Homemade Chicken Bone Broth (Printable)

A rich, nourishing broth slow-cooked for deep flavor. Ideal for sipping, soups, or as a versatile cooking base.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 3 lbs chicken bones (carcass, wings, backs, or a mix), raw or roasted

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
03 - 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
04 - 1 large onion, quartered
05 - 4 garlic cloves, smashed

→ Aromatics & Spices

06 - 2 bay leaves
07 - 10 whole black peppercorns
08 - 1 bunch fresh parsley (optional)
09 - 1–2 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

→ Other

10 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
11 - 10 cups cold water
12 - 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

# Directions:

01 - Place the chicken bones into a 6–8 quart slow cooker, distributing them evenly across the bottom.
02 - Add the roughly chopped carrots, celery, quartered onion, and smashed garlic cloves on top of the bones.
03 - Tuck in the bay leaves, whole peppercorns, fresh parsley, and thyme sprigs among the bones and vegetables.
04 - Pour in the apple cider vinegar and cold water, ensuring all ingredients are fully submerged.
05 - Cover and cook on LOW for 12–18 hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface as needed.
06 - Carefully strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a large bowl. Discard all solids.
07 - Season with salt to taste. Allow the broth to cool, then skim off and discard any solidified fat from the surface if desired.
08 - Transfer the finished broth to airtight containers or jars. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It turns bones and vegetable odds and ends into liquid gold that tastes nothing like anything from a store.
  • You barely touch it for twelve hours and yet the result feels like you spent all day cooking.
  • It freezes beautifully, meaning you always have a rich, nourishing base ready for soups, risottos, or a quick warming drink.
02 -
  • Roasting the bones at 220 degrees Celsius for thirty minutes before slow cooking transforms the flavor from pleasant to extraordinarily deep and complex.
  • Avoid stirring the broth while it cooks, since agitation clouds the liquid and muddies the final clarity.
  • The apple cider vinegar is not optional if you want the full mineral benefit from the bones, so do not skip it even though you will not taste it.
03 -
  • If your broth does not gel when refrigerated, try adding more joint heavy bones or increasing the cooking time by a few hours on your next batch.
  • Strain through a cheesecloth lined sieve if you want a crystal clear broth that looks as beautiful as it tastes.

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