Easy Tender Chicken Stock
Unlock the secret to rich, flavorful homemade broth with this Easy Tender Chicken Stock recipe. Crafted with a balance of fresh vegetables, aromatic garlic, herbs, and wholesome chicken bones, this stock is gently simmered for hours, yielding a deeply nourishing and velvety base for soups, stews, and sauces. With minimal prep time and simple ingredients like carrots, celery, and parsley combined with pantry staples such as bay leaves and black peppercorns, this recipe is both approachable and incredibly rewarding. The long, slow simmer extracts every ounce of flavor, while the straining step ensures a silky, pure liquid. Whether you're meal prepping for the week or stocking your freezer with homemade goodness, this versatile chicken stock is an essential recipe you'll return to time and time again.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken carcass or bones
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 12 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Rinse the chicken carcass or bones under cold water to remove any surface impurities.
Peel and roughly chop the carrots, celery, and onion into large pieces. There’s no need to finely dice as the vegetables will be strained out later.
Lightly smash the garlic cloves with the blade of a knife to release their flavor; no need to peel.
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, add the chicken carcass or bones, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, parsley, peppercorns, and salt.
Pour the water over the ingredients in the pot. Ensure all ingredients are submerged. You can add more water if necessary while leaving some room at the top to prevent overflow.
Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer.
Use a spoon to skim and discard any foam or impurities that rise to the surface during the first 30 minutes of simmering.
Cover the pot with a lid, leaving it slightly ajar to allow a small vent for steam, and simmer the stock gently for 4 hours. Check occasionally to ensure the liquid level doesn’t drop too low, adding more water if needed.
After 4 hours, remove the pot from heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and carefully strain the stock, discarding the solids (chicken bones and vegetables).
Taste the strained stock and adjust seasoning with additional salt if desired.
Allow the stock to cool completely before storing. It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
2113 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 137.1 g | 176% | |
| Saturated Fat | 38.4 g | 192% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 680 mg | 227% | |
| Sodium | 3262 mg | 142% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 36.4 g | 13% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 9.5 g | 34% | |
| Total Sugars | 14.4 g | ||
| Protein | 168.5 g | 337% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 491 mg | 38% | |
| Iron | 14.7 mg | 82% | |
| Potassium | 2538 mg | 54% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
