Homemade Chicken Broth: Your Guide to Rich, Nutritious Liquid Gold

Say goodbye to bland, boxed chicken broth and embrace the unparalleled flavor and health benefits of homemade. There’s simply no comparison; simmering meaty chicken pieces and bones for 12 to 20 hours with fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs yields a golden, rich, and truly exceptional broth. Not only will your home be filled with an inviting, savory aroma, but you’ll stock your freezer with a versatile ingredient perfect for crafting fantastic soups, hearty stews, creamy risottos, or even enjoying on its own as a comforting, nourishing sip.

Despite its reputation for being a chef’s secret, making homemade chicken broth is surprisingly straightforward. The process is largely hands-off, requiring minimal effort as it gently simmers on your stove, transforming simple ingredients into a deeply flavorful foundation for countless dishes. It’s an investment in taste and well-being that truly pays off.

Chicken Broth or Stock? Understanding the Difference

In modern culinary lexicon, the terms “chicken broth” and “chicken stock” are often used interchangeably, leading to some confusion. Traditionally, however, there’s a subtle but significant distinction. Chicken broth is typically made with actual chicken meat, along with bones and vegetables, resulting in a lighter, more savory liquid often seasoned and ready to be consumed on its own. Chicken stock, on the other hand, is traditionally crafted primarily from bones (often roasted for deeper flavor) and sometimes a minimal amount of vegetables, leading to a richer, more gelatinous base that forms the backbone of sauces, gravies, and stews.

For this recipe, we embrace a hybrid approach that leverages the best of both worlds. By using a combination of meaty chicken pieces and bones, we achieve a broth that boasts both the robust, deep flavor usually associated with stock and the lighter, more nuanced taste of a traditional broth. This method also ensures maximum nutrition, extracting beneficial collagen and minerals from the bones while imparting a delightful savory depth from the meat. The result is a truly superior “liquid gold” that elevates any dish it graces.

Choosing the Best Chicken for Your Broth

The quality of your chicken directly impacts the richness and nutritional value of your homemade broth. When embarking on this culinary journey, opt for organic chicken whenever possible. Organic poultry ensures you’re not introducing unwanted hormones or antibiotics into your broth, resulting in a cleaner, purer flavor profile. For the best homemade stock, I recommend using a whole, organic chicken, cut into smaller pieces, or a generous selection of bone-in chicken thighs, legs, backs, and wing tips. These parts are rich in bones and connective tissue, which are essential for developing a flavorful and gelatinous broth.

For an exceptionally rich and nutrient-dense broth, consider adding chicken feet. While they might appear a bit unusual, chicken feet are packed with collagen, which is responsible for giving your broth a wonderful body and a gelatinous texture when cooled. This collagen is also highly beneficial for joint health, skin elasticity, and gut lining. Don’t hesitate to ask your local butcher for chicken bones or specific parts like backs and necks; they often have these readily available, as they are byproducts from butchering whole chickens. Utilizing these parts is not only economical but also a fantastic way to practice a zero-waste philosophy in your kitchen.

Chef’s Note: Why Go to All This Effort? You might wonder if the extended simmer time and careful preparation are truly worth it when store-bought options are so convenient. The answer is a resounding yes! The biggest reasons to make your own bone broth at home are superior taste, complete control over ingredients, and unmatched health benefits. Many commercial broths often taste weak or have an artificial, “off” flavor. They are frequently loaded with excessive sodium, not just for taste, but also as a preservative, along with other questionable ingredients like sugars, artificial flavors, and even colorings. A quick glance at the label of most store brands will reveal a surprising list of additives that are far from healthy. Homemade broth, by contrast, contains zero unwanted additives; it’s pure, unadulterated chicken goodness. This control ensures you’re consuming a truly wholesome product, free from hidden sugars or an unhealthy amount of sodium. The depth of flavor, natural richness, and nourishing qualities of homemade broth simply cannot be replicated by anything you’ll find on a supermarket shelf.

Another excellent tip for maximizing the use of your chicken and reducing waste is to save roasted chicken carcasses. After enjoying a roasted chicken, strip most of the meat for other culinary creations like soups, stews, chili, enchiladas, salads, or tacos. Then, freeze the remaining bones and body. Once you accumulate about 4-5 frozen carcasses, along with some added chicken feet, you have the perfect foundation for an incredibly flavorful and thrifty broth. While the broth made from roasted bones may not be as perfectly clear as one made from raw chicken, its deep, caramelized flavor is absolutely divine and incredibly satisfying. It’s a testament to truly utilizing the whole bird.

Preparing Your Chicken for Broth

Proper preparation of your chicken pieces is a crucial first step toward achieving a clear, flavorful broth with minimal fat. Begin by thoroughly rinsing the chicken pieces under cold running water. This helps remove any lingering impurities. Next, take the time to carefully remove as much skin and any excess fat as possible. While some fat is desirable for flavor, too much will result in a greasy broth that you’ll spend more time skimming later. Trimming the fat at this stage reduces the amount of “scum” that rises during the initial simmer and contributes to a cleaner finished product.

