Chicken Broth
roasted or raw · stovetop or Instant Pot

Cook's notes

Roasted vs raw — how, and why. Raw bones give a clean, pale, delicate broth — what you want for a light soup. Roasted bones give a deep, golden-brown, richer one — better for gravy, French onion soup, or sipping. To roast: spread the bones (and the onion, carrot, celery, garlic) on a sheet pan and roast at 220°C / 425°F for 40–45 minutes, until deeply browned; a spoon of tomato paste in the last 10 minutes adds color and depth. Deglaze the hot pan with a splash of water, scrape up every browned bit, and add it all to the pot — that fond is the flavor.

The gelatin is the goal. A good broth sets to a soft wobble in the fridge; that body comes from collagen in bones and joints — especially wings, necks, backs, and feet. A splash of vinegar and a long, low simmer help draw it out. If yours doesn't gel, it still tastes great — just add a few more collagen-rich parts next time.

Save your bones. Stash roast-chicken carcasses and raw trimmings in a freezer bag; once you've got a carcass or about a kilo of bones, make stock. Two meals from one bird, and about the closest thing to free flavor there is.

Freezing — the whole point of a batch. Cool quickly, then portion. Souper Cubes freeze it into tidy 1-cup blocks you pop out and stack in a labeled bag; a regular ice-cube tray gives you ~2-tablespoon cubes for a splash in a pan sauce or a risotto. Freeze the saved schmaltz in an ice tray too — a cube of it starts a soup beautifully. Broth keeps about 4–6 months frozen and 4–5 days in the fridge; label with the date.

Use it: the backbone of chicken noodle soup, risotto, gravy, braises, and rice or grains cooked in broth instead of water.