Basic Chicken Stock Recipe (2024)

By Jacques Pepin

Basic Chicken Stock Recipe (1)

Total Time
2 hours 30 minutes
Rating
4(397)
Notes
Read community notes

The difference between a good soup and a great soup is the stock, and if you've never made your own, you're really missing out. This recipe from the legendary Jacques Pépin takes a few hours, but very little effort, and you'll never go back to those cardboard cartons of over-salted stock again. It also freezes beautifully.

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Ingredients

Yield:13 cups

  • 3pounds chicken bones (neck, backs and gizzards, skinless or with as little skin as possible)
  • 6quarts lukewarm water
  • 1tablespoon herbes de Provence (see note)
  • 1large onion, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
  • 12whole cloves
  • 1teaspoon celery seed
  • 1tablespoon dark soy sauce

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

11 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 0 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 51 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Basic Chicken Stock Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Place the bones and the water in a large stockpot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently for 30 minutes. Most of the fat and impurities will come to the surface during this time; skim off and discard as much of them as you can.

  2. Step

    2

    Add the remainder of the ingredients, return the liquid to a boil and boil gently for 2 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or through a colander lined with a dampened cloth kitchen towel or dampened paper towels.

  3. Allow the stock to cool. Then remove the surface fat and freeze the stock in plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. Use as needed.

Tip

  • If you do not have herbes de Provence, substitute equal amounts of at least 3 of the following: dried marjoram, thyme, summer savory, sage, fennel, basil, rosemary and lavender.

Ratings

4

out of 5

397

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Jill

Easy to make, and is a great way to use the entire chicken and not throw out the bones. Using herbes de Provence is a must. Try not to substitute if you can.

Brad

Not all the the butchers near me sell carcasses, but I've been getting great results using chicken feet. They produce a rich, gelatinous stock that's good in soup, or for making Bolognese and other recipes. No more canned broth for me.

judy dyer

I make stock similar to this but first I bake/brown the chicken bones, necks, etc. in the oven. very flavorful.

Kevin

That would be cloves. 12 seems like a lot but who am i to doubt The Great One. You can poke them into the onion.

Stephen

Twelve cloves dominated the broth and the dark soy made it really dark. Couldn't taste the chicken in this chicken broth recipe. I froze it labeled as vegetable broth thinking it might go better with recipes calling for that.

PatC

Reduce the number of cloves to two or three! Often I can buy a whole air chilled chicken for the same per-pound price as chicken backs. Poach the breasts and de boned thighs in court bullion, use them for chicken salad or pot pie meat and use the rest to make stock. Alternatively, roast a chicken whole and uses the bones—leave them a little meaty—to make roast chicken stock. Be sure to save ALL the pan juices and fond for the stock. Maybe not as French as Jacques’ stock but good nonetheless.

tiger squeakily, jr.

cloves of what?

René of B3K

do not use paper towels to filter the broth or replace a coffee filter unless you like the taste of the industrial paper process. Line the calendar with cheese cloth.

Chris B

I do that a lot, and you get a decent stock (still better than cans or boxes), but not nearly as good as what results from fresh bones. If you use a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or even your own roast, taste the stock for saltiness, and usually be careful not to boil it down much.

Susan

Chicken feet all the way for soup stock. Agreed. There is nothing better for producing a flavorful rich stock. A carrot is always added when making my stock.

Carmela Sanford

Completely untrue. There’s absolutely no taste from white paper towels. Besides, you’re not dipping a piece of towel into the pot. You're gently skimmer the surface.

Shabnam Russo

I prefer to use chicken wings , sautéed in a little butter , add OCCL onions carrots celery leeks simmer in boiling water I add a Knorr Stick pot and bouquet garni ( bayleaves peppercorns and cloves ) bubble bubble tool no trouble 💖

Martha in Louiisville CO

Best stock recipe I have ever made. Followed directions exactly.

Frank

I was taught to roast the bones of any stock first to bring out the golden color and flavor inside the bone marrow. Then add the roasted chicken, beef or pork bones into cold water and reduce on a low simmer so the any leftover meat on the bones does not cloud the consume. This method has never failed me

Blaze

I made this at Thanksgiving using turkey necks & at Christmas using chicken backs. Both times I omitted cloves & celery seeds. It makes the best gravy of all time & filled the house with delicious smells!

t

I have always wondered: why is it important to remove fat at any point in recipe? Doesn't the fat make everything taste better?

Noel Noodleman

Chef Pepin might tell you that In French, stock is called fond de cuisine, or, roughly, "foundation of the kitchen." Fat removal is not only cosmetic but also allows the stock to serve as a neutral flavorant—some dishes will benefit from the fat, others not, and fat can be added back if necessary. :-)

Amy Black

Game changer for my soup recipes. And ridiculously easy!

DGO

how much stock does this recipe make?

ECC

Now making my second batch. I get the whole chicken carcass at my local Asian supermarket for $1 each...2 or 3 suffice. Then do as written. Simple and tasty.

dimmerswitch

Make chicken stock often, usually w/o recipe, but thought I'd try this as it had a couple of unique twists. Published by Chef Pepin in 1991. A classic for sure. But things change. Not a keeper for me. If you want a recipe try Samin Nosrat's Chicken Stock on this site. Notes:*Starts w/ 24 C (6 qts) water & says 13 C outcome. Simmering for only 2'ish hours, even uncovered, will not get that amount of redux.*Is 12 cloves a typo? Regardless, too many. *Use the fine sieve option step 2.

