How To Make Chicken Stock

How to make chicken stock like a pro starts with mastering the fundamentals of a French kitchen. As a classically trained chef, I will show you how to transform simple bones, mirepoix, and aromatics into a rich, gelatinous foundation for your mother sauces.

I always save bones to make chicken stock, which I show in my guide, How To Break Down A Whole Chicken.

A properly made stock is the foundation of culinary arts, and the reason restaurant sauces taste so good. That same technique applies to Veal Stock, which can be reduced into a rich Demi-Glace, like the one I use for my Red Wine Braised Short Ribs.

What is Chicken Stock?

Chicken stock is made from chicken bones (back, neck, and feet), vegetables (mirepoix), seasoning (aromatics), and cold water.

There are two types of chicken stock, white stock and brown stock, and the only difference is that brown stock roasts and caramelizes the bones in a hot oven.

The stock is slowly simmered over a low heat for 4 hours, strained, cooled down quickly, and then properly stored.

Chicken Stock vs Chicken Broth

Chicken Stock: Is made from bones, mirepoix (celery, carrots, and onions), and aromatics (garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, fresh thyme, and parsley stems), and water.

It's simmered for many hours using collagen-rich bones, which results in a gelatinous stock.

Chicken Broth: Is made from meat, vegetables, aromatics, and salt. Simmered for a few hours and has a thinner consistency.

Why Homemade Chicken Stock is Better Than Store-Bought

• Chicken Bones. A mixture of collagen-rich chicken backs, necks, and feet creates a gelatinous stock.
• Box broth can't compete. It uses ingredients like salt, sugar, and not enough bones.
• Great for sauce making. When a stock is reduced, it transforms into a restaurant-quality sauce.

Chicken Stock Rules (and the mistakes That Ruin it)

• Start with cold water: The transition from cold to hot water coagulates proteins and impurities, causing them to rise to the surface for easy skimming. Starting with hot water will result in a cloudy stock.
• Simmer, don't boil: Bring the liquid just to a boil, then immediately reduce to a low simmer. A rapid boil emulsifies fats and impurities into the liquid, permanently clouding the stock.
• Skim the surface often: Periodically skim the "scum" that rises to the top to maintain a clean stock.
• Strain carefully: For the clearest results, pour the stock through a fine-mesh strainer (chinois) lined with cheesecloth.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Chicken Bones - A combination of chicken back, necks, and feet is used for a gelatinous stock.
• Mirepoix - The ratio is 50% onions, 25% carrots, and 25% celery. Oftentimes, chefs will add leeks to their stocks as well.
• Aromatics - Are known as seasoning in stock and consist of garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley stems, and fresh thyme.
• Water - Only use cold water in stock making.

See recipe card for quantities.

How To Make Chicken Stock (Step-By-Step Instructions)

Step 1. Place the chicken bones on a sheet pan (no parchment paper today), spray with cooking spray, and roast in a 425°F (220°C) oven for 1 hour or until golden brown.

Step 2. While the bones are roasting, it's time to prep our mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onions) into a large dice.

Step 3. Transfer the roasted chicken bones into a large stock pot.

Step 4. Put the sheet pan back on the heat, add a cup of water, and scrape with a spatula to deglaze, transferring the liquid over the bones in the stock pot.

Step 5. Add the mirepoix, aromatics, and cover the bones with 2-3 inches of cold water.

Step 6. Bring the stock up to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and skim the fat and impurities that rise to the surface. Cook over a slow simmer for 4 hours.

Step 7. Using a spider or slotted spoon, remove the large bones and vegetables. Set a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth (optional) over a bowl or container, and pour the stock through.

Step 8. Transfer the chicken stock into freezer-safe quart containers or glass mason jars.

How To Strain, Store, and Cool Chicken Stock

Strain: I like to strain my stock through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl. Then I portion it into quart containers.

Cooling: Set up an ice bath in your kitchen sink using ice and water. The ice bath should come up a few inches around your quart containers so they stay upright and don't tip over. Place the containers in the ice bath and cool the stock until the internal temperature reaches 40°F (4°C).

Freeze: Leave 1-2 inches of space at the top of the container to allow for expansion during freezing. Secure the lid and freeze for up to 2-3 months.

Recipe FAQ's

Ways to use Chicken Stock

Chicken stock is so versatile in the kitchen and can be seen in main dish recipes such as Shrimp Scampi without Wine, and soups like my Turkey Lentil Soup and Zuppa Toscana Soup.