Barley Free Homemade Chicken Bone Broth
Rich, golden, and deeply savory, this homemade chicken bone broth is the kind of kitchen staple that makes everything it touches taste better ā from soups and stews to simple weeknight grains. Store-bought broths and stocks often contain hidden grain-derived additives, flavor enhancers, or thickeners that can be a real concern, so making your own from scratch puts you fully in control of every single ingredient. Here, it's just chicken bones, fresh vegetables, herbs, and a splash of apple cider vinegar, which works to draw minerals out of the bones during a quiet rest before the heat even comes on. The blanching step at the start is a small but brilliant move ā it pulls out impurities first so your finished broth comes out clear and clean rather than murky. A long, lazy simmer of three to four hours is where the magic happens, coaxing out a light, slightly viscous body and that unmistakable golden color. Once strained and chilled, it keeps beautifully in the fridge and is endlessly useful as a base for whatever you're cooking next.
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Learn more āIngredients
8 servings
- 3 lb chicken bones and carcasses (backs, necks, wings, or a mix)
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 10ā12 cups cold water, or enough to cover by 1 inch
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the chicken bones in the stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then drain and rinse the bones under cold running water, discarding the blanching liquid. Wipe out the pot. This step removes impurities that would cloud the finished broth.
- 2
Return the rinsed bones to the clean pot. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, salt, and ginger (if using). Pour in enough cold water to cover everything by about 1 inch (10ā12 cups). Let the pot sit, uncovered, for 20 minutes ā the vinegar begins drawing minerals from the bones during this rest.
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