How To Make Homemade Chicken Stock And Freeze

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Making homemade chicken stock is budget friendly and full of nutrients! It is made with simple ingredients and is so easy to do. I like to make a big batch of this stock and freeze to use in soups and recipes whenever needed.

This homemade stock is better than anything you can find at the grocery store! Honestly, nothing beats the flavor and nourishing properties of stock made from scratch right in your kitchen. But don’t worry, if it your first time making it, I promise it is so easy and way less intimidating than you think! 

This homemade chicken stock is made with simple ingredients, many of which are scraps or extras that you may throw away anyways, so making this homemade stock will help you save money while feeding your family high-quality, and highly nourishing foods! For this batch of broth, I used chicken drumsticks that were in the back of my freezer for way too long. They were freezer burned and way beyond being good to eat, but they were perfect for making stock! It was a great way to save them and not let them go to waste. Use this stock to make homemade chicken soup, such as chicken noodle soup. This homemade stock makes any soup the best ever!

What is the difference in broth and stock?

I’m sure you have heard both terms, but did you know that there is a difference? For the most part they can be used interchangeably, but they do have differences in the intensity of flavor and method of cooking. 

Broth

Homemade broth is the quickest to make, only needing about a hour or two. Chicken broth is made from boiling chicken meat and it will create a milder flavor. 

Stock

Homemade stock takes about 3-4 hours of simmering and is made from chicken meat and bones. Stock will have a deeper and richer flavor, and will have more nutrients such as gelatin. When stock is cold, it will likely turn into a gel consistency. I like to use stock because it is more flavorful than broth. 

Bone broth

Bone broth is made just from bones and is simmered for a very long time (anywhere from 12 to 48 hours) to extract all of the nutrients from the bones such as gelatin and collagen. It has many health benefits and can be used to sip on or used in soups. It’s the ultimate super food to drink when you are sick! Learn more about the health benefits of bone broth here. 

Save kitchen scraps to save even more money

Did you know that you could store kitchen scrapes to make broth?! You can use it in this recipe, or save vegetable scraps to make a nourishing vegetable stock or broth. The best way to do this is to save the scraps in a plastic bag and freeze. You can save things like the ends of onions, carrot skins, celery ends, etc. 

Tools to make your own stock from scratch

Large stock pot – You will need to use a stock pot that is at least 8 quarts. If you have a larger one, even better! Then you can easily make a double batch of the stock. I like this 8 quart stock pot because it a stainless steel and does not contain any toxic nonstick coating. 

Colander – You likely already have this in the kitchen! It is used to separate the solids from the liquid stock. 

Fine mesh strainer – I like to strain the liquid an extra time through a fine mesh strainer to get all of the smaller bits out of the broth. It will help make a smoother and silkier texture and is definitely worth the extra step! 

Can this recipe be used to make turkey stock?

Yes, you can use this recipe to make turkey stock too! You can either use the turkey carcass to make the most delicious soup with your leftover turkey, or you use use it to make stock for your holiday cooking. I make homemade turkey stock for my gravy and stuffing. I will use the turkey neck that comes with the turkey, and then I will also buy an additional pack of turkey necks and wings from the butcher counter to make the stock. The homemade stock makes a huge difference in the flavor of dishes for thanksgiving and is way better than any store-bought broth! I like to make it a day or two early and I promise it its well worth the effort! Use the stock to make the best ever homemade gravy!

Ingredients to make homemade chicken or turkey stock

• Chicken or turkey – To make a stock you can use a leftover chicken carcass from a whole chicken, or other pieces of chicken such as drumsticks, wings, necks, or whatever else you want to use up. You’ll want to use pieces of chicken that contain meat and bone. You can also use turkey to make turkey stock. Turkey wings or necks are a great option. 
• Onion – One yellow onion, with the skin removed and cut into quarters. 
• Carrots – Full carrots cut into thirds
• Celery – Full celery sticks cut into thirds. 
• Thyme – This recipe calls for fresh thyme, but you can use whatever type of herbs you have on hand such as rosemary, sage, or parsley. Changing the herbs will adjust the flavor so feel free to experiment here! 
• Peppercorn – fresh whole peppercorns
• Water – Ideally you filtered water, but tap water works just fine. 
• Salt – the amount of salt used can be to taste. I like to use a mineral-rich salt such as Redmond Real Salt. 

How to make homemade stock

First, roast the chicken or turkey pieces. Roasting the meat beforehand gives a richer flavor than using raw. If you are using a leftover chicken or turkey carcass you can skip this step. It is not 100% necessary to roast the meat first, so you can skip this if you’d like. But I think it is worth the effort! Add the meat to a sheet pan and roast for one hour at 400 degrees. Flip halfway through to brown on both sides. 

Add the chicken or turkey to a large pot. If you roasted the meat beforehand, use a wooden spoon to get up all the brown bits on the sheet pan and add to the pot. Add the quartered onion, roughly chopped carrots and celery, thyme, peppercorns and 16 cups of water. (Be sure it is enough water to cover all the ingredients) 

Add to the stovetop and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling reduce to a low simmer. Keep at a gentle simmer for 3-4 hours. The liquid will reduce about 25% percent. If you notice it is reducing too quickly reduce the heat or add more water to ensure all the meat/bones are covered with water. 

After 3-4 hours and it has reduced by about 25%, remove from the heat and stir in salt. I like to use 1 tsp of salt, but you can adjust according to your taste and personal preference. Give the stock a taste and adjust as you’d like. 

Next, I like to let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow it to slightly cool. When you are ready, strain the liquid from the solids. To do this, add a colander to a large bowl and pour the broth inside. Next I like to pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer to get all of the smaller pieces out. 

I like to keep the chicken bones and store in the freezer to later make bone broth. And if there is any meat leftover I will store and give to my dogs. (They LOVE it!!) 

Next, pour into quart jars or glass containers. You should get about three quarts of stock. Let the stock sit at room temperature until it has cooled and then add to the fridge to store. Or, for immediate use, add to your favorite soup recipes.  

As the stock cools, there will be a layer of fat that will float to the surface. If you’d like to remove the excess fat you can skim it off with a spoon. Or leave it in for more richness. I always leave it in because it makes the stock so delicious!

How to freeze homemade stock

For longer storage, you can either use a pressure canner, or freeze. I tend to freeze just to keep things easy! Store the stock in the fridge so it is cold before you add to the freezer. You can pour the stock into a freezer bag, or an airtight container. Be careful storing it in glass jars because when liquid freezing it will expand. If you are using a mason jar you do not want to fill it all the way to allow room to expand in the freezer. I recommend using wide-mouth jars with straight edges to help prevent the glass breaking.

You could also freeze in ice cube trays, or a silicone muffin tray (so you can easily pop them out) for small portions to use in recipes. When you are ready to use, you can either let it defrost in the fridge or add the frozen portions directly to a pot and heat until melted and warmed through.