Rotisserie Chicken Stock

Homemade chicken stock is so easy to make and tastes so much better! Make it in the Instant Pot, stovetop, or in a slow cooker. Just add leftover rotisserie chicken bones, garlic, onion, celery and carrots and you have yourself a flavorful stock for your favorite recipes.

Why You'll Love Homemade Chicken Stock

• It's so easy to make. Toss leftover rotisserie chicken bones with vegetables and aromatics and simmer.
• It requires little to no prep. Just rinse the vegetables and toss them in whole. No need to peel the skin as it provides additional color and flavor to the stock.
• It repurposes leftover chicken bones so there's no wasting that rotisserie chicken carcass!
• It's healthy. Full of nutrients from the bones and vegetables. And you get to control the sodium level.
• It's budget and freezer friendly.

Long story short (TLDR) go make yourself some homemade rotisserie chicken stock.

Ingredients

Ingredient Substitutions

• Chicken bones: Use raw or cooked bones from a whole chicken, wings, thighs, or even a turkey. I usually have a stash of frozen bones from trimming chicken thighs. Just throw them in straight from the freezer! Every year, I take leftover Thanksgiving turkey bones and make stock!

• Vegetables: The classic trio is mirepoix which is onion, celery, and carrots. If you don't have onions, scallions or shallots work well. If you have frozen vegetables, leftover veggie scraps and peels, throw em' in!

• Seasonings: Rosemary, oregano, thyme, or ginger work wonderfully! Dried herbs also work.

Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Stock Instructions

This recipe is simple but so wholesome. Start with rinsing the celery and carrots. You don't need to peel the carrots or garlic cloves. The skin will provide additional flavor to the stock.

Chop off the ends or rinse the onion if it has a little dirt.

The aromatics like bay leaf, black peppercorns and parsley are totally optional and add an additional layer of flavor.

Place all the ingredients in your vessel of choice: Instant Pot, stock pot, or slow cooker.

Instant Pot Method

My favorite way of making chicken stock!

Use the Soup/Broth function on the Instant Pot or pressure cook on high for 1 hour. Let it natural release for 15 minutes then quick release. Be careful as there will be a lot of steam.

You can also let it natural release fully.

The recipe card below has instructions for stovetop and slow cooker methods.

Tips for Straining

• Remove the larger bone pieces from the stock to make it easier.
• Place a fine mesh sieve over a large mixing bowl and strain the stock.
• Strain in batches with a large ladle or measuring cup.
• Use a spoon to push the vegetables into the strainer to release more stock.

Sprinkle a little salt and pepper and enjoy that liquid gold.

Tasty Tips

• Add the rotisserie chicken drippings for free flavor!
• Freeze the leftover rotisserie chicken if you're not ready to make the stock yet. Place the chicken bones in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.
• Skim off the fat if desired. Since we're only using the bones, there should be very little fat on top. Once the stock is refrigerated, the fat will solidify to the top and be easier to remove.
• Leave the stock unsalted if you're going to use it in other recipes. It's more versatile and you can control the salt level.

2 Ingredient Rotisserie Chicken Stock

You can make a basic chicken stock with just the chicken bones and water! The vegetables and aromatics are nice if you have them but are not needed.

This is especially true if you're going to use the stock as a base for other soups where you'll be adding other veggies and seasonings.

FAQs

How do I store rotisserie chicken stock?

Let the stock completely cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

I store mine in recycled glass jars or in plastic quart containers for the freezer.

For smaller portions, place the stock in a muffin tin or ice cube tray then transfer to a freezer safe bag.

This is perfect for those recipes that call for a little bit of chicken stock.

What is the difference between chicken broth and chicken stock?

Although "broth" and "stock" are often used interchangeably, they are made differently, have different consistencies and use cases.

Broth is made from meat and vegetables while stock is made from bones.

Stock is typically thicker and slightly gelatinizes in the fridge because of the collagen in the bones.

Broth is usually used in soups while stock is used for cooking.

I use the terms interchangeably like most people do but am calling this recipe chicken stock because it's made with bones.

Can I add chicken fat and skin to the stock?

Absolutely! I highly recommend it because it adds so much flavor and color to the broth. Don't worry about the extra fat because it's easy to skim off later.

How many chicken bones and how much water water should I use?

You can make this recipe with up to 3x the amount of bones, the more bones the more flavor it will have.

You can use more or less water depending on how light or rich you want the stock to be. If you're using an Instant Pot, make sure the water level stays below the max level.

Recipes with Chicken Stock You'll Love

• Wonton Soup
• Instant Pot Ham & Bean Soup
• Chicken & Broccoli
• Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta