MSG Free Classic Chicken Stock

Total time4 hr 15 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time3 hr 30 min

4.5

(5)

Store-bought broths and bouillon cubes are notorious for hiding flavor enhancers that have no business being in a simple pot of stock, which makes cooking from scratch the smartest move when you're avoiding added glutamates. This recipe keeps everything completely clean — just chicken bones, fresh aromatics, and cold water doing their slow, honest work over three hours. The blanching step at the start pulls out impurities before the real simmer begins, so you end up with a beautifully clear, golden liquid rather than a murky, bitter pot. Onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and a handful of fresh herbs build a depth of flavor that is genuinely rich without any shortcuts. A low, gentle simmer is the real secret here — keeping the heat down means the fat stays separate and the stock stays clean-tasting rather than greasy or cloudy. Once it's chilled and you lift off that solidified fat layer, what's left is pure, versatile stock you can use in soups, braises, risottos, or sauces with complete confidence about every single ingredient in the pot.

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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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