Homemade Chicken Broth
Making chicken broth from scratch is easier than you think! With just a whole chicken or some chicken legs, a few aromatics, and a large pot, you can create a rich, flavorful homemade broth. I learned the best tips in culinary school, and now I’m excited to share them with you!
Essential ingredients
To make homemade chicken broth, you need chicken, an aromatic garnish of vegetables, some herbs, a few spices and water. You’ll find the exact quantities in the recipe card.
- Whole chicken: Ideal for a rich, concentrated broth. Alternatively, for a more economical version, you can use thighs, breasts or a roasted chicken carcass.
- Burnt onion: This is a yellow onion cut in half and dry-roasted. It adds a beautiful golden color and a light caramelized flavor to the broth.
- Vegetables: I use carrots, celery, a leek and garlic cloves. They flavor the broth. You can eat them afterwards, but they’ll be a little overcooked.
- Herbs: I use thyme, bay leaves and parsley stems. You can tie them into a bouquet garni with string, but since I filter the broth afterwards, I don’t always do that!
- Spices: For flavor, I like to add cloves, juniper berries and black and white peppercorns. You can also try with star anis or cinnamon.
How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth?
Making a chicken broth requires no special skills, just gather the ingredients, combine them, and let everything simmer on low heat for an hour and a half!
Burn the onion: Cut it in half and grill the cut side, without fat, until it blackens slightly. This gives a beautiful color and a more intense flavor.
Assemble the ingredients: Place the whole chicken in a large Dutch-oven or pot, add the burnt onion, roughly cut vegetables, garlic, herbs and spices.
Cook the broth: Cover with cold water (approx. 12 cups or 3 liters) and bring to a simmer. As soon as small bubbles appear, lower the heat and simmer gently for 1.5 hour. Leave uncovered to prevent the broth from turning cloudy.
Note: If, like me, your pot isn’t big enough to cover the chicken completely, turn it over halfway through cooking so that it cooks all over.
Skim regularly: During the first 30 minutes, remove the white foam that rises to the surface. These are impurities, and your broth will be clearer and more digestible.
Add salt at the end of cooking: Add salt 5 minutes before the end to better control the seasoning and preserve the clarity of the broth. It’s a trick I learned at culinary school.
Filter the stock: Remove the chicken and strain the liquid through a fine sieve or chinois.
Use or store: Enjoy immediately or store for later (see storage section).
Note: Collect the vegetables, just remove the burnt onion and garlic clove skins, blend with a little stock and cream and you’ve got an express vegetable soup. Serve with some croutons!
How do you use your chicken stock?
- In soup: With vermicelli, rice and vegetables, as in this recipe for Creamy Vegetable Chicken Soup.
- To cook rice or risotto: Replace the water with broth for a richer taste, as in this recipe for Creamy Risotto with Lemon and Parmesan Cheese.
- As a sauce base: Perfect for a 100% homemade, ultra-flavorful sauce like in my traditional Basque chicken sauce.
What to do with leftover chicken?
Once the chicken is cooked, I carefully shred it and remove the bones. This tender, flavorful meat can be used in many preparations.
Personally, when I prepare a chicken broth, I always take the opportunity to make Homemade Chicken and Vegetable Noodle Soup, a comforting and nourishing dish. It’s quick and ultra-comforting!
But you can also use shredded chicken in other recipes:
- Sandwiches & wraps: Mix with a little mayonnaise or yoghurt for a tasty topping.
- Gratins: Add it to a pasta or vegetable gratin, like this Roasted Cauliflower au Gratin with a creamy sauce.
- Vol-au-vent (French mini-chicken pie): Simply mix it with béchamel sauce, then bake it in a flaky puff pastry for a delicious, elegant dish.
- Mixed salads: Ideal for adding protein to a fresh salad like this Lentil, mint and feta salad or French Potato Salad (with Dijon vinaigrette).
Tips for a successful chicken broth
- Bones and skin: If you’re using anything other than a whole chicken, be sure to save the bones and skin, as they add flavor and depth to the broth.
- Don’t overcook: Simmer gently to avoid cloudy broth.
- Don’t salt too early: Salt concentrates with cooking, so it’s best to add it at the end of preparation.
Storing chicken broth
- In the fridge: Once cooled, pour the broth into an airtight container and store in a cool place for up to 4 days. Remember to write the date on the container so you don’t forget its freshness.
- In the freezer: For longer storage, the broth can be frozen for up to 3 months. A practical tip is to pour it into ice cube trays: once set, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. This way, you can easily remove a small quantity as required, without having to defrost an entire container.
Frequently Asked Questions
Drinking chicken broth when you’re ill helps keep you hydrated. What’s more, broth is rich in minerals and nutrients, so it supports the immune system and aids digestion.
You can store homemade chicken stock in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. After that, it’s best to freeze it to extend its shelf-life to 3 months.
Absolutely. It’s a great anti-gaspi trick. The taste will be a little less intense than with a whole chicken, but still delicious.
Once the broth is cooked, leave it to rest for a few more hours, turning off the heat to infuse the broth even more.
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Recipe card
Homemade Chicken Broth
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Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken approx. 3 lb or 1.5 kg (alternative: carcass or thigh and breast with skin)
Aromatic garnish
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 leek
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 stems of parsley
Spices
- 6 cloves
- 10 juniper berries
- 20 peppercorns black and white
Instructions
Prepare the onion:
- Cut the onion in half without removing the skin. Grill the onion, cut side down, in a cast-iron frying pan without fat, until blackened. This will add a beautiful color and rich flavor to the broth.
Assemble the ingredients:
- In a large casserole dish, place the whole chicken, grilled onion, garlic cloves, roughly chopped carrots and celery, leek, parsley, thyme, bay leaf and spices (cloves, juniper berries and pepper).
- Cover with cold water (approx. 12 cups or 3 liters) and bring gently to the boil. As soon as the water begins to simmer, reduce the heat and simmer for 1.5 hour.
Skimming the broth:
- During the first few 30 minutes of simmering, regularly remove the scum that forms on the surface with a skimmer. This removes impurities and ensures a clear broth.
Add salt at the end of cooking:
- Add salt about 5 minutes before the end of cooking to fine-tune the seasoning without altering the clarity of the broth.
- Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken and set aside.
Filtering the broth:
- Strain the liquid through a fine sieve to remove vegetables and spices, leaving only the pure broth.
- Transfer to an airtight container and allow to cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge or freezer. You can also use it immediately.
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate: 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Up to 3 months in an airtight container or ice cube trays for convenient use in small portions.
