Ina Garten’s Enchanting Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe

Simmering pots of Ina Garten chicken stock fill kitchens with rich, comforting aromas that speak to the heart of home cooking.

Professional chefs and home cooks alike understand the magic of a truly exceptional stock.

Garten’s method promises depth and flavor that store-bought versions can never match.

Her technique transforms simple ingredients into liquid gold, extracting every ounce of savory goodness from bones and vegetables.

The secret lies in patience and careful selection of fresh, quality ingredients.

Slow-cooking allows complex flavors to meld and intensify, creating a versatile base for soups, sauces, and countless other dishes.

This recipe will become your go-to method for building extraordinary culinary foundations.

Tips & Uses for Ina Garten Homemade Chicken Stock

• Add a splash of white wine or a splash of apple cider vinegar during simmering to enhance the depth and complexity of your homemade chicken stock.
• Replace parsnips with turnips or swap celery for fennel to create unique flavor profiles while maintaining the stock's rich base.
• Save vegetable scraps like onion peels, carrot tops, and herb stems in the freezer to toss directly into future stock batches for zero-waste cooking.
• Pour stock into ice cube trays for perfectly measured small portions, ideal for quick sauce-making or adding instant flavor to dishes without thawing an entire container.
• Roast chicken bones and vegetables before simmering to develop a deeper, more caramelized flavor profile that elevates the entire stock's taste and richness.

How to Serve or Use Ina Garten Homemade Chicken Stock

• Elevate Soup Bases: Transform your homemade chicken stock into rich, flavorful soups by using it as a foundational liquid for classic recipes like chicken noodle, minestrone, or vegetable chowder.
• Boost Risotto and Grains: Swap water with this nutrient-packed stock when cooking rice, quinoa, or risotto to infuse deeper, more complex flavors into your grains.
• Enhance Sauce Preparations: Use the stock as a secret weapon in creating pan sauces, gravies, and reduction sauces for roasted meats, adding depth and professional-quality taste to your culinary creations.
• Upgrade Braising Liquids: Replace plain water with this homemade stock when slow-cooking meats or vegetables, ensuring each bite is packed with robust, savory goodness.

Storage Strategy for Ina Garten Homemade Chicken Stock

• Stock Storage Solutions
• Refrigerate Wisely: Transfer cooled chicken stock into airtight glass or plastic containers, leaving about an inch of space at the top for expansion. Label each container with the date to track freshness easily.
• Freeze for Future Meals: Pour stock into freezer-safe containers or silicone ice cube trays for convenient portioning. Once frozen, transfer cubes to freezer bags for space-saving storage and quick access during cooking.
• Prevent Bacterial Growth: Always cool stock quickly before refrigerating by using an ice bath or spreading it in shallow containers. Never leave stock at room temperature for more than 2 hours to ensure food safety.
• Maximize Flavor Retention: Remove any hardened fat layer before reheating to maintain the stock's clean, rich taste. Gently warm only the amount needed to preserve its delicate flavor profile and nutritional value.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Calories: 50 kcal

Servings: 8

What Goes into Ina Garten Homemade Chicken Stock

• Whole Chicken: Provides rich, deep flavor base and natural gelatin for luxurious stock texture.
• Chicken Parts: Adds extra depth and complexity to the stock's overall taste profile.

• Onions, Carrots, Celery: Classic mirepoix blend creating foundational savory undertones.
• Parsnips: Optional sweet-earthy element that softens stock's intense flavor.
• Garlic: Brings robust, warming notes and subtle pungent complexity.

• Parsley: Bright, fresh green notes that lift the stock's overall profile.
• Thyme: Earthy, slightly minty herb that adds sophisticated herbal dimension.
• Dill: Delicate, tangy herb providing subtle botanical freshness.

• Salt: Enhances and balances all ingredient flavors.
• Peppercorns: Introduces gentle, warm spiciness and subtle heat.

• Water: Neutral medium that extracts and harmonizes all ingredient essences.

