Oats Free Classic Chicken Stock

Total time4 hr 15 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time3 hr 30 min

4.5

(5)

A deeply golden, aromatic stock built from chicken bones, sweet carrots, celery, and a whole head of garlic — this is the kind of base that transforms everything it touches, from soups and braises to simple pan sauces. The technique starts with a quick blanch of the bones to pull out any impurities, which is what gives the finished liquid that clean, clear flavor rather than a murky or bitter one. Tomato paste adds a subtle depth and warmth that you'd never quite put your finger on, but you'd definitely notice if it were missing. A long, lazy three-hour simmer does the real work here, coaxing every bit of richness out of the bones without any rushing. For anyone avoiding oats, this is a completely worry-free recipe — every single ingredient is a whole, unprocessed kitchen staple with zero grain-based additives or thickeners hiding anywhere. Store-bought stocks and broths can be surprisingly tricky to vet, so having a homemade batch in the fridge or freezer is genuinely one of the most useful things you can do for your weekly cooking. Make it once on a slow afternoon and you'll wonder how you ever got by without it.

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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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