Honey Free Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock
Rich, golden chicken stock is one of those kitchen staples that transforms everything it touches — from soups and braises to simple pan sauces and risotto. The pressure cooker cuts the usual hours-long simmer down to a single session, pulling deep flavor from chicken backs, necks, and wings along with classic aromatics like carrot, celery, onion, and fresh herbs. A splash of apple cider vinegar is the quiet workhorse here, helping to draw minerals and collagen from the bones so the finished stock has that silky, full-bodied quality you just can't get from a carton. Many store-bought stocks and broths sneak in sweeteners or flavor enhancers that aren't always obvious on the label, so making your own gives you complete control over every single ingredient. The natural pressure release and a pass through a fine-mesh strainer leave you with a beautifully clear liquid that's ready to refrigerate or freeze in batches. Once it chills, you simply lift off the solidified fat layer and you're left with pure, clean stock that's ready whenever a recipe calls for it. Keep a few containers in the freezer and you'll always have a genuinely wholesome base on hand.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 3 lb chicken backs, necks, or a mix of bony pieces (or 1 whole carcass plus 1 lb wings)
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered (skin on)
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 4–5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4–5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 cups cold water (or enough to reach the max fill line)
Instructions
- 1
Add the chicken pieces, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, and salt to the pressure cooker insert. Pour in the cold water until the ingredients are just submerged, stopping at least 2 inches below the max fill line.
- 2
Lock the lid and set the pressure release valve to the sealing position. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes.
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