How to Make Chicken Broth from Scratch

This homemade chicken broth starts with the bones and scraps from a cooked chicken, so you’re already beginning with more flavor than plain raw chicken and water. A whole head of garlic, fresh thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns give it that real homemade chicken broth flavor, while a long simmer keeps it from tasting watered down. It’s the kind of broth I stock my freezer with so that anything I use it in already starts better.

I keep store-bought chicken broth in my pantry, so I’m not going to pretend there isn’t a time and place for it. But when I have the bones and scraps from a whole chicken sitting right there, homemade is absolutely worth it. The biggest difference is that this actually tastes like chicken. It has that rich, savory flavor you want in soup or gravy without the flat, salty taste you mostly get from a carton.

If I’m making broth instead of buying it, I want to be able to taste the difference in whatever I use it for later and have enough to freeze for later. Starting with the leftovers from an already-cooked chicken gives this a head start, and the garlic, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, onion, carrots, and celery build around the chicken instead of covering it up. The 2 to 3 hour simmer matters here too. It gives the bones enough time to do their job so that the finished broth doesn’t taste watery.

I also keep this less salty than most broth. It’s going into chicken soup, rice, casseroles, gravy, or something else that will be seasoned again. That gives me a much better starting point because I can control the salt in the finished meal instead of working around broth that was too heavily seasoned.

Why You’ll Love Making Homemade Chicken Broth

• It puts leftover chicken bones to work. A rotisserie chicken can give you dinner first and broth afterward. A great way to save money.
• It actually tastes like chicken. A long, gentle simmer pulls plenty of flavor from the bones and scraps so that it actually tastes like chicken instead of just seasoned water.
• You control the seasoning. There’s enough salt to season the broth without locking you into an overly salty base for another recipe.
• It’s easy to make and useful to have on hand. Freeze it and you’ve already handled one ingredient for future soups, rice, casseroles, gravies, and sauces.

What is chicken broth?

Chicken broth is a liquid made by simmering chicken bones, meat, herbs, spices, and vegetables in water. 

Chicken broth is used in a variety of savory recipes to add moisture and flavor. It’s often used as a base for soups, stews, sauces, and gravies. 

Chicken Stock vs Broth

Chicken stock and chicken broth have a lot of similarities, but there are also some key differences. 

Chicken stock is usually made by simmering bones, vegetables, meat, and spices in water for 4-6 hours. Because of the bones, it often ends up having a richer flavor than broth. 

Because chicken stock has more bones and simmers longer, it usually extracts some of the collagen and gelatin from the bones resulting in a thicker quality. Some say it adds a richer flavor as well. 

You can easily turn this chicken broth recipe into a homemade chicken stock. Just simply add a bit more bones and meat, then let it simmer for about 4-6 hours instead of 2-3. 

Kitchen Tools for Homemade Chicken Broth

dutch oven

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strainer

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Chicken Broth vs Bone Broth

Chicken bone broth is similar to broth and stock. It often includes a much larger bones to liquid ratio than stock. 

Chicken stock is often simmered for 2-3 hours while bone broth is simmered for 24-48 hours to extract more minerals and nutrients from the bones. The result is a much thicker broth. 

The biggest difference between chicken stock and chicken broth is the proportions of bones, cooking time, and consistency. 

Chicken Broth Benefits

One of the major benefits of chicken broth is that it can really enhance the flavor of your meal. Rather than adding plain water, you can replace that with chicken broth to help add even more flavor to your food. 

A common item that you get this benefit from is rice. By replacing the water with chicken broth, you’ll have a much more flavorful rice. 

Another great benefit of chicken broth is that it’s a great way to use up fresh vegetables scraps and leftover bones from chicken. 

Best Homemade Chicken Broth Ingredients

• Chicken bones and leftovers: Use the bones, skin, cartilage, and scraps left from a rotisserie chicken or another whole cooked chicken. You don’t need much meat left on the bones.
• Celery: Whole stalks are fine here. This is broth, so there’s no need for careful chopping.
• Carrots: Regular whole carrots give the broth a little sweetness and that familiar chicken broth flavor.
• Garlic: I use a whole head of garlic. Leaving it unpeeled and simply cutting it in half keeps prep minimal.
• Bay leaves: Two leaves are enough to season the broth without taking over.
• Whole peppercorns: Whole peppercorns give you pepper flavor without leaving ground pepper floating throughout the broth when it’s finished.
• Coarse kosher salt: I keep the salt fairly restrained because this broth will usually become part of another recipe later.
• Onion: One whole onion adds that savory base you expect from a good chicken broth.
• Water: Six cups gives you enough liquid to cover everything while still ending up with broth that has plenty of chicken flavor.
• Fresh thyme: Fresh thyme works really well with chicken and gives the broth that familiar homemade smell while it simmers.

