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Homemade Chicken Stock

ByGéraldine Leverd
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Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
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Learn how to make the perfect homemade chicken stock that I use in plenty of my classic French recipes. It’s easier than you’d think! This chicken stock recipe adds rich and umami-laden chicken and vegetable flavor to everything it goes into.

A green pot on a stove contains raw chicken, carrots, tomato, celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns submerged in water.

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Often, it doesn’t take much to turn a recipe from “pretty good” into a truly wow-worthy dish. And making your own homemade stock is definitely one of those little extra steps that, for me, makes all the difference.

Now yes, I’ll admit it, I don’t always make it from scratch… but when I have the time, it’s so worth it!

Key Ingredients for a Perfect Chicken Stock 

Here’s what to gather; you won’t need much and the ingredients are budget-friendly. 

  • Chicken bones: I love to use wings, backs, neck or carcasses. If you don’t have a carcass, 4 wings and 2 legs are a good alternative.
  • Mirepoix: These veggies are what give your chicken stock its savory flavor. These vegetables include carrots, celery, leeks and onions. My personal tip is to add shallots for boosted flavor and a red onion for a darker color.
  • Herbs and spices: Whole peppercorns, fennel seeds and a few cloves add delicious flavor and in terms of herbs: parsley, fresh thyme and bay leaves are great. I only add 1 or 2 bay leaves as they can be potent.
Four raw chicken pieces, including wings and drumsticks, are placed on a white cutting board atop a wooden board.
A wooden cutting board with chopped carrots, leeks, celery, red onions, shallots, garlic, parsley, thyme, and a bay leaf arranged on it.
A pot of chicken and vegetables, including onion, tomato, garlic, and herbs, simmers on a stovetop.

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Homemade Chicken Stock

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This chicken stock recipe gives you an absolutely delicious French stock that is fundamental to classic recipes like Coq au vin and French onion soup. Make it a big batch and freeze it so it’s always ready to reach for!
Une marmite verte sur le feu contient du poulet cru, des carottes, des tomates, du céleri, du persil, du thym, des feuilles de laurier et des grains de poivre immergés dans l'eau.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Side dish
Cuisine French
Calories
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Ingredients
  

  • 4 lb chicken bones wings, backs, neck or carcasses
  • 2 shallots quartered with the skins on
  • 2 onions 1 yellow and 1 red for more color, quartered with the skins on
  • 2 celery stalks roughly chopped
  • 2 whole garlic cloves left unpeeled
  • 2 carrots roughly chopped (no need to peel)
  • 1 leek thoroughly washed and roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp white and black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 parsley stems
  • A drizzle of olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 8 cups cold water 2 liters or more, just enough to cover everything

Instructions
 

  • Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
  • Add all the vegetables (shallots, onions, carrots, celery, leek, and garlic) and cook them gently for 3 to 5 minutes, just until they start to soften and release their aroma.
    A green pot on a stovetop contains chopped vegetables, including tomatoes, red onions, leeks, shallots, and green peppers, ready to be cooked.
  • Add the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables and give everything a quick stir. Pour in about 8 cups (2 liters) of cold water (or more, just enough to fully cover the chicken and vegetables). Add the thyme, bay leaves, parsley stems, peppercorns, fennel seeds, and cloves.
    A green pot on a stove contains raw chicken, carrots, tomato, celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns submerged in water.
  • Slowly bring the mixture to a boil. As soon as foam starts to rise to the surface, skim it carefully with a skimmer or a large spoon.
    A metal skimmer removes foam from a pot of simmering broth with chicken, herbs, and vegetables.
  • Lower the heat and let the stock simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (or longer for a deeper, more concentrated flavor). Add the salt toward the end of the cooking time, then adjust to taste.
    A green pot on a stove contains simmering chicken pieces, onions, tomatoes, leeks, bay leaves, and other ingredients in broth.
  • Strain the stock using a fine-mesh sieve. For an even more concentrated flavor, let it simmer and reduce for a few extra minutes.
    A metal strainer holds cooked vegetable scraps over a glass bowl in a sink, with brown liquid drained below.
  • Pour the stock into a large glass jar or several smaller jars (a Mason jar works perfectly).
    A glass jar filled with brown liquid, possibly broth or stock, sits on a white countertop in a kitchen setting. The jar's lid is open and rests to the side.
  • Let it cool completely, then skim off and remove the layer of fat that settles on top of the chicken stock.
    A spoon scooping a thick, yellowish layer from the surface of a jar filled with brown liquid, likely indicating kombucha with a healthy SCOBY on top.

