For Professionals

Simple Chicken Broth

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 hrs

Homemade chicken broth is completely doable, and with very little work. This recipe leaves you with several cups of cooked, chopped chicken, as well as a flavorful, sodium-free base useful for soups, stews, sides, and sauces.

Makes

8 cups broth, plus 4 to 5 cups chopped meat

Serving size

1 cup broth

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, 2 ½ to 3 pounds

1 sweet onion, diced

2 large carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bay leaf

Black pepper, freshly ground

 

Instructions

  1. In a large stockpot, add the chicken and cover it with water.
  2. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaf. Season generously with pepper.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Skim any residue that forms on surface.
  4. Remove the chicken from the pot, and set it in a colander placed over a bowl to cool. Continue summering the broth.
  5. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, and return the bone to the pot of broth. Simmer for an additional hour.
  6. Meanwhile, transfer the chicken to an airtight container to refrigerator.
  7. Strain the broth into small storage containers and let cool for about 30 minutes on the counter. Cover and transfer to refrigerator.
  8. Once cold, remove any fat from the surface of the broth, cover, and return to the refrigerator.

Cooking Tip

To simplify your future meal prep, store the chicken in 7- or 2-cup storage containers and the broth in 1-, 2-, or 4-cup containers.

Nutrition Info

Nutrition Info

Makes: 8 cups broth, plus 4 to 5 cups chopped meat  Serving size: 1 cup broth

Calories

38

Fat

1 g

Saturated Fat

1 g

Trans Fat

0 g

Cholesterol

0 mg

Carbohydrates

3 g

Sugar

0 g

Fiber

1 g

Protein

5 g

Sodium

72 mg

Calcium

10 mg

Phosphorus

72 mg

Potassium

206 mg