Easy Chicken Stock Recipe (Stovetop, Instant Pot & Slow Cooker)

Chicken stock is a cooking staple. For everyone who cooks with it regularly, it pays to have a reliable recipe so you can easily make a large batch of chicken stock at home.

Stock can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill, or freeze up to 6 months.

Homemade chicken stock is preferable to store-bought in many ways, and I'm showing you how to add layers of complex flavor to your stock, without extra work.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Note on vegetables: You can make this recipe with any vegetable scraps you have like carrot tops, onion peels, potato peels, and more. Feel free to leave out any of the ingredients if they are not to your liking. You can make this recipe with just onion, carrots, and celery for a classic stock.

Chicken or chicken bones - I use chicken backbones left over from when I make a spatchcock chicken. You can also purchase them at your butcher for around ⅓ or less than the price of chicken. You can also use a leftover chicken from a cooked whole bird.

Fennel – This ingredient has a licorice-like flavor that adds a subtle depth of flavor enjoyed by licorice and non-licorice lovers alike.

Black peppercorns – I use whole peppercorns in this recipe because they hold up to being cooked in the stock for a long time without adding to the foam that is created. You can use cracked pepper, too.

Garlic & Onion – We leave the skin on these two items because they add to the flavor and color of the stock. Everything gets strained out, so you will not be eating them.

Jalapeño – This adds a little kick that I love in my chicken stock, but isn't for everyone. It is optional, or you can use half if you want to minimize the heat. 

Salt - I choose to make this stock without salt so I can add it in to my liking for each recipe I use it for. However, you can add ½-1 tablespoon of salt if you prefer. You can also season it with soy sauce after it's made.

Where can I get chicken bones for stock?

Every time I buy a whole chicken, I remove the backbone (you can ask your butcher to do this for you) and I collect those bones in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag in my freezer. When making your stock, you can throw in any leftovers chicken parts like feet, bones, or even full chicken carcasses from leftover cooked chicken.

When the bag gets 4-6 backbones in it, I'm ready to make some stock!

You can often buy cattle and chicken bones for almost nothing at your butcher shop. Some places even end up throwing them away. So go ahead, just ask, and rescue all that deliciousness!

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Make this on the stovetop

Add all your chicken bones and vegetable ingredients to a stock pot. Make sure the pot can hold at least 6 quarts, preferably 8.

Cover all the ingredients with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce until it's lightly simmering. Spoon off any foam that arises to the surface.

Cover with the lid of the stock pot and leave for a minimum of 4 hours, and up to 48 hours. I have found my preference is around 20 hours.

Take care not to over-simmer. Simmering for a long time is beneficial up to a point, but cooking for longer than 48 hours might result in the flavor becoming bitter and tasting a bit off, in general.

Make sure to monitor the water reduction and add more when necessary – there should always be at least a few quarts of liquid in the pot. You can do taste tests every few hours after the first 4 hours for the flavor you want to achieve.

If you're making this recipe salt-free, keep that in mind during the taste tests. I prefer to season it as I use it.

Strain to remove all the chicken and vegetables. Season with salt or soy sauce, if you'd like (optional).

Make this in an Instant Pot

Add all your chicken bones and vegetable ingredients to an Instant Pot.

Cover all the ingredients with water, using at least 3 quarts of water. Bring the water to a simmer. Spoon off any foam that arises to the surface.

Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes, then release the pressure manually.

Strain to remove all the chicken and vegetables. Season with salt or soy sauce, if you'd like (optional).

Make this in a slow cooker

Add all your chicken bones and vegetable ingredients to a slow cooker.

Cover all the ingredients with water and put the lid on. Bring the water to a simmer over high, then turn the slow cooker to the low setting. Spoon off any foam that arises to the surface.

Leave for a minimum of 8 hours and up to 48 hours.

Make sure to monitor the water reduction and add more when necessary – there should always be at least a few quarts of liquid in the pot.

Strain to remove all the chicken and vegetables. Season with salt or soy sauce, if you'd like (optional).

Bone broth vs. stock. What's the difference?

Bone broth, stock, and regular broth use the same ingredients but have a different cook time. Bone broth & bone stock are cooked much longer than regular broth…usually as long as 24-48 hours. Bone broth and bone stock result in different liquids to regular broth because the added cook time allows for all the collagen, marrow, etc. to seep out of the bones and add their nutrients to the liquid that you then drink or eat.

Broth is generally a lighter, more flavorful liquid whereas stock is much thicker, and is more often used as a base for sauces and soups.

Tips for proper storage

• Here are some top tips for safely storing your homemade chicken stock:
• Allow your chicken stock to cool down to room temperature before attempting to store it.
• Always store the chicken stock in an airtight container. A large mason jar works well, or a sealable silicone container.
• Store chicken stock in the fridge and safely use it for up to 5 days.
• Freeze chicken stock, which will be safe for up to 6 months.

When freezing stock, I like to use silicone molds like Souper Cubes freezer trays.

FAQs

How to use this recipe

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This post was originally published in March of 2018, but was republished with the complete guide, FAQ, new photos, and step by step instructions December of 2019. Post updated November 2022 with additional cooking methods, and revised FAQs.