Make your own chicken stock with that dead chicken! All you need is some time, chicken bones, carrots, celery, and onion. Before you know it, that golden elixir is ready for soups, stews, or pan sauces. Learning how to make chicken stock is easier than you think!.
When my life was less busy and slightly quieter, I would make chicken stock while my children napped and I wrote my book or developed recipes for magazines and websites. This was less a desire and more a need to be resourceful and pinch pennies while eating well. Simmering a batch of homemade chicken stock to use in soup recipes has since become a regular habit folded into the fabric of my life, not quite like breathing but more like making my bed or dropping my kids off at school. Most chicken stock is made from bones and random scraps of vegetables and this recipe follows suit. It can be cooked on the stove in a stock pot or in a slow cooker (more on that here).
In my home I usually add celery, onion and carrots, along with a few herbs and spices for good measure. But truthfully, there are no rules when it comes to what one can add to a pot of chicken bones. To make it sweeter and more caramelized, add roasted garlic. To give it a little bite, add ginger. To give it a hint of anise, add fennel. Like homemade Vegetable Broth, making homemade chicken stock is an easy way to save money, use up what you have on hand and create something healthy and delicious while you’re at it. Italian Wedding Soup, Ratatouille, White Bean and Kale Soup, Pastina, and Avgolemono are just a few of the soups you can make with it. If you’re sick, drink a cup of warm stock. You can also freeze it in an ice cube tray and use it in pan sauces, like this Skillet Onion Chicken recipe.
Chicken soup is one of the most comforting and nourishing foods out there. There’s nothing better than a bowl of homemade chicken soup made from scratch. But to make chicken soup, you first need a chicken carcass.
If you just roasted a chicken for dinner, you can use the leftover carcass right away to make stock. But what if you want to save the carcass for later? How long can you keep a chicken carcass in the fridge or freezer before making chicken stock?
I did some research to find out how long chicken carcasses last, both in the fridge and freezer. Here’s a comprehensive guide on storing chicken carcasses so you can make delicious homemade soup and stock whenever you want.
How Long Does a Raw Chicken Carcass Last in the Fridge?
If you don’t want to cook a whole chicken carcass yet, you can keep it in the fridge for one to two days. When kept in the fridge, the raw chicken carcass will go bad very quickly. Put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge so the juices don’t get on other foods.
It’s best to use the raw chicken carcass as soon as possible. You can cook it into a full chicken dinner or simmer it right away to make chicken stock with any herbs or spices you like.
How Long Does a Cooked Chicken Carcass Last in the Fridge?
If you roast or cook the chicken, the carcass will last a little longer than if it was still raw. The body of a cooked chicken can be kept in the fridge for three to five days before it is used to make soup stock.
Make sure to let the cooked carcass cool completely before refrigerating it You don’t want it to raise the temperature of the fridge and potentially spoil other food Store the cooked chicken carcass in an airtight container or sealed bag to contain any odors.
Cook the chicken bones and add them to a pot of stock within three to five days. The extra meat will give your broth more flavor and nutrients.
Can You Freeze a Chicken Carcass?
Freezing is a great way to save a chicken carcass for many months so you can make stock anytime. Both raw and cooked chicken carcasses freeze well.
To freeze a chicken carcass:
- Let it cool completely before freezing.
- Place the carcass in a freezer bag or airtight container. For raw chicken, double bag it to prevent leaks.
- Remove as much air from the bag as possible before sealing.
- Label the container with the date.
- Freeze for up to 6 months.
Thaw the frozen chicken carcass overnight in the fridge before using. This helps preserve quality and prevents contamination. Once thawed, use within the fridge timelines listed above.
Tips for Storing Chicken Carcasses
Follow these tips to safely store chicken carcasses in the fridge or freezer:
- Refrigerate or freeze the carcass as soon as it has cooled after cooking. Don’t let it sit out too long.
- Place the carcass on the bottom shelf of the fridge so juices don’t drip on other food.
- Use an airtight container or bag when freezing to prevent freezer burn.
- Cooked carcasses develop an off odor quicker than raw. Use cooked carcasses within 3-5 days.
- Raw carcasses last just 1-2 days in the fridge. Cook or freeze them quickly.
- Once thawed, use refrigerated carcasses within the fridge timelines above.
Signs a Chicken Carcass Has Spoiled
A spoiled chicken carcass will have an unpleasant odor, slimy texture, and/or mold growth. Discard the carcass if you notice:
- A strong, foul odor.
- Sliminess or stickiness.
- Visible mold, typically fuzzy green or white spots.
- Darkening and drying around the bones or joints.
Trust your nose above all – if a chicken carcass smells bad, don’t use it. When in doubt, throw it out. Food safety comes first.
Making Chicken Stock From Carcasses
Once you’ve collected 1 or 2 carcasses, here’s a quick process for making homemade chicken stock:
- If using a cooked carcass, remove any remaining meat to use in soup or salads.
- Place the chicken carcass(es) in a large pot. Add any chicken wings, feet, or parts you have for extra collagen.
- Fill the pot with water just to cover the bones. Add a splash of vinegar to help extract nutrients.
- Toss in a halved onion, 2-3 carrots, celery stalks, parsley stems, peppercorns and any other aromatics.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, reduce heat and let the stock gently bubble.
- Simmer for 3-4 hours, skimming foam and fat as it rises to the surface. Add more water as needed.
- Strain out the solids. Let the stock cool before refrigerating or freezing.
Your homemade chicken stock is now ready use in soups, stews, sauces, grains, and more. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 4-6 months.
FAQs
How can you tell if a chicken carcass is still good?
Smell the chicken carcass. It should not have a strong, unpleasant odor. The bones should feel firm and not slimy. If mold is present, it is no longer usable. When in doubt, don’t risk it.
Can you make stock with freezer burned chicken carcasses?
Yes, you can still use chicken carcasses with some freezer burn to make stock. The freezer burn affects surface moisture but not the internal collagen in bones that gives stock body and flavor. Trim any dried out sections before using.
Is it better to use a raw or cooked chicken carcass?
Cooked chicken carcasses make a quicker, milder stock. Raw carcasses require longer simmering to extract more gelatin and nutrients, yielding a richer stock. Combining raw and cooked yields a balanced stock.
Can you use just chicken wings or feet to make stock?
Yes, chicken wings, feet and other bony parts alone can be used to make stock. Thigh bones and backbones also work. For a well-rounded flavor, try to use a mix.
What’s the maximum times you can reuse a chicken carcass for stock?
You can get 2-3 uses out of a single chicken carcass for stock before the bones become too soft and depleted. Make your richest stock the first time, then do lighter subsequent batches. Add fresh aromatics each time.
Conclusion
With proper storage, you can keep fresh chicken carcasses in the fridge for 1-5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months before making them into soup stock. Keep carcasses well contained, watch for spoilage signs, and trust your nose. Then simmer the bones into a nourishing, from-scratch chicken broth. Homemade soup made with your own stock is worth the wait!
How to Make Chicken Stock
Learning how to make chicken stock is easy. To make homemade chicken stock, place chicken bones, vegetables, herbs and spices into a large pot. Cover with cold water then simmer for about 3 hours. Let it cool, then skim the fat. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Take the meat off the chicken body: This is not delicate work. To get the meat off the bones, you have to be ready to get your hands dirty. Don’t forget to turn the bird over and get the meat from the bottom. There is plenty there. Put the meat in a container and put it in the fridge. You can put it on top of a bed of greens, in soup, or with chicken salad. Now to address the bones.