Capsaicin 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. For anyone avoiding capsaicin, homemade stock is genuinely worth the effort, because store-bought versions frequently sneak in spice blends, chili extracts, or "natural flavors" that can be hard to verify. Here, every single ingredient is visible and straightforward: aromatics, black peppercorns, tomato paste, and fresh herbs like thyme and parsley do all the heavy lifting without a hint of heat. The blanching step at the start is a small but brilliant move — it pulls out impurities early so the finished stock comes out clear and clean-tasting rather than murky. Three hours of a gentle, unhurried simmer coaxes out rich collagen and deep savory flavor that no carton can replicate. Once chilled, you simply lift off the solidified fat and you're left with a glossy, versatile stock ready to anchor soups, braises, risottos, or sauces — all completely free of anything that burns.

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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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