Erika Wassall, the Jersey Farm Scribe here, with an oh so wonderful and easy chicken broth recipe- perfect to warm you and nurse you back to health this time of year. These instructions for how to make chicken broth are simple to follow and they turn chicken bones into a rich, delicious broth. This versatile homemade chicken bone broth with know your socks off it is so good!
What Is Chicken Bone Broth Soup?
First, I want to say that it seems to me we always just called it chicken broth. Sure we made it with bones but we didn’t really say chicken bone broth soup. Well, lately it has become fashionable and trendy to point out that it is bone broth. This is because so many people are beginning to recognize the health benefits of all of the collagen in the bones. Keto diet lovers are especially savvy on the benefits of bone broth.
Chicken bone broth is a flavorful and nutritious broth made by simmering chicken bones, vegetables, and herbs in water. It’s rich in nutrients like collagen, gelatin, amino acids, and minerals. Many people find it beneficial for gut health, joint health, and as a comforting, warming drink. It’s often used as a base for soups, stews, and sauces, or enjoyed on its own.
According to Bon Appetit, the difference is that chicken bone broth “is more viscous due to the collagen that seeps out of joints and bones during long-term cooking, and broth, which is thinner and is made with more actual meat.”
Why This Chicken Bone Broth Is Amazing
Chicken broth that you buy at the grocery store does not compare to this homemade chicken bone broth. At all. Homemade bone broth is just so rich and full of flavor and it has a silky texture. And you really can’t mess this up. Throw stuff in a pot, let it simmer, drain it. Done.
What To Use Chicken Bone Broth For
This is a rich, thick broth. It’s great for EVERYTHING. Soups. Sauces. Stew. Risotto. The key to ANY sauce tasting amazing is the broth, so keep a bag of this in the freezer.
Chicken Bone Broth Storage Tip
You can store cooled broth in glass jars in the fridge if you plan to use within a couple of days. Otherwise, you can freeze any extra. Pour the warm broth into an ice cube tray, and then dump them in a bag when they’re frozen. You’ll have little ice cube sized amounts of chicken broth (about two tablespoons each) for adding to any recipe. Or measure out one cup servings and freeze in individual Ziploc bags to have on hand for your favorite recipes.
Chicken Bone Broth Preparation Tip
The real trick to any great chicken broth is planning ahead. But wait!! Don’t roll your eyes yet. It’s the easy type of planning ahead. Instead of throwing things away, just throw them in the freezer!
I have two freezer bags of stuff at all times in the freezer, one for animal bones, one for vegetable scraps. If you cook a chicken, toss the carcass in a bag in the freezer. If you cook chicken legs, or wings, toss the leftover bones, connective tissue, and skin in the bag too. Cooking with garlic or onions? Throw the papery outside parts into the veggie bag. Carrots starting to get wilty? Toss them in there. End of the celery stalks? In the freezer they go!
I’m a big fan of never buying anything for the purpose of making chicken broth but rather just using my scraps. It is a great way to reduce food waste. I just wait until I have two full bags. Then I make my homemade chicken bone broth recipe.
Chicken Bone Broth Ingredients
Here is what I put in one large pot of broth:
The equivalent of about 2 chicken carcasses (this time it was one chicken and the bones from one large container of legs)
Two celery ends
The throw away pieces from 5 full bulbs of garlic (from when I make roasted garlic each week)
The equivalent of at least half an onion (I had about 7 ends and a bunch of the papery parts)
Four carrots (they were going soft, so I threw them in the freezer bag about 3 weeks ago)
Fresh herbs (optional, but try a sprig of rosemary, thyme, or oregano, great for depth of flavor)
Salt
These amounts are largely irrelevant, but if you need a jumping point, that’s a good place to picture yourself starting. YOU CANNOT PUT TOO MUCH IN. The basic idea here is simple…. Two chickens, garlic and a bunch of veggies. It’ll blow you away no matter what you do at that point.
And there is NO need to chop anything, unless it is really big. You’re going to cook it all day long, so all of the flavors come together on their own anyway. Then you are going to strain it.
How To Make Chicken Bone Broth
STEP ONE: Toss all the ingredients in a big 8 qt. stockpot.
STEP TWO: Fill the rest of the big pot with water leaving a couple inches open so you don’t spill or boil over. How much water you ask? Whatever fills the pot. No seriously… don’t stress it. Just dump some water in there.
STEP THREE: Bring water to boil.
