Chicken Bone Broth Recipe | Rich, Healing & Incredibly Flavorful

By DailyRecipeLab | Updated 2025 | Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 12–24 hrs | Servings: 8–10 cups

There’s something almost magical about a pot of chicken bone broth slowly simmering on the stove. The kitchen fills with the most incredible aroma — warm, savory, deeply rich — and you instantly feel like everything is going to be okay.

I started making homemade chicken bone broth a few years ago when I was looking for something that was both nourishing and incredibly versatile. Store-bought broth? It just doesn’t come close. The moment you taste your own homemade version — golden, silky, aromatic, and packed with real flavor — there’s absolutely no going back.

This isn’t just a recipe. It’s a kitchen skill that every home cook should have in their back pocket. Whether you’re sipping it from a warm mug on a cold morning, using it as the base for your favorite soups, or building complex sauces from it — chicken bone broth is truly the foundation of great home cooking.

And the best part? It’s made from ingredients you probably already have. Leftover chicken carcasses, a handful of vegetables, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and time. That’s really all it takes.

So let’s make the most beautiful, richly flavored, deeply nourishing chicken bone broth recipe you’ve ever tasted — right in your own kitchen.

Table of Contents

⚡ Quick Answer Summary

What is chicken bone broth?
Chicken bone broth is a nutrient-dense liquid made by simmering chicken bones, connective tissue, and vegetables for an extended period — typically 12 to 24 hours. The long cooking time extracts collagen, gelatin, minerals, and amino acids from the bones, creating a rich, flavorful, and deeply nourishing broth. It differs from regular chicken stock in both cooking time and nutritional density.

How do you make chicken bone broth at home?
Roast your chicken bones, place them in a large stockpot with vegetables, herbs, apple cider vinegar, and water. Simmer on low heat for 12 to 24 hours. Strain, cool, and store. That’s it — simple, rewarding, and absolutely delicious.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This chicken bone broth recipe isn’t just popular — it’s genuinely life-changing for your kitchen game. Here’s why home cooks at every level absolutely love it:

✅ Deep, rich flavor that no store-bought carton can replicate
✅ Packed with nutrients — collagen, gelatin, amino acids, and minerals
✅ Incredibly versatile — use it for soups, risottos, sauces, gravies, and more
✅ Budget-friendly — uses leftover chicken bones and vegetable scraps
✅ Simple ingredients — nothing fancy required
✅ Multiple cooking methods — stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot
✅ Freezer-friendly — make a big batch and store for months
✅ Gut-health benefits — gelatin and collagen support digestive health according to research highlighted by Healthline
✅ Beginner-friendly — if you can boil water, you can make this

🛒 Ingredients List

Makes approximately 8–10 cups of bone broth

The Bones

2–3 lbs chicken bones (carcasses, necks, backs, wings, or feet)
(Or one whole roasted chicken carcass)

The Vegetables & Aromatics

2 medium carrots — roughly chopped
3 stalks celery — roughly chopped
1 large onion — quartered (skin on for color)
1 whole head of garlic — halved crosswise
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
A small bunch of fresh parsley (stems included)
2–3 sprigs fresh thyme

The Secret Ingredient

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (this draws minerals from the bones — don’t skip it)

The Liquid

12–14 cups cold, filtered water (enough to fully cover everything)

Optional Add-Ins for Extra Flavor

1 tablespoon tomato paste (adds depth and richness)
1 teaspoon turmeric (anti-inflammatory boost)
1 piece of fresh ginger (adds warmth and brightness)
1 dried shiitake mushroom (adds incredible umami)
A pinch of sea salt (add at the end, not the beginning)

📝 Ingredient Notes

Why use apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is one of the most important ingredients in a proper bone broth recipe. The mild acidity helps break down the collagen in the bones, pulling more gelatin and minerals into your broth. You won’t taste it in the finished product, but it makes a real difference in nutritional quality. According to Healthline, apple cider vinegar also contains beneficial acids and compounds.

What chicken bones work best?
Chicken feet are actually the gold standard for bone broth — they’re loaded with collagen and produce an incredibly gelatinous broth. Chicken necks, backs, and carcasses are also excellent. Avoid using only lean breast meat or boneless pieces, as there won’t be enough collagen.

Should I roast the bones first?
Yes — and this step makes a HUGE difference. Roasting the bones at 400°F (200°C) for 30–40 minutes before simmering caramelizes the surface proteins and adds a deep, roasted, umami-rich flavor that you simply can’t get from raw bones.

Can I use bones from a rotisserie chicken?
Absolutely. This is one of the easiest and most economical ways to make chicken bone broth. Simply save the carcass from your store-bought rotisserie chicken, pop it in the freezer until you’re ready, and you have the perfect starting point for a beautiful batch of broth.

