Nothing beats the flavour of homemade chicken stock (chicken broth), and I've opted to use the slow cooker. This easy slow cooker chicken stock recipe takes minutes to assemble, then you simply turn it on and leave it bubbling away while you get on with the rest of your day.
Nothing goes to waste in my kitchen. So when I was deboning chicken thighs the other day, rather than throw them into the food recycling, I decided to make stock with them. However, I did not have time to hang around, so opted to use my slow cooker instead.
To my slow cooker chicken broth, I've added fresh onion, celery, carrots and garlic. I've also used the herbs you would typically find in a bouquet garni - thyme, parsley and bay. But rather than tie everything up, I just added them to the pot.
Now that I've made my chicken stock in the slow cooker, there's no going back. No standing over the stove, checking water levels, just switch it on and leave it. However, it can also be made on the stovetop, and I include instructions on how to do that later in the post.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Homemade chicken stock is fresh flavoured and tastes better than store bought stock cubes.
- There's no salt or preservatives in a homemade chicken stock, just fresh, raw ingredients.
- Quick to prepare just place everything into the slow cooker, and leave it to bubble away while you get on with your day.
- A great way to use up leftovers as this chicken stock was made with chicken thigh bones that would otherwise have ended up being discarded, and a couple of veggies I had in the fridge.
- Easy to freeze so a great way to store homemade chicken stock to have ready any time you need it.
Recipe ingredients
- Chicken - in this recipe I use raw chicken bones which were leftover from deboning a lot of chicken thighs.
- Vegetables: I use a combination of onion, carrot and celery in the stock.
- Fresh herbs: for flavor I use a couple of crushed garlic cloves, sprigs of fresh thyme, stalks of parsley and a bay leaf.
- Pepper: I add just 5 whole black peppercorns to season and flavour the stock.
How to make chicken stock in slow cooker
- Place all the ingredients into the bowl of your slow cooker and add approximately 2 litres of cold water (enough to cover all the vegetables).
- Put the lid on and turn the slow cooker to LOW. Cook for 8 hours.
- Turn the slow cooker off and leave the stock to sit overnight which will intensify the flavours.
- Place a sieve over a large bowl or jug and pour the stock and all the bones and vegetables into the sieve.
- Leave to drain for an hour so you get as much stock as possible drained off.
- Discard the vegetables and bones, and pour the chicken stock into containers, and store until you are ready to use.
- This recipe will give roughly 1to 1 ½ litres of chicken stock.
How to make chicken stock on stove top
I've opted to make chicken stock using my slow cooker as it means I don't need to stand over it. However, you can make it on the stove top.
- Place all the ingredients into a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
- Put on the lid and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down to low and simmer gently for 3-4 hours.
- Then finish and strain the stock as detailed above.
Recipe variations
- Chicken - I used the raw chicken bones I had left over from de-boning chicken thighs. You could also use a raw chicken carcass, chicken wings or bone-in chicken thighs. You can used a cooked chicken carcass, however, I don't think you get the same rich chicken flavour as you do with raw chicken.
- Vegetables - A leek is a great addition to chicken stock, so add some if you have it.
- Fresh herbs - I used a combination of thyme, parsley and bay leaves, but you can add in other fresh herbs depending on what you plan to use the stock for, and the flavours you are pairing it with. For example basil and oregano would be great additions for Italian dishes.
- Aromatics - this recipe is easily adapted to include other aromatics. For example, add some fresh ginger and chilli, along with some star anise and Szechuan peppercorns, and you have a great chicken stock for using in Chinese inspired dishes.
How to use chicken stock
Having good quality chicken stock in your freezer is great for adding to a variety of different dishes. I use homemade stock in soups and stews. It's a must when I'm making a Homemade Chicken Jus, or to add to my Christmas Turkey Gravy.
Good quality, homemade chicken stock is a great addition to my One Pot Spring Chicken, or add a few extra aromatics, like ginger and chilli, in my Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup.
Useful hints and tips
- Allow the stock to sit overnight, this allows the flavours to intensify, resulting in a better flavoured stock.
- Leave the stock to sit and drain as you want to get as much stock as you can out of the chicken, vegetables and herbs.
- Do not add salt to stock! I never add salt to any homemade stock I’m making, as I’m not always sure what I’ll be using it for. If you’re going to be reducing it down, eg in a sauce, it will only become more salty as the stock reduces. Instead I prefer to add stock to to the dish I’m preparing and then add the salt depending on what that dish is.
- For a more intense flavour you can boiling the stock down to reduce the amount of water diluting the stock.
- Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.
FAQs
Store the stock in any size of container. I usually store stock in 450ml/1/2 pint bags. You can store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, chicken stock is great to freeze. Portion the cooled stock into containers or Ziploc bags. You could also store stock in ice cube trays if you use really small amounts. Then place in the freezer and use within 6 months.
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Additional recipe suggestions
If you like this recipe then try some of my favourite homemade stocks and sauce recipes:
- Fresh Tomato Stock
- Homemade Mayonnaise
- Classic French Dressing
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- Wild Garlic Salsa Verde (Green Sauce)
- Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- Yogurt, Lemon & Tahini Sauce
Homemade Chicken Stock (Slow Cooker)
Equipment
- chopping board
- Sharp kitchen knife
- Measuring jug
- Slow cooker
- Storage containers or Ziploc freezer bags
Ingredients
- 1 kg raw chicken bones (or use chicken wings, bone in chicken thighs)
- 1 onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 carrot (roughly chopped)
- 1 stalk celery (roughly chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 handful parsley leaves and stalks
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 black peppercorns
- 2 ltrs water
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into the bowl of your slow cooker and add approximately 2 litres of cold water (enough to cover all the vegetables).
- Put the lid on and turn the slow cooker to LOW. Cook for 8 hours.
- Turn the slow cooker off and leave the stock to sit overnight which will intensify the flavours.
- Place a sieve over a large bowl or jug and pour the stock and all the bones and vegetables into the sieve.
- Leave to drain for an hour so you get as much stock as possible drained off.
- Discard the vegetables and bones, and pour the chicken stock into containers until you are ready to use.
- This recipe will give roughly 1 litre of chicken stock.
Notes
- A leek is a great addition to chicken stock, so add some if you have it.
- I used the raw chicken bones I had left over from de-boning chicken thighs. You could also use a raw chicken carcass, chicken wings or bone-in chicken thighs.
- I don't add any salt to chicken stock, as there are times when I will want to reduce the stock to make a sauce or jus. If the stock contains salt, the saltiness will only intensify when reduced, becoming too salty.
- For a more intense flavour you can boiling the stock down to reduce the amount of water diluting the stock.
- Store the stock in any size of container. I usually store stock in 450ml/1/2 pint bags. However, you could also store stock in ice cube trays if you use really small amounts.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
Janice says
I can never be bothered to boil up chicken for stock, but this was so easy to make in my slow cooker! Thanks for the recipe.
Lesley says
Thank you Janice, I know what you mean. I far rather using my slow cooker to make stock, you can just pile it all in then forget about it.
Cat says
Homemade chicken stock is always superior and this was fantastic.
Lesley says
Thank you Cat, I totally agree, you can't beat a homemade stock.
Chloe says
You're right, you really can't beat a homemade chicken stock - leaving it to sit overnight is such a great trick too!
Lesley says
Thank you Chloe, I always leave stock to sit, it really does allow the flavours to intensify.