Honey Free Classic Chicken Stock

Total time4 hr 15 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time3 hr 30 min

4.5

(5)

A deeply golden, aromatic chicken stock is one of those foundational kitchen projects that pays dividends in every soup, braise, and pan sauce you make for weeks afterward. This version builds serious flavor from roasted-skin onions, sweet carrots, celery, and a head of garlic, with tomato paste adding just enough body and color to make the finished liquid feel genuinely restaurant-worthy. The blanching step at the start — boiling the bones briefly, then rinsing them — is the quiet secret behind a stock that stays clear and clean rather than murky and grey. A long, lazy three-hour simmer does the rest, coaxing every bit of richness out of the bones without any rushing. Because the sweetness here comes entirely from vegetables and slow cooking, there's no need for any added sweeteners — this is pure, savory depth from start to finish, with nothing hidden in the ingredient list to worry about. Strain it, chill it overnight, and peel off that solidified fat layer in the morning for a stock that's ready to elevate anything you cook next.

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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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