🍳 Kitchen Tools Needed

Tool	Purpose
Large stockpot (8–12 qt)	Main cooking vessel for stovetop method
Rimmed baking sheet	For roasting bones in the oven
Fine mesh strainer	Straining the finished broth
Cheesecloth	For extra-clear, refined broth
Ladle	Skimming foam and serving
Mason jars or airtight containers	Storage
Slow cooker (optional)	Hands-off cooking method
Instant Pot (optional)	Faster cooking method
Fat separator (optional)	Removing excess fat
Kitchen tongs	Handling hot bones

👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Roast Your Bones (Don’t Skip This!)

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

Spread your chicken bones in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 30–40 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until they’re deep golden brown and slightly caramelized. Your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible.

This step creates what food scientists call the Maillard reaction — the same process that makes roasted chicken taste so much better than boiled chicken. It adds a rich, complex, almost nutty depth to your finished broth.

Chef’s Note: If you’re using bones from a rotisserie chicken that was already roasted, you can skip this step — though a quick 15-minute roast will still enhance the flavor.

Step 2: Prep Your Vegetables

While the bones roast, roughly chop your carrots, celery, and onion. You don’t need precision here — everything gets strained out at the end. Larger pieces actually work better because they release flavor more slowly over the long cook time.

Leave the onion skin on. It gives your broth that gorgeous golden amber color.

Step 3: Build Your Broth

Transfer the roasted bones to your large stockpot. Add all the vegetables, garlic, herbs, and peppercorns. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and then cover everything with 12–14 cups of cold filtered water.

Here’s an important trick: start with cold water, not hot. Cold water helps pull impurities slowly out of the bones, resulting in a cleaner, clearer broth.

Let everything sit for 30 minutes before turning on the heat. This resting period allows the vinegar to start working on the bones.

Step 4: Bring to a Gentle Simmer

Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring it slowly to a near-boil. As the temperature rises, you’ll notice grey, foamy scum rising to the surface. This is coagulated protein — not harmful, but it will make your broth cloudy and can affect the flavor.

Use a ladle or skimmer to skim off all this foam carefully. This step takes about 5–10 minutes but is absolutely worth the effort for a clear, refined, restaurant-quality broth.

Step 5: Low and Slow — The Key to Everything

Once you’ve skimmed the foam, reduce the heat to the lowest setting possible. You want a very gentle simmer — just a few lazy bubbles breaking the surface every few seconds. If your broth boils vigorously, it will turn cloudy and can taste bitter.

Simmer uncovered (or partially covered) for:

Minimum: 8–10 hours
Optimal: 12–18 hours (recommended)
Maximum: 24 hours

The longer you simmer, the richer, more gelatinous, and more flavorful your broth becomes. Serious Eats notes that extended cooking time is what truly separates bone broth from regular chicken stock.

Check the pot occasionally and add a cup of water if the level drops too low. The bones should always be submerged.

Step 6: Strain the Broth

After your broth has simmered to perfection, it’s time to strain. Set a fine-mesh strainer (lined with cheesecloth if you want extra clarity) over a large bowl or second pot. Carefully ladle or pour the broth through the strainer.

Discard the bones and vegetables — they’ve given everything they have to your beautiful broth.

Step 7: Cool, Skim, and Store

Let the strained broth cool at room temperature for about an hour, then transfer to the refrigerator uncovered. Once chilled (2–3 hours or overnight), a layer of solid white fat will form on the surface.

You can either:

Remove the fat layer for a leaner, cleaner broth
Leave some of it for added richness and flavor

Now taste your broth and season with sea salt to your preference. It should be deeply savory, aromatic, and incredibly satisfying.

⭐ Expert Cooking Tips

These chef-tested tips will take your chicken bone broth from good to absolutely extraordinary:

Save bones in the freezer. Keep a zip-lock bag in your freezer and add bones every time you cook chicken. Once the bag is full, you have everything you need for a batch of broth.
Add chicken feet if you can find them. They look unusual, but chicken feet are loaded with collagen and produce the most gloriously thick, gelatinous broth. Many Asian grocery stores carry them.
Don’t boil — simmer. A hard boil agitates the proteins and fats, creating a cloudy, less refined broth. Low and slow is always the right approach.
Taste at the end, not the beginning. The broth reduces and concentrates as it cooks. Season only at the end to avoid over-salting.
The wobble test. Pour a small amount of warm broth into a bowl and refrigerate it. If it sets like Jell-O, you’ve made an incredibly collagen-rich broth. That wobble is the sign of a truly excellent bone broth.
Use a slow cooker for hands-off cooking. Set it on low overnight and wake up to a kitchen that smells like absolute heaven.
Don’t waste the fat. The chicken fat you skim off (called schmaltz) is liquid gold for roasting vegetables or making the most flavorful scrambled eggs of your life.

❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced home cooks sometimes get these wrong. Here’s what to watch out for:

Mistake	Why It’s a Problem	The Fix
Boiling instead of simmering	Creates cloudy, bitter broth	Keep heat on lowest setting
Skipping the vinegar	Less collagen extraction	Always add 2 tbsp ACV
Not roasting bones first	Flat, one-dimensional flavor	Roast at 400°F until golden
Under-cooking the broth	Thin, watery, low in gelatin	Simmer minimum 10–12 hours
Seasoning too early	Over-salted, unbalanced broth	Season only at the very end
Not skimming foam	Cloudy, slightly bitter result	Skim for first 10–15 minutes
Using too much water	Weak, diluted broth	Start with just enough to cover
Storing improperly	Spoilage and waste	Refrigerate promptly; freeze extras

🔄 Variations & Substitutions

How do you make chicken bone broth without a stovetop?

Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth

Add all ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 18–24 hours. Strain and store. This is the most hands-off method and produces a wonderfully rich, gelatinous broth.

Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth

Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot. Set to High Pressure for 3–4 hours, then allow natural release. While faster than stovetop, this method produces a slightly less gelatinous broth — but still absolutely delicious.

Bone Broth Soup Recipe with Chicken

Want to turn your bone broth into a full meal? Add shredded chicken, cooked noodles or rice, fresh herbs, and lemon juice. Season well. You’ve just made the most comforting chicken soup of your life.

What can I substitute in this recipe?

Ingredient	Substitution
Apple cider vinegar	White wine vinegar or lemon juice
Fresh thyme	Dried thyme (use half the amount)
Fresh parsley	Dried parsley or cilantro
Carrots	Parsnips or sweet potato pieces
Whole peppercorns	½ tsp ground black pepper
Chicken bones	Turkey bones, duck bones

🥗 Best Side Dishes & Ways to Use Chicken Bone Broth

Chicken bone broth is one of the most versatile ingredients in your kitchen. Here’s how to use it:

Drink it straight — warm in a mug with a pinch of sea salt and fresh ginger
Classic chicken noodle soup — the obvious and perfect choice
Risotto base — use instead of regular stock for incredible depth
Braising liquid — braise chicken thighs or vegetables in bone broth
Grain cooking — cook quinoa, rice, or farro in broth for extra flavor
Gravy and sauces — reduces beautifully into rich, glossy gravies
Mashed potatoes — replace some of the butter and milk with warm broth
Morning elixir — sip with turmeric and black pepper for a nourishing start

🧊 Storage & Reheating Tips

How long does homemade chicken bone broth last?

Storage Method	Duration
Refrigerator	4–5 days
Freezer (in airtight containers)	Up to 6 months
Freezer (in ice cube trays)	Up to 6 months (convenient portions)

Best storage tips:

Store in wide-mouth mason jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace for freezing
Freeze in ice cube trays for easy single-serving portions — perfect for cooking
Label with the date before freezing
Always refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, per FDA food safety guidelines

How to reheat bone broth:

Stovetop: Heat gently over medium heat — don’t boil
Microwave: Heat in 60-second intervals, stirring between each

🥗 Nutrition Information

Per 1 cup (240ml) serving — approximate values

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	40–50 kcal
Protein	6–9g
Fat	1–3g
Carbohydrates	0–1g
Sodium	95mg (unsalted)
Collagen/Gelatin	4–6g
Calcium	~5% DV
Phosphorus	~3% DV

Note: Nutrition values vary based on bones used, cooking time, and whether fat is removed. According to the USDA FoodData Central, homemade broths made from bones contain higher protein and mineral content than commercially prepared stock.

Is chicken bone broth good for you?
Yes — chicken bone broth is rich in collagen, gelatin, and amino acids like glycine and proline, which research from Healthline suggests may support joint health, gut lining integrity, and skin elasticity. It’s also a good source of easily absorbed minerals including calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

❓ FAQs — People Also Ask

What is the difference between chicken broth and chicken bone broth?

Regular chicken broth is typically made from chicken meat and bones simmered for 1–2 hours. Chicken bone broth is simmered for 12–24 hours, extracting significantly more collagen, gelatin, and minerals from the bones. Bone broth is thicker, richer, and more nutrient-dense than standard broth. When chilled, a good bone broth should gel like Jello — regular broth will not.

