What’s better than coming home to homemade chicken stock broth and cleaning out your refrigerator at the same time. Simply throw all the ingredients into the Slow Cooker the night before, turn it on in the morning and come home to a splendid broth. Save the chicken for recipes where shredded chicken is needed or use it in your soup.
Homemade Chicken Broth From Your Crock Pot
Lot’s of people ask me for my chicken soup recipe but honestly, that depends on what’s in my fridge. Here’s an easy recipe for chicken stock. You can also use giblets, leftover chicken bones, wing tips or chicken backs.
Some recipe you can make using this homemade stock are Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken and Avocado Soup, and this Cream of Broccoli Soup.
And since so many are asking, although I have and love my Instant Pot, I still love my slow cooker! I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker (affil link). I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it’s done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This slow cooker is so great, I actually own several!
Homemade Chicken Broth
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breast halves
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 to mato, quartered
- 1 cup carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2-3 sprigs thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley, I used cilantro
- whole peppercorns
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into crock pot and fill with water.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- When it's done, throw out all the vegetables, strain the liquid and remove the chicken for other recipes, like chicken salad, or anything that calls for shredded chicken.
- If you're not using the stock right away you can store it in containers and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for several months.
- When the stock is chilled, the fat will rise to the top and harden and you can easily remove it.
Stove Top Directions:
- Place all ingredients in a large pot, cover and simmer low for several hours.
Raw. Since you’re shredding it and removing the fat when the stock is chilled, try using bone-in thighs. They’re cheaper and end up tasting less dry. The bones will also make the stock silkier and have more protein in it.
Made this today in memory of your dad…. it’s one of my favorites. Â I’m glad cooking and recipes are comforting you in this time of loss.
I meant to post this on Dad’s cauliflower soup…. but this stock is in the crockpot right now!
Raw or cooked chicken?
Raw. Since you’re shredding it and removing the fat when the stock is chilled, try using bone-in thighs. They’re cheaper and end up tasting less dry. The bones will also make the stock sillier and have more protein in it.
Just a question, since weight watchers changed their point system. Are the Smart Points till 0 like the old points plus???
Hi Gina…huge fan of your recipes, blog, books, genuineness and the list goes on….:-) Anyhow, I bought some whole chicken breasts at my local Fresh Market on their weekly “chuck and chicken” special, and I am finally going to try your chicken stock in the crock pot recipe. I do wonder though, can this recipe be adapted (by this I mean would you be willing to adapt it?…ha ha I am much more a follower of recipes than a pioneer such as yourself) for the Instant Pot? I know you are a fan of the Instant Pot from the many recipes you have posted in the last year or so, and I did a little searching on the Internet, but all of the Instant Pot chicken stock recipes call for bones or a carcass, and the reason I am in love with your crock pot version is because at the end of the process, I not only have the chicken stock, but the shredded chicken which saves my life at dinner time nearly two to three times a week. Thanks for listening…:-)
Sounds delish! However, I have a dumb question – Wouldn’t you get food poisoning by throwing everything in the crock pot the night before without turning it on until morning? Am I missing something?
Simply throw all the ingredients into the Slow Cooker the night before, turn it on in the morning and come home to a splendid broth.
Are you supposed to turn it on when you put everything in?
Sorry for the confusion, leave it in in the fridge with the lid on, the plug it in the morning. Also, you can let it cook all night while you sleep 12 hours low instead.
My chicken broth always turns a whitish color. Any tips on clarifying it?
I never ever throw out a chicken, turkey or pheasant carcass (my husband hunts)-I throw the remainder into a stock pot with water, carrots, a little celery, parsley and onion tops, whatever else is in my veg bin and dying, salt, pepper, one package of salt free chicken bouillon and whatever herbs (usually thyme). We use all of it!!!! I usually toss it in the freezer for those let's make soup moments, but why buy chemicals and salt commercially if you don't have to??? Ps if you buy rotisserie chicken, fill the container with water and put in pot, it has all the roasting juices in it.
I actually cooked a rotisserie chicken carcass in my slow cooker yesterday. Since I usually buy about one chicken every other week for various recipes, I get just about the right amount of broth from that carcass to last about the same number of days. Have always done it on the stovetop before, but just happened to think that the slow cooker was really the way to go. I LOVE it! Much easier.
