Ina Garten Homemade Chicken Stock

Ina Garten homemade chicken stock takes four easy hours to fill your freezer with liquid gold for every cozy soup and sauce you'll make. She simmers three whole chickens with fresh herbs and root vegetables, then strains it all into containers.

Keep the heat low so the surface barely bubbles, because a hard boil turns stock cloudy and flat. Refrigerate it overnight before freezing so the fat sets on top and lifts off clean.

Source: Modern Comfort Food (2020)

Ina Garten Homemade Chicken Stock

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Course: SoupCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

5

quarts

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

4

hours 

Calories

85

kcal

A rich, full-bodied broth built from whole roasting chickens, root vegetables, and fresh herbs. The long, slow simmer pulls deep flavor and body you can feel in every spoonful.

Ingredients

• 3 (5-pound) roasting chickens
  

• 3 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
  

• 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
  

• 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds
  

• 4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in half
  

• 20 sprigs fresh parsley
  

• 15 sprigs fresh thyme
  

• 20 sprigs fresh dill
  

• 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
  

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  

• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Directions

• Simmer the stock: Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, salt, and peppercorns in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Allow the stock to cool for 30 minutes.
• Strain and store: Strain the contents of the pot through a colander into a large bowl and discard the solids. Pack the stock in containers and refrigerate for up to a few days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, OXO 5-quart stainless steel colander, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use chicken parts instead of whole chickens?

You can use a mix of wings, backs, necks, and thighs if whole chickens feel like a big investment. Bones with some meat still attached give the best flavor. Whole chickens cost more, but the collagen from the entire carcass makes a noticeably richer stock that gels when cold.

How long does homemade chicken stock last?

In the fridge, it stays good for 3 to 5 days. Frozen, it keeps for up to 6 months with no real drop in quality. Pour it into quart containers or ice cube trays so you can grab the exact amount you need without thawing a whole batch.

Do I need a 16 to 20-quart stockpot?

Yes, three whole chickens plus all the vegetables take up a lot of room, and you need space for 7 quarts of water on top of that. If your biggest pot is smaller, scale the recipe down and use fewer chickens. A tall, narrow pot works better than a wide one because it keeps the ingredients submerged.

What is the most common mistake when making chicken stock?

Boiling it too hard. A rolling boil breaks fat and proteins into tiny particles that make the stock cloudy and greasy. You want a bare simmer where just a few bubbles break the surface every couple of seconds. Low and slow is the whole game here.

Can I make this stock ahead and freeze it?

That is exactly how this recipe is designed to work. The yield is 5 to 6 quarts, so freeze in containers of different sizes for different uses. Pint containers work well for sauces, and quarts are the right size for soups. Label each one with the date so you use the oldest first.