Notes

Once it has cooled completely, portion your chicken stock into containers or freezer bags and freeze for 3 months. Unfrozen in the fridge, it will keep for 4 days.
Tried this recipe?Tag @la.cuisine.de.geraldine on Instagram and let me know how it was!

5 Tips For a Perfect Stock

Here’s are a couple of hacks I’ve picked up to give you great results:

  • Cold water start: This just leads to better flavor and nutrient extraction. It also helps get a clearer stock.
  • Skim off the foam: The foam that forms on top of your simmering chicken is essentially impurities. Skimming the foam from the top will give you a clearer finished stock.
  • Cook the stock slowly: I know it can be tempting to fire up the heat, but please, resist. Always cook your chicken stock on a low heat; simmering and not boiling it. I recommend simmering it with the lid off for an intense, delicious chicken and umami-forward flavor.
  • Take your time: 1h30 minutes is my absolute minimum for chicken stock. When I have the time, I’ll leave it to simmer for closer to 4 hours on a super low heat.
  • Season at the end, always! I always add the salt after the stock has finished simmering. As the liquid reduces, the flavors (including salt) become more concentrated, so if you salt too early, the chicken stock can easily become overly salty by the end of cooking. Seasoning at the end gives you full control.
A metal skimmer removes foam from a pot of simmering broth with chicken, herbs, and vegetables.
A metal strainer holds cooked vegetable scraps over a glass bowl in a sink, with brown liquid drained below.
A glass jar filled with brown liquid, possibly broth or stock, sits on a white countertop in a kitchen setting. The jar's lid is open and rests to the side.

Difference Between Chicken Stock And Chicken Broth

Chicken stock is more concentrated, richer in collagen and traditionally made from chicken bones like carcasses, wings and necks. I personally like to add a few chicken legs when making stock, both to boost flavor and to have some leftover shredded chicken for other recipes. Still, the foundation of stock is bones.

Chicken broth is lighter and meant to be enjoyed on its own, almost like a sippable soup. It’s made with a whole chicken or with chicken parts that include meat, giving it a softer flavor and a more delicate texture than stock.

Here’s my recipe for Homemade Chicken Broth for you to try next!

What to Cook with Chicken Stock?

Chicken stock forms the base for so many recipes : soups, stews, sauces and more. I find myself reaching for my homemade chicken stock weekly! Here are just a few classic dishes that include it:

Common Mistakes and Trouble-shooting

As simple as this recipe for chicken stock is, I want to share with you a few trip ups I see people making:

  1. My stock is cloudy, how can I avoid this? Simmer gently, skim the foam as you go, strain carefully and avoid vigorous boiling.
  2. My stock tastes bland: I suggest increasing the aromatics (onion, garlic, herbs) or reducing slightly to concentrate flavor.
  3. My stock is greasy: To get rid of the grease in your chicken stock, chill it first and then skim the fat that rises to the top.
  4. The chicken stock is bitter: This can happen is the bones are over-simmered or is the onions and herbs are cooked for too long.
  5. My stock is too salty: The best way to fix this, in my experience, is to just add more water and dilute the salt a little.
  6. The chicken stock turned cloudy after cooling: Try straining the stock through a fine mesh or cheesecloth. Avoid stirring up any sediment.
A metal skimmer removes foam from a pot of simmering broth with chicken, herbs, and vegetables.
A spoon scooping a thick, yellowish layer from the surface of a jar filled with brown liquid, likely indicating kombucha with a healthy SCOBY on top.

FAQ – Chicken Stock

Are chicken stock and chicken broth the same thing?

While they are similar, they are not identical. Chicken stock is made by simmering chicken bones with vegetables and aromatics. Chicken broth contains more meat than bones and has a thinner consistency than stock, which is more gelatinous.

Can you drink chicken stock like broth?

Yes, you can absolutely sip on chicken stock, just as you would broth. It is delicious and very nourishing.

What’s the best way to reheat chicken stock?

It is best reheated gently on the stove.

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