I was going to make this and I had it all ready in the crock pot, but then my boyfriend got sick so I decided to make a chicken soup. I added two chicken bouillon cubes and some extra celery and carrots and it was so delicious. My boyfriend absolutely loved it! Maybe one day I will make the broth, but this recipe for chicken soup is fabulous.
I've always added cider vinegar, and I just discovered the reason: it leaches nutrients out of the bones and makes sure it all ends up in the stock! Definitely cook THE WHOLE BIRD though — 'tis the only way to get all the micronutrients and minerals.
I love the herbs and vegetables you've chosen to add though! what a flavour boost.
–CJ
tumblingglutenfree.blogspot.com
Just so you know, it's not technically stock unless you use the bones. What you're making is broth, which tastes good and has some nutritional value, but if you really want a nourishing, gut-healing super food, make chicken stock. Start with a pastured chicken. Roast it. Take all the meat off the bones. Add the bones to a pot of water. Add carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and a tablespoon or two or apple cider vinegar (it draws even more nutrients from the bones) and cook it all day. Strain it at the end of the day and let cool, then freeze. Add the giblets, neck, and feet if you can get a butcher to give them to you. This will turn your super food stock into amazing stock that gels and is incredibly nutrient rich. The natural gelatin is good for so many things. Just my two cents on stock and broth!
thank you for posting! i made this and am so happy to have both fresh healthy broth and cooked chicken to last me the week (and then some). looking forward to trying the rest of your recipes!
We've been track our foods through ww, eating whole grain, lower sugar foods, grilled meats and primarily your recipes and over the last 9 months. My husband has lost 8-9 pant sizes and I have gone done 2-3. Your recipes are easy to make and delicious. I'm SO glad to have found this site. It is helping our health tremendously. THANK YOU!!!
This recipe for the broth is really tasty, I just made it and I almost embarassed myself licking the plate, but I just want to add my five cent: my mother used to make me the chicken broth when I was ill and she just added chicken, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, rock salt and a glass of white wine or brandy to the cold water and let it boil for two hours (the alchool will evaporate).
The result will be light, easy to digest and a boost of energy for a coughing child.
Thank you for this. I never thought to make my own. Duh! I did it yesterday and now I have shredded chicken to try the enchiladas this week. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! I tried it last week and it came out great! So easy! I used to buy rotisserie chickens and then have to shred them. This is way easier. I used the chicken for your enchilada recipe and had your Latin flavored chicken salad on toast for lunch. Then I saved the Broth to make chicken enchilada soup. We have been eating skinny taste recipies all week an my boyfriend loved everything. I haven't been counting calories or points and my pants are feeling looser already!
You can also make a great stock from a chicken or turkey that you have just roasted. Keep all the bones in the roasting pan with the gook from roasting, break them up a bit, throw in some carrots, celery, onion, etc. and roast at high heat for about an hour. Makes a lovely dark mess on the bottom. Remove solids and pour in water and scrape up the "stuff" ….nice dark lovely stock.
frozen bone question: i do that all the time. they just add more good stuff.
Gina – (or anyone)
Can I put frozen chicken bones and backs in with chicken breast that I want to shred for other receipes? Or should I keep them seperate?
Thanks!
Gina is there any sodium in this???
can i use sea salt or regular salt and about how much
I've found that the flavor is more concentrated if you just put enough water to cover the ingredients instead of filling the crock pot completely.
Hi Gina,
Could you can this so it could sit in your cupboard?
Thanks and I love your site it is amazing!
Wow, this was so awesome! My house smelled amazing all day while the stock was simmering. The stock tastes so good. I have it frozen and shredded the chicken for Enchiladas for tonight! 🙂
My husband had a stroke two weeks ago, our diet is now focused on low salt & low fat. Thanks for posting this so I can make a low sodium chicken broth, all of the pre-packaged are loaded in sodium. LOVE your blog!!
Did you use raw chicken or already cooked chicken?
Got everything in the crock pot and have it going overnight. Plan to use the chicken for the buffalo chicken dip and probably freeze the stock (refrigerate first to skim the fat). So excited to try the dip and use the stock!!!