How to Make Chicken Bone Broth at Home

Learning how to make your own chicken bone broth is not only a great source of nutrition but it gets another meal out of your whole chicken. It’s really simple too. Keep reading to see just how easy it is to make this nutrient-dense super food, chicken bone broth.

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More than one meal from a single chicken

Whether you roast a chicken or slow cook one in its own juices, you’ll likely have to pick the meat off the bones.

Since you’re already doing all that work, why not make use of that piles of bones and make some chicken broth?

You can freeze the chicken bone broth for later, drink it now for a collagen boost, or pressure can it to make it shelf stable. I won’t lie to you, I have not pressure canned any yet but I freeze it for soups like this Ranch and Bacon Potato Soup and fridge it to drink later. 

Since I was a child, I’ve seen my mom cook a whole chicken in a big pot all day with a little water. When it’s done, she’d pick the chicken clean and use the white meat for chicken salad and the dark meat for “chicken and rice”. This a crowd pleasing soup/stew that’s hearty, simple, and delicious. One chicken making two meals for a family of 4 is pretty budget-friendly. 

Let’s stretch that one whole chicken a little further

After a chicken-picking, make chicken bone broth for soup.

Again, you can freeze it, can it, or fridge it to drink. 

One way I like to freeze the bone broth is in ice cube trays then store in a freezer bag. Anytime a recipe calls for a small portion of chicken broth or stock, I will grab a few cubes from the freezer to add in.

Another neat way to freeze larger quantities of the broth is to use reusable silicone storage bags like these. I fill three-fourths of the way up then zip closed. Set bag on a cookie sheet and store in freezer until frozen. Then I simply peel the bag away from the frozen broth and store the broth block in a freezer bag. 

Additionally, you could just store cooled down broth in quart sized freezer bags flat on a cookie sheet in the freezer to save on freezer space. Once the bags are frozen, remove cookie sheet and set upright the frozen broth bags as if stacking books on a shelf. Another storage option is to just lay them flat. 

If you want to freeze in mason jars, be sure to leave ample head space for expansion!

What if I don’t have a whole chicken?

If I make a dinner with bone-in chicken thighs or have fried chicken or chicken wings, anything with chicken bones in it, I will save the bones for later. I simply clean as best I can of meat and gristle and put the bones in a freezer bag to store in the freezer.

Once I have a quart bag of bones, I will then use them for making chicken bone broth.

Why would you drink chicken bone broth by itself?

Here is a not-exhaustive list of reasons why drinking chicken bone broth is good for your health:

• Sip before bed for relaxation and inducing sleep without drugs
• Collagen for good hair, nails, and skin and joint health
• Contains electrolytes 
• Great for gut healing
• Full of protein and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous
• Gelatin can help aid digestion and reduce inflammation
• Amino acids can help reduce muscle soreness from exercise
• Can relieve tension and stress
• Mood booster (did you know the gut and brain are connected? Being mindful of what you put in your gut {read: what you eat} is important!)
• High antioxidant content provides anti-aging properties

I’ve heard of people switching their morning coffee and/or nighttime tea to bone broth and I think they are on to something good!

DISCLOSURE: I am not a medical doctor and this is not medical advice. Please read my full disclosure statement HERE.

Why not buy it in the store?

You can. Just read the labels.

A big deciding factor for me not buying chicken stock or broth or bouillon cubes anymore was due to the addition of caramel food coloring, amongst other unnecessary ingredients.

Making your own bone broth from bones you’d otherwise just throw away is a great way to save money and have a truly nourishing broth without any ingredients you don’t need. 

You can use this very same method with cooked turkey bones, ham bones, even bone-in beef bones.

If bones aren’t cooked, you’ll want to roast them first before making broth. Consider using venison bones for bone broth too.

How long can I store chicken bone broth?

In the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

In the freezer for up to 6 months.

Pressure canned (not water bathed!) for at least a year in the pantry.

Here’s how to make chicken bone broth:

Chicken bones (as clean as possible)

Water to cover bones 2 inches over

Carrots, celery, onions (all or any combo)

Fresh garlic cloves (peeled and smashed then let them sit for 10 minutes before adding)

Herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, sage are optional 

Real salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Splash of apple cider vinegar

Put all ingredients into a sauce or soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at least 3 hours. Strain vegetables and bones. Let liquid cool then pour into air tight containers. Store in the fridge or freeze for later or pressure can for pantry storage. 

Note:

This recipe isn’t precise because I feel like you’ll just get a sense of how much of these things you need to add. As for the salt, it’s more for flavor so add that to taste. Same goes for the pepper. A “splash” of ACV would be about a tablespoon. Using organic with the mother ACV is the best.

Zero Waste Chicken Ideas

Here is how I use one whole chicken with no waste from it at all.

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