How to Make Crockpot Chicken Stock and 7 Ways You Can Use It
I am so excited to have Rachael here today sharing a lovely crockpot chicken stock recipe with you guys as well as perfect solutions for using the stock for your busy family.
You’ll want to read all the way through and click over to her site at the end where she shares her passion for great cooking.
Homemade chicken stock almost always tastes better than its grocery store counterpart. I think most folks who have made their own would agree. But who has time to sit around the house for hours while the stovetop is on and your stock is bubbling away? I certainly don’t and I wouldn’t expect many other folks to have that luxury either.
What if there was a way to have that same homemade flavor without having to sit at home while it simmers away to meld flavors? Today, I will show you how you can have an abundance of homemade stock to use in a ton of different Chicken Recipes that is not only light on your wallet, but also on your time in the kitchen.
So what’s this magical solution? The crockpot, of course!
How to Make Crockpot Chicken Stock
Step 1: Place chicken bones in your crockpot.
Step 2: Add a few aromatic vegetables, like celery, onion, carrots, and garlic.
Step 3: Add fresh herbs, like rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, or sage. Tie the stems together to create a sachet for easy removal later.
Step 4: Fill the crockpot with water.
Step 5: Turn your crockpot on low and cook for at least eight hours. You can let it go for longer – the longer it goes – the more flavorful your stock will be!
Step 6: Turn the heat off and allow to cool for a few hours so you don’t burn yourself.
Step 7: Strain the stock using a colander to remove the bones, vegetables, and herbs.
Step 8: Pour into airtight containers like canning jars, plastic bowls with lids, or freezer bags for longer storage. You can also freeze the stock into ice cube trays for smaller servings and an easy addition to a meal. Homemade crockpot stock will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week and in the freezer for up to six months.
Now that you’ve created all this stock – what are you going to do with it?
Here are 7 uses for your homemade crock pot chicken stock:
- As a base in soup recipe
- In place of water while preparing rice or other whole grains
- In risotto in place of canned broth or stock
- In homemade sauces and gravies
- In mashed potatoes in place of milk or butter
- To moisten leftovers before reheating them in the oven
- In any stuffing recipe
There are two other really great things about this method:
If you aren’t ready to use your leftover bones right away, you can put them in a sealable bag and place them in the freezer until you have some time to prepare your crock pot stock.
The other great thing about this method is that you can create homemade crock pot stock using any bones that you have on hand from leftover meals. Try this recipe with beef, lamb, or even fish bones if you have them lying around. If you’re a vegetarian, you can even make vegetable stock with leftover veggies – you’ll just need less time for the flavors to infuse!
Even if you don’t have a lot of time to literally watch your stock pot boil, you can still reap the benefits of delicious homemade chicken stock.
I hope you’ll give this a try!
Rachael is the blogger behind KitchenCourses.com and is the author of How to Cook For Yourself and Kick Start Your Kitchen. She writes about her passion for food, eating well while saving money, and inspires people to get familiar with their kitchens and cook for themselves.
Thanks so much for having me today, Crystal!
I make my own stock sometimes, but never thought of using the crock pot! Of course!
I also keep a baggie in the freezer to collect the bits and pieces and stalks and ends that aren’t pretty and are usually thrown away when preparing veggies. When I want to make a stock, I just grab whatever amount I need from the baggie.
Mary Beth- what a great idea for holding on to leftover broth. I do that a lot with leftover chicken and then once I have a nice stockpile I use it in a casserole.
That’s a great idea, Mary Beth! A smart way to use up all the leftover scraps and bits from other meals!
Yum–I”ve never tried making my own stock before
Steph- she makes it sound so easy, right? I really need to try it.
Thanks for reading!
You really should give it a try – especially with the crock pot method! It only takes about 5-10 minutes to get everything ready, it’s a great way to use up your leftovers, and save quite a bit of money (if you already buy pre-made chicken broth or stock)! Let us know how it goes!
Thanks for sharing this. I have made stock in the crock pot before but this reminds me that I am out and need to make some. I have two suggestions–avoid putting onion skins or potato skins in your broth because they will make it bitter. This seems common sense but I know people who have kept all of their veggie peelings( including potato and onions) and used them for stock. The second is that if you use freezer bags to store your broth fill them only about 3/4 of the way full, double bag them and lay them flat while they are freezing to save space. I guess I have a third suggestion–we use mason jars to store both in the freezer. It works great just leave 1 inch head space and they won’t crack. Sorry for hijacking your comment thread.
Great idea! I’ve made chicken stock before, but never in a crockpot. I’m making chicken broth later today and will try it in my crockpot. Thanks for sharing!
Can you use this with bones that you are already cooked? I make chicken in the crockpot a lot, but I’m not sure if I can use those same bones to make a broth or if they have to be uncooked.
Yes, that would be just fine.