Effortless Homemade Chicken Broth Recipe

This homemade chicken broth recipe is a game-changer for people who love whipping up hearty soups, stews, sauces, and anything in between. Made straight from chicken bones and flavored with aromatics, it tastes better than anything coming out of a can.

If you’re trying to level up your home cooking, learning how to make your own broth is an easy first step. In this article, I’ll walk you through a simple recipe for made-from-scratch chicken broth. Make a large batch today and store it for various uses in the future!

Why This Chicken Broth Recipe Works

There are many reasons that you’ll love this chicken broth recipe. Here are a couple of them.

• Taste better than store-bought: This goes without saying, but no canned chicken broth will be able to match the taste of your homemade one. In addition, you can freely adjust the seasonings to fit your liking.
• Versatile: There are numerous ways to use your chicken broth. From mouth-watering soups to flavor-packed stews, the possibilities are endless!
• Reduce food waste: Making chicken broth is a great way to utilize parts of the chicken that you’ll otherwise throw away. Got some chicken bones and didn’t know what to do with them? This recipe is the answer!

Tools

Before getting to the cooking part, you’ll first need to have the following tools at the ready.

• Stockpot: For cooking the broth.
• Spice bags: Adding spices to drawstring bags allows you to remove them from the pot easily. Imagine how tiring it would be if you had to fish out every single spice!
• Strainer ladle: For skimming off the foam, resulting in a clearer broth.
• Ladle: Helps you add the ingredients to the stockpot.
• Sieve: For straining the stock.

Ingredients

Next are the ingredients. Basically, all you need are some chicken bones, vegetables, and a few herbs.

• Chicken bones: The backbone of your broth (no pun intended).

• Water: The liquid base for the broth.
• Vegetables: Celery, carrot and onion. These veggies add more flavor to the stock.
• Aromatics and seasonings: Bay leaves, dried rosemary, dried thyme, white peppers, salt, and garlic.

Directions

The fun part begins here! Get your stove ready, and let’s cook up some delicious chicken broth.

Step 1: Add The Chicken Bones To The Pot

Pour water into a stockpot and bring it to a rapid simmer. Then, add the chicken bones.

Increase the heat to high and the water to a boil.

Step 2: Add The Spices And Vegetables To The Broth

While waiting for the water to boil, add the bay leaves, dried rosemary, dried thyme, white peppers, and garlic into spice bags. Since my bags are small, I have to use 2 of them, but you can add all the spices into 1 bag if it’s big enough.

Next, reduce the heat to low and skim off the foam. Add salt and the spice bag(s) into the pot.

Add the carrot, onion, and celery.

Step 3: Simmer The Broth

Simmer the broth over low heat for at least 1 hour. The longer you simmer, the tastier the broth will be.

Then, remove the chicken, vegetables, and spices.

Note: Remember to frequently skim off the foam to ensure a clear broth.

Step 4: Transfer The Broth To A Glass Jar

Turn off the heat and allow the broth to cool. Run it through a sieve into a glass jar. Store your chicken broth in a fridge or freezer. 

How To Store Your Chicken Broth

A good thing about this recipe is that you can easily make it in a large batch, then store it and use it later. Check out these notes for more information on how to properly store your chicken broth.

• Always let your chicken broth cool completely before refrigerating it. The broth lasts for about 4 days this way.
• If you want to freeze the broth for more extended storage, refrigerate it for one night, then skim off the fat accumulated on top. Seal the jar once again, and freeze it for up to 3 months.

Dishes To Make With Chicken Broth

As mentioned, there are lots of ways you can turn your chicken broth into mouth-watering dishes. Here are a few suggestions:

• Vietnamese chicken glass noodle soup: A classic noodle soup from Vietnam, perfect for days when you’re feeling sick or under the weather
• Hainanese Chicken Rice: A signature rice dish of Singapore created by Chinese immigrants from Hainan, featuring juicy, tender boiled chicken and aromatic rice.
• Vietnamese chicken congee (Chao Ga): A heartwarming congee that’s suitable for people of all ages. You can enjoy it any time of the day, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
• Quang Noodles With Shrimp And Pork Belly (Mi Quang): This is one of the most popular dishes in Central Vietnam. Pair it with some herbs, like basil, peppermint, beefsteak plant, and rice crackers for a satisfying meal.
• Crockpot Potato Soup: My go-to choice when I don’t want to spend too much time cooking. Simply add the ingredients to the crockpot and let it handle the cooking!

FAQs

In this part, you’ll find some commonly asked questions about making chicken broth at home.

Homemade Chicken Broth Is The Way To Go!

By swapping store-bought chicken broth with the homemade version, your soups, stews, and many more, will taste much better! Moreover, you can freely adjust the flavor of the broth, by adding fragrant herbs or reducing/increasing the amount of seasonings used.

What are your favorite dishes to make using chicken broth? Leave a comment to let me know the answer! You can also give me your feedback on this recipe, too. Lastly, please consider liking and sharing today’s post if you find it helpful.