Homemade Chicken Broth

Ingredients

• ~4 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
• ~12-14 cups cold water
• 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half
• 5 celery stalks, cut in half
• 1 large yellow onion, ends removed, peel on
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp whole peppercorns
• Kosher salt, to taste

Simmer and Skim the Broth

Place the chicken in the largest pot you have and fill it with cold water, leaving enough room to add the vegetables later.

Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Let it boil for about 10 minutes, allowing the fat and impurities to rise to the surface. Use a large spoon to skim this layer off the top and discard it.

Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns to the pot. Let the mixture simmer uncovered for ~5 minutes.

Slow Cook the Broth

Cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and let the broth gently simmer for at least 6-8 hours. It’s important that the broth doesn’t boil aggressively – a slow, low simmer will produce the most flavorful result.

Strain and Store

Remove all the chicken and vegetables from the broth and set them aside.

Strain the broth through a fine-mesh colander into another large pot to ensure you’re left with a smooth, clear liquid.

Add salt to taste. You can refrigerate the broth for up to three days or freeze it for later use.

Homemade Chicken Broth

The best chicken broth comes from a long, slow simmer of bone-in, skin-on chicken parts – this process extracts collagen from the bones, which gives the final broth a rich body and flavor that you can’t get from boneless cuts. Skimming the fat that rises to the surface during the initial boil is a critical step for a clean, clear final product.

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 8 hours hrs

Total Time: 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

• ▢ ~4 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
• ▢ ~12-14 cups cold water
• ▢ 5 medium carrots peeled and cut in half
• ▢ 5 celery stalks cut in half
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion ends removed, peel on
• ▢ 3 large garlic cloves peeled
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 2 tsp whole peppercorns
• ▢ Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

• Place chicken in large pot and cover with cold water.
• Bring to boil over medium heat and cook 10 minutes, skimming off foam and fat.
• Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
• Simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
• Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently 6-8 hours.
• Remove chicken and vegetables.
• Strain broth through fine-mesh colander.
• Season with salt to taste.

Notes

Store in refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.