Homemade Chicken Broth Recipe

Think of this homemade chicken broth recipe as the foundation of a house. If the base is strong, everything you build on top of it tastes better.

It starts with a simple blanching step that helps clean the chicken, remove impurities, and create a clearer, golden broth you can use in soups, sauces, rice, stews, and so much more.

It is simple, practical, and so much better than the boxed version.

Much better.

I drink this chicken broth warm, straight from a mug, whenever I'm fighting a flu or just feeling run down.

I can't point to a scientific study that proves it helps, but the warmth and the smell alone feel like medicine to me.

And maybe that's enough.

 I also keep a stash in the freezer at all times — usually 2 cups per ziplock bag — so I always have it ready for rice, soups, or stews.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Homemade Chicken Broth
• Recipe Ingredients
• Ingredients Notes
• How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth Recipe Step by Step.
• Recipe Tips for Success
• How to Use This Chicken Broth
• Storage and Reheating
• Additions and Substitutions
• FAQ - Your Questions Answered
• Are you ready to elevate your cooking with this Homemade Chicken Broth?
• My Other Recommendations for You

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Chicken Broth

• The blanching step helps remove impurities before the broth starts cooking, giving you a cleaner-looking and cleaner-tasting broth.

• Use it for soups, sauces, rice, stews, moles, or anywhere a recipe calls for chicken broth.

• It’s perfect for meal prep. Make a big batch, freeze it in portions, and thaw only what you need whenever a recipe calls for chicken broth.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this homemade chicken broth recipe.

Ingredients Notes

• Chicken pieces. For this recipe, I used chicken legs, drumsticks, and wings. These cuts add more flavor and body than chicken breast. Wings, especially, are great because they contain collagen and help give the broth a slightly richer texture.

• Skin-on vs. skinless chicken. You can use chicken with or without skin. Chicken with skin will give you a richer broth, but it may also make it greasier. Chicken without skin gives you a lighter broth, which is what I personally prefer.

• Herb bouquet trick. To make life easier, tie the thyme, cilantro, and bay leaves together with kitchen twine, also called butcher’s twine. That way, once the broth is done, you can remove the herbs easily without chasing little leaves around the pot like it’s a kitchen treasure hunt 🙂

How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth Recipe Step by Step.

Below is a quick summary of how to make this recipe. For complete details, please refer to the recipe card below.

Step 1. Blanch the chicken. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken pieces, making sure they are fully covered with water.

Let the chicken boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and discard any foam that forms on top. Drain the chicken and set it aside.

Step 2. In a separate pot, add 8 cups of water and place it over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, thyme, cilantro, bay leaves, allspice, and the blanched chicken pieces.

Step 3. Bring the broth to a light rolling boil and cook uncovered for 2 hours. Remove any foam that may form on top.

Step 4. After 2 hours, turn off the heat and remove the chicken from the pot. Strain the broth to remove the vegetables, herbs, and any remaining solids.

You will be left with a clean, homemade chicken broth ready to use in soups, sauces, stews, rice, or any recipe that calls for chicken broth.

Recipe Tips for Success

• Keep it at a light rolling boil. You want the broth to gently bubble, but not boil aggressively. A hard boil can make the broth look cloudy and can also reduce the liquid too quickly.

• Check the broth after 1 hour. Because this broth cooks uncovered, some water will evaporate. After the first hour, take a quick look and add up to 1 cup of water if needed.

• DON'T add Salt. This broth is meant to be a base for other recipes, so season the final dish instead — it gives you more control.

How to Use This Chicken Broth

This homemade chicken broth is one of those recipes that quietly makes everything better.

You can use it in:

Red Mexican Rice
Red Mole Sauce
Potato and Leek Soup
Caldo de Pollo
Caldo Tlalpeño
Chicken soups
Stews
Sauces
Rice dishes

Use it anywhere you would normally use store-bought chicken broth, but expect a cleaner and more homemade flavor.

Storage and Reheating

Let the broth cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze the chicken broth for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing it in portions so you do not have to thaw a big container when you only need a little bit.

TIP: For small amounts, freeze the broth in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. This is perfect when you only need a splash of broth for sauces, rice, or reheating leftovers.

To reheat the broth, in a small pot over medium heat, reheat it until hot. You can also reheat it in the microwave in a microwave-safe container.

Additions and Substitutions

• Add black peppercorns. If you don't have allspice, black peppercorns are a great swap. They add a mild, clean heat that works well with the rest of the ingredients.

• Add leek. Leek gives the broth a soft onion-like flavor and works very nicely with the celery and carrot.

• Go easy on extra herbs. This broth already has a balanced herb profile with thyme, cilantro, and bay leaves. If you add more, stick to mild options. Avoid oregano and basil — both are too strong and will overpower the broth rather than complement it.

• Cilantro vs. parsley. You can swap the cilantro for parsley if that's what you have on hand. Both work well in this broth — cilantro gives it a slightly more aromatic, Mexican-style flavor, while parsley keeps it more neutral and classic.

FAQ - Your Questions Answered

Are you ready to elevate your cooking with this Homemade Chicken Broth?

It's your decision.

I can guarantee that anything you make with this chicken broth will taste so much better.

Much better.

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