Caffeine Free Classic Chicken Stock

Total time4 hr 15 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time3 hr 30 min

4.5

(5)

A deeply golden, slow-simmered stock built from chicken bones, sweet carrots, celery, onion, and a handful of fresh herbs, this is the kind of foundational recipe that makes everything else taste better. The blanching step at the start is a small but brilliant move — it pulls out impurities early so the finished liquid is clean, clear, and genuinely beautiful. A low, patient simmer over three hours coaxes every bit of flavor from the bones without turning the stock cloudy or bitter. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of caffeine, so there's no label-reading required and no sneaky additives to worry about. Tomato paste adds a subtle depth and warmth that rounds out the broth in a way that feels almost restaurant-quality. Once chilled and skimmed, you'll have a rich, versatile stock ready to anchor soups, braises, risottos, or sauces all week long. Make a big batch, freeze it in portions, and you'll always have something genuinely good on hand.

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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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