🥣 Homemade Chicken Broth

Homemade Chicken Broth is one of those kitchen staples that makes everything taste better — from chicken noodle soup to casseroles, sauces, and even stir fry. Once you make your own broth, you’ll never go back to the grocery store version again.

This easy homemade chicken broth recipe uses a whole chicken, fresh herbs, and simple vegetables to create a flavorful broth with incredible richness — all with minimal effort. Whether you simmer it on the stove top, in a slow cooker, or even a pressure cooker, it’s a great way to stretch your ingredients and reduce waste.

🧾 Ingredients

📌 Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with quantities and step-by-step instructions!

• Roasted chicken carcass
• Carrots
• Celery stalks
• Yellow onions
• Garlic
• Dried oregano, parsley, and thyme
• Whole black peppercorns (or ½ t. ground pepper)
• Coarse sea salt
• Whole bay leaves
• Water 

🍲 How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth

Step 1: Prepare the Pot

Place your whole chicken (or bones) in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add all the vegetables, herbs, and seasonings.

Step 2: Add Water

Pour in enough water to cover everything — about 12 cups. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a low simmer.

Step 3: Simmer Slowly

Let it cook uncovered for 3–4 hours on low heat, occasionally skimming off any layer of fat that forms on top. The bottom of the pot should show a steady, gentle bubble — not a rapid boil.

(Tip: For hands-free cooking, you can also make this in a slow cooker on low for 8–10 hours or in a pressure cooker for 45 minutes.)

Step 4: Strain the Broth

Remove the chicken and vegetables. Pour the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer (or fine mesh strainer) into a large bowl to remove solids. Discard the bones and veggies.

Step 5: Cool and Store

Allow the cooled broth to sit so the chicken fat rises to the top. Skim off the excess fat if desired. Pour into glass jars, freezer-proof containers, or zip-top bags. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for 3 months.

🧊 Storage Tips

• Freezer Method: Portion into freezer containers, mason jars, or ice cube trays for easy use in future soup recipes.
• Label Everything: Mark each ziplock bag or container with the date.
• Skim the Fat Later: When chilled, a layer of fat forms on top — simply remove before reheating.

🍜 Ways to Use Homemade Chicken Broth

This delicious chicken broth is a secret weapon in so many favorite recipes:

Swap it in for homemade vegetable broth in real food recipes for a deeper, flavorful broth.

Use it as the base for chicken noodle soup or chicken soup.

Stir into pan sauces, stir fry, or casseroles.

Add it to chicken salad, roast chicken, or soup kettle dishes for additional flavor.

Recipes to Use Chicken Broth With

• 🥣 Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
• Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Rice Soup
• Mozzarella Chicken: Easy, Cheesy, Crowd-Pleasing Dinner for Any Night
• San Marino Chicken Fideo Soup: A Light and Comforting Recipe for Easy Family Meals

More Delicious Recipes To Try

Homemade Chicken Broth

This Homemade Chicken Broth is rich, comforting, and packed with real flavor — no store-bought carton can compare! Made with a whole chicken, fresh herbs, and simple vegetables, it’s a healthy, low-point staple you can use in soups, casseroles, sauces, and more. Perfect for meal prep and freezer storage, this easy broth adds incredible depth to all your favorite recipes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 10 cups

Ingredients

  

• 5-6 pound roasted chicken carcass
• 3 large carrots roughly chopped
• 3 large celery stalks roughly chopped
• 2 medium yellow onions roughly chopped
• 4-5 large cloves garlic peeled and smashed
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
• 1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns or ½ t. ground pepper
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 12 cup water

Instructions

 

• Place chicken carcass to a large stock pot, then add the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic around the chicken. Sprinkle oregano, parsley, thyme, peppercorns, salt, and bay leaves on top.
• Add water and bring to a rapid boil over high heat, then immediately reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 3½ - 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
• When the meat is falling off the bone, remove from heat. Carefully strain the contents of the pot to separate the liquids and solids. Reserve the liquid and the larger pieces of chicken. Store chicken separately in the refrigerator or freezer to stir into soups later and discard the remaining solids.
• Allow broth to cool and transfer to airtight, freezer-safe containers. Freeze for longer term storage or store in the refrigerator for several days before using. Enjoy!

Keyword homemade chicken broth