BHA & BHT Free Classic Chicken Stock
Store-bought broths and stocks are some of the sneakiest sources of synthetic preservatives, with BHA and BHT showing up in shelf-stable cartons and canned versions more often than most people realize. Making your own from scratch is the cleanest workaround, and this slow-simmered version delivers a deeply golden, aromatic result that no carton can match. The process starts with a quick blanch of the bones to pull out impurities before the real cooking begins, which is a small step that makes a big difference in clarity and flavor. From there, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, and a handful of fresh herbs do all the heavy lifting over a long, gentle simmer. Three hours of low heat coaxes out a rich, savory liquid that smells absolutely incredible and tastes like the foundation of every great soup, braise, or sauce you've ever had. Straining, chilling, and skimming the fat at the end gives you a clean, restaurant-quality stock with nothing in it but whole, recognizable ingredients. Batch it up, freeze it in portions, and you'll always have a preservative-free base ready to go.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 3 lb chicken bones and carcass (or a whole 3–4 lb chicken, cut into pieces)
- 2 medium yellow onions, quartered (skin on)
- 3 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 12 cups cold water
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then drain and rinse the bones under cold running water to remove any grey foam or impurities. Rinse the pot clean.
- 2
Return the blanched bones to the clean pot. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and salt. Pour in the 12 cups of cold water — the water should cover the bones by at least 1 inch; add more if needed.
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