The BEST Whole Chicken Bone Broth Recipe, Plus 5 Homemade Broth Tips

Are you wondering why your bone broth doesn't taste that great? Here are 5 tips to help you make the best homemade broth ever, plus a recipe for amazing Whole Chicken Bone Broth.

It's true. Bone broth is not only great for you, but is can be great tasting too!

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As a Nutritional Therapist that specializes in digestive health issues, I ask all of my clients to start making homemade bone broth.

The reactions I get are nothing short of well… entertaining.

“Bone what? Broth? Um, what’s that?”

“You want me to use actual BONES? Really?”

“Chicken feet? Are you SERIOUS?!”

“Can’t I just get it in stores?” (Hint: The answer is “no”.)

These are just some of the more common reactions.

As crazy as it might seem to those of you who’ve been making bone broth for many years, the fact is that most people are new to it and somewhat intimidated by it.

If you’re my age (41), or younger, it’s HIGHLY UNLIKELY your mother made real, homemade bone broths.  Rather, she probably bought them in a store from a box, a can or God forbid, a bouillon cube.

Well thanks to the real food movement, millions of people are finally getting it – most store-bought broths are NOT real broths. They're full of chemicals (even the organic ones) that mimic the flavor of real bone broth.

They’re also starting to understand that real homemade broth is a nutritional powerhouse, full of anti-inflammatory, gut healing and immune supporting nutrients.

And now, so many people want to learn to make broths the RIGHT way, like their grandmothers and great-grandmothers used to do.

It’s not complicated! But if you’re new to making bone broth, it can be a little overwhelming when you first start. So here are 5 tips to help you overcome any hesitations and get you started making bone broth at home.

If you'd prefer to buy bone broth, Kettle and Fire is a great place to buy it.

5 Tips For Making Bone Broth

Tip #1: You don’t have to use feet.

Or gizzards. Or heads. Or tails. Or any parts that gross you out.

Sometimes we traditional food bloggers forget that not everyone is hardcore into traditional food and that not everyone is super psyched about using things like feet.

I don’t blame you, BUT it’s definitely good to use them!

You see all those animal parts that tend to make people cringe are rich in collagen.

Collagen comes from the Greek word “kolla” which literally means “glue” and it’s the substance that in many ways keeps us glued together. It’s made up of proteins that form the strong but pliable connective tissues in things like tendons, ligaments, cartilage, joints, skin, and our digestive tract.

You can actually see proof of a collagen-rich broth when it cools. It will literally gel and jiggle like homemade Jell-O.

This is a good thing! That gelling comes from gelatin, which is simply collagen that has been broken down during the simmering process. Gelatin has many health benefits but in particular, it's been prized for centuries around the world for its ability to help ease gastrointestinal problems.

It’s one of the many reasons that historically, cultures used all parts of animals, not just bones, when making broths.

But I get it. You might be grossed out by those things. No big deal.

Just start with a simple chicken broth from a whole raw chicken or a chicken carcass that you’ve roasted at home.

In time, when you get comfortable with a simple chicken broth, you can gravitate to adding in more collagen-rich parts.

Tip #2: 5 simple steps that begin with the letter S.

• Soak
• Skim
• Strain
• Simmer
• Store

Memorize that and in a short time, you won’t even need a recipe to make a broth. Just about every homemade bone broth follows that simple formula.

Use my simple chicken broth recipe as an example (you can see this after the final tip…….)

Tip #3: Use the Right Pot

So what type of pot is right for making broth?

Answer: the one that gets you to make broth.

You can make broth on the stove, in a pressure cooker or instant pot, or in a crockpot.

Using a crockpot is great because it saves a lot of time and you also might be uncomfortable leaving your stove top on for long periods of time.

However, the stovetop is best for making gelatinous broth because you can really control the temperature to get a continous gentle simmer which creates a nice, gelatinous broth. Most crockpots usually only have 3 settings—high, low and warm.

You can also use an Instapot pressure cooker for making broth. I haven’t tried this yet so I can’t comment on it from personal experience, but many rave about it.

I really like using a stove top pressure cooker (Adrienne LOVES this stove top pressure cooker) because I like to make HUGE batches of broth at once, something that can’t be done in a crockpot or pressure cooker.

But if you’re just starting out, you’ll definitely want to start with smaller batches. In that case, a crockpot is perfectly fine. Basically, throw the bones in the crockpot, fill it up with water, turn it to the “low” setting and let it go until you’re ready to strain it.

Most people skip step 1 and 2 when using a crockpot and that’s OK. I get it. It’s the 21st century. Not everyone has time to soak the bones for an hour, skim it, and adjust the heat to get the perfect gentle simmer (which will often take some time to find the exact right setting on your stove top).

Usually both the high and low settings for the crockpot will boil liquids, while the warm setting keeps it just below a simmer. That being said, I’ve had many people report to me that despite this, their broth gelled beautifully. Creating gelatinous broths can sometimes be a hit or miss.

Again, whatever pot gets you making broth is the best pot.

Which leads me to tip #4…

Tip #4. Don’t be a perfectionist!

So many people get all crazy if you don't do it this way or that way.

You say bone stock, I say bone broth. For the most part the words “stock” and “broth” are used interchangeably. Some say a bone broth is cooked for less time than a bone stock and some say the complete opposite.

Other differences in opinion include how long to simmer broths for, whether or not to roast bones first and techniques for creating a gelatin-rich broth.

