Homemade Chicken Broth
Every good soup starts with good broth or stock, and this homemade Chicken Broth is about as good as it gets! Slowly simmered to bring out all the flavor, don't rush this broth and freeze any extra for soups, stews, and sauces later!
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut up
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 - 3 celery stalks with leaves cut into chunks
- 1 small onion quartered
- 3 - 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 14 cups water
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients by cutting up the chicken and chopping the vegetables. Keeping the vegetables in large chunks helps them infuse the broth with flavor while making them easier to strain out later.
- Add the chicken pieces, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns to your Dutch oven.
- Pour the water into a 3.5 quart (or larger) Dutch oven, making sure it covers all the ingredients. If you have a particularly large Dutch oven, you can add a little more water, but the 14-cup mark is a good guide.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low, so it reaches a steady simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for about 3-4 hours, uncovered.
- Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the surface every so often. This will keep your broth clear and give it a cleaner taste.
- Check the broth’s flavor after a few hours. If it tastes rich and satisfying, it’s ready. If you prefer a more concentrated flavor, let it simmer a little longer. You may need to top up the water but some evaporation will help to condense the flavor.
- Strain the broth by pouring it through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or another pot.
- Pull the meat from the bones once the chicken carcass is cool enough to handle. You can add the chicken to soups and stews or make chicken salad from it.
- Cool the broth slightly before transferring it to storage containers. For easy storage, portion it into smaller containers or freeze it in ice cube trays for quick access to smaller amounts.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Roast the chicken pieces and vegetables beforehand for an even richer, more complex flavor
- Leave the skin on the chicken for added flavor and richness, but skim off excess fat after cooking if desired. I chill the soup overnight and then the fat just peels off the top.
- Don’t rush the simmering process; low and slow is key to extracting deep flavors. You want a bare simmer - just a few bubbles breaking the surface.
- For a golden, clear broth, avoid stirring too much as it cooks, and skim the surface periodically
- Add herbs like thyme or parsley for added depth if you want a more aromatic broth
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 11kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 0.1mgSodium: 26mgPotassium: 59mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2042IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 0.1mg
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!