Name: Homemade Chicken Stock
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 260 min
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (cut up); 1 large yellow onion (quartered); 1 large bell pepper (quartered); 4 stalks Celery (with leaves); 1 bunch green onions; 2 carrots; 6 stalks parsley; 10 black pepper corns; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon kosher salt (Optional); 16 cups cold water; 2 sprigs fresh basil; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 sprigs fresh oregano; 2 sprigs fresh marjoram; 2 sprigs sage

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A good, rich stock is an important foundation for any dish, particularly Cajun and Creole recipes. This Homemade Chicken Stock starts with a whole, freshly seasoned chicken and foundation vegetable, herbs and spices. Slowly simmered for hours, the concentrated liquid that results is packed with flavor and ready to add depth to many dishes.

ingredients for chicken stock simmering in a stockpot — Simmering Homemade Chicken Stock

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Here’s What You Need
Here’s What You Do
Hints and Tips
Recipe
Homemade Chicken Stock
Comments or Questions?

Here’s What You Need

The key to a great, Homemade Chickens Stock is fresh ingredients. The key ingredients are fresh chicken and fresh vegetables.

whole uncooked chicken — Fresh Whole Chicken

ingredients for homemade chicken stock on a cutting board — Fresh vegetables and herbs

Equipment

Cutting board, cambro prep bowls, glass prep bowls, chef knife, stockpot, strainer, spice bags, butcher twine

Here’s What You Do

First...you have a beer. Homemade Chicken Stock is easy to make, but a little preparation assures it will come out perfect every time. Prepare the cook and prepare the ingredients. Read the recipe all the way through as you sip a beer, then select the vegetables and seasonings that will give you the flavor you want.

Prepare the chicken

Use a fresh, whole chicken which you will cut into pieces. Sprinkle some Creole seasoning on the pieces and set them aside. Reserve the giblets and the chicken back to be used for flavor.

cut up chicken with seasoning on a prep board — Seasoned, cut-up chicken

Prepare the vegetables and seasoning

A stockpot is not a garbage pail, so use fresh vegetables in good shape. You don’t need to do any serious cutting and chopping but you want to get the veggies into useable sizes. No need to peel the onions and bell peppers, but remove any loose skin, then slice into quarters lengthwise. I usually peel the carrots. Chop the celery stalks and carrots into 3 or 4 pieces. Chop the garlic in half across its equator. Use some butcher twine to tie sprigs of fresh herbs into a bouquet garni. You can substitute dry herbs, but place those in a small spice bag along with the peppercorns.

prepared vegetables and seasoning for chicken stock in a cambro prep bowl — Prepped Vegetables

Brown the cut-up chicken

Set the stockpot over medium-high heat. When its hot, add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. Sear the chicken pieces in the hot oil for about 2 ½ minutes on each side, then set aside. Do this in batches as not to overcrowd the pan.

chicken browning in a stock pot — Brown the chicken to get the flavor

Add the ingredients to the stockpot

Once you have removed the chicken from the stockpot, add the chopped vegetables and stir to slightly sear them. Add the chicken-back, giblets, peppercorn, bay leaves bouquet garni and the browned chicken pieces.

chicken being added to a stockpot with vegetables in a stockpot — Everybody in the pool

Add 4 quarts (16 cups) of cold water.

pouring water nto ingredients in a stockpot — Add cold water

Simmer the stock

Increase the heat to high and bring the stockpot to a heavy boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, then lower the heat to a simmer for another 20 minutes (30 minutes in total).

simmering chicken stock in a stockpot — Simmer, simmer, simmer

Remove the browned chicken pieces and set aside to cool.

cooked chicken on a prep board — Remove the chicken after 30 minutes

Continue at a low simmer for another 3 ½ hours. Alternate using the lid to control evaporation. The goal is to reduce the liquid by half.

Add chicken skin and bones back to the stockpot

Once the browned chicken has cooled, remove the skin and pull the meat off the bones. Reserve the chicken meat for another recipe. Return the chicken bones and skin to the stockpot and continue to simmer.

seperating the skin and bones from the chicken meat — Remove the meat and return the skin and bones to the simmering stock

Strain the stock

Once the liquid has reduced by about half, remove the vegetables, herbs and chicken parts with a strainer, then pour the stock through a strainer to remove any loose ingredients. The stock can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days prior to use.

strained chicken stock — Homemade chicken stock

Hints and Tips

I recommend freezing this stock in 2 or 4 cup portions. This will be easier to use the amount you need by minimizing waste.

