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.
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.
What I Love About This Recipe
Not only does this recipe make great-tasting chicken broth, but I can also use the chicken afterward. This recipe makes the most flavorful chicken broth with just a few ingredients: a whole chicken, bay leaf, onion, and some cardamom pods for flavor. The best part is this chicken broth can be frozen and thawed for use when needed.
Ingredients You'll Need
- 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
- Make sure to have the right water ratio. The broth will be watered down or too rich if the water ratio is incorrect.
- 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.
- Adjust the salt to your preference. If you want to make this low-sodium, then adjust the salt quantity.
- 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.
- Strain the broth. This filters out all of the pieces floating about.
How To Make Low Sodium Chicken Broth
This recipe can be made low sodium by reducing the amount of added salt to the recipe.
How To Freeze Chicken Broth
Make sure the chicken broth has cooled to room temperature. Using a freezer-friendly storage bag (either quart or gallon size), add the chicken broth. Fill the bag half to two-thirds full. Seal the bag tightly. Use a second freezer-friendly storage bag to make sure there are no leaks in the freezer.
How To Thaw Frozen Chicken Broth
Remove the frozen chicken broth from the freezer and place the freezer bag in a bowl with water. 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.
FAQs
Yes, homemade chicken broth and chicken stock are gluten-free. If buying from the store, double-check the ingredient label.
Yes, chicken broth can be frozen for up to 4 months in the freezer. Having a freezer stash is a great way to have homemade broth on demand. Freeze the broth by storing it in freezer-friendly Ziploc bags.
Homemade Chicken Broth
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This easy and flavorful homemade chicken broth is made from a whole chicken. It can be made as a low sodium chicken broth substitute.
Ingredients
- 2.2 lb (1 kg) whole chicken or cut up a whole chicken (with the bones)
- 8 cups water
- 6 cardamom pods
- 1 medium onion
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop the onion into chunks.
- Add the water, chicken, cardamom pods, onion chunks, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to a large stovetop pot.
- Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce to medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Flip the chicken over. Cook for another 30 minutes covered at the same temperature.
- Reduce the temperature to medium-low heat. Cook the whole chicken covered for another 20 minutes. Flip the chicken. Continue to cook for another 20 minutes on medium-low heat covered.
- The whole chicken should be falling off the bones tender.
- Strain the broth from the chicken, onions, bay leaf, and cardamom pods.
Notes
- The chicken meat can be removed from the bone and used in another recipe like curry chicken salad, chicken and vegetable soup, or shredded chicken enchiladas.
- The whole chicken can be roasted in the oven after the broth is made. Mix 1 tbsp of tomato paste, the juice from half a lime, salt, and pepper. Spread this sauce all over the chicken. Bake the chicken at 425 F (220 C). The chicken might be falling apart, so you might have to handle it carefully.
- Add an extra 1 cup of water for every 4 ounces (113 grams) of added chicken weight.
- The nutrition facts do not account for added salt.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Egyptian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 100 calories
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 72 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 22 mg
Keywords: chicken broth, chicken stock, homemade chicken broth, chicken broth with a whole chicken
Leslie Chang says
This is a very delicious light chicken broth with a nice flavor from the cardamom.
★★★★★
Lily says
It's a nice base chicken broth to use for rice and stews.