• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • By Energy Requirement
    • By Time Commitment
    • By Dirty Dishes Produced
    • Appetizers
    • Entrees
    • Breads
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Sauces and Seasonings
  • Blog

Avidly Ravenous

January 22, 2021

How to Make Chicken Stock from Scraps

FacebookTweetPin
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

One of my favorite ingredients to have on hand is a high quality chicken stock. My favorite way to procure that stock? Make it with my scraps! How many dishes do you make that use onion, carrot, celery, garlic, mushrooms, or fresh herbs? I'd be willing to bet quite a few. Now, stop throwing away all those taste morsels. Whenever you peel or trim, simply pop that bit in a sealable bag and store it in your freezer until you've got at least half a gallon bag worth of scraps.

Chicken stock in a plastic freezer container.

What to add and avoid in your chicken stock

There are a few vegetable scraps that you'll want to avoid for this. Brassicas (Asparagus, kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc.) will contribute a bitter flavor to your stock. Potatoes are ok in small quantities but too many can contribute too much starch. Additionally, any spoiled bits of vegetable do not belong in your scrap bag. Compost those suckers; the microbes will thank you.

To get a a rich chicken stock you'll also need some chicken bones...and it doesn't hurt to have skin, fat, and extra bits of meat. I like to make a whole roast chicken for dinner and after I've picked all the meat off, I use the extra bits for this stock. Otherwise, you can save chicken bones and fat each time you trim chicken for another meal. Just freeze those bits like your vegetable scraps. And if anyone asks you why you keep freezing bones...well, I guess, just wink at them? They'll probably become uncomfortable and stop asking stupid questions. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life anyway.

Alright, you've got your frozen vegetable scraps and bones. All that's left now is some basic seasonings, namely bay leaves, black peppercorns, and salt. You'll throw all of your scraps, the bay leaves, and pepper in a large stock pot and cover it all with water. Then, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and go poke your kids, or husband, or pets -look, I don't care who you poke- for a couple of hours. Strain out your scraps, add salt to taste, and you'll be ready to freeze your own homemade chicken stock!

An over head shot of the chicken stock cooking with all the vegetables floating on top.

In my stock pot I am able to add about 5 quarts of water, resulting in roughly 4 quarts (a gallon) of stock. That amount of stock usually lasts me until I have filled another freezer bag of scraps. Now, stop wasting your scraps, put your stock pot to use, and stop buying chicken stock. Your taste-buds, wallet, and that pesky sense of guilt over slowly ruining the planet will all thank you.

Keep your belly full, your mind engaged, and your heart open.




Lillian

Low-Waste Homemade Chicken Stock

Use your vegetable and chicken scraps to make a rich, low-salt homemade stock for the base of all your soups.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 3 hours hrs
Course chicken, Soup
Servings 4 Quarts

Equipment

  • Large stock pot and a Strainer

Ingredients
  

  • ½-1 gallon frozen vegetable scraps
  • 1 chickens worth of bones, skin, fat, and extra meat
  • 2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 quarts water or enough to cover all scraps in your pot
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place vegetables and chicken in the bottom of a large stockpot
  • Pour enough water into the pot to cover all scraps
  • Add in peppercorns and bay leaves
  • Bring pot contents to a boil
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer, very lightly, for 3 hours, uncovered
  • Strain stock to remove all scraps. You can use cheese cloth to create a clearer stock if desired.
  • Salt stock to taste. Remember that this is a base and should not be excessively salty.
  • Allow to cool in the fridge overnight
  • Separate stock into volumes that you'll be likely to use and freeze
Keyword broth, chicken, low-salt, low-waste, rich, soup, stock
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Soups

  • A bowl of black bean and beef chili topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, and cilantro.
    Beef and Black Bean Chili
  • Text reads: eleven cozy winter soups. Pictures are wild rice, lentil, and tortellini soups and chicken stock.
    11 Comforting Winter Soup Recipes
  • Meat scrap pho with thai basil and cilantro,
    Low Waste Meat Scrap Pho
  • A close up of creamy sausage and tortellini soup
    Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Spinach

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Garlic Butter Whole Chicken - Avidly Ravenous says:
    April 12, 2021 at 5:59 pm

    […] of its meat, the rest of the chicken leftovers can be simmered with vegetable scraps to make homemade chicken stock– one of my favorite ingredients to have on hand. It’s a true low-waste miracle (can I […]

    Reply
  2. Healing Chicken Noodle Soup - Avidly Ravenous says:
    April 15, 2021 at 6:07 pm

    […] ingredients in this soup, so the key is a richly flavored broth. That is why I encourage you to use homemade chicken broth. I know, I know, work is crazy, the cat is clawing at your leg, your tiny humans are screeching in […]

    Reply
  3. Sausage and Spinach Tortellini Soup - Avidly Ravenous says:
    May 4, 2021 at 9:01 am

    […] amorphous puddle. Maybe you want to give your future self a bit of a morale boost. Try using homemade chicken stock in this recipe, for a little extra flavor. Or serve up this creamy soup with a few slices of French […]

    Reply
  4. Low Waste Meat Scrap Pho - Avidly Ravenous says:
    July 2, 2021 at 8:02 am

    […] Have extra vegetable scraps? Make your own chicken stock. […]

    Reply
  5. Garlic Butter Roast Chicken - Avidly Ravenous says:
    October 5, 2021 at 8:02 pm

    […] end there. After stripping the meat, simmer the rest of the chicken with vegetable scraps to make homemade chicken stock. It is a true low-waste miracle (can I get a Hallelujah). On that note, there’s really no […]

    Reply

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Twitter

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Avidly Ravenous on the Brunch Pro Theme

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required