Deliciously Organic

Healthy recipes and information about nutrition and thyroid disease

Homemade Chicken Stock

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There’s no comparison between homemade chicken stock and stock poured out of a can. The flavors are much deeper, and the quality of nutrients far surpasses anything you’ll find wrapped in aluminum. Chicken stock serves as the foundation for many holiday recipes and while you may find it at the store, nothing beats the real thing.

Homemade Chicken Stock via DeliciouslyOrganic.net

While a whole chicken is preferable, a carcass works well too. Many times I roast a chicken, serve it for dinner, then use the carcass to make broth. It’s a small way to stretch your budget without sacrificing nutrition.

Now is a good time to cook up some stock so you’ll be ready for the festivities. Don’t be intimidated by a making your own stock. It’s quite simple. Put all the ingredients in a pot and simmer. That’s it!

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Homemade Chicken Stock

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If you like other herbs like sage or thyme in your chicken stock, feel free to add a few sprigs to the pot. I prefer simmering it for 24 hours to draw as many of the nutrients out of the chicken as possible. I usually make my pot of stock on the weekend when I’m home so I can let it simmer for a full day. You can also make this recipe in the crock pot. Add all of the ingredients to the crock pot, set on low and let cook for 24 hours.

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 24 hours
  • Total Time: 24 hours
  • Category: Side
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

  • 1 (3-4 pound) chicken, preferably pastured (you can also use a chicken carcass if you prefer)
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 large bunch parsley
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 head of garlic, cut in half
  • 1 large onion, cut into quarters (don’t worry about peeling it)
  • 2 tablespoons Celtic sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in large stockpot. Add just enough water to cover. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, about 30-60 minutes. Skim foam off the top, lower heat to low, and let simmer for 3 hours. At this point, using a pair of tongs, remove the meat from the bones and set aside to use for salad, soup, etc. Continue simmering for an additional 5 – 24 hours, with lid ajar.
  2. Strain broth. After the broth is cool it should gelatinize, but don’t be alarmed. This is a sign the nutrients were pulled out of the chicken. Store in the refrigerator for 1 week or freeze for 3 months.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: Makes approximately 2 quarts

Keywords: homemade chicken stock

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156 Comments

  3. Tonia

    I make a similar stock pretty regularly, but I don't usually care for the texture of the boiled chicken meat. Two things that I have found it is very tasty for: barbeque chicken sandwiches (just heat the meat up with your favorite home made barbeque sauce & serve on a keiser roll or similar) and chicken encheladas (heat 1 block cream cheese or nufatchel cheese in a sauce pan with 1 cup salasa, then add chicken & black beans. Heat through, wrap mixture in tortillas & lay seam-side down in a pan. Cover with enchelada sauce and bake at 350 for 20 mins. Top with shredded cheddar & bake 5 mins more or until cheese is melted & bubbly). They arre both simple & delicious! :-)
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  6. Valerie

    I do this with my crockpot. I usually wait until I have a carcass plus some extra other bones, or two carcasses. Just put it together before I leave for work and when I get home, there's a nice pot of stock that just needs to be strained and refrigerated. Super easy and that's one less thing I have to buy at the store! I portion mine into a silicone muffin pan and freeze, then pop them out and store in the freezer. The 1/3 cup portions makes it easy to throw into recipes as it is called for. And no added sodium!
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  17. Simply Complex

    I've made it twice, once from a whole chicken, and once from a carcass- I think I must be doing something wrong- I think that it tastes pretty bland. I use it anyway for the nutrition, but everywhere I look everyone says that it is supposed to taste SO MUCH BETTER. So, I'm frustrated- and the only thing I can think of is that I add too much water so maybe it is not flavored strong when I think it is finished??? I really wish I could taste someone else's homemade stock to see what it is supposed to be like. Grrr.
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    • Leigh

      If you would like a bit more punch in the chicken flavour, you can try roasting the main stock ingredients before you put them in the pot. Start with a carcass or cut up the chicken into parts. Cut up carrots, celery stalks (not the leaves), halve the onions. Put them all into a shallow roasting pan, and roast at 375 F for an hour. This will develop the browning reactions. I got this idea from Donna Hay, I think it was in her Classics cookbook. You could then continue with the directions Carrie gives above, or, once you've gotten to the simmering stage, put the whole pot into a 275 F oven for 10-12 hours. (The first time you do this, check the pot after a half hour or so to make sure it is bubbling slowly. You want to be sure the mixture is hot enough.) Carrie's recipe has given me a couple of new things to try in my recipe. Good luck to everyone in developing their own signature stock!
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  26. Kristin Conroy