If you’re using a whole chicken, you’ll need to break it down into smaller, manageable pieces to maximize surface area for flavor extraction. This process is simpler than it sounds and becomes easier with practice. You’ll need a sharp French knife, a chef’s knife, or a cleaver. Follow the detailed instructions and accompanying photos below for guidance, ensuring you handle poultry safely and sanitize your tools immediately after cutting.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Cut a Whole Chicken

Breaking down a whole chicken might seem daunting, but with a sharp knife and a little practice, it’s a straightforward process:

1. Start with the Leg-Thigh Quarters: Place the chicken breast-side up on your cutting board. Locate the joint where the leg meets the body. Slice through the skin between the leg and the body. Gently bend the leg outward, and the hip joint should pop free. Cut through the joint to fully detach the leg-thigh quarter. Repeat on the other side.
2. Separate Legs and Thighs: Once the leg-thigh quarter is detached, find the natural seam and joint connecting the drumstick to the thigh. Cut through this joint to separate them. Remove any excess skin or fat from these pieces.
3. Remove the Wings: Locate the joint where the wing attaches to the breast. Cut through the skin and cartilage to detach the wing. For broth, you can leave the wing intact or separate the drumette and flat sections at their joint.
4. Detach the Breasts: To remove the breasts, first place the chicken breast-side up. With your sharp knife, make a deep cut along the center breast bone, from top to bottom. Then, using your knife as close to the bone as possible, carefully slice downwards, following the rib cage contour to free one breast from the body. Repeat for the other breast. Once free, you can cut each breast in half crosswise for smaller pieces.
5. Divide the Carcass: What’s left is the chicken back and rib cage. Use a sturdy knife or poultry shears to cut this remaining body piece in half crosswise. This ensures all parts fit well into your stockpot and allows for maximum flavor extraction.

By following these steps, you will typically end up with about twelve pieces from a whole chicken, depending on how you cut the breast and wing sections. Remember, cleanliness is paramount when handling raw poultry. Immediately after cutting, thoroughly wash and sanitize your cutting board, knives, and any other tools that came into contact with the raw chicken to prevent cross-contamination.

After you’ve expertly portioned your chicken, you’ll have a collection of bones and meaty pieces ready for the pot. This meticulous breakdown ensures that maximum surface area is exposed, allowing for the most efficient extraction of flavor, collagen, and nutrients during the long simmering process. This attention to detail is what truly sets homemade broth apart.

The Importance of Skimming the Scum

As your broth begins to heat and gently simmer on the stove, you’ll notice a brownish, foamy layer starting to form and rise to the surface. This is often referred to as “scum,” and it consists of impurities being released from the chicken bones and meat, primarily coagulated proteins and other solids. While it might look unappetizing, its appearance is a natural part of the broth-making process.

It is crucial to skim this foam off and discard it. Use a ladle or a fine-mesh spoon to gently remove it every few minutes, especially during the first hour or two of simmering. Continuing to skim until the foam is mostly gone will ensure your finished broth is beautifully clear and has the cleanest, purest flavor. Neglecting this step can result in a cloudy broth with a slightly less desirable taste, as these impurities can integrate back into the liquid. So, keep that skimming spoon handy!

Adding Aromatics and a Crucial Salt-Free Approach

Once you’ve successfully skimmed the initial impurities, it’s time to introduce the foundational flavors that will elevate your chicken broth: aromatics and herbs. I typically add a classic mirepoix of roughly chopped organic carrots, onion, and celery. These vegetables infuse the broth with a natural sweetness and depth. Complementing these are a dried bay leaf or two, a handful of fresh parsley sprigs (stems and all, as they carry a lot of flavor), fresh thyme sprigs, and a few black peppercorns for a subtle warmth.

What you won’t find in my initial list of ingredients is salt. And that’s a deliberate choice. Skipping salt at this stage is absolutely essential for creating a versatile broth. By keeping it unsalted, you retain complete control over the seasoning of your final dishes. Whether you’re making a delicate soup, a rich risotto, or a flavorful stew, you can add the precise amount of salt needed to meet your taste preferences and the requirements of the recipe. Furthermore, a no-sodium broth is an invaluable asset for individuals managing sodium restrictions due to health concerns, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of homemade broth without worry. Lastly, be sure to incorporate 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into your pot. This often-overlooked ingredient plays a vital role in extracting beneficial minerals and collagen from the bones, enhancing the nutritional profile of your broth. Opt for a raw, unfiltered, and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, such as Bragg, for maximum benefit.

Maintaining Water Levels: Adding Boiling Water as Needed

As your chicken broth gently simmers over many hours, you’ll observe that the water level in your stockpot will gradually decrease due to evaporation. This is a natural part of the slow simmering process, concentrating the flavors. To ensure your chicken pieces and aromatics remain fully submerged and continue to extract maximum flavor and nutrients, it’s important to replenish the liquid as needed. I find it incredibly convenient to keep an electric tea kettle filled with hot or boiling water nearby. This allows you to quickly top off the pot without significantly lowering the temperature of the simmering broth.

