Homemade Chicken Stock

Making your own chicken broth is easy and tastes a million times better than any broth you can buy. It can make all the difference in a recipe - seriously. There are lots of ways to make chicken stock - this is the way that I do it. Whenever I buy a rotisserie chicken (love them at Costco), I use up the tasty meat for a chicken salad, Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells, or whatever really and save the rest of the chicken for making stock. When I say save everything, I mean save everything... all the skin, bones and juices in the container as well as any little leftover pieces of meat (like the wings). This way you can use all the stuff you don't eat to make a delicious and flavorful stock. A bonus for me too is that I don't feel like I have to scrape every last bit of meat off the bones so I don't waste anything! This way I can throw it all in the pot with some fresh veggies and a few hours later have thick, aromatic chicken broth that makes me want to make a yummy soup right away! After it has cooled off, I will freeze mine in gallon freezer bags so I can grab them out of the freezer as I need them. It is convenient, easy, economical, and far superior to anything in the grocery store so I thought I'd better share...!

Homemade Chicken Stock

submitted by Brittany ~ Sisters Cafe

printable recipe

5-6 quarts water

1 rotisserie chicken with meat removed

3 carrots (or 2 handfuls of baby carrots)

3 celery stalks, leaves included

1 large onion, quartered

1 Tb salt

1 tsp black pepper

celery salt, optional

garlic powder, optional

onion powder, optional

Place chicken in large stock pot. Make sure you include everything... bones, skin, juices from container, etc. Add carrots, celery, and onion. Fill stock pot with water about 3/4 full. (Usually about 5-6 quarts) Add salt and pepper and other seasonings if you desire. (If I'm a little short on veggies I will definitely add the extra seasonings. Even when I have plenty of veggies often I will add them anyway - it only makes it more flavorful.) Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 3-4 hours. Strain broth through a colander and discard veggies and bones, etc. Allow broth to cool and refrigerate or freeze for future use. (I usually don't have a significant amount of fat on the top but if you do, go ahead and skim it off if you like.)