Must-Have Equipment for Ina Garten Homemade Chicken Stock

• Large Stockpot (16-20 quarts): Essential for making the chicken stock, ensuring enough space for ingredients and water.
• Colander or Fine-Mesh Sieve: Perfect for straining the stock and separating solids from the liquid.
• Measuring Cup: Helps accurately pour 7 quarts of water into the stockpot.
• Sharp Kitchen Knife: Needed for chopping vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery.
• Wooden Spoon or Ladle: Great for skimming foam and stirring during the simmering process.
• Storage Containers: Useful for cooling and storing the finished chicken stock in the refrigerator or freezer.

How to Make Ina Garten Homemade Chicken Stock from Scratch

• Stockpot Selection

Choose a spacious pot that can comfortably hold all your ingredients and plenty of water, ensuring ample room for simmering and extracting rich flavors.

• Ingredient Harmony

Combine fresh whole chickens with aromatic vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery, along with fragrant herbs that will infuse deep, complex notes into your liquid gold.

• Water and Heat Transformation

Pour cool water over the ingredients, allowing it to slowly come to a gentle bubbling state, which helps release all the delicious essences without harsh boiling.

• Patient Simmering

Let the mixture breathe and slowly develop its flavor profile over several hours, occasionally skimming away any foam that rises to the surface to ensure clarity and cleanliness.

• Liquid Treasure Extraction

Carefully separate the flavorful liquid from the spent ingredients using a fine strainer, capturing only the pure, golden stock in your container.

• Storage and Preservation

Cool the stock completely, then store in sealed containers in the refrigerator for quick use or freeze for future culinary adventures, preserving its vibrant taste and nutritional value.

Silky Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe

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4.5 from 19 reviews

• Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

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Description

Ina Garten’s homemade chicken stock elevates home cooking with rich, deep flavors from simple ingredients. Simmering bones, vegetables, and herbs creates a liquid gold foundation for countless recipes you’ll treasure in your culinary repertoire.

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Ingredients

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• 3 whole roasting chickens (5 lbs or 2.27 kg each)
• 3 large yellow onions, unpeeled, quartered
• 6 carrots, unpeeled, halved
• 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut in thirds
• 4 parsnips, unpeeled, cut in half (optional)
• 20 sprigs fresh parsley
• 15 sprigs fresh thyme
• 20 sprigs fresh dill
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled, cut in half crosswise
• 2 tbsps kosher salt
• 2 tsp whole black peppercorns

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Instructions

1. Preparation: Combine whole chickens, yellow onions, orange carrots, pale green celery, optional ivory parsnips, fresh green parsley, fragrant thyme, delicate dill, aromatic garlic, kosher salt, and dark peppercorns in a 16–20 quarts stockpot.
2. Initial Boiling: Pour cold water into the stockpot, completely covering all ingredients. Heat to a rolling boil over medium-high temperature, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer.
3. Flavor Development: Maintain uncovered pot on low heat for 4 hours, periodically removing white foam and cloudy impurities with a fine mesh skimmer. Allow ingredients to slowly release their rich, complex flavors into the liquid.
4. Straining: Remove pot from heat and carefully strain the golden stock through a sturdy colander or fine-mesh sieve into a clean container. Discard spent vegetables and chicken pieces, preserving only the pure, aromatic liquid.
5. Cooling and Storage: Let stock cool to room temperature, then transfer to individual containers. Refrigerate overnight to settle flavors, ensuring the stock can be used within 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months for future culinary adventures.

Notes

• Strain Carefully: Use a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to ensure a crystal-clear, sediment-free stock with maximum flavor intensity.
• Temperature Control: Maintain a gentle simmer to prevent cloudy stock and preserve delicate flavors without boiling vigorously.
• Skimming Technique: Remove foam and impurities consistently to achieve a clean, pure liquid with rich, concentrated taste.
• Storage Strategy: Cool completely before refrigerating, and use airtight containers to preserve freshness and prevent flavor contamination.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
• Method: Simmering
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 8
• Calories: 50
• Sugar: 1 g
• Sodium: 640 mg
• Fat: 2 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 1.5 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 6 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 7 g
• Cholesterol: 25 mg