How To Make Chicken Broth With A Whole Chicken

Homemade chicken broth is very easy to make, and in my opinion, tastes much better than store-bought carton chicken broth. It's very easy to make low sodium chicken broth as well when you are making it from scratch.

If you're wondering how to make the most flavorful chicken broth, this is it! I use a whole chicken, bay leaf, onion, and some cardamom pods for flavor. Also, the whole chicken can be roasted or shredded afterward. So, this broth is really a win-win situation.

I use this broth for taro root stew, khobiza, mahshi crumb, mulukhiyah, or when making rice. I also like making duck broth from scratch when I want a really rich broth.

Ingredients

• Whole chicken: The chickens are really small where I live in Abu Dhabi, so I typically use a 2.2 lb (1 kg) chicken. You can use a larger chicken and adjust the water ratio. For every additional 4 ounces (113 grams) of chicken, add an extra cup of water. So, if you have a 2.7 lb chicken, you will need to add an extra 2 cups of water to this recipe. I recommend using a whole chicken with the bones, skin, and meat.
• Medium onion: Any onion can be used.
• Whole cardamom pods: You can find whole dried cardamom pods in the spice section of the grocery store.
• Bay leaf
• Water: I like to use filtered or distilled water for my broth. Tap water throws the taste off a bit.
• Salt and pepper to taste

You will also need:

• Chef's knife and cutting board
• Large stovetop pot
• Strainer

Tips For Making Broth

1. Make sure to have the right water ratio. The broth will be watered down or too rich if the water ratio is incorrect.
2. Use a whole chicken. You can also use a whole chicken that's cut up into pieces. However, make sure the whole cut-up chicken is with bone, skin, and meat.
3. Adjust the salt to your preference. If you want to make this low-sodium, then adjust the salt quantity.
4. Cook on medium-high for the first half, then medium-low for the second half. I don't know why this makes the broth so tasty, but I've noticed a difference using a lower temperature for the second half of cooking.
5. Strain the broth. This filters out all of the pieces floating about.

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Is Chicken Broth Gluten-Free?

Yes, homemade chicken broth and chicken stock are gluten-free. If buying from the store, double-check the ingredient label.

How To Make Low Sodium Chicken Broth

This recipe can be made low sodium by reducing the amount of added salt to the recipe.

Can Chicken Broth Be Frozen?

Yes, chicken broth can be frozen. In fact, this is my preferred way of keeping broth or stock on hand because it can up to 4 months in the freezer.

Also, homemade chicken broth is better tasting than store-bought carton chicken broth. Having a freezer stash is a great way to have homemade broth on demand.

Freeze the broth by storing it in a quart-size freezer-friendly Ziploc bags. Make sure the bag is closed well, so there's no chance for leaks. You can double bag the chicken stock if concerned about the durability of the bag.

When you need to use the frozen chicken stock, just remove it from the freezer and place the plastic bag in a bowl. The broth will partially thaw making it easy to remove from the plastic bag. Sometimes I cut the bag with scissors to speed up the process.

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