How to Make Chicken Broth

Ever wondered how to make cozy, flavorful chicken broth for use in homemade soups and all sorts of other recipes? My chicken broth recipe is brimming with loads of rich chicken flavor from a whole, organic chicken, veggies and seasoning, simmered low and slow until deeply golden and deliciously savory and aromatic!

Homemade Chicken Broth Makes For the Best Chicken Soup

Growing up in an Eastern European household, I ate a lot of our homemade chicken soup.

Both of my parents knew how to cook, but it was typically my momma that made our meals, and with our meals there was usually always some kind of soup as a starter, often homemade chicken soup.

She would use one of our extra large pots for this preparation, because she would place a whole chicken into that pot, along with lots of colorful vegetables (whatever we had on hand, as it was a good way to clean out the fridge!), and an array of aromatics such as onions and herbs.

She would allow the soup to simmer for hours and hours, bubbling gently on the back of the stove, with the lid slightly askew, until it became deeply golden and rich with chicken flavor, producing an amazing aroma that would fill the entire house.

Funny enough, thinking back on this now, what we were technically enjoying was more of a rich, delicious chicken broth, each delicious bowl simply embellished with some egg noodles and some of the veggies and chicken from that broth.

But it is this kind of flavorful chicken broth that when strained and made clear, is a perfect base for many other soups and recipes, and learning to prepare a staple like this from scratch is a fantastic thing to know how to do!

My Recipe for Chicken Broth

Typically, when it comes to chicken stock, just the carcass or bones from a chicken are used in preparation of it. But because I like to use a whole chicken for stronger flavor—meat, skin, bones and all—I’m actually preparing a chicken broth with an incredible richness and depth that has lots of body to it.

Vegetables are essential as well to creating a broth, and I opt to use a ratio of four ribs of celery, three medium carrots, one large onion, and four small cloves of garlic in my homemade chicken broth.

Other veggies that can be included are kohlrabi (my mom used this in hers whenever she could find it in the market), parsnip, or even turnip, but the latter two may add a slight hint of sweetness.

I also tie together a generous bundle of whatever kind of herbs I have on hand (typically flat-leaf parsley and thyme) with a bit of kitchen string—this helps make removal easier later on.

And then, a small palm-full of black pepper corns and a good dash of either Himalayan pink or sea salt are tossed in to create some savory-ness!

Here’s a sneak peek at my homemade chicken broth recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe…)

1. Begin by placing a washed, whole, organic chicken (giblets removed, but neck bone reserved) into a large, 8 to 10 quart pot, then add in the veggies.
2. I tie together a large fistful of herbs such as parsley and thyme and toss those into the broth, along with some seasoning.
3. Then, I cover all of the ingredients with cold water (essential), and place the pot onto the stove over high heat. Once things begin to bubble and boil quite vigorously, I cover the pot with a lid very slightly askew to allow for just a little of the steam to escape, and then simmer gently for at least 4 hours, up to even 5 hours.
4. I then carefully lift the chicken out of the hot liquid and strain the broth, tasting it to see if any additional salt is needed.
5. If using immediately to make a soup, I keep the portion I need, then allow the rest to cool completely before refrigerating, or I portion it off and store in heavy-duty ziplock bags in the freezer for use in other/later recipes.

Tips & Tidbits for my Chicken Broth Recipe:

• Use good quality chicken: Use the best quality, whole chicken you can find. If you can afford organic chicken, that is ideal, as the flavor is more intense and will provide for a healthier, better tasting broth.
• Go large with the soup pot: I use a soup pot that is about 8 to 10 quarts, because space is needed in order for the whole chicken to fit easily, along with the veggies and water.
• Patience is a virtue: In order for chicken broth to be as deep in flavor as it can be, allow for about 4 hours of simmering. I like to prepare my broth earlier in the day so that it is ready in the afternoon. But if you’re pressed for time, allow for at least 2 hours, and the flavor should be pretty good at that point.
• Strain, and if needed, strain again: I usually very carefully lift the chicken out of the hot broth with a pair of tongs and set it in a bowl; then, I strain the broth of all the veggies, herbs and peppercorns into a clean pot, and often re-strain for even more clarity, as needed.
• Cool completely and then freeze for future recipes: Allow your clarified broth to completely cool before freezing it for future recipes. You can keep whatever amount of broth you need for more immediate recipes in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 to 7 days. For future soups and other recipes, you can portion off quantities in heavy-duty freezer bags and then defrost in the fridge as needed.

Hungry for some cozy and comforting soups you can use this homemade broth in? Check out my recipe for Cabbage Soup, Italian Chicken and Autumn Veggie Soup, Chicken and Dumpling Soup, Alphabet Soup, Mexican Chicken Soup, Chicken and Rice Soup, or even my Pastina Recipe!

Cook’s Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!