This is hands-down the best homemade chicken stock recipe I’ve ever made! It’s perfection.

There’s a reason chicken stock is the base of so many soups and sauces—it has a delicious savory flavor and is incredibly nutritious. Because it’s so frequently used, home cooks and pros alike need a great recipe for chicken stock.

You can genuinely tell the difference between homemade and store-bought!

How do you make chicken stock from scratch? You can make chicken stock from scratch with nearly any part of a chicken. Just simmer it in a pot with water and aromatics—aka the veggies, herbs, and spices that help to flavor your stock.

The nutrition comes in part from the aromatics, but the most significant healing factor in stock is the minerals, collagen, and gelatin extracted from the chicken bones while they simmer.

Adding some vinegar, lemon, or something acidic to your stock recipe helps extract the good stuff out of the bones. If you simmer it long enough, you’re essentially making homemade bone broth.

The chicken stock recipe below uses a whole chicken. You can use the leftover meat in another dish, like chicken noodle soup, chicken salad, or chicken lettuce wraps.

You can make this recipe with any leftover bones, like from a roast chicken or turkey. I prefer to start with cooked chicken, but raw chicken works just fine, too.

This chicken stock recipe is beyond simple, even for first-timers! The prep time is minimal and your chicken stock can just simmer away while you prepare other food or go on with your day (or even while you sleep!).

The Difference Between Stock, Broth, & Bone Broth

Are chicken broth and chicken stock the same thing? Well, yes. Chicken broth and chicken stock are essentially the same thing. If you ask 10 chefs what the difference between stock and broth is, you’ll probably get 10 different answers.

For the sake of this post, I’m going to say that stock and broth are the same thing.

Just like stock and broth, there isn’t a strict definition between regular broth and bone broth. The most significant difference is probably the vinegar and the amount of time that you let it simmer.

You can make a wonderful stock in as little as 4-6 hours that is great for your health. To get the maximum benefit from the bones, simmer for at least 12-24 hours. The only appropriate way to make chicken stock more quickly is with a pressure cooker.

If you want to turn your chicken stock recipe into traditional bone broth, you should add as many extra bones as possible. Ask your butcher for any leftover bones (even chicken feet!) that they have behind the counter.

Add a tablespoon of vinegar, then simmer for 12-24 hours.

Nourishing Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe

The printable version of this recipe is below. I can’t wait for you to see how easy it is to make homemade chicken stock.

This recipe calls for a whole chicken, such as a rotisserie chicken you can buy at your local grocery store.

You could also make this recipe using just the chicken bones (with the meat removed).

If you ever roast a whole chicken or turkey, simply use whatever is left from the whole chicken after removing the meat (bones, skin, and juices all make great additions to your stock)!

First, add all of the ingredients to your pot. Cover with filtered water to about an inch below the top of the pot.

Second, place a tight-fitting lid on the pot. Set it on the stove, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer for at least 4 and up to 24 hours.

If you use a whole chicken, remove the meat from the chicken for about 2 hours to prevent overcooking it. Put the bones back in the pot, including the chicken wings, chicken breasts, and the entire chicken carcass.

To remove the meat from the whole chicken, follow these steps:

1. Carefully remove the whole chicken from the pot and set it on a large cutting board. It will be very hot, so let it cool a bit before you handle it.
2. Use two forks or a knife to remove as much meat as possible. The meat will be nicely poached. You can shred it or just cut it up.
3. Put the meat in an airtight glass container. Let it come to room temperature before storing it in the refrigerator, where you can keep it for up to three days. You can also use it immediately.
4. Place all of the bones, skin, juices, and everything else back into the pot to continue making chicken stock.
5. Let it simmer for at least another 2 hours, or up to 24 hours. The longer you simmer the stock, the more flavorful and nutritious it will be.
6. Keep the pot covered to prevent your stock from evaporating. If you notice the liquid reducing too much, you can add a few cups more of water at any time during the process.
7. After simmering at least 4 hours, strain your stock through a fine-mesh strainer, colander, or cheesecloth into a large bowl or pot.
8. Discard everything that was in the pot except the liquid you just strained. The veggies, herbs, and bones are no longer usable for other recipes.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Stock Recipe

Crockpot owners, rejoice! You can follow the above directions but use a slow-cooker (aka Crockpot) instead. This easy recipe also works in an Instant Pot (pressure cooker), but you don’t need to leave the ingredients in for as long.

