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Making Chicken Stock

The more I cook, the more I truly believe good quality ingredients are the key to good quality food.

Making Chicken Stock recipe and images by Lacey Baier, a sweet pea chef

I mean…it sounds so simple, right?  You put in good ingredients and you get good food.   Even with all that simplicity, it is hard to remember.  Well…it is for me, at least.

Now, I’m no Ina Garten (darnit!), meaning there are definitely several shortcuts I take in my kitchen.  But, I have come to learn these shortcuts usually come at a price.

For example, I know if I use canned chicken broth, I will not get as much flavor than if I use homemade chicken stock.  This rule, I have found, applies to many things, like homemade aiolis versus preservative-filled, store-bought mayonnaise, homemade tomato sauce versus sauce from a jar, homemade eggnog versus what you’d buy in a carton, etc.  This list, fortunately and unfortunately, can go on and on.

Making Chicken Stock

The good news?  If you put in the effort, you get a superior tasting result.  The bad news?  You do have to put in some effort.  Sorry.

Believe it or not, making chicken stock is actually very simple.  Basically, you throw all the ingredients in a large pot, cook for a bit and then strain.  All you gotta do is do it.  And, trust me, it is worth it.  The depth of flavor, the fresh ingredients and the satisfaction of making the base to your meal will all be there when you’re done. I promise.

Making Chicken Stock

I’ve been making my own chicken stock for a few years now.  Do I ever buy the canned stuff?  Of course.  But I know what I’m missing out on if I do.  So, this week, when we had some extra vegetables left over from our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), I knew exactly how to make use of them.  That is another beauty of making chicken stock: you don’t waste extra carrots, celery, onion or chicken.  You just throw ’em in the pot.

Making Chicken Stock recipe and images by Lacey Baier, a sweet pea chef

Awesome, right?

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If you give this recipe a try, let me know what you think by leaving a comment and rating it. And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #asweetpeachef on Instagram! I LOVE seeing what you come up with. Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote
Chicken Stock Square Recipe Preview Image
Making Chicken Stock
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 55 mins
 
Making Chicken Stock is a very simple way to use up extra vegetables and makes your food taste delicious.
Categories: Soup
Difficulty: Easy
Keyword: healthy chicken stock, healthy chicken stock recipe, ina garten chicken stock recipe
Servings: 12 cups
Calories: 25 kcal
Author: Lacey Baier of A Sweet Pea Chef
Ingredients
  • 1 5- lb roasting chicken cleaned and innards removed
  • 3 1/2 quarts water just enough to cover chicken
  • 2 large yellow onions cleaned, unpeeled and quartered
  • 4 carrots unpeeled and halved
  • 3 celery stalks with leaves cut into thirds
  • 6-8 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 10-12 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/2 garlic bulb unpeeled and cut in half
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp whole peppercorns
  • 1 turnip unpeeled and halved
  • 2 bay leaves
Instructions
  1. Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add just enough water to mostly cover the chicken. Adding too much water will dilute the flavor of the final stock. Add the thyme, parsley, kosher salt, peppercorns and bay leaves and allow to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1-hour to 1 1/2-hours, until chicken is fully cooked.
  2. Carefully remove the chicken and allow to cool. Once cooled, the chicken can be de-boned and shredded for other use.
  3. Carefully strain the stock using a strainer over another large pot or bowl to catch the liquid. Season with additional kosher salt and/or ground black pepper to taste. Discard all the strained vegetable solids. Stock can be used immediately or stored in an air-tight container for up to one week in the refrigerator or longer if frozen.
Nutrition Facts
Making Chicken Stock
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 25 Calories from Fat 35
% Daily Value*
Fat 3.9g6%
Saturated Fat 1.3g7%
Sodium 123.3mg5%
Carbohydrates 5.9g2%
Fiber 1.6g6%
Sugar 2.2g2%
Protein 2.6g5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Lacey Baier

Hey there! I’m Lacey Baier and I’d like to welcome you! I’m a healthy lifestyle influencer and the creator of this clean-eating blog and YouTube channel, as well as cleanish, my clean-eating supplement brand. My recipes have been published on Food Network, Good Morning America, FoxNews, Tastemade, Fitness Magazine, and much more. I live in Austin, Texas with my husband and four kiddos. Let’s get started!

17 thoughts on “Making Chicken Stock

  1. 5 stars
    I use split chicken breasts. Like Sylvia, I only like white meat and split breasts provide lots of flavor. I simply peel the skin and pull the meat off the bone when done cooking. I often use a Pampered Chef covered baker as well. It’s one of the priciest pieces I have ever ordered from PC and I can’t imagine how I lived without it. It makes perfect roasted chicken and great stock!

  2. Lacey, I also make my own chicken stock but I don’t use a whole chicken because then I’m left with the whole chicken meat and what do you do with that? I hate to throw that away. What I do is I buy the bone in chicken breasts and carved the meat out to use later on my recipes. Then I collect several breast skeletons in the freezer and when I have enough I make my chicken stock with all the vegetables that goes in. When the chicken stock is ready, I keep all the vegetables and puree them into a vegetable cream which we have on a cold night for dinner. With the skeletons becuase there is always some meat on it, I try to take as much as I can get out and when feeding my dogs their regular food I treat them with some of the meat that I took out of the bones.

    1. Hi Silvia! That is another great way to make chicken stock. When I make my stock, I’ll use the cooked chicken for shredded chicken nachos, chicken pot pies, chicken quesadillas or other dishes so it doesn’t go to waste.

  3. Hmmm. I guess I have always worked backwards with chicken stock! I have always just taken the carcass from the leftover chicken we made. This way does sound much more intense and I will definitely try it this way in the coming weeks.

  4. Can I make the stock in a crockpot instead of on the stove top? Just wondering since most of the day I’m at work.

  5. I was looking for a recipe for chicken n dumplings so I googled it. It led me to your cool site. I not only used you recipe for chicken n dumplings but I also used this recipe and made my own stock. It was delicious. I will share this with my friends!!

    1. No, Natalie, it is definitely not vital to use a turnip if you don’t have access to them or just don’t like them. You could try using a rutabaga or a parsnip instead if you have either of those. Otherwise, it won’t make a gigantic difference if it is left out entirely…I just like the subtle flavor it gives. No worries!

  6. I like to use a fresh (plain, not flavored) rotiserrie chicken from my grocery store’s deli with 2 cartons of organic chicken broth. Then I throw in all the veggies and simmer for at least 3-4 hours. The darker the roast on the skin, the better it tastes. I know…it’s cheating…but it tastes so good! And once it’s all cooked down, I can pick out the chicken and use it for just about anything.

  7. Hello Chef Lacey! It’s true: when you use good quality ingredients the results are awesome. My mom use to say this to me… and she gave me this recipe few months ago and the flavor is… so gratifying. Congratulations for your work, your awesome and thanks a lot for share it. God Bless You

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