How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth

Making homemade broth is actually a really easy process. 

1. Add the chicken bones and scraps, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, peppecorns, kosher salt, onion, water, and thyme to a large pot.

2. Bring everything to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and let the broth cook for 2 to 3 hours. Keep it at a simmer rather than a hard boil. The longer end of that window will give you more flavor.

4. Remove the pot from the heat. Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and carefully strain the broth, leaving the bones, vegetables, herbs, and peppercorns behind.

5. Set the broth aside to cool.

6. Once cooled, skim the fat from the surface.
7. Transfer the broth to an airtight container for the refrigerator or portion it for freezing.

​Instant Pot Chicken Stock

This recipe can be made in the instant pot as well. You will want to follow the directions as written above, but place it all into the liner of your instant pot. 

Place the lid on the pressure cooker and set it the valve to sealing. Cook it on high pressure for 1 hour. 

Let the pressure naturally release, and then resume the recipe as written. 

If you are wanting to make an instant pot bone broth, you’ll need to use more bones. Cook it on high pressure for 120 minutes, let it naturally release, then cook on low pressure for another 120 minutes. 

Homemade Chicken Broth in the Crockpot

Yes. Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker and let the broth cook for 8 to 10 hours.

This is especially handy if you don’t want a pot simmering on the stove for the afternoon. Once it’s finished cooking, strain and cool it the same way you would the stovetop version.

Ways to Use Homemade Chicken Broth

I make this knowing it will probably end up tucked into another dinner later. Homemade broth is especially good anywhere the broth itself has a chance to matter.

Use it for:

• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
• Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
• Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
• One Pot Chicken Alfredo
• Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
• No Peek Chicken Casserole
• Crockpot Ranch Chicken
• Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Skillet
• Instant Pot Basmati Rice
• One Pot Pasta with Ricotta and Lemon
• Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff
• Creamy Parmesan Orzo

It’s one of those things that doesn’t necessarily look exciting sitting in the refrigerator, but I’m always glad it’s there when I start cooking dinner.

How to Store Homemade Chicken Broth

To store leftover chicken broth, allow it to cool to room temperature. Place it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

To extend the life of your homemade chicken broth, I highly recommend freezing it. 

I love storing my chicken broth in mason jars. Did you know that straight sided mason jars are freezer safe? Just be sure to measure out how much you’ve put in the jar before storing. 

How long does chicken broth last in the fridge?

When stored properly, chicken broth will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

How to heat up Chicken Broth

Heating this up is quick and easy, and you’ve got a few options depending on how much you’re warming up and how you plan to use it.

Stovetop (best for larger amounts):

Pour the desired amount of broth into a saucepan or pot. Warm it over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. Stir occasionally and don’t let it boil unless you’re reducing it or using it in a recipe that calls for it hot.

Microwave (best for smaller amounts):

Pour the broth into a microwave safe bowl or mug. Cover with a paper towel to prevent splatters. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until it reaches your desired temperature.

How to Freeze Chicken Broth

You can freeze chicken broth. It freezes really well. 

Allow the broth to cool completely. One of my favorite ways to freeze mine is in Souper Cubes freezer containers. You can also store it in any sort of airtight freezer safe container. 

When I use Souper Cubes for freezing my chicken broth, I typically pour it in, let it freeze and then pop them out and store them in a freezer bags. Then, when I need broth, it’s easy to pop out a serving and use it for my recipe. 

​Ice cube trays also work really great for freezing small portions of broth. 

Tips for Making Chicken Broth

It’s best to use a fine-mesh strainer for the best results. You’ll be able to really strain out any vegetables that have completely broken down in the simmering process.

Cooling the broth before storing is important to skim the fat and to also have the best results for storing.

Homemade Chicken Broth Recipe FAQs

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