Jumpstart holidays, homemade food, and health remedies with excellent flavor.

Softly simmer easy chicken broth from thighs and drumsticks and easily keep nourishing broth in stock.

easy homemade chicken broth from thighs and drumsticks with mushrooms and rosemary

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ABOUT THIS EASY CHICKEN BROTH RECIPE

Kitchen gold, also known as homemade chicken broth, makes meals fit for royalty.

Cooking broth fills the kitchen with a savory aroma. It gives strong holiday cooking, wellness, and comfort vibes.

Use a triple (3 hour) soft simmer. As in…

Add ingredients. Simmer softly for one hour.

Since homemade easy chicken broth from thighs and drumsticks comes in handy for everyday cooking and holiday cooking (think, stuffing, gravy, turkey, and healthy soups), I recommend making a batch at the beginning of each month.

Once it hits October, you may want to make a double batch and keep it up through January when you start sipping broth plain as a warm wellness drink.

And, then there’s the soups of February—I think you get the picture. Broth. Always.

Yes, even in July. Aromatic, fluffy rice and garden vegetable salad anyone?

Easy Chicken Broth from Thighs and Drumsticks

HELPFUL EQUIPMENT FOR SIMPLE HOMEMADE CHICKEN BROTH
Large stock pot – 12 quart or larger, lead-free, stainless-steel, with a lid
Large strainer – stainless-steel fine mesh strainer

Easy Homemade Chicken Broth from Thighs and Drumsticks

Make Homemade Chicken Broth from Thighs and Drumsticks, carrots, mushrooms, onion, and parsley.

INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE CHICKEN BROTH WITHOUT WHOLE CHICKEN
2 tablespoons ghee – organic, without additives
1 package chicken thighs – approximately 3-4 pounds, skin on, bone in
1 package chicken drumsticks – approximately 3-4 pounds, skin on, bone in
4 quarts water – purified
4 bay leaves – medium/large
1 yellow onion – small, halved and ends removed
4 whole celery sticks – cut in thirds
4 whole carrots – peeled and halved
4 whole brown mushrooms – halved
4 sprigs fresh parsley – fresh works best for this chicken broth recipe
4 sprigs fresh thyme – fresh works best
1 sprig fresh rosemary – fresh works best

PREP BEFORE COOKING HOMEMADE BROTH

Use fresh never frozen chicken thighs and chicken legs when possible. If you choose to use frozen chicken instead, make sure and defrost it completely before starting the broth. Leave the chicken skin on.

HOW TO MAKE BROTH FROM CHICKEN THIGHS

Start building flavor. Lightly brown 4 chicken thighs in hot ghee.

Then, head in to the triple (3 hour) soft simmer where we add ingredients, simmer, add ingredients, simmer, add ingredients, simmer.

First, add the remaining chicken, water, and bay leaves. Soft simmer for an hour.

Second, add yellow onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and celery root (if you choose, I highly recommend it). Soft simmer for an hour.

Last, add parsley, thyme, and rosemary (great additions to an herb garden). Soft simmer for an hour.

The fire does most of the work. Just watch for an overflowing stock pot. Say no, thank you to chicken juice water stains burned into your stovetop. A soft simmer means keep it low—but not so low it doesn’t go. We want slight movement.

Now, bring out the fine mesh strainer and a large heat-resistant container. Pour the broth through the strainer and into another container large enough to store the broth. Let it cool significantly before placing it in the refrigerator.

Refrigerate it overnight. It’s ready for use the next day.

HOW TO SERVE

Serve easy homemade chicken broth as a wellness sipping drink for gut health. No need for salt or any additives. Drink it like tea.
Use healthy chicken broth as the base for chicken soup, cauliflower soup, tortilla soup, broccoli cheddar soup, any soup you choose.
Skip plain rice. Cook rice in this broth for a deeper flavor.
Make holiday foods like stuffing/dressing, turkey, gravy, and soup.
If you need a break from oils, use a splash of chicken broth in your pan and toss in the veggies. Sauté.
Cook ramen noodles in water and then simmer in broth to make ramen soup.
Make ramen stir fry. Cook the noodles in broth and oil. Don’t forget chicken broth’s friend, ginger.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Use fresh, not frozen, meat.
Use additive-free chicken.
Use fresh vegetables and herbs, not the wilted stuff in the back of the drawer. (At the same time, if you want to get rid of the wilted stuff, throw it in—but, be sure to try fresh sometime).
Cool the chicken broth in an ice bath before refrigerating.
Refrigerate the finished broth overnight and a fat cap will form. Remove the fat cap with a spoon before using or freezing.

easy homemade chicken broth from scratch

WHAT TO AVOID

Don’t start this recipe unless time permits. Remember the broth needs cooling time.
Don’t add salt while simmering your chicken broth. Add the salt when you use it in another recipe.

freeze homemade chicken broth for holiday cooking

Should I get boneless skinless chicken thighs?

No, get skin on, bone in. You’ll remove the fat after it solidifies in the refrigerator and before using the broth in another recipe.

Can I use the chicken fat?

Sure. Use it within 3 days for roasting or sautéing. Keep it refrigerated during this time.

My canning jars break when I freeze them with broth. What can I do?

Always leave room for expansion. In addition, use a leak proof lid and lay them carefully on their side when you initially freeze them. I read this in an online comment section on YouTube a while back and it’s worked for me. Let me know how it goes for you.

STORAGE OPTIONS

Homemade chicken broth lasts 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Leave the fat cap on until you use the first bit or freeze it. If you don’t plan on using the broth within 3-5 days store it in the freezer.
I freeze broth in quart size glass canning jars. I use leak proof plastic lids with silicone seals.
Don’t fill canning jars past the shoulder. Lay them down on their side until they freeze solid. Again, leave plenty of room for expansion when the broth freezes.
For small amounts, freeze the broth in ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer the broth cubes to a freezer bag or container. The cubes work well for sauteing vegetables without using oil.

Easy Chicken Broth from Thighs and Drumsticks