful: Slow-cooked for hours, this broth develops an incredible depth of umami and savory notes. The longer you gently simmer the chicken bones and vegetables, the more time the flavors have to meld and intensify, extracting beneficial collagen and nutrients that contribute to its luxurious mouthfeel and robust taste.
- Surprisingly simple to make: While it requires time on the stovetop, the actual effort involved is minimal. Simply combine the chicken bones and any leftover meat with the carefully selected vegetables and seasonings in a large pot. Let it simmer gently for several hours, then strain. It’s largely hands-off, allowing you to focus on other tasks while your kitchen fills with an enticing aroma.
Professional Tips for Making Superior Chicken Broth
- Always double the recipe! As a professional chef, I understand the value of efficiency. This process, while simple, is time-consuming. By doubling the recipe, you’ll maximize your effort, yielding a generous batch of flavorful broth that you can easily freeze and have on hand for countless future recipes, such as a rich Chicken Paprikas with Homemade Spaetzle or a comforting risotto. It’s a smart way to stock your freezer and save time later.
- Patience is key for maximum flavor. Resist the urge to rush the cooking process. There’s no need to constantly monitor the broth; simply let it do its magic. Simmer the broth low and slow for the full recommended time in this recipe, or even longer, up to 6-8 hours. This extended, gentle simmering extracts every ounce of flavor from the bones and vegetables, creating a deeply complex and gelatinous broth that is truly incomparable. Good things come to those who wait!
- Don’t waste, freeze your chicken parts. Make the most of every ingredient. Instead of discarding bones from chicken thighs, drumsticks, or even a whole chicken you’ve deboned, save them! Keep a freezer-safe bag specifically for chicken bones and scraps. Once you’ve accumulated enough, you’ll have the perfect foundation for your next batch of rich, homemade broth or stock, embracing a zero-waste cooking philosophy.
- Ensure ingredients are fully submerged. When adding water to your pot, make sure you use enough to completely cover all the chicken bones and vegetables. Then, add an additional inch or two of water. As the broth simmers for hours, some liquid will evaporate, concentrating the flavors. Starting with sufficient water ensures you end up with a good yield of flavorful broth without it becoming too reduced too quickly.
Essential Ingredients for Rich Chicken Broth
Crafting a truly exceptional chicken broth begins with high-quality ingredients. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need and why each component is vital:
- Chicken Bones: The backbone of your broth! Use bones and any leftover meat from 1 medium roast chicken. This could be a convenient store-bought rotisserie chicken, which often has extra flavor from roasting, or a home-cooked roasted chicken. Alternatively, use bones from a raw chicken you’ve deboned yourself. For a visual guide, check out my YouTube tutorial on how to debone a whole chicken! The bones are crucial for extracting collagen, which gives your broth body and a gelatinous texture when chilled.
- Celery: You’ll need about 3 celery ribs, but don’t discard the leaves! I always include the whole celery stalk and its leafy tops, as they contribute a fresh, green, and subtly peppery note that’s essential for a balanced aromatic base.
- Carrots: I highly recommend using regular, orange carrots for this recipe. While visually appealing, colorful varieties like purple carrots can impart an undesirable grayish hue to your broth, making it less appetizing. Carrots add a natural sweetness and vibrant color.
- Onions: Sweet, white, or yellow onions all work beautifully. I most commonly use yellow or sweet onions for their balanced flavor, which forms the classic aromatic foundation known as mirepoix (a mix of carrots, celery, and onions). These are also my go-to onions for the rich and savory Best French Onion Soup!
- Bay Leaves: Essential for an herbal, earthy depth, dried bay leaves infuse the broth with subtle notes reminiscent of thyme and oregano. Avoid fresh bay leaves, as their flavor can sometimes be overtly bitter or medicinal in prolonged cooking.
- Rosemary: I prefer to gently crush dried rosemary before adding it to further release its fragrant, piney aroma. While fresh rosemary can be used, dried is perfectly adequate and more convenient for the small amount needed.
- Thyme: Similar to rosemary, dried thyme offers a classic, earthy, and slightly floral note that complements chicken beautifully. Fresh thyme is an option if readily available, but dried works just as well here.
- Peppercorns: Using whole Malabar black peppercorns (the most common variety) provides a gentle, subtle warmth without overpowering the delicate flavors of the broth. I advise against using green or pink peppercorns, as their distinct flavors can clash with the desired profile.
