Whole Chicken Bone Broth 

One of my favorite meals to cook is a whole chicken because I am able to get multiple meals out of one! I start off the week with a whole-chicken in the air fryer, and I serve it with rice and veggies. Then, I use the meat later in the week to make quesadillas or tacos. I also use the chicken carcass to make bone broth. I usually freeze and use it in a soup a few weeks later! If you want to make the most of every part of your food, here’s how to make whole chicken bone broth!

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What is Bone Broth

Bone broth is a nutrient dense liquid that is made by boiling animal bones with vegetables, herbs, and spices. It is highly nutritious and can be eaten alone or used in other recipes. 

Benefits of Whole Chicken Bone Broth

Bone broth contains the protein collagen which may support joints. It can improve gut health and may help skin appear more youthful. It contains a lot of protein and it can help you increase muscle mass. There is also some research about bone broth aiding in weight loss, too. 

Whole Chicken Bone Broth Recipe

You can buy bone broth from the store, from Azure Standard, or you can make your own! Here’s how to make bone broth from a whole chicken. 

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken carcass
• 8-12 cups filtered water
• 2 large carrots
• 1 large onion
• 4 stalks of celery
• 4+ garlic cloves (I used a whole head of garlic for a stronger flavor)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
• A few sprigs of fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme)
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)

Supplies

• Crockpot or Stockpot with Lid
• Strainer
• Ladle
• Funnel
• Storage Jars

Directions:

Remove any leftover meat from your cooked whole chicken. If your whole chicken came with the giblets (usually in a bag inside of the chest cavity), you can open them and add them to the bone broth. 

If you want to buy chicken bones in bulk, you can order them from Azure Standard for making a lot of bone broth at once to freeze or pressure can.

Place the chicken carcass and giblets in a large Dutch oven or crockpot. Wash and roughly chop the vegetables. Add all ingredients above to the pot. The apple cider vinegar helps the collagen release into the broth, which has a lot of health benefits.

Cover completely with filtered water. It should be around 12 cups, but you can adjust as needed. Just make sure the bones are covered by water. 

If using a Dutch Oven or pot, bring it to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce it to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook on low for at least 12 hours. The longer you cook it, the better the flavor and quality of the broth will be!

If using a crockpot, cook on low for 24-48 hours. I usually opt for closer to 48 hours to get more nutrients out of the bones!

Once done, strain the bone broth, and you should be left with a liquid. As it cools, it may become gelatinous which means that it is full of collagen. 

Allow to cool and use immediately or store in the fridge or a freezer safe container. If using glass, leave a few inches of headspace to reduce the chance of cracking. 

How to Use Whole Chicken Bone Broth

You can drink bone broth alone, add it to soups or rice, or even make a delicious bone broth hot cocoa! I know it sounds odd, but it is actually delicious. If you plan to use it to make hot cocoa, I’d recommend using less garlic!

Bone Broth Variations

You can make bone broth using cow bones, pig bones, or even venison bones! You could also use a combination of bones for more depth of flavor

Whole Chicken Bone Broth

This whole chicken bone broth is the perfect way to use up a whole chicken and provide multiple, nutritious meals from one!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 day d

Total Time:1 day d 15 minutes mins

Servings: 10

Equipment

• Crockpot or Stockpot with Lid
• Strainer
• Ladle
• Funnel
• Storage Jars

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken carcass (pre-cooked, meat removed)
• 8-12 c filtered water
• 2 large carrots
• 1 large onion
• 4 stalks of celery
• 4+ garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• 5-10 sprigs of fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano)
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)

Instructions

• Remove any leftover meat from your cooked whole chicken. If your whole chicken came with the giblets (usually in a bag inside of the chest cavity), you can open them and add them to the bone broth. 
• Place the chicken carcass and giblets in a large Dutch oven or crockpot. Wash and roughly chop the vegetables. Add all ingredients above to the pot.
• Cover completely with filtered water. It should be around 12 cups, but you can adjust as needed. Just make sure the bones are covered by water. 
• If using a Dutch Oven or pot, bring it to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce it to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook on low for at least 12 hours. The longer you cook it, the better the flavor and quality of the broth will be!
• If using a crockpot, cook on low for 24-48 hours. I usually opt for closer to 48 hours to get more nutrients out of the bones!
• Once done, strain the bone broth, and you should be left with a liquid. As it cools, it may become gelatinous which means that it is full of collagen. 

This recipe is how to make whole chicken bone broth.