Alicia

Wait what? Do you mean remove the skin "and" meat from a raw bird, or just the skin? Removing everything sounds like a mean task. Advise??

JMR

To remove fat, I find it far better to chill broth then skim off fat when cool. The fat, if carefully removed, can be used to make matzo balls for soup. Also, in my ever-so-humble opinion, there are too many cloves in this recipe.

Dorran

Can you use the bones from a carcass of a chicken already roasted (and enjoyed), or does one need raw?

Chris B

I do that a lot, and you get a decent stock (still better than cans or boxes), but not nearly as good as what results from fresh bones. If you use a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or even your own roast, taste the stock for saltiness, and usually be careful not to boil it down much.

Cheffy Dave

Of course!

Shabnam Russo

I prefer to use chicken wings , sautéed in a little butter , add OCCL onions carrots celery leeks simmer in boiling water I add a Knorr Stick pot and bouquet garni ( bayleaves peppercorns and cloves ) bubble bubble tool no trouble 💖

PatC

Reduce the number of cloves to two or three! Often I can buy a whole air chilled chicken for the same per-pound price as chicken backs. Poach the breasts and de boned thighs in court bullion, use them for chicken salad or pot pie meat and use the rest to make stock. Alternatively, roast a chicken whole and uses the bones—leave them a little meaty—to make roast chicken stock. Be sure to save ALL the pan juices and fond for the stock. Maybe not as French as Jacques’ stock but good nonetheless.

René of B3K

do not use paper towels to filter the broth or replace a coffee filter unless you like the taste of the industrial paper process. Line the calendar with cheese cloth.

Carmela Sanford

Completely untrue. There’s absolutely no taste from white paper towels. Besides, you’re not dipping a piece of towel into the pot. You're gently skimmer the surface.

Cook 252

Perhaps it depends on the brand, but I also have found paper towels to leave a bad taste when using as a filter. The white paper products are made with bleach. It would be unhealthy to use. Brown paper towels may be ok.

tiger squeakily, jr.

how big a pot do you need o make this?

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Basic Chicken Stock Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in chicken stock? ›

Acid is the Secret to Richer, Thicker Chicken Stock

Whether it's white wine or vinegar, a touch of acid added to the simmering pot will create a richer finished product.

What is the correct ratio for chicken stock? ›

A good rule of thumb is that for each pound to pound-and-a-half of chicken, you'll need one quart of water, or enough to just barely cover everything. Any more than that and you'll have a watery chicken stock or need to simmer it for much longer to get it flavorful enough.

What are the 3 basic ingredients that make up a stock? ›

Stocks contain four essential parts: a major flavoring ingredient, liquid, aromatics, and mirepoix: The major flavoring ingredient consists of bones and trimmings for meat and fish stocks and vegetables for vegetable stock. The liquid most often used in making stock is water.

What are the four essential parts to a good chicken stock? ›

The Building Blocks of Stock

A very basic white chicken stock is a pretty simple affair: It's made with water; chicken; aromatic vegetables, like onion, carrot, and garlic; and herbs.

How do you make chicken stock taste better? ›

The base of most stocks are flavorful aromatics, like onion, carrot, and celery. An easy way to punch up the lackluster flavor of boxed stocks is by adding more of those basics. An onion sliced in half, plus a few chunks of carrots and celery can go a long way in flavoring store-bought stocks.

What's the difference between chicken broth and chicken stock? ›

Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.

How long should I simmer chicken stock? ›

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer: Bring to a boil on high heat and reduce to a low simmer. If scum rises to the surface of the pot (this usually happens in the first half hour of cooking), skim off with a large metal spoon. Let simmer uncovered at a low simmer for 4 to 6 hours.

Why put vinegar in stock? ›

Bring the stock to a boil over high heat, then turn down to a simmer. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Add the vinegar. (It helps draw out nutrients and minerals from the bones into the stock.)

Can you simmer stock too long? ›

There's a limit to how much flavor a given ingredient will impart—past that, extra time just turns everything to mush. Big beef or lamb bones can be cooked for up to eight hours, or overnight. Chicken bones are more like four to six. Veggies give up all their flavor in about an hour.

What is the easiest stock to make? ›

Vegetable stock is a relatively easy stock to make. No bones or carcasses to contend with, just crisper staples like carrots, onions, and celery.

How to make a basic stock? ›

To make homemade chicken stock, place chicken bones, vegetables, herbs and spices into a large pot. Cover with cold water then simmer for about 3 hours. Let it cool, then skim the fat. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Why does chicken stock taste so good? ›

Stock is made by simmering animal bones, which release gelatin and proteins to yield a rich, deep flavor that's further bolstered by mirepoix (chopped carrots, celery and onion) and aromatics such as herbs and bay leaves.

What is the difference between chicken broth and chicken stock stock? ›

Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.

What is the white stuff in chicken stock? ›

The white stuff coming out of chicken as it cooks is simply extra protein that dissolves in water and is forced out of the meat by heat.

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