Bone broth has become a popular health food, but it’s been a kitchen staple for generations. Versatile and nourishing, bone broth works equally well as a sipping beverage or as a flavorful base for soups, stews, sauces, and grains.
Many brands now sell ready-made bone broths, but store-bought options can be pricey. Fortunately, making bone broth at home is simple, inexpensive, and yields a richer, fresher flavor than most prepackaged versions. With a little time and basic ingredients, you can produce a nutritious stock that stores well in the refrigerator or freezer.
In cold weather, a hot mug of bone broth warms you, rehydrates, and provides a gentle protein boost after outdoor activity. It’s also an excellent substitute for water or commercial stock in recipes—use it to make soups, risottos, rice dishes, gravies, and more. A homemade bone broth adds depth and body to any dish that calls for liquid.
This chicken bone broth is cooked low and slow to extract maximum flavor and nutrients from the bones and aromatics. After cooking, it’s important to cool the broth quickly to preserve quality and food safety: add a few cups of ice to the strained liquid and place that bowl into a larger ice-filled basin before refrigerating. Cooling rapidly also helps the fat rise and solidify so it can be removed easily once chilled.
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Chicken Bone Broth
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Ingredients
- 1 chicken carcass can use rotisserie chicken, roughly chopped
- ½ pound chicken feet about 10
- 2 onions quartered
- 4 stalks celery roughly chopped
- 1 head garlic cut in half crosswise
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 bay leaves
- 12 peppercorns
- 8 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 bunch parsley
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
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Arrange the chicken carcass and chicken feet on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for about 25 minutes until they begin to brown.
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Add the quartered onions, roughly chopped celery, and halved head of garlic to the pan. Roast another 20–25 minutes until the vegetables are nicely browned.
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Transfer everything to a large stockpot. Add apple cider vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook low for up to 8 hours, skimming foam and excess fat from the surface occasionally.
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Strain the broth into a clean bowl. To cool quickly, add about 2 cups of ice to the strained liquid and place that bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice. Once cooled, refrigerate overnight so the fat solidifies on top; scrape off and discard the fat before using.
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Use the broth warm, chill it for later use, or portion and freeze for future recipes.
Notes
– This method can also be adapted for beef bones; if using beef, blanch the bones first to remove impurities before roasting.
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