STEP FOUR: Let it simmer (just a mild simmer, I usually keep it on low) ALL DAY LONG. Or at least 4 hours.
STEP FIVE: DRAIN
Yeah… that’s basically it. I told you it was a super easy chicken broth recipe! It is quick to throw in the pot but it cooks for a long time.
Once it has simmered all day long… making your house smell amazing by the way, add about 1 to 1 ¼ teaspoons of salt and a ½ teaspoon of pepper. Then taste it. Add more salt and pepper to your taste. You can always add a pinch of dried or fresh oregano, rosemary, parsley, thyme, or sage, but it’s great without those too.
Drain it through a strainer. Not a colander. Too many bits will get through with a colander. You do need the fine wire mesh of a strainer.
Pour it into a glass container, and let it cool a bit. Then cover with plastic wrap and let it finish cooling off in the refrigerator. I usually let it sit overnight, because this makes it easier to separate.
By the next morning, the fat will have risen to the top. You’ll see a darker, thick coating on top. Just spoon that fat off and throw it away. Underneath will be your chicken bone broth which when refrigerated has turned thick like jello.
Do not be surprised when your broth is more of a gelatinous conglomeration than a liquid broth. That’s part of what makes it so amazing. It’s thick and rich! One of best tricks I ever learned to making what are already great recipes taste even more AMAZING is using this rich, homemade chicken bone broth. When warmed, it melts into a normal liquid state.
For Chicken Bone Broth Storage
Spoon the cooled broth into a freezer bag, and store it in the freezer (or fridge if you’re going to use it within in a few days to a week). If you want smaller portions for cooking with, spoon it into an ice cube tray, and then dump them into a freezer bag 24 hours later.
I love this recipe because it allows for so much variation. I made a LOT of roasted garlic one week and ended up making a broth that weekend with two chickens and a TON of leftover garlic and very few other vegetables. It was great!
Printable Recipe Card For Chicken Bone Broth
How To Make Chicken Bone Broth
Ingredients
- chicken bones (the equivalent of about 2 chicken carcasses)
- celery ends (the equivalent of 2 celery stalks)
- small garlic cloves and garlic skins (the equivalent of 4 cloves)
- onion ends and onion skins (the equivalent of 1/2 onion)
- carrot ends (the equivalent of 2 whole carrots)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- fresh herbs (optional)
- 6 quarts of water
Instructions
- Toss all of the ingredients in a big 8 qt. stockpot.
- Bring water to boil.
- Reduce heat and allow to simmer gently for 4-8 hours.
- Remove from heat and drain though a strainer.
- Throw out the solids.
- Store chicken bone broth in a glass bowl in the refrigerator to allow for separation.
- Scrape off the fat layer and through it away. Your chicken bone broth is now ready to use.
Nutrition Facts
How To Make Chicken Bone Broth
Serves: 12
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 cup
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 0.25 kcal | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 0.0 g | 0% | |
| Saturated Fat 0.0 g | 0% | |
| Trans Fat 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol 0.0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium 15.33 mg | 0.6% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 0.05 g | 0% | |
| Dietary Fiber 0.02 g | 0% | |
| Sugars 0.02 g | ||
| Protein 0.01 g | ||
| Vitamin A 0.22 % | Vitamin C 0.26 % | |
| Calcium 0.95 % | Iron 0.06 % | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Family Focus Blog
The benefits of chicken bone broth are many, my favorite is the rich flavor. I also like that it is rich in nutrients. It contains collagen, gelatin, amino acids (such as glycine and proline), minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus), and other nutrients that are beneficial for overall health. The amino acids in bone broth, such as glycine, may help support the immune system. Plus, collagen is important for skin elasticity and hydration.
This chicken bone broth recipe is … Easy. Versatile. Delicious. Yeah. That’s basically what I’m always going for! It is amazing how much better homemade broth is than store-bought broths.
Do you ever make your own chicken bone broth? Let me know if you try it or any variations that you like. Look me up on Twitter at @NJFarmScribe and let me know how it goes!
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The Perfect Crock Pot Chicken Wings
Herbed Whole Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe
Oven Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters Recipe
Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe: Chicken Drumsticks With Artichokes And Onions
Heather Habib says
Yum! Also, love the idea of putting the chicken broth in ice cube trays for storage. I threw a bay leaf in mine for
extra flavor. This was so easy. I am going to make my own bone broth from now on.