- Salt: I consistently use kosher salt in my recipes. Its larger flake size makes it less concentrated by volume compared to sea salt or table salt, allowing for more precise seasoning and easier tasting as you go. You can always add more salt at the end, but you can’t take it away!
- Cold Water: Always start with cold water. This allows the impurities from the bones and vegetables to rise slowly to the surface, where they can be skimmed off, resulting in a clearer, cleaner-tasting broth.
Flavorful Variations to Customize Your Broth
Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, feel free to experiment with these variations to tailor your chicken broth to specific dishes or personal preferences:
- Boost the body with chicken feet: For an even thicker, more gelatinous broth that practically coats the spoon, consider adding chicken feet. Their exceptionally high collagen content breaks down during the long simmering process, creating a deeply rich and viscous final product that is wonderfully satisfying and nutritious.
- Experiment with different seasonings: The beauty of homemade broth is its adaptability. Feel free to explore other dried herbs and spices to create unique flavor profiles. Try adding a pinch of dried oregano for a more Italian flair, fresh parsley for a brighter note, or savory for an earthy, peppery undertone. A touch of ginger and star anise can even transform it into an Asian-inspired base.
- Speed it up with an electric pressure cooker: If time is of the essence, your electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot can significantly reduce the cooking time. Simply add all the ingredients to the pot, bring it up to high pressure, and cook for approximately 45 minutes. Then, allow for a natural release of pressure. This method still yields a remarkably flavorful broth in a fraction of the traditional time.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Chicken Broth
Follow these detailed instructions to create the perfect chicken broth every single time. For precise measurements and further details, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card below!
Step 1: Combine and Simmer. Place all your chosen ingredients—chicken bones and meat, prepped vegetables, and aromatic spices—into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or a Dutch oven. Pour in enough cold water to fully cover the ingredients plus an extra inch. Bring the mixture slowly to a boil over medium-low heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for a minimum of 3 hours, ideally up to 6 hours, or even longer for a truly intense flavor.
Step 2: Initial Strain. The straining process involves two steps for optimal clarity. First, use a large slotted spoon to carefully scoop out all the large pieces of chicken bones, meat, and vegetables from the pot. Place these solids into a large colander that’s positioned over a separate, clean bowl. Next, carefully pour the remaining liquid directly from the pot through the same colander, allowing the larger debris to be caught. Set the colander aside over another bowl to collect any last drips of precious broth.
Step 3: Fine Strain for Clarity. For a sparkling clear broth, this step is highly recommended. Drape a piece of cheesecloth (or a very fine mesh sieve) over the top of your original, now empty, pot and secure it with a rubber band. Slowly and carefully pour all the broth that you’ve collected from the colander through the cheesecloth. This meticulous step catches any tiny particles or impurities, resulting in a beautifully clear and refined stock. While optional, it makes a noticeable difference in presentation and mouthfeel.
While there might seem to be easier, quicker ways to strain your broth, this meticulous two-step method ensures you capture every single drop of flavor and achieve maximum clarity. My grandmother’s timeless wisdom always rings true: “Waste not, want not!”
Step 4: Extract Last Drops. Once all the liquid has passed through, carefully remove the cheesecloth. Gather the corners and gently squeeze out any remaining liquid from the strained vegetables and debris into the broth. Discard the spent solids.
Step 5: Chill and Skim. Allow the broth to cool slightly at room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator. Chill it overnight. As it cools, the fat will solidify and rise to the surface, forming a cap. The next day, easily skim off and discard all the congealed fat for a healthier, less greasy broth.
Step 6: Serve or Store. Your rich, homemade chicken broth is now ready! Heat it gently and serve as a comforting beverage, or use it immediately in your favorite recipes. For future use, follow my expert freezing tips to preserve its freshness and flavor.
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip for Freezing Broth
The ultimate secret to convenient, perfectly portioned chicken broth for freezing is silicone ice cube trays. After your broth has cooled completely, carefully fill varying sizes of silicone trays – I use some that hold 2 tablespoons for small additions and others that hold ½ cup for larger recipe needs. Freeze them solid. Once frozen, you can either keep the broth in the trays for easy access or, for longer-term storage and to save freezer space, pop out the frozen broth cubes and transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. This method ensures you always have the precise amount of rich, homemade broth ready to go, without needing to thaw a large batch!
Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Broth
Once cooled, store your homemade chicken broth in an airtight container or glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer preservation, freezing is an excellent option. Ensure the broth is completely cool before transferring it to freezer-safe containers, leaving a little headspace for expansion. Properly frozen chicken broth will maintain its quality and flavor for up to 6 months. For optimal convenience, consider freezing in portioned amounts using ice cube trays or muffin tins.
While often used interchangeably, chicken stock and chicken broth have nuanced differences. Traditionally, chicken stock is made primarily from bones (often roasted for deeper color and flavor), resulting in a more gelatinous liquid due to the collagen extracted from connective tissues. It’s usually cooked for a longer period and is considered more of an ingredient or base. Chicken broth, on the other hand, is typically made with both meat and bones, along with vegetables, and is simmered for a shorter duration. It tends to be lighter in body and flavor, often seasoned more heavily, and is considered a finished product that can be consumed on its own. However, many modern recipes (like this one!) blend these characteristics to achieve the best of both worlds: a flavorful broth with good body.
Reheating chicken broth is simple. If refrigerated, pour the desired amount into a stockpot or saucepan and gently bring it up to a simmer over medium heat. If frozen, you can place the frozen broth cubes directly into a pot with a splash of water, cover, and heat on low until melted, then bring to a simmer. For a quicker thaw, especially for smaller portions, use a microwave-safe container on a defrost setting or half power, stirring occasionally, until hot.
Absolutely, it is 100% worth the effort! The incredible depth of flavor, rich body, and superior nutritional value you achieve from slowly simmering homemade chicken broth simply cannot be matched by any store-bought alternative. While it requires a commitment of time for simmering, the active preparation is quite easy, and the resulting taste, quality, and health benefits make it an invaluable addition to your culinary repertoire. Plus, you control all the ingredients, ensuring a pure and wholesome product.
If you tried this recipe and absolutely loved it, please take a moment to leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I genuinely love hearing from you – your comments truly make my day!
How to Make Chicken Broth
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Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken bones leftover from 1 chicken
- 3 celery ribs with leaves cut into 2” pieces
- 2 carrots cut into 2” pieces
- 2 onions quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme heaping
- 8 whole peppercorns
- 2 quarts cold water
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
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Place all ingredients into a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Cover and simmer for at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours.
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Strain the broth in a two-step process. First, scoop out all the large pieces of chicken and vegetables with a slotted spoon and place in a large colander over a bowl. Pour the rest of the broth through the colander. Set the colander aside over another bowl.
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Strain the broth through cheesecloth. Place cheesecloth over top of the original pot and secure with a rubber band. Pour broth slowly through cheesecloth. Pour all the broth that has drained from the colander through the cheesecloth. This step is optional but it will make a clearer stock.
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Remove cheesecloth, squeeze, and discard. Squeeze the liquid from the celery into the broth.
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Refrigerate overnight and skim off all fat.
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Heat and serve, or freeze for later!
Freezing Perfect Portions
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Pour ½ cup of broth into each muffin cup. A standard muffin tin is almost exactly ½ cup. Place muffin tin in freezer. Mine take about 2 hours to freeze completely. You can wait longer – they won’t get freezer burn that quickly!
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Place muffin tin upside down over clean sink. Pour or spray warm water over the back of the tin to release the broth cups. Pick them up immediately as they fall into the sink and place them in a freezer bag. You want to avoid them melting more than they have to.
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Place bag in freezer. Repeat process until all broth has been frozen. I have a tiny freezer and I actually have to remove my icemaker to make these. Commitment.
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To thaw: I place however many cups needed in a Pyrex measuring cup and thaw in the microwave on half power until just melted.
Video
Notes
Electric Pressure Cooker – You can also make broth in your Instant Pot. Add the ingredients to the pot, bring up to high pressure, cook for about 45 minutes, then use the natural release method.
Storage – Store leftover chicken broth in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can freeze chicken broth for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Explore More Recipes
I genuinely hope you enjoyed perfecting your homemade chicken broth with this professional chef-tested recipe. Building a repertoire of foundational cooking skills, like making your own broth, truly unlocks a new level of flavor in your kitchen. Don’t stop here! Be sure to explore our other delicious, chef-developed soup and stew recipes to put your exquisite homemade broth to good use.