1. Add all of the ingredients and water to your slow-cooker.
2. Turn the heat to high until it comes to a simmer—probably about 2 hours. It will take a while to simmer, as the slow-cooker heats at a slower pace than your stovetop.
3. Remove the meat once it’s cooked through, roughly 2-3 hours in.
4. Add everything back in just like the method above. Let it all simmer on low for 4-24 hours.
5. Keep it covered and let it simmer as long as you’d like. You may want to add another cup or two of filtered water if too much liquid evaporates.

All slow-cookers are different. You may want to leave it on high if it’s not gently simmering on low. I leave mine on low overnight after being set to high for about 3 hours and allow it to all night.

To store, let it come to room temperature. Then store in quart containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or the freezer for up to 6 months.

If freezing, freeze in portions that will be useful to use in recipes, like 2-cup (1-pint) or 4-cup (1-quart) containers.

Chicken Stock Recipe Suggestions

What can I use chicken stock for? You can use chicken stock for hundreds of delicious recipes, including:

• My Homemade Chicken Quinoa Soup

• Fiesta Quinoa Soup Recipe

• Easy, Healthy Minestrone Soup Recipe

• Lemony Chicken Quinoa Soup With Homemade Bone Broth

• Healing Butternut Squash & Carrot Curry Soup

• Hearty White Bean & Kale Soup

Best-Ever Chicken Stock Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Elizabeth Rider
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 hours
• Total Time: 5 hours 10 mins
• Yield: 4 quarts 1x
• Category: Soup, Healthy
• Method: Simmer
• Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

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Description

This chicken stock recipe was a staple in my home growing up. I remember my mom making chicken stock on the stove every weekend, all winter long. 

Long-simmered homemade chicken stock (AKA bone broth) is wonderfully nutritious and filled with protein, nutrients, and minerals. Plus, the flavor is unbeatable. If you love it, please leave a 5-star rating in the comments below to help other readers in our community.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds), any paper inside removed
• 1 white or yellow onion, quartered
• 2 large carrots, scrubbed or peeled and cut in half
• 2 celery ribs, with leaves if possible
• 4–5 garlic cloves, smashed open or cut in half
• 1 large bay leaf
• 3–5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 5 stems fresh parsley (about 1 small handful)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• enough filtered water to fill the pot

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Instructions

1. Get out a 6- to 8-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid. I use a 6-quart pot for a 4- or 5-pound chicken.
2. Be sure to check the inside of the chicken and remove the paper pouch that contains the organs. 
3. Discard the paper and the organs, if desired, or add the organs to the pot for extra nutrition.
4. Add all ingredients to the pot. Cover with filtered cold water to about an inch below the top.
5. Put a tight-fitting lid on the pot.
6. Set it on the stove and bring to a boil. This takes about 10-20 minutes.
7. Immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. The longer the simmer, the better the flavor.
8. If you use a whole chicken, remove the meat from the chicken after 2 hours to prevent overcooking it. (See the sections above for my method to remove the meat).
9. Keep the pot covered to prevent your stock from evaporating. If you notice the liquid reducing too much, you can add a few cups of water at any time during the process.
10. After simmering at least 4 hours in total, strain your stock through a fine-mesh sieve, strainer, or cheesecloth into a large bowl, pot, or a large stockpot.
11. Discard everything that was in the pot except the liquid you just strained. The veggies, for example, are beyond saving, but they served a very good purpose.

SLOW-COOKER METHOD:

1. Follow the above directions, but use a slow cooker instead. Add all of the ingredients and water to your slow-cooker. 
2. Turn on high heat until it comes to a simmer—probably about 2 hours. It will take a while to simmer as the slow-cooker heats at a slower pace than your stovetop.
3. Remove the meat once it’s cooked through, roughly 2-3 hours in.
4. Add everything back in just like the method above. Let it all simmer on low for 4-24 hours.
5. Just keep it covered and let it simmer as long as you’d like. You may want to add another cup or two of filtered water if too much liquid evaporates.

All slow-cookers are different. You may want to leave it on high if it’s not gently simmering on low. I leave mine on low overnight after setting it on high for about 3 hours, and it simmers all night. (The house smells fantastic in the morning!)

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Notes

• This method uses a whole chicken. You can also use this recipe with just the chicken bones, skin, and whole carcass of a roast chicken. 
• Use your stock right away to make homemade chicken soup or any other delicious recipe. It’s also great to sip plain in a mug with a big pinch of sea salt.
• To store, let it come to room temperature, then store it in quart containers. You can refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 6 months.
• If freezing, store the chicken stock in portions that will be useful in recipes, like 2-cup or 4-cup containers.

Keywords: Chicken Stock Recipe, Homemade Chicken Stock, Stock, Bone Broth