Quick Tip: Make Your Own Chicken Broth

There are a variety of ways to make chicken broth. These are our 2 preferred methods, depending what you have on hand and what your "intentions" are for the broth. The directions are the same for both methods. The only differences are the ingredients and how the broth turns out in the end.

• Method #1 would be a "leaner" and more watery broth when cooled (great for an easy quick-add to a recipe). You're basically infusing water with chicken and other "flavorings". 
• Method #2 is a great "leftover" method for when you have cooked a chicken and only the carcass is remaining. You could also do this with a whole uncooked chicken as well. This broth is very rich,  not as lean and has more of a "jello-like" consistency when cooled. When you add this broth to a recipe you can keep it as-is, or add a bit of water to thin it down.

Chicken Broth - Method 1

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8 cups water
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 4-5 garlic cloves (leave whole)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chicken Broth - Method 2

Ingredients:

• Carcass of a whole, cooked chicken (only the bones and minimal remains) OR 1 whole uncooked chicken (gizzards, neck and all that stuff removed from the inside)
• Water (about 8 cups)

STOVE-TOP
Place all ingredients in a stockpot on the stove-top. Turn stove burner on high and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer for roughly 1 1/2 - 2 hours .  Let the pot rest until contents are cool enough to handle.

If you are using a whole uncooked chicken, be sure to boil until the chicken is cooked through. This may take a bit longer than the suggested 2 hours, depending on the size of your chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a plate until cool enough to handle. The meat should fall right off the bone. Use the meat in any recipe as you normally would. Discard the skin and carcass. Once the chicken has been removed from the pot, continue with the directions below.

Place a colander in /over a large bowl. Pour the pot contents through the strainer. The broth will be in the bowl, ready for your recipe or to freeze into broth cubes (see below). 


CROCK-POT:
Place all ingredients into a crock-pot. Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours, or high setting for 4-6 hours. Turn off the crock-pot and let it cool down. 

If you are using a whole uncooked chicken, be sure to cook in the crock-pot until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. This may potentially take longer than the suggested cook time, depending on the size of your chicken. When the whole chicken is done cooking, carefully remove it from the crock and place it on a plate until cool enough to handle. The meat should fall right off the bone. Use the meat in any recipe as you normally would. Discard the skin and carcass. Once the chicken has been removed from the pot, continue with the directions below.

Once the crock is cool enough to handle, place a colander over a large bowl. Strain the crock-pot contents through the colander. The broth will now be in the bowl. Remove the chicken from the colander and use in any recipe. Discard the carcass.




See Quick Tip: Shredded Chicken to learn how to shred your cooked chicken (Method #1) for use in other recipes.
 




To Make the Chicken Broth Cubes:
When the broth is cool, pour it into an ice cube tray and place tray in the freezer. When cubes are frozen, you can pop them out and store them in a freezer bag for future use!