Nitrate & Nitrite Free Homemade Chicken Bone Broth
Rich, golden, and deeply savory, this homemade chicken bone broth is the kind of kitchen project that makes your whole house smell incredible. Store-bought broths and stocks are notorious for sneaking in preservatives, flavor enhancers, and cured-meat derivatives that can be hard to spot on a label ā making a from-scratch version the smartest move for anyone avoiding nitrates and nitrites. Here, the depth of flavor comes entirely from slow-simmered chicken bones, aromatic vegetables, fresh herbs, and a splash of apple cider vinegar that gently coaxes minerals out of the bones over time. The blanching step at the start is a small but brilliant move ā it clears out impurities so the finished broth is clean, clear, and genuinely beautiful. A long, lazy simmer on the lowest heat does all the heavy lifting, building a lightly viscous, golden liquid that tastes nothing like anything from a carton. Use it as a base for soups, braise your vegetables in it, sip it warm from a mug ā it's endlessly versatile and completely within your control from the first bone to the last ladle.
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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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