Citrus 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, garlic, and a handful of fresh herbs — this is the kind of foundational recipe that makes everything else in your kitchen taste better. What's great here is how naturally it fits a citrus-free approach: no lemon juice, no orange zest, no citrus-forward seasoning of any kind. The depth of flavor comes entirely from the tomato paste, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley, so there's nothing to swap or omit. The blanching step at the start is a small but meaningful move — it pulls out impurities early and keeps the finished stock clean and clear rather than murky. A long, lazy three-hour simmer does the heavy lifting, coaxing every bit of richness out of the bones while your kitchen fills with an incredible savory aroma. Once chilled and skimmed, you'll have a glossy, full-bodied stock ready to anchor soups, braises, risottos, and sauces without a second thought about hidden citrus additives that can sneak into store-bought versions. Make a big batch, freeze it in portions, and you'll always have something genuinely homemade 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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