How to Make Chicken Broth

I have been making chicken broth this way for a decade now, it’s so good, so easy, and truly the most affordable (and flavorful) way to build up a stash of broth. I’m going to show you how to make it in the Instant Pot, the slow cooker, and on the stove. Let’s get to it!

Homemade Chicken Broth

In my experience, chicken broth can be pretty boring. While you can always season it later, I’m a big believer in “start good end good” when it comes to cooking. If you start a soup with a quality broth, the end product will be that much better – tastier and even more nutritious.

When you make your chicken broth from home, you have the opportunity to add ingredients for extra flavor, color (like the onion skin which will turn your broth a deep yellow), and brine.

What is chicken broth?

Chicken broth is, essentially, the liquid that is left after chicken (usually bone-in, skin-on) boils in water along with a few other flavor enhancing ingredients (in this case: carrots, onions, garlic, bay leaves, and ACV). Once the goodies are strained out, the resulting liquid is flavorful and perfect for a variety of things – the base for soups/stews and as a water replacement for things like rice and quinoa, to name a few.

What are the benefits of making your own chicken broth?

Chicken broth is a grocery store staple, so finding it on the shelves of your local store shouldn’t be difficult. Why make chicken broth at home then? A few reasons…

1. Cost-effective (if using leftover chicken bones) – if you have leftover chicken bones on hand (from a rotisserie chicken or any other bone-in chicken that you’ve cooked), use that as the chicken base for your broth. Doing this will save you money on broth AND give you the most bang for your original chicken-buying buck! 
2. Batch cook-friendly – this recipe makes 6 quarts of chicken broth, so it’s an incredibly ideal recipe for someone looking to stock up!
3. Control the flavor – another major plus to making your own broth is that you get to control the flavor of the finished product. This recipe is pretty basic, but adding things like thyme, fresh ginger root, lemongrass, and citrus rinds to the pot will add a bunch of flavor.
4. Control the ingredients – storebought chicken broth tends to have more additives and unnecessary ingredients than homemade. If you’re looking to be on the super safe ingredient side of things, making your own broth is the way to go!

Chicken Broth Ingredients

The ingredients here are super simple but make for the most flavorful broth:

• 3 pounds of bone-in chicken
• 2 onions, unpeeled and quartered
• 2 carrots, unpeeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of a knife
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 quarts of water

How to Make Chicken Broth

Making chicken broth is exceptionally easy. It takes a bit of time (not as much as chicken stock/bone broth, though) but almost all of it is hands-off. As far as method goes, you can choose between the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop. Here’s how you’ll do each: 

• Instant Pot: add all ingredients to the pot, and cook on high pressure for an hour. Let the pressure release naturally, then strain, let cool, package, and store.
• Slow Cooker: add all ingredients to the pot, and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Strain, let cool, package, and store.
• Stovetop: add all of the ingredients to a pot, bring to a boil, then let simmer for 1-5 hours. Strain, let cool, package, and store.

How to Add Flare to Your Chicken Broth

If you’re looking to add some extra flare (read: flavor!) to your chicken broth, we’ve got ideas for you. 

• Add fresh herbs – add fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary, or any other fresh herb you love to the pot for a beautiful herb-infused broth.
• Add some spice – throw a jalapeno (or serrano, if you’re brave!) pepper or two into the pot for a nice kick of heat. Be sure to slice the pepper in half and keep the seeds intact (they’ll strain out easily) for the most spice.
• Add umami – throw some soy sauce or miso paste into the pot for a rich, savory, umami add.
• Add spices – add whole peppercorns to the pot, or, if you’re looking for a broth with a lot of unique depth, add whole cinnamon sticks or cloves. These flavors are especially delicious for a homemade pho.
• Brighten it up – add the rind from an orange, lemon, or lime, to the pot to really brighten the flavors.

How to Use Homemade Chicken Broth

Homemade chicken broth can be used just the same as storebought chicken broth. Here are some of our favorite broth-forward recipes:

• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Squeaky Clean Chicken & Veggie Soup
• Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings
• Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
• Gluten Free Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
• Chicken Soup with Ginger and Turmeric
• Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
• Chicken Arroz Caldo
• Instant Pot Curry Chicken Drumsticks
• Creamy Kale and Sausage Soup
• Thai Curry Chicken Soup

The most obvious use for chicken broth is in a soup or stew, but you can also use broth in place of water in a simple white rice or quinoa. 

How to Store Chicken Broth

You can store your chicken broth a few different ways. To store it in the refrigerator, simply pour it into large jars, affix the lid, and pop into the fridge for up to a week.

To store your broth in the freezer, either pour it into large jars (just be sure to leave room for it to expand in the freezer) or pour it into ice cube trays. If you’re going the ice cube tray route, simply let them freeze completely, then pop out the frozen brothy cubes and store them in a baggy (we like these large silicone bags) in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.

How to Reheat Chicken Broth

Reheat your chicken broth (from refrigerated or frozen) in a pot on the stove slowly until fully warmed through. 

More Homemade Broth Recipes

If you’re looking for more homemade broth recipes, we’ve got you! Find our best recipes here:

• How to Make Bone Broth
• Beef Bone Broth
• Homemade Turmeric Bone Broth
• How to Freeze Bone Broth

ANY time is a great time to drink homemade broth, but it’s especially good for you during times of healing (think: after surgery or during a postpartum period). Find our full guide on stocking your postpartum freezer (with broth and a bunch of other nutritious, healing-supportive meals).