Don’t throw away those leftover chicken bones! Instead, use them to make a healthy homemade chicken broth to use in a variety of your favorite recipes like chicken noodle casserole or chicken pot pie, or even in homemade enchilada sauce!
Making homemade chicken broth not only saves you money, but it tastes about a million times better than anything you’ll buy at the store. Since this recipe for chicken broth uses leftover chicken bones from the Herb and Garlic Roasted Chicken recipe I shared a few weeks ago, the only real cost to you is a few carrots, an onion and some celery – all which are super cheap ingredients, making this recipe very budget friendly.
This recipe is very simple, and most of the time is spent hands off, just letting it simmer on the stove. Of course, buying chicken broth at the store is much easier, but when you have leftover chicken bones from a roast chicken from a Sunday dinner, it’s just smart to use the up and make a delicious chicken broth for a soup or another dinner.
All you really need to make homemade chicken broth is some leftover chicken, some veggies and some water. Soup, and other recipes made with homemade broth always taste just a little bit more special. Pull all of the extra meat off the chicken, and use it in other recipes like these leftover chicken enchiladas. If there is a little meat still stuck to the chicken, that’s okay – actually, ideal.
After you’re done cooking your chicken broth, straining it, and letting it cool, there will be a thin layer of congealed fat on the top. Skim it off and save it for cooking other dishes, or discard it. Homemade Chicken Broth will last several months in the freezer, and about 3 days in the fridge. Freeze leftovers in an ice cube tray for adding a quick flavor boost to your favorite dishes.
If you have fresh herbs in your garden, or on your patio, substitute them for the dried herbs in the recipe. Not only is this recipe absolutely delicious, but the aroma that fills your house while your broth is cooking is just like Thanksgiving!
Ingredients:
bones/caracas of leftover herb and garlic roasted chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
4 ribs celery, roughly chopped
5 carrots, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp each; dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried sage
2 tsp dried parsley
2 dehydrated shiitake mushrooms (optional)
pinch saffron (optional)
1 bay leaf
water – I used 12 cups
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add veggies, and seasonings. Stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes, allowing all the dried herbs to release their flavor.
Add chicken bones and bay leaf to pot.
Add enough water to cover chicken caracas/bones by about 2″. For us, it was 12 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low.
Simmer, covered for 3 hours. If there is a foam that comes to the top, skim it off – it’s just the fat from the chicken rising to the top of the pot.
Strain chicken stock in a colander, over a large bowl, or pot, and allow to cool in the fridge overnight – or at least until it’s room temperature. The next day, skim any fat off of the top.
Use chicken broth in your favorite recipes, or divide into tupperware, or ziplock bags to freeze and use at another time. Homemade chicken stock will stay fresh in the fridge for about 3 days, and in the freezer for several months.
Click for the FREE printable version of this recipe
There are no comments