Do you like to eat those rotisserie chickens from the grocery store? Of course you do! They are delicious! I like to buy them for easy chicken soup or to make a chicken pot pie. Aside from making a great meal, the bones make incredible chicken stock! With a few simple steps and passive cooking time, you can ditch the store bough stock for a much more flavorful homemade version.
Ingredients…..
- Rotisserie chicken bones + skin and whatever is left over
- Celery
- Carrots
- Onion
- Garlic
- Herbs
- Salt
- Pepper
Equipment…..
- Large crockpot or stock pot
- Storage containers/ziplock bags
Start with whatever is left from your chicken. The bones, skin, fat, whatever you might have. I like to shred the chicken off the bone as soon as I get it home because that is when it is easiest. If you aren’t ready to make the stock at that time, put the bones into the freezer until you are ready. When you are ready, toss it into your pot. I like to use a crockpot, but you could also use a large pot on your stove.
Next, roughly chop your carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Definitely rinse them off but there is no need to peel anything. Meaning go ahead and leave the skin on your onion and garlic. Also add in any fresh herbs you might have. Here I had some leftover stems from some parsley I used for another meal. Rosemary, sage, and thyme would all also be good. If I don’t have those fresh, I usually add about a TBSP of whatever dried herbs I have on hand. For this batch I added dried thyme and rosemary.
Next I add a small handful of salt, and 6-10 whole peppercorn.
Last thing is to fill it with water. I turn it on for the longest possible time. Mine has a low setting for 10 hours. You then let it do it’s thing for 3 days. Your house will soon start to smell like delicious chicken soup, and you will probably dream about it. I just check the timer a couple times a day and reset it if necessary. You may notice the water level lowering, just add more to fill it back up. If you were doing this on your stove you would bring it to a boil and then let it simmer.
When those delicious smelling 3 days are up, turn off your crockpot/stove and let the stock cool for a while before handling it. You’ll want to strain out the chicken and the veggies. You will be left with this beautiful rich golden brown stock that took almost no effort at all. I pour it into containers about a quart each and let it cool completely before I freeze it. I pull it out as I need it and it will last about 4 days in the fridge.
Crockpot Chicken Stock
Prep time: 10 minutes/ Cook time: 3 days
Ingredients…..
- Rotisserie chicken bones + skin or whatever is left over
- 3-4 Celery ribs
- 3-4 Carrots
- Onion
- 3-4 Garlic cloves
- Herbs of choice, a small bunch if fresh, about 1 TBSP if dry (Rosemary, thyme, sage, and/or parsley)
- Small handful of salt
- 6-10 Peppercorns
Equipment…..
- Large crockpot or stock pot
- Storage containers/ziplock bags
Step 1- In your crockpot/stock pot add your chicken bones + whatever else you have leftover from your chicken.
Step 2- Add your roughly chopped carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Don’t worry about peeling anything. Also add in whatever herbs you are using.
Step 3- Add your salt and pepper.
Step 4- Fill with water.
Step 5- Set your crockpot to whatever the longest setting is. Let it cook for 3 days, resetting the time when it switches to warm. I just check it a couple times a day. If the water is low, just add more. To do this on the stove, bring it to a boil and let it simmer for full cook time. Add water when necessary.
Step 6- Once the cook time is up, turn off the crockpot and let it cool until it is safe to handle. Strain the stock and package it however you like. Let it cool completely before freezing. The stock stays fresh in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
I hope you enjoy this stock recipe! In reality we should be thanking my Mom for teaching me. It’s one of the secrets to what makes all the food at my parents house taste so good (aside from the love of course😛). It is sure to add some delicious flavor to whatever you might be making too. I’d love to hear from you if you try it out! Please like, share, and enjoy!
Turtlelion 