If you’re anything like me, you’ve been buying chicken broth for years from the grocery store without thinking twice about it. Luckily, I stumbled across a post on insta of a mom making her OWN chicken broth! I was completely intrigued; I didn’t know that was a thing?? Buckle up because healthy homemade chicken broth will rock your world. Homemade broth requires very little effort on your part, is filled with incredible flavor and nutrients, and reduces food waste. It’s a winner in my book!
This post is part of our Basic Cooking Skills series. Each week we will be doing a deep-dive into one basic cooking skill and a brand new recipe to accompany it to practice that newfound skill. Check back throughout the series for updates and new posts.
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Benefits of homemade chicken broth
To put it simply, homemade chicken broth is a game changer and you’ll never want to buy store-bought broth again.
In Making Homemade Broth, we touched on some of the great benefits to making broth yourself that are worth repeating here. They’re THAT good.
- Lots of Nutritional Benefits
Like all homemade goods, you know exactly what goes into your homemade broth and don’t have to worry about any harmful additives or preservatives.
Due to it’s few contents of a roast chicken, veggies, herbs, and water, homemade chicken broth is bursting with nutrients like collagen, calcium and magnesium. Healthy homemade broth boosts immunity, fights inflammation, and is easily digestible to support gut health.
- Reduces Food Waste
Tasty broth uses ONLY food scraps and water! It truly reduces food waste and can use up meat scraps, bones, vegetable trimmings, and more.
Of course fresh herbs and vegetables can be used to supplement your broth but aren’t necessary if you can store up enough leftovers!
- Stores Well
I love being able to make something in bulk and make it last. Homemade broth can last in your fridge for a week, frozen in portions and stored in the freezer for months, or if you’re into canning it can last for upwards of a year!
- It’s SO Easy!
The ease of this recipe cannot be stressed enough!
It requires a large pot filled with water, vegetable trimmings, and leftovers from a roasted chicken.
Within an hour you’ll have incredibly tasty broth and your house will be smelling amazing!
how to: prep the vegetables and chicken
If you’re planning on making broth, the few weeks ahead start storing any vegetable trimmings and chicken scraps in a storage bag in your freezer. I usually plan to make broth after every time I roast a whole chicken.
Doing this allows none of the chicken bones or meat to go to waste and I can reuse them fresh.
Large chunks of ingredients are totally okay flavor-wise, but it may be easier to stir if you halve large carrots or celery and separate the chicken bones.
Some of my favorite scraps to save are:
- Onion skin and bulbs
- Garlic skin
- Carrot peels and ends
- Celery leaves
- Juiced lemons
- Peppercorns
how to: make healthy homemade chicken broth
Add all ingredients to a large stockpot and fill with water. There should be enough water to cover the contents of the pot.
Toss in additional fresh vegetables and herbs to supplement the flavor.
Some of my favorite add-ins are:
- Mushrooms
- Extra carrots, celery, and onions if needed
- Fresh sprigs of oregano and thyme
Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. Once cool, strain thoroughly and store.
(To get more life out of the strained vegetables and meat, try composting! Just don’t compost the bones, they should be tossed)
Stir into your favorite soups and sauces, or enjoy plain for a flavorful pick-me-up!
Equipment Needed
Healthy Homemade Chicken Broth
Ingredients
- 1 roasted chicken leftovers meat and bones
- 4-8 cups combination of vegetable scraps and fresh vegetables onions, celery, carrots, garlic, mushrooms, lemon, oregano, thyme, pepper
- 8-10 cups water as needed to cover stockpot contents
Instructions
- Add chicken leftovers and vegetables to a large stockpot over high heat. Fill with water until covered.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.
- Let cool and strain.
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What are your favorite ways to use chicken broth? Share in the comments below! I love using chicken broth to thin out Italian sauces and to serve as the base for lots of soups!
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My mum always used to do this when I was a kid, I could never remember how though, and yet it’s so simple haha! I love it, really nice to have a reminder and I’ll definitely stop just buying it from the shops now! Nice post, thanks for sharing x
Haha it may not be as great as a classic from mom but I hope it’s a great new recipe to incorporate into your routine!
Healthy and less wastage of food. Kudos to you for inventing such a recipe.
Thanks so much for your comment!
This looks delicious- and very healthy! I might have to try this one 🙂
Thank you!! 🙂
Wow……cool recipe. I like all the food pictures that you shared in you blog. Thank you for sharing.
I love that the pictures are helpful! Thanks for reading 🙂
Sounds easy to make! Pin this for later xxx
Thanks so much, let me know how it turns out!
We save our scraps in our freezer and when the bag is full, use them to make broth! It’s so good for getting the extra bit of use out of your produce.
I love getting even more out of my produce this way! Thanks for reading and commenting 🙂
Ooooo this is my kind of thing 😃 especially with the colder weather on the horizon.
It will definitely be on repeat in my home during winter!
Great post. Ive always looked at ready made soups in supermarkets and has shocked me as to what goes in it. I always love creating a carrot and coriander soup. But I will now have to make a chicken broth
Carrot and coriander sounds like a great combo!! Thanks for reading!
Thanks for sharing 🙂 This looks so simple and easy to make, it would be great for when the weather changes 🙂
Nic | Nic’s Adventures & Bakes
Thanks so much for reading! Let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!
Definitely a go to for me too when making meat or chicken as you can add it to other food and gives it amazing flavour
I love the versatility of it!
Great recipe. I make my own broth when I can. Healthier and less waste on food scraps!
I love it! Thanks for reading
Would definitely be using this recipe!!!!!
Thanks so much 🙂
Nice post. The images are always so nice. Love your blog.
Aww thanks, I appreciate the feedback!
Wow, I didn’t know this was actually a thing either. And how great is it that it can be frozen! Thanks for sharing, I will try this one out as well.
Now I just need more freezer space to really stock up 🙂
Great post! I’m moving out soon so I might try this soon to save food and it’ll be great is the winter!
It’s a great way to get even more bang for your buck!
I love this!! What an amazing way to not be wasteful with leftovers. Thanks for sharing!
☼ cabin twenty-four
Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
So easy, you cannot beat this for health and as a comfort food. Thanks.
Thanks so much for reading!
This looks so tasty and the fact that it helps eliminate food waste is a huge bonus. I’ll have to give it a go!
I hope it turns out great for you!
This sounds delicious! Perfect for the colder weather! 🙂
Thanks so much!!
Great post and photos! My wife and I are going to try this out! It really does sound easy enough that I can do it. Thank you!
That’s great to hear! I hope it turns out great for you guys!
I’ve actually never made homemade chicken broth before… but it doesn’t seem too hard! Maybe I should! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
If you end up giving it a shot definitely let me know how it goes! Thanks!
This is such a great way to use leftovers! And a yummy way too. I love how easy soup is to make. I make it in my slow cooker and blend if I want it smooth.
A slow cooker is another great way to make soup! Thanks for reading!
I live for your recipes now. This looks amazing and as you post these I pass them on to my sister. With the cold weather around the corner here in NYC, this would be a great meal on those snowy days. Can’t wait to try this.
That’s so sweet of you to say!! I hope it helps warm you up in the cold northern winter days 🙂
I love anything homemade! and the soup is a perfect pair with a cup of rice! 🙂
Yum my mouth is watering thinking about it haha thanks for the idea!
It looks delicious! This would be an amazing meal with rice. Thanks for sharing this.
Such a great idea! Thanks for reading!
I have never made homemade broth before. I usually just buy it, but this recipe looks easy enough. I may try it out! Thanks for sharing!
It’s so easy and worth your while!
Kalin, It’s really important to start cooking at home amazing thought. I am a big fan of broth (soup) which I used to buy sachets and mix with hot water whenever I felt to have it.
But after reading your article I want to try preparing at home once, the way you explained was easier and pinpointed.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post😍😍
I hope you find it easy to do and delicious!
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We just used up TWO rotisserie chickens and I wish I had thought to keep the “remains” so I could make this. I always forget that this is such a good option. I guess this was my reminder to do it next time!
Great idea for next time! We use a lot of broth when cooking so I love always making more out of my scraps 🙂
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I love homemade food. It tastes so much nicer and you can add you’re own taste/experiment.
This is a great base for a Chunky Turkey soup at christmas.
Thanks for sharing.
Wow that soup sounds amazing, thank you for reading!
I had no idea making a broth was so easy! I will definitely be trying this recipe out.
Good luck! I make it all the time now 🙂
I haven’t made broth yet. I thought that it required whole veggies not just scraps. Very interesting and great way to get more mileage from what we buy.