Classic Chicken Bone Broth
Chicken bone broth is a staple for most kitchens. Whether you like to drink it for your health, use it in soups, or use it in other dishes, this bone broth is so easy to make. This broth is made from only a handful of ingredients and is the foundation of countless recipes. The best part about this recipe is that it can be made as a by-product of your roasted chicken that you made the night before, and you can have fresh broth in the morning.
In this blog post, you will learn how to make chicken bone broth.
Chicken Bone Broth
Classic chicken bone broth is made with a combination of chicken bones, onions, seasoning, and garlic. Incorporating it into your diet is a great way to improve the flavour and richness of your other dishes while being incredibly nutritious for your health and maintaining your immune system.
Bone Broth vs. Stock
What’s the difference?!
Bone broth and chicken stock are both flavourful liquids made by simmering bones, vegetables, and seasonings in water, but there are some differences between the two:
Bone Broth: bone broth is typically made by simmering bones such as chicken, beef, or even fish bones along with vegetables and herbs in water for an extended period, often 12-24 hours or more. This long cooking time allows the bones to release collagen, gelatine, and other nutrients into the broth, which results in a rich, flavourful liquid.
Chicken Stock: stock is made by simmering chicken bones, vegetables, and herbs in water for a shorter period, usually 2-6 hours. Chicken stock is cooked until the flavours are extracted from the ingredients, but it may not have as much collagen or gelatine content as bone broth.
Can I Make this Recipe as a Stock Instead of a Bone Broth?
Yes, you can. To change this recipe from chicken bone broth to chicken stock, you need to reduce the cooking time. Reduce it from 16 hours to 3-4 hours, and you can then enjoy your homemade chicken stock.
Health Benefits of Chicken Bone Broth
- Nutrient Rich: chicken bone broth is nutrient-rich in vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. These nutrients are vital for bone health and electrolyte balance.
- Hydration: with its high water content, chicken broth helps to hydrate you by replenishing the water lost due to illness or physical activity.
- Supports Gut Health: it is rich in gelatin because the simmering of the bones and connective tissue removes the collagen from them. Gelatin can also help to repair the lining of the digestive tract.
- Boosts Immunity: it is rich in vitamins such as vitamin C and Zinc which help to support immune functions and fight off illnesses and infections.
- Joint Health: the gelatin and collagen in chicken broth may help to support joint health and reduce inflammation.
- Promotes Hair and Nail Growth: hair and nails’ main component is collagen, as chicken broth is full of collagen, consuming it can help to promote hair and nail health and growth.
- Easy to Digest: it is easy on the stomach and can be easily digested. People with easily upset stomachs or digestive issues can consume chicken broth quite easily. Chicken broth can also help to soothe upset stomachs and help with gastrointestinal issues.
How Do I Know that My Chicken Bone Broth is Done?
The main indications that your chicken bone broth has finished cooking are taste, time, colour, and consistency.
Taste: your bone broth should have a rich and savoury taste with a robust chicken flavour and hints of herbs and spices.
Time: if your chicken broth has simmered all night, it should have a beautiful golden colour which means that it is most likely finished cooking. It may seem like a long time to simmer your chicken bone broth. Time however is what changes this recipe from a stock into a broth. By simmering your bone broth for such a long time it allows your broth to have the maximum amount of flavour and nutrients put into your broth.
Colour: your chicken broth should have a rich, golden colour and wonderful aroma coming from it. Once sieved, it should have a smooth consistency. If it seems to have a greasy or cloudy appearance, your broth probably needs to simmer for a longer time. Allowing your broth to simmer all night should give it a beautiful golden colour.
Another indication that you will know that your chicken bone broth is done because you will be able to break the bones apart very easily. This means that the good nutrients like gelatin from the bone marrow have been released into your broth.
How Do I Store My Chicken Bone Broth?
- Preparation: Strain the broth through a sieve into a separate container and discard the bones and excess fat.
- Cooling Down: Allow your chicken broth to cool before transferring it to storage containers.
- Storage: Transfer to the fridge. The broth will solidify in the refrigerator and the fat will rise. Remove the fat and discard. You can now reheat the chicken broth to drink and use in your meals.
- Freezing: If you do not think you will use the chicken broth within the next few days, transfer it to a freezer-safe dish and put it into the freezer for the future. Leave some space at the top of the container to allow it to expand in the freezer.
- Storage Duration: You can store your chicken broth in the fridge for 3-5 days and in your freezer for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers. Discard any broth that has developed an off smell, appearance, or mould growth.
- Unthawing: When you need the broth, remove it from the freezer and let it unthaw overnight inside the fridge. Once thawed, use the broth within 24 hours, and do not refreeze it.
Ingredients
Chicken Carcass/Roasted Chicken Bones: the chicken carcass or roasted chicken bones is what you will be simmering in water. This will give you the rich flavour and nutrients for your bone broth.
Onions: onions help to add more flavour to your bone broth. Cut up an onion into large pieces and put it into the slow cooker to simmer with your chicken carcass.
Garlic Cloves: garlic is used to add more flavour to the bone broth. Also, it is commonly used as a health supplement to fight off the common cold and flu.
Filtered Water: filtered water is what the carcass will be simmering in. Adding enough water until your chicken carcass is submerged will give you about four cups of bone broth. If want more than that, just add more water until you have the desired amount of broth.
Tips
-
- You can use raw bones in your broth; however, using roasted chicken bones lends so much more flavour to the broth.
- By using a slow cooker, it is much easier to make chicken broth. It is easier because you just need to turn it on and leave it for 16 hours. The broth will gently simmer as you sleep, and the final result will be a delicious and flavourful broth.
- Simmering low and slowly makes your broth so much more flavourful than letting it come to a vigorous boil. Letting it come to a slow simmer on the low setting prevents the broth from becoming cloudy.
- Do not overseason your broth. If you want your broth as a beverage, you can add more seasoning at that time.
- Adding a splash of an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or vinegar allows more minerals to be drawn out of the chicken bones.
- Store the broth in your freezer-safe dishes to use in meals in the future.
Classic Chicken Bone Broth
Ingredients
- One whole chicken carcass roasted
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 1 medium onion peeled and halved
- 4 smashed garlic cloves
- Filtered water to cover the carcass
Instructions
- Place roasted bones, chicken juices, onion, and garlic cloves in the slow cooker. Add filtered water until the carcass is submerged.
- Season with salt.
- Set on low heat for 16 hours (it can be on for a longer period if you are sleeping through the night).
- Strain through a sieve or cheesecloth into another pot after 16 hours is completed. Discard the chicken carcass and vegetables. Let the broth cool, then cover, and refrigerate.
- The next day you can remove the excess fat from the top of the broth. Keep the broth in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.