    Never used a whole chicken for homemade stock before...unbelievably yummy smelling in the kitchen right now:) I thought I might mention that a friend of mine who is a holistic health counselor says to wait to add sea salt until the very end. Salt restricts the release of collagen from the bones. However, because you're using the whole chicken, I don't know if that is a moot point. Just wondering! Thanks for the beautiful post Carrie! xo
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  27. Delishhh

    I think everyone should do homemade chicken stock it is simple and easy as you described, you can basically just put anything in a pot of water and you get a stock. However, you should try a few tweeks and i think it would give you a much better stock - always saute the vegetables for 5-10 minutes before you add any water or wine. Then instead of using 100% use 25% white wine and my secret ingredient is parsnip or even parsley root - gives awesome flavor to the stock.
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  35. Brook

    Hi! Newly converted organic mom here with 2 teenage boys and a tween who thinks she is 25. Do you have stock recipes with other meats as well? I am looking for a good organic one for ham. I assume it would be similar but not so sure about the flavorings/herbs and spices. I am making red beans and rice (we are cajun!) and am trying to add that ham flavoring to the mix organically. Thanks!
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  36. Danielle

    Hey, Carrie! I recently found you and am obsessed (my husband is also a pilot in the Air Force, so I feel like we have kindred spirits:) with your great recipes (your cookbook is on my Christmas list) I just made this stock yesterday-my first time making any sort of stock and followed the directions perfectly, only the amount of liquid I got was disappointing, only two or so cups! it was a 4 lb chicken, and I covered it with water before letting it simmer for 12 hours. is that normal? help!
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  39. Rachel

    This was my first time making chicken stock to store, I have boiled carcass and made soup right away, but never to store. So I used 6 chicken backs, from our freezer that I had from our last butcher day. They are simmering now, there is a separated layer that looks like oil from the water. Is this normal, because it seems a bit extreme to me. We are all sick, so I was doing this for wellness!! Now once finished, should we just drink it as it? I tried it and having the separate layer made it a bit strange for me, any thoughts, or am I on the right track? Thanks!
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  43. Rose

    Hello, Question - My nutritionist also recommended me to make this and I only made it once and loved it!! I was so nervous about keeping my stove on for that long. I only lasted keeping it on the stove for 8 hours (while I was at home and turned it off when I had to run an errand). How do people keep the stove on for up to 24 hours?? I would be so nervous while I was sleeping or if I had to leave?? Is it safe to keep the stove on for so many hours? Thanks in advance for your reply!!!!
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  44. Melissa

    Thanks for the super simple recipe! I got a whole stock chicken from my co-op and wasn't sure what to do with it. I'm at home being sick and trying this out. I hope I didn't mess anything up, when you say heat it on medium-low I didn't set it to boil first, but figured that out later when it didn't make any foam to skim. I think adding that it should boil first before lowering the heat will help for newbies like me!
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  46. Marysya

    Hello! I'm sorry I did not read through all of the comments to see if this was asked. I did the broth using an organic whole young chicken (not a cornish hen, regular size) and after simmering for 10 hrs, had a delicious broth. However, when it cooled, it did not gelatinize. Does this mean the young bones are not are nutrient dense as an older chicken would be? I had a very thin layer of fat on top although the broth is unbelievably rich in flavor. I do, however want to get the best nutritional value and thus am wondering if I didn't simmer enough or if it was in the chicken. Thanks in advance! Can't wait to try the kombucha next!
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  48. Amber Mehta

    Hi Carrie!! I scanned the comments and didn't see a question like this: I've been using this yummy recipe since May (thank you!!). However, another time as well as this moment when my chicken has been simmering for 20 hours now, my chicken meat is pink. It doesn't look raw pink though. Have you had this happen before? It worries me a bit that it's pink; but it's also been in there for 20 hours fully covered in water/broth so it has to be done? Thanks!!
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  51. Pam Thomas

    Have always used carcass to make my stock but will definitely use whole chicken next time!!! Homemade stock is the absolute BEST! Make my own mayonnaise (10 minutes in blender/food processor - done!); recently made my own butter in blender from cream (what a hoot!). Firm believer in homemade foodstuffs. Also do homemade scones, bread, cakes, pies, etc. Much fun when you make things from scratch! Tastes sooooooo much better & usually better for you plus you know what it's made from-you know what's in it (no additives). Looking forward to making this stock with whole chicken. Thanks for this recipe & can't wait to try your chocolate tarts!!!
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  52. Karen

    Oh My Goodness! I made this last night for first time. I went easy on the garlic and omitted the parsley because I did not know what to expect flavor wise. I am in HEAVEN! The house smells divine! It was only simmering for 21 hours and the smell drove me WILD! I came home from shopping and it smelled more divine! Such an easy recipe too. I used the slow cooker method and...I only used a carcass from a free range chicken we cooked the previous night. I can only imagine the next batch I make with a whole chicken and all the garlic. I'm sold!!
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