How long should you simmer chicken bone broth?

For best results, simmer chicken bone broth for a minimum of 10–12 hours on very low heat. For maximum nutrient extraction and a deeply rich, gelatinous broth, simmer for 18–24 hours. Slow cooker recipes can go up to 24 hours on low without any issues.

Can I make chicken bone broth in an Instant Pot?

Yes, you can make chicken bone broth in an Instant Pot. Use the High Pressure setting for 3–4 hours, followed by a natural pressure release. While faster, Instant Pot bone broth may have slightly less gelatin than a long-simmered stovetop version, but it’s still nutritious and flavorful.

Why did my chicken bone broth not gel?

If your bone broth didn’t gel after refrigerating, it likely means there wasn’t enough collagen-rich material (bones with connective tissue) or it wasn’t cooked long enough. Try adding chicken feet, necks, or joints, and extend your cooking time. The gel indicates high collagen content — it’s a sign of a truly excellent broth.

Can I make chicken bone broth ahead of time?

Absolutely — and you should! Bone broth is ideal for batch cooking and meal prep. Make a large batch on the weekend, portion into jars or freezer bags, and use throughout the week. It stores in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months.

What can I substitute for chicken bones in bone broth?

If you don’t have chicken bones, you can use turkey bones, duck bones, or a mix of poultry bones. For a completely different but equally nourishing alternative, you can make beef bone broth. If you prefer vegetarian options, a rich vegetable broth made with mushrooms, kombu seaweed, and root vegetables can deliver impressive depth of flavor.

Is it safe to leave bone broth simmering overnight?

Yes, it is generally safe to leave bone broth simmering on very low heat overnight as long as you use a pot with enough water and a well-functioning stovetop. However, many home cooks prefer the slow cooker method for overnight cooking as it’s considered safer and more energy-efficient. Always ensure your stove is functioning properly before leaving anything unattended.

Does chicken bone broth help with gut health?

Research suggests that gelatin — a key component of bone broth — may help support the intestinal lining and promote healthy gut function. Healthline’s comprehensive review of bone broth covers the current research on its potential benefits for digestion, joint health, and overall wellness. However, it should be enjoyed as part of a balanced, varied diet.

📋 Recipe Card

🍲 Homemade Chicken Bone Broth Recipe

Detail	Info
Prep Time	15 minutes
Cook Time	12–24 hours
Total Time	12–24 hours 15 minutes
Servings	8–10 cups
Calories	~45 kcal per cup
Cuisine	American / Universal
Course	Broth / Stock / Soup Base
Difficulty	Easy
Method	Stovetop / Slow Cooker / Instant Pot

INGREDIENTS:

2–3 lbs chicken bones (carcasses, necks, feet, or wings)
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 large onion, quartered (skin on)
1 head garlic, halved
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
Fresh parsley bunch (stems included)
2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
12–14 cups cold filtered water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Roast chicken bones at 400°F for 30–40 minutes until golden.
Transfer bones to a large stockpot. Add vegetables, herbs, and vinegar.
Cover with cold water. Rest 30 minutes.
Bring slowly to a near-boil. Skim all foam carefully.
Reduce to lowest simmer. Cook 12–24 hours.
Strain through fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
Cool, refrigerate, remove fat layer.
Season with sea salt. Store or use immediately.

✍️ Final Thoughts

Making your own chicken bone broth at home is one of those kitchen skills that truly changes the way you cook. Once you’ve simmered your first batch — watched it transform from raw bones and vegetables into something deeply golden, aromatic, and almost magical — you’ll wonder how you ever cooked without it.

It’s budget-friendly, deeply nourishing, endlessly versatile, and honestly one of the most satisfying things you can make in your own kitchen. There’s something wonderfully old-fashioned about it, too — the idea that nothing goes to waste, that bones and scraps become something beautiful and nourishing.

Whether you’re making a big pot to sip throughout the week, building the base for the world’s most comforting chicken soup, or just looking for a way to get more collagen into your diet — this recipe has you completely covered.

Give it a try this weekend. Your kitchen will smell incredible. Your body will thank you. And once you taste the difference? You’ll never go back to the carton.

Happy cooking from all of us at DailyRecipeLab! 🍲

📚 Sources & References

Healthline — Bone Broth: Health Benefits, Nutrients, and How to Make It
Healthline — 6 Proven Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
USDA FoodData Central — Nutritional Data for Chicken Broth
FDA — Safe Food Handling Guidelines
Serious Eats — The Secrets to Making a Perfect Chicken Stock
WebMD — Collagen: What It Is, Types, Function & Benefits
BBC Good Food — What Is Bone Broth and Is It Really Good for You?