Salt is an optional ingredient in making this stock. I usually hold off on the salt and instead add the proper amount of salt to the final dish.

Choose the fresh herbs that you like. The ones I list in this recipe are ones I like and think go well with chicken.

You can substitute dry herbs for the fresh herbs. I would suggest 1 teaspoon, each, of your favorites, placed in the spice bag along with the peppercorn. You can also add broken-up bay leaves to the bag.

This can be frozen in an airtight container for about 6 months. Make sure to use some room for expansion.

Here are some recipes where I use this Homemade Chicken Stock:

Cajun Smothered Pork Chops

Pork chops smothered with onions and Cajun flavors in a rich stock. Cajun comfort food. Simple ingredients and simple methods.

Smothered Pork Chops over rice and gravy with garnish on a blue green plate.

Smothered Green Beans with Potatoes-Cajun Style

Green Beans smothered slowly with bacon and onions, ham and South Louisiana seasonings. Amazing depth of South Louisiana flavor.

green beans smothered with potatoes, ham and bacon in a white bowl

Cajun Crawfish Etouffée

Crawfish Etouffée is a simple yet tasty and homey plate of crawfish tails smothered in a rich gravy, served over rice. It's an iconic dish in South Louisiana in both Cajun and Creole cuisines.

Classic Cajun Jambalaya

Cajun Tradition...pork, chicken and andouille sausage cooked with the Trinity and wonderful Cajun seasoning and spices as uncooked rice slowly absorbed all that Cajun goodness.

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Recipe

Homemade Chicken Stock

The heart of many great dishes is a rich stock. This recipe makes about 8 cups of rich chicken stock which can be used in many ways, including soups, sauces and gumbos.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 4

Total Time: 4 20

Servings: Cups

Calories: 27kcal

Author: Sweet Daddy D

Here's What You Need

1 whole chicken cut up
1 large yellow onion quartered
1 large bell pepper quartered
4 stalks Celery with leaves
1 bunch green onions
2 carrots
6 stalks parsley
10 black pepper corns
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt Optional
16 cups cold water

Herb Bundle (Any combination of these or your other favorite herbs)

2 sprigs fresh basil
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh oregano
2 sprigs fresh marjoram
2 sprigs sage

Here's What You Do

Cut up a whole chicken into 2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 legs and 4 breast pieces. Place these pieces along with the back, neck and giblets (if available) in a large stockpot.
Sprinkle chicken pieces with Creole seasoning.
Cut up vegetables, tie the fresh herbs and parsley together with butcher twine and place the peppercorns in a spice bag or wrap in cheesecloth; set all aside.
Set a large stockpot over medium-high heat, add a small amount of vegetable oil. Brown chicken pieces on all sides. This should be done in batches as not to overcrowd the pot. This should take about 5 minutes per batch.
Remove the chicken pieces from the stockpot and set aside.
Add the cut-up vegetables to the stockpot and stir well.
Add the chicken back, giblets, the herb bundle and peppercorns to the stockpot, then add the browned chicken pieces and gently stir to combine.
Pour 16 cups of cold water into the stockpot and stir to make sure everything settles.
Increase the heat to high and bring the stockpot to a rolling boil for about 10 minutes, then lower to a simmer.
After simmering for another 20 minutes (30 minutes total), remove the (browned) chicken pieces and let cool in a bowl for about 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken meat and place it in a bowl and return the bones, skin and fat to the stock pot.
Skim and discard any foam that develops in the stockpot.
Continue to simmer for 3 ½ hours (four hours total), covering the pot occasionally to control the evaporation.
When finished, remove everything with a large slotted spoon and strain the stock through a strainer into a bowl. This should yield 8 cups of stock.

Recipe Notes

Choose the fresh herbs that you like. The ones in this recipe are ones I like and think go well with chicken.

You can substitute dry herbs for the fresh herbs. I would suggest 1 teaspoon, each, of your favorites, placed in the garni-bag along with the peppercorn.

The use of salt in making the stock is optional. I often leave the salt out so that I can choose the amount of salt in the final dish.

This can be frozen in an airtight container for about 6 months.

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