Many home cooks worry that adding more water will dilute the flavor of their broth. Rest assured, this is not the case when simmering for such extended periods. The flavors are continuously extracted and deepened, and replacing evaporated water simply helps maintain the optimal environment for this process, ensuring you end up with a generous yield of richly flavored broth.

The Gentle Art of Simmering: Never Boil

The secret to a beautifully clear, deeply flavored, and nutrient-rich chicken broth lies in maintaining a consistently low simmer. It’s absolutely critical to never let your broth come to a rolling boil. Vigorous boiling will agitate the proteins and fats, causing them to emulsify into the liquid, which results in a cloudy broth. Moreover, intense boiling can break down the delicate flavors and make the broth less palatable.

Instead, aim for a gentle, barely perceptible bubble on the surface, a state often described as a “happy simmer.” This allows the flavors and nutrients to slowly and thoroughly meld and extract from the chicken and vegetables without compromising the clarity or texture of the broth. Avoid stirring the broth frequently, as this can also contribute to cloudiness. Just let it happily bubble away, doing its magic, and filling your entire house with the most wonderfully heady and comforting fragrance. Patience is truly a virtue when making exceptional homemade broth.

The Power of Bones: Unlocking the Benefits of Bone Broth

In recent years, articles and studies highlighting the remarkable healing benefits of bone broth have become widespread, and for good reason. Bones are the star ingredient because they are rich in collagen protein, a vital component that gives your broth its luxurious body, incredible flavor, and a wealth of health-giving properties. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, found in connective tissues, skin, bones, and cartilage. When you simmer bones for extended periods, the heat breaks down the collagen into gelatin and releases a host of essential amino acids and minerals into the liquid.

This is why, when properly made and cooled, a good bone broth will have a jiggly, gelatinous consistency – a clear indicator of its high collagen content. The longer the simmering time, the more collagen and nutrient-rich minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium) are extracted from the bones and infused into your broth. I personally advocate for simmering broth for 20 hours or even longer (up to 24 hours) to ensure the maximum possible extraction of these beneficial compounds. This extended simmer yields a deeply nourishing, flavorful, and incredibly healthful “liquid gold” that supports gut health, joint function, skin elasticity, and overall well-being. It’s a foundational food that truly nourishes from within.

Finishing Touches: Straining, Rapid Cooling, and Storage

After many hours of patient simmering, your homemade chicken broth will have transformed into a beautiful, deep golden, and remarkably clear liquid. The next crucial step is to carefully strain it. Using a fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with cheesecloth, meticulously strain out all the spent bones, meat, vegetables, and herbs. These ingredients have given their best to your broth and can now be discarded.

Once strained, the broth needs to be cooled rapidly to ensure food safety and maintain its quality. Transfer the hot broth into a large, clean stainless steel bowl or another pot. Then, create an ice bath by placing this container into a larger sink or basin filled with ice water. To further speed up the cooling process and ensure even temperature reduction, place a small rack or trivet under the bowl in the ice bath to allow for circulation of the cold water underneath. Stir the broth occasionally as it cools, helping to dissipate the heat. This rapid cooling prevents harmful bacteria from multiplying and helps preserve the broth’s fresh flavor.

Once the broth has cooled sufficiently (to room temperature or cooler), cover it and refrigerate it overnight. By morning, you’ll find a layer of solidified fat on the surface. This fat can be easily skimmed off and discarded, leaving you with a lean, flavorful broth. Your freshly made chicken broth can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. For longer storage, freezing is your best option. Portion the broth into various sizes for convenience: muffin tins are perfect for small, individual servings (once frozen, pop them out and store in freezer bags), while canning jars, mason jars (ensure they are freezer-safe and leave headspace for expansion), or larger freezer-safe containers work well for bigger quantities.

Always remember to label your frozen broth with the date and amount (e.g., “Chicken Broth – 3 cups – Oct 2025”). Masking tape and a permanent marker are kitchen staples for this purpose. Properly stored, frozen homemade chicken broth will maintain its quality for up to three months, ready to be defrosted and used to enhance your culinary creations.

A Special Note for Histamine Intolerance

For individuals managing Histamine Intolerance (HIT) or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), consuming foods that have undergone long cooking processes, like traditional bone broth, can sometimes trigger flare-ups. This is because prolonged cooking times can increase the histamine content in foods. While the deeply nourishing qualities of bone broth are undeniable, it’s important to be mindful of its potential impact if you are sensitive.

It’s possible that once your condition is managed and your body has had time to heal, you might be able to reintroduce long-simmered bone broth into your diet, as I have with both HIT and MCAS. However, if you are currently experiencing symptoms or prefer a lower histamine option, there are alternatives. For a delicious and quick 2-hour, low-histamine chicken broth that can be made conveniently in an Instant Pot, please try this alternative recipe. Always consult with a healthcare professional regarding dietary choices for specific health conditions.

📖 Recipe: Homemade Chicken Broth (Bone Broth)