Overnight Chicken Stock in the Crock Pot

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!

Overnight Chicken Stock in the Crock Pot

Course: Slow Cooker

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 hours

Total Time: 10 hours 10 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• leftover chicken including carcass, bones, etc (see notes for link to recipe great for this!)
• 1 onion peeled and loosely chopped
• 1 rib celery roughly chopped
• 1 carrot roughly chopped (no need to peel)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig parsley
• 1 sprig thyme
• salt to taste
• water

Instructions

1. 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.

2. 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 1/2” at the top).
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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!
   

Recipe Notes

If you're missing any of the above flavoring ingredients, don't let that stop you from making this anyway!

Great chicken recipe for this - Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.