A pot of chicken stock on the stove changes the whole kitchen. It smells warm and calm, like something good is on the way. You don't have to do much. The pot does most of the work.
This is one of those recipes you keep coming back to. You get a rich stock for soups and sauces, and you still have cooked chicken left for another meal. That makes it easy and smart. Not fancy. Just good cooking.
Jump to:
Why make this?
This stock has a deep, clean chicken flavor because you use a whole chicken with simple vegetables and herbs. You first cook the chicken, then let the stock simmer longer so the flavor gets stronger.
At the same time, you keep the chicken meat useful for later. It also saves time later in the week. You can freeze both the stock and the chicken in small portions. When you cook, you already have a strong base ready. That makes everyday meals easier and faster.
What You Need
- Onions: give a soft, sweet base to the stock. One onion is pricked with cloves which adds a warm flavor without being strong.
- Whole cloves: small but important. They give a gentle, warm taste in the background.
- Carrots: add light sweetness and balance the savory flavors.
- Leeks: bring a mild onion flavor that is softer and rounder than regular onion.
- Celery: adds a fresh, savory note and helps build a full flavor.
- Whole chicken: this is the base of the stock. It gives a lot of flavor.
- Thyme: adds a soft herbal taste that works well with chicken.
- Parsley stems: give a fresh note without taking over.
- Bay leaf: adds depth and makes the stock taste fuller.
- Garlic: gives a gentle savory layer. Not sharp, just warm.
- Salt: brings all flavors together.
- Black peppercorns: add a light heat without making the stock spicy.
Pro tip
Small tip:
Use a large pot so nothing is crowded. Tie herbs in a leek leaf if you want easy cleanup. Put peppercorns in a tea bag if you don't want to fish them out one by one later.
How to Make It
- Step 1: Cut and prepare all vegetables so they cook evenly and release flavor well. Prick cloves in the onion.
- Step 2: Add everything to a large pot with the chicken and bring slowly to a boil.
- Step 3: Let it simmer gently, remove the chicken after 1 hour, and keep cooking the stock.
- Step 4: Strain, cool, and store so you have a clear, rich stock ready to use.
Top Tips
- Keep the heat low. A gentle simmer gives a clearer and cleaner stock. T
- ake the chicken out after 1 hour so the meat stays usable and not dry.
- Freeze in small portions so you can grab just what you need later.
When to make this
Make this when you have a free afternoon at home. The pot can simmer while you do other things. It is also great before a busy week, so you have stock ready for soups and quick meals.
- Use this stock as a base for soups, sauces, rice, and stews. It works well in Creamy Coconut Chicken Soup, Japanese Chicken Ramen soup, or a simple Crock pot Garlic Parmesan Sauce. The cooked chicken is perfect for quick meals like this Fried egg noodles with chicken or adding back into soup.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
- 3 onions, peeled
- 3 cloves
- 3 carrots
- 3 leeks
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 sticks celery
- 1 Whole chicken, about 2 kg / 4 pounds
- 7 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 stems Fresh Parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 10 black peppercorns
- 11 cups water
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Cut 2 onions into quarters and press the cloves into the third onion.3 onions, 3 cloves
- Wash the leeks and cut them into large pieces. Peel and cut the carrots, peel the garlic, and wash the celery.3 carrots, 3 leeks, 2 sticks celery, 6 cloves garlic
- Place the whole chicken in a large stockpot and add all vegetables, herbs, salt, peppercorns, and water.1 Whole chicken, 7 sprigs fresh thyme, 4 stems Fresh Parsley, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoons salt, 10 black peppercorns, 11 cups water
- Bring slowly to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently for 1 hour. Skim the fat from the surface with a spoon while it cooks.
- After 1 hour, remove the chicken and let it cool so you can use the meat later. Shred the cooked chicken and use it for soup or another meal.
- Let the stock simmer for another 1½ hours on low heat so the flavor becomes deeper and fuller.
- Strain the stock through a sieve to remove all solids. Cool it quickly, then store or freeze in portions.
Notes
- Refrigerator: store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: or freeze for longer use up to 2 months. Freeze the chicken in small portions so you can use it later without waste.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply