Homemade Chicken Stock (2024)

If you roast a chicken and end up with a carcass, don’t you dare throw it away. Use it to make a rich-flavored Homemade Chicken Stock that you can use in turn to make soups or other recipes!

Homemade Chicken Stock

When I’ve roasted a chicken (or even purchased one from the store), I can’t even imagine tossing a chicken carcass in the trash. What an incredible waste that would be. Making homemade stock is very simple. You must try it!

🛒Ingredients needed:

• chicken carcass
• onions and leeks
• carrots, celery and parsnips
• fresh flat-leaf parsley, thyme and dill
• garlic
• salt
• peppercorns

✏️How to make Homemade Chicken Stock:

*The complete, printable recipe with all ingredients and instructions is at the end of this post.

1. Place the chicken in large stockpot. Add about 2½ quarts of water (your chicken should be just submerged, so add more if needed). Add all veggies, herbs and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; continue to simmer uncovered for 4 hours.

2. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a fine sieve and discard the solids. Pour the liquid into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

As the stock chills a layer of fat will accumulate on the top.

The next day, use a spoon to remove the layer of fat that has solidified on the top of the bowl of stock. The stock itself may become jelly-like when it’s chilled. Once it comes to room temperature again (or is heated), it will turn back to a liquid state.

➡️Recipe Tips:

• The more chicken meat that is left on your carcass, the richer the chicken flavor will be in your stock.
• Feel free to change up the types and amounts of vegetables and / or herbs you use in the stock. Use the flavors you like.
• Starting with raw chicken makes for the richest stock, but you can still get a darn good stock from a chicken carcass that was already cooked.

✔️What to do with Homemade Chicken Stock:

• Freeze the stock to use later, or use it up within a few days.
• Consider this a richer broth, perfect for chicken soup of course, but many others, too.
• The stock is also great to use when making risotto and other recipes.

★How to Freeze Chicken Stock:

Measure 1 cup of the chicken stock and pour it into a freezer bag. 1 cup is a good amount because it’s easier for adding to recipes. Carefully seal the bag so there’s no excess air trapped inside and repeat. Lay the sealed freezer bags flat on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours, or until frozen solid.

❤️Why I love this recipe:

1. There is really nothing more comforting than this rich stock. When anyone in my family is sick, pulling some stock out of the freezer and making a great chicken noodle soup is the best!
2. It’s so easy. You just throw everything in a stockpot and let that beautiful aroma permeate your house for the next few hours.
3. It can be used in such a variety of recipes, that I always find it gets used up quickly.