Listen, I don't care if you can only simmer your broth for one hour, if that’s all the time you have.

I don't care if it doesn’t form gelatin.

I don't care if you don’t roast the bones first and I don't care if all you have are a few chicken bones.

Heck, I don’t even care if it doesn’t taste good! You can always flavor it after the fact with things like salt and pepper, soy sauce or fish sauce and other spices and herbs. Some folks prefer blander broths for this very reason.

And I certainly don't care if you call it a stock or a broth. Call it a “brew” or “stone soup” if you want! Just put what you got in a pot, simmer it for as long as you can… and good things happen.

It will be infinitely better than anything you can buy in a store.

Tip #5: Make Delicious Soups!

OK, you've got some delicious homemade chicken broth. Now what?

Well, you can certainly add some chicken meat and veggies to your chicken broth and voila…chicken soup.

Honestly though, I NEVER make chicken soup anymore. It’s just, well, I find it SO BORING!

And that’s one of the many reasons I wrote Fearless Broths and Soups.

Included are 60 simple recipes for a wide variety of different soups. As the tagline says, I truly wrote this book for “real people on real budgets.”

How to Make Whole Chicken Bone Broth

• Raw Chicken (or raw whole chicken parts, cut up) or chicken carcasses from a roasted chicken, meat removed
• Vegetables, coarsely chopped – carrots, celery, and a medium to large onion
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Filtered Water to Cover Chicken (read this post on how to make your water safe)

Ingredients

Optional Chicken Parts:

• Chicken Backs
• Chicken Feet
• Giblets (but not the liver) – these include the neck, heart, and gizzards

Recipe Notes and Substitutions

• Whole Chicken Alternative: Instead of a whole raw chicken, you can use either raw whole chicken parts, cut up, or 1-2 chicken carcasses from a roasted chicken, meat removed.

Ways to Use Broth

Of course you can just eat broth plain, but it's a great base for all kinds of recipes including this Easy Butternut Squash Pear Soup, this Low-carb Shepherd's Pie, Egg Roll in a Bowl, and Lentil Curry.

How Long Can You Freeze Homemade Broth?

You can store your homemade broth in the freezer for about 6 months in the back of a regular freezer, or for 12 months in a deep freeze. After that point, you can still consume the broth–it will be safe to eat, but the flavor may be diminished somewhat.

Now for the sure fire recipe!

The Best Whole Chicken Bone Broth Recipe

This Whole Chicken Broth Recipe is so delicious, you won't believe it. The directions are simple plus there are 5 useful tips to make a surefire bone broth every time.

4.50 from 10 votes

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Ingredients

• 1 whole raw chicken
• vegetables (coarsely chopped – 2-3 carrots, 2-3 stalks celery, 1 medium to large onion)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• filtered water (to cover chicken)

Optional chicken parts:

• 1 – 2 chicken backs
• 1 – 2 chicken feet
• giblets (but not the liver – giblets include the neck, heart and gizzards)

Instructions

• Soak: Place chicken and/or chicken carcasses and optional parts in bottom of stock pot and cover with cold water and add vinegar. Let sit for 30-60 minutes. Soaking bones in cold water with a little vinegar helps to pull the minerals from the bones. This is not mandatory and if you’re short on time it’s OK to skip it.
• Skim: Bring to a gentle rolling boil and skim any scum that forms on the surface. True to its name, “scum” is not very pleasant looking but it can’t hurt you. Simply skim it off with a ladle or a small mesh strainer which will easily latch on to the scum. Once you’ve skimmed the broth add in your chopped vegetables.
• Simmer: Turn the temperature to low and simmer very gently, covered, for 4-24 hours. The key is to GENTLY SIMMER and not boil the bones which can prevent gelatin from forming (but won’t ruin the broth). So once the water has come to a boil and the scum is skimmed, immediately turn down the heat. Simmering should only be slightly perceptible – a few bubbles rising to the surface here and there are a good indicator of a nice, gentle simmer.
• Strain: Let the broth cool to about room temperature. Strain broth from bones, parts and veggies using a fine mesh strainer.
• If using a whole chicken, remove the chicken and place on a cutting board. Remove the meat from the bones and save for use in meals.
• Store: Ladle the broth into your storage containers. If you’re filling glass jars that will be stored in the freezer, always leave a few inches of headspace at the top of the jar. Broth will expand when frozen and can crack glass jars if they’re overfilled. Store in fridge for up to 7 days. Freeze whatever you won’t use within a week.

Pressure Cooker Instructions

• Place all ingredients in pressure cooker.
• Bring up to high pressure and cook on high for 1 hour.
• Let pressure come down naturally.
• Follow the remaining instructions above.

Notes

• • Whole Chicken Alternative: Instead of a whole raw chicken, you can use either raw whole chicken parts, cut up, or 1-2 chicken carcasses from a roasted chicken, meat removed.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.

Have you made homemade bone broth?
If not, why not?

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Craig Fear is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) and real food blogger. In addition to his video e-course, he also just released his second book, Fearless Broths and Soups. Craig's other interests include hiking, playing his guitar, travel, hanging out with his golden retriever, Lipton, and rooting for his beloved New York Giants. He also loves coffee and claims to be only mildly obsessed to it. You can connect with Craig over on his blog, Fearless Eating, on Facebook, Pinterest, and on Instagram.