Chicken Stock Ingredients
I’ve shared this recipe on the blog before, but to be honest it’s kind of buried in the intro paragraph of another recipe, which basically means it’s hard to find. And now that I’ve realized how incredibly popular this slow cooker “overnight chicken stock” recipe is I’ve decided it deserves a page all of its own! If you don’t already own a slow cooker I like to give people plenty of reasons to buy one because I love mine (we use this basic, inexpensive slow cooker) and use it quite frequently for everything from “Flank Steak Fajitas” to “Refried Beans.” But one of the best crock pot discoveries (thanks to a friend!) has definitely been this recipe below for chicken stock that cooks while you sleep using the leftover chicken bones from your dinner. I highly recommend using the leftovers from “The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot” recipe, but any chicken bones will do, and you’ll be amazed with the outcome. Get ready to say goodbye to canned chicken broth forever!
Chicken Noodle Soup made with Homemade Chicken Stock
- Leftover chicken bones or carcass roughly equivalent to one small or medium sized chicken
- 1 onion, peeled and loosely chopped
- 1 rib of celery, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh parsley
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- Salt, to taste
Note: If you are missing any of these ingredients I wouldn’t let that stop you from making it anyway.
- After removing all edible meat from the chicken put/leave the bones, skin, cooking juices, etc. in the crock pot. If you are using the chicken carcass from the “The Best Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot” recipe just leave every single thing that’s leftover (except the good meat of course) in the crock pot including the original onion and spices you used when making the chicken.
- Add the onion, celery, carrot and spices on top of the bones and fill the crock pot almost to the top with tap water (leaving about ½” at the top).
- Turn the slow cooker onto “low” after dinner and cook all night long or alternatively you could start it in the morning and cook on “low” for 8 – 10 hours during the day.
- After the stock is done cooking turn off the heat and, using a soup ladle, pass the stock through a fine sieve to remove all herbs/bones/etc.
- Either refrigerate or freeze the stock for future use. I usually freeze some in both 1 and 2-cup portions, and I also sometimes freeze stock in ice cube trays just in case I just “need a little” for making sauce or rice. This stock is great in soups like chicken noodle soup and also in rice like risotto.
Enjoy!
[...] chicken, red chard, and quinoa with carrots (followed package cooking directions only substituted homemade broth for water and added approximately 1 cup diced [...]
The recipe for the chicken in the crockpot isn’t working. Help! It’s saying the page isn’t found. I love that recipe and I was going to make it today.
HI Lindsey. Try again: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/02/25/recipe-the-best-whole-chicken-in-a-crock-pot/.
~Amy
[...] cups chicken stock (I will be making this from the whole chicken I cook this week, this link makes it so [...]
[...] trick (that I learned from a friend!) is that after you pick off the good chicken meat you can leave the bones in the crock pot to make some stock. I usually start the chicken stock after dinner by filling it to the top with water, and then [...]
[...] I wasn’t about to leave my gas range on all night without supervision. Then, I stumbled upon this crock pot method. “Perfect”, I [...]
[...] soup really can cure your cold! Please click here for more information on the health benefits. This chicken stock recipe is also from the 100 Days of Real Food [...]
I love the chicken crockpot recipe! I cooked it yesterday for dinner and everyone loved it! In the past when I have cooked with my crockpot it is horrible and have to throw the dinner away, yeah not this time and all the kids,4, asked for 2nds! My stock/broth though does taste watery. Not sure what I did wrong! It doesn’t have any fat on top either. I have to go out for a couple hours so I added a few more spices and another bay leaf to see if this helps. So as this is my first time, do I need to let the stock cool before putting it into containers? Thank you, I LOVE YOUR site!
Hi Andrea. Sorry, but it is rare that we get to answer comments in real time. Sometimes it can take us a week or more, so I feel terribly when someone has a recipe question that needed immediate attention. How did the stock turn out? ~Amy
[...] the crockpot to make chicken stock from this recipe (overnight chicken stock in the crockpot from 100 days of real food) and added trader joes mirepoix (just diced carrots, celery and onions). which was way easier than [...]
[...] 4.) Chicken broth is not hard to make. I always thought homemade chicken broth would be incredibly difficult and time consuming. Apparently not when you have a working crock pot. Cook up a whole chicken for dinner in the crock, throw the carcass in with some onion, carrot, celery, and water… let it cook overnight and… Viola! Chicken stock! I get the equivalent of 8 cans of stock from one chicken. It’s amazing. Recipe HERE. [...]
Has anyone cooked this on high for say 4 or 5 hours? I just made the slow-cooker chicken and want to make the stock. Since I have an early morning tomorrow, I can’t prepare (let cool, skim) in the morning. Hoping I can cook on high and finish tonight. Any recommendations? Thanks!
Hi Madeline. How did it turn out? Apologies, it often takes us a bit of time to get through all our comments. ~Amy
Hi! It smelled delicious and was a nice color. I think it worked well!
[...] cube trays to make small portions that I can pull out and mix together. I already do this with chicken stock, nourishing green soup, beef broth, and butternut squash. It is very handy to have these small [...]
We eat mainly vegetarian and I go through a lot of veggie stock. I think I’m going to give this a try with only the veggies and see how it turns out!! Thanks for the idea
Great recipe. So easy. Will use as a staple for great homemade stock.
What do you recommend freezing the stock in? (i.e. glass containers, bags, etc.)
Hi Aimee. We usually use freezer safe canning jars. They can be found in all sizes. Here is a post which contains some of Lisa’s favorites: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/.
Good luck. Amy
Love this recipe for homemade stock! I find that this is SO easy and convenient to make after we enjoy your crockpot chicken. After supper, I just toss the chicken remains right back into the crockpot, add the additional ingredients, and let the crockpot work its magic overnight. I also freeze it in 1 and 2 cup portions.
I made the stock with the leftover bones and bits from my crock-pot chicken and it was wonderful. I put a little in the fridge and froze the rest. Love it!
I make chicken broth in a pressure cooker and it only takes half an hour, because cooking in a pressure cooker is kinda like crock-pot cooking on steroids! (Not literally of course!)
[...] don’t forget to make overnight chicken stock in your slow cooker with the [...]
[...] for a rainy day when I’d have time to make stock. When I got home last night, I followed 100 Days recipe for crock pot stock. This morning I woke up to 10 pints worth of golden simmering broth just waiting to be [...]
How long does the stock keep for? In the fridge? In the Freezer?
I have the same question as Elizabeth above… how long does the stock stay good for? Also… what kind of container would you recommend freezing it in? I see the ice cubes for small portions… what do you use for bigger portions? Glass? Plastic Tupperware? Something else entirely? I am starting to try and freeze some of my own things and am new to the concept and want to make sure I prevent freezer burn! Thanks to your team! I love your blog!
Lisa, I would love to make homemade chicken stock and freeze all kinds of food but we do not have the freezer space. Do you have a large freezer where you keep your stock and frozen fruits etc.?
[...] Sunday night we had slow cooker chicken, and I made the stock overnight in the slow cooker using a recipe I found on-line. It was so ridiculously easy that I doubt I’ll ever buy stock again. AND it [...]
I wanted to start making my own stocks because of the variety of food additives bouillon cubes can contain (particularly MSG and ‘natural flavours’). I buy chicken bones from the butcher at my local food Co-op for stock, but never thought of making it overnight in the slow-cooker. Excellent idea! I split it up into 1 cup containers and ice cube trays. Been processed-free for about 6 months now. Thanks for your blog!