If you’ve ever wondered what to do with a leftover chicken carcass, or how to make bone broth from chicken, this bone broth recipe will be incredibly helpful to you!
When anyone in my family comes down with a case of the sniffles I love to make bone broth from chicken. It’s fantastically nourishing and healing to sip on rich golden broth, and inhale the moisture from a big steaming mug of it! It’s also very hydrating for when you have a cold or the flu. Bone broth made from chicken, aka, chicken soup, or chicken stock, is a Jewish tradition. In our family, and many other Jewish families, bone broth has long been referred to as Jewish penicillin. Not only is this bone broth great if you have a cold or flu, it is also amazing for healing the gut, and an assortment of gut issues.
To heighten the flavor of this recipe, I roasted the vegetables prior to placing them in the stockpot. Feel free to omit this step. If you are in a hurry and throw the veggies into the stockpot without roasting them the bone broth will still be tasty, it just won’t have quite as much flavor.
How to Make Bone Broth from Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 chicken carcass, I used Chipotle Orange Chicken after we ate the meat
- 3 quarts cold water
- 1 onion, halved
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 10 cloves garlic, no need to peel
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 celery stalks, leaves and ribs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place chicken carcass in a large stockpot with the water
- Bring pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer
- Place onion, carrot, and garlic on a parchment paper lined baking sheet; roast at 400°F for 1 hour
- Add roasted vegetables to stock
- Then add parsley, thyme, celery, bay leaves, and apple cider vinegar
- Cover pot, simmer stock one hour, then cool and strain
- Fill one quart mason jars with 3 cups stock each, leave 1 cup space in each jar for expansion
- Freeze stock in jars for up to 3 months
- Use in soups, sauces, or drink plain
I use apple cider vinegar in this recipe not for flavor, but for function. The apple cider vinegar is acidic, and helps to leach healthy nutrients from the chicken bones.
Part of this bone broth recipe is based on a chicken stock recipe from one of my favorite books, The Joy of Cooking. I also have a recipe for a quick and easy Beef Bone Broth in a post called How to Make Bone Broth in the Instant Pot. I hope you enjoyed learning how to make bone broth from chicken!
Here are some of my healthy paleo soup recipes that use chicken stock:
Meghan says
Is it possible to make this recipe in the Instant Pot? Would the cook time be similar to that of your beef broth Instant Pot recipe? I don’t like using my slow cooker or stove top for broth because my house smells like meat for days. Thank you!
Elana says
Meghan, I haven’t tried that so not sure of the cooking time, but I think it would be a worthy experiment :-)
Patty Gaines says
I often buy rotisserie chicken from Costco, after pulling the meat off, are these bones still good to use?
Elana says
Patty, thanks for your comment! I wouldn’t make bone broth out of anything other than the bones from an organic chicken. So if your rotisserie chicken was organic, the answer is yes :-)
Saint says
Thank you for this revipe. I LOVE Matzo Ball Soup! You can put Mason jars in the freezer?
Elana says
Saint, if they are not over-filled and there is room for expansion of the contents :-)
Lisa says
I’m so glad that I came across your recipes while searching for gluten free, actually, almond flour Passover matzo and recipes. I noticed that you use Apple cider vinegar in several recipes including chicken bone broth. I cannot use this, as well as many other ingredients due to GI issues. I was hoping for some recipes without the vinegar. I will try to make them without the vinegar.
I’m really looking forward to trying the Passover recipes.
Thank you again for all that you share with us!
And Happy Passover to you and your family.
Elana says
Lisa, I hope you’ll let me know if your experiments with the recipes work. Happy Passover!
Diane says
Can’t wait to try your recipe Elana. Please, if you do, for how long and what packaging do you use to store your bones in the freezer? I seems as though I don’t have enough bones or the opportunity to make broth immediately after every time I roast a chicken. I’m trying to avoid plastic bags. Thank you! :)
Elana says
Diane, I make bone broth pretty often so haven’t had the need to store the bones in the freezer :-)
SANDY AUSTIN says
Hi Elana. Been following and loving your site for several years. I don’t have an instant pot because I sort of followed the thought that slightly saute or raw retained the most vitamins and nutritional value. I’d love to go to broths and soups (and meals) from a crockpot/instant pot type of cooking. Knowing your dietary routines care to share how you feel about longer cooking times for broths and veggies as a routine. Thanks.
Elana says
Sandy, those of us that have compromised digestion absorb more nutrients when our food is a little more cooked :-)
Becky says
Hi Elana, we don’t have a chicken carcass on hand often enough. How would you do this with a whole raw chicken and then use the meat for soup? Would you boil the whole chicken take off the meat and then make bone broth? Or roast it first? I’d love any tips for streamlining chicken soup.
Elana says
Becky, I’d roast the chicken, then reserve the meat to put back in after the bone broth is made :-)
Becky says
I’ll try that next time. I feel like my chicken soups take forever because we make such huge pots, but it’s so worth it. Thank you so much!
Elana says
You’re welcome Becky!
Lisa Ogden says
Hi Elana, how is bone broth different from making chicken broth made with a whole chicken being cooked the first time? Thanks for clarifying for me!
Elana says
Lisa, they’re basically the same thing, other than the difference you point out above. Bone broth is made from the bones and uses an acidic ingredient, such as lemon or apple cider vinegar, to leach minerals and gelatin from the bones :-)
Ellen says
Hi Elana
Making your yummy bone broth after making your roasted chicken. Question- do you cover the pot while the bone broth is simmering?
Elana says
Ellen, yes I do and I will update the instructions in this recipe to reflect that :-)
Phill says
I have family members who can’t have vinegar. Can I substitute lemon juice or ascorbic acid in its place? If so, do you have a suggestion for what amount?
Elana says
Phill, I haven’t tried that so not sure :-)