Homemade Chicken Stock

inAmerican Recipes, Chicken & Poultry Recipes, Recipes, Soup & Stew Recipes
  • YIELDS | 10-12 CUPS
  • PREP TIME | 20 MINS
  • COOK TIME | 3 HRS
Chicken stock

This is one of those recipes that every home cook should have in their repertoire. This recipe produces a beautifully balanced stock with a light brown hue.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken or cut up chicken pieces with skin on, or 2 chicken carcasses
  • 6-7 medium carrots, peeled or unpeeled, and cut in quarters
  • 2 large yellow onions, cut in half, unpeeled
  • 1-2 parsnips, trimmed and cut into chunks, optional
  • 1 small bunch parsley, washed and coarsely chopped, plus extra for garnish, optional
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more for taste

Instructions

  1. To a very large pot, add the chicken and vegetables, plus enough filtered water to cover them, about 12 cups. Be sure there is enough water to cover everything but not so much that it will make a watery broth. Simmer for 2-3 hours, the longer the better if you have time.
  2. When the broth is finished, let it cool and pour it into a colander over another large pot or bowl to catch the broth. Discard the chicken and vegetables.
  3. Put the broth in the fridge overnight, or up to 3 days.
  4. When ready to use, take the broth out of the fridge and carefully pull off the hard layer of fat and any remaining chunks of fat and discard. Warm the broth to a simmer/slight boil, and add your favorite ingredients.

Notes

What is the difference between broth and stock? Broth is made from meat and veggies and stock is made with meat, veggies and the addition of bones. Both are quite flavorful and add a delicious layer of flavor to, well, everything. I make broth occasionally because it takes less time to cook and is typically thinner than stock.

For extra dark rich broth, do not peel the onions. The peels are what give the stock its rich, amber hue.