Best Homemade Chicken Stock You’ll Ever Make

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This Best Homemade Chicken Stock will quietly ruin you for the ordinary. After one long, slow simmer, you'll find yourself chasing that same rich, golden flavor in everything you make - and you'll never forget the first time that aroma filled your kitchen.

Flat lay of whole chickens, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs arranged for making homemade chicken stock.

The magic starts with whole chickens tucked neatly into soup socks - and that's the true game changer. This is a long, slow recipe, so efficiency matters wherever you can find it. The soup socks keep bones, herbs, and vegetables contained, which means no messy straining and no fishing for scraps at the end - just clean, golden stock with zero hassle. It's the kind of quiet efficiency that lets you actually enjoy the slow process - the stock simmers away, and you get to breathe in the aroma instead of dreading the cleanup. If you love the rhythm of simmering something from scratch, you'll find plenty more ideas in my Soup Recipes Collection.

Plus, this recipe gives back in more ways than one - it yields about three pounds of tender, flavorful chicken that you can use in soups, meal prep bowls, tacos, or any recipe that calls for a high-protein boost. Whatever you don't use right away freezes beautifully for quick meals later on. Try it as the base for Chicken Enchiladas Verde, in
Soup with Caramelized Pear and Shallot Meatballs Over Tortellini, or in a cozy fall chicken chili - this is the kind of chicken that elevates any recipe where you might normally reach for basic or rotisserie chicken.

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Why You'll Love This Homemade Chicken Stock
Ingredients You'll Need
How to Make the Best Homemade Chicken Stock
Substitutions
Variations of Best Homemade Chicken Stock
Equipment
How to Store Homemade Chicken Stock
Top Tip
FAQ
Recipes to Use Homemade Chicken Stock
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Why You'll Love This Homemade Chicken Stock

You'll make it once and never go back to boxed broth again - the flavor is that good.
Soup socks make cleanup effortless (no fishing for bones or stray celery strands).
It's no-waste cooking at its best - stock + shredded chicken, all from one pot.
Carrots for the win: they give the stock its golden color and natural sweetness.

Ingredients You'll Need

The beauty of this homemade chicken stock lies in its simplicity: real ingredients, long simmer time, and patience.

And here's the part everyone underestimates - carrots. Ten may sound like overkill, but they're the quiet heroes of this recipe. They bring natural sweetness, depth, and that rich golden color that tells you your stock will taste as good as it looks. If you've ever made chicken stock that turned out pale or flat, this is why. Carrots make the color - and the color tells the flavor story.

Use a 16-20 quart stockpot and plan for about 6 gallons of water to yield roughly 12-14 cups of rich, golden broth.

Whole chickens (each placed in its own soup-sock bag)
Carrots, halved, unpeeled ← your golden secret
Celery with leafy greens and base
Whole onions, halved, skin-on
Garlic head, halved crosswise, skin-on
Fresh parsley
Fresh thyme
Fresh dill
Whole peppercorns
Salt
Water, to cover

See recipe card for quantities.

Quick Hint: Soup socks are your best friend here - they keep bones and veggies contained, making cleanup (and straining) blissfully easy.

How to Make the Best Homemade Chicken Stock

Once you try this process, you'll see how hands-off and rewarding homemade stock really is. Slow, gentle simmering extracts every bit of goodness from the bones and herbs.

Raw chickens placed into soup socks beside a pile of chopped carrots, celery, and herbs

Bundle the chickens and veggies

Place each whole raw chicken into its own individual soup sock bag and tie it closed. Then, make one more soup-sock bag for the vegetables, salt and peppercorns - everything should fit into one, but if your herbs or veggies are extra large, split them into two. Keeping everything contained now makes straining a breeze later.

Large stockpot filled with soup-sock bags of chicken and vegetables, ready to simmer on the stove.

Load, season, and simmer.

Add all the filled soup socks (the three chicken bags and the vegetable bag) to a large 16-20 quart stockpot. Sprinkle in the salt, fill with water until everything is fully submerged (about 6 gallons for most pots), bring to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce to a low simmer. Let it cook uncovered for 4-6 hours, or longer for the richest flavor.

Cooked soup-sock bags being lifted from the pot with tongs, excess broth dripping back in.

Cool and strain.

Using a sturdy fork or tongs, lift each soup-sock bag from the pot, letting any excess stock drip back in before moving it to the sink. Transfer the chicken bags to a colander to cool for about an hour, then discard the vegetable bag - compost the contents if you can.

Fat rises to top of golden homemade chicken stock in a fat separator.

Refine the stock.

Once strained, you'll notice the stock has a layer of fat on top - totally normal. Working in batches, ladle the stock into a fat separator, letting the fat rise to the surface. Pour the clean broth from the bottom into a fresh pot or bowl, leaving the fat behind. Repeat the process once more for a beautifully clear, golden stock. When finished, transfer the refined broth into jars or containers for storage.

Shred the chicken.

Once cool, remove the meat from the bones. You'll get about 3.5 lbs (1600 g) of tender, shredded chicken to use now or freeze for later.

Substitutions

There aren't many substitutions here - and that's a good thing. The magic comes from the basics: real chickens, fresh herbs, and patience. It's more about the method than the mix.

Variations of Best Homemade Chicken Stock

Once you've mastered this base, there's room to play - small tweaks can shift the mood or season without losing that deep, slow-simmered soul.

Add ginger and scallions for an Asian-inspired broth with gentle bite.
Use only wings and backs for a collagen-rich, silky texture.
Stir in turmeric for an anti-inflammatory boost.
Add lemon slices and extra dill near the end for a bright, citrusy twist - perfect for spring soups or a lighter base for chicken orzo.

Equipment

The right tools make this process a joy - and cleanup a breeze.

A Large Stockpot (16-20 qt) is essential - you'll need plenty of room for the chickens, vegetables, and all that golden liquid to circulate freely.
Soup socks make clean up effortless. They keep the chicken bones contained and make it easy to compost the vegetables afterward.
A Fat Separator with a built in strainer helps lift away excess fat, leaving you with a beautifully clear, golden broth.

How to Store Homemade Chicken Stock

Refrigerate in sealed containers for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Top Tip

Don't rush the simmer time - and don't skimp on the carrots. They're the reason your stock turns that deep amber-gold and tastes layered instead of flat. I've tested versions with fewer, and they always come up short. Carrots may seem humble, but they're the quiet powerhouse behind every pot of great stock.

FAQ

Can I make this overnight?

Only if you want the best chicken stock you have ever tasted - Yes! I regularly do this! Simmer on the lowest setting or use a slow cooker on low - just make sure your pot is deep enough to prevent evaporation.

Why don't I peel the veggies?

Leave peels and skins on for richer color and nutrients.

Recipes to Use Homemade Chicken Stock

Put your homemade chicken stock to work in these cozy soups:

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Why You'll Love This Homemade Chicken Stock

Ingredients You'll Need