Make the most of your leftover chicken or turkey. Don’t just throw away that rotisserie chicken or Thanksgiving turkey! This homemade chicken stock recipe is easy to make. Here’s how to make chicken or turkey stock.
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Homemade stock ingredients:
- Chicken or Turkey carcass
- 2-3 celery stalks with leaves
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1-2 carrots
- 2-3 Quarts of water
- 1.2 teaspoon peppercorns, optional
- Herbs of your choice, optional (For example: bay leaf, rosemary, or cilantro stems)
How to make stock
Place your leftover chicken or turkey carcass into a large pot. Add the celery, onion, garlic, carrots and optional seasoning of your choice. Cover the carcass with water.
Bring the pot to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 4 hours, adding additional water as needed to keep the carcass covered.
Strain the stock to remove all solids. I use a large colander over a second large pot. Pour the warm stock through the colander and catch it into the second pot.
Allow the solids and liquid to cool separately. Once the stock is cool, all of the fat will be easy to scrape off the top if desired.
Strip the remaining meat off the bones once the chicken or turkey is cool enough to handle. You may be surprised how much meat will remain on the chicken or turkey you were ready to toss. Use this extra meat in soups or to make chicken salad.
How to use Homemade Stock
Homemade chicken or turkey stock can be used in any recipe that calls for chicken or turkey broth or stock. Chicken stock is found in many homemade soups, casseroles and pasta dishes. Try some of these great recipes:
How to store homemade stock
If you do not use the homemade stock immediately, it can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or you can freeze it in soup containers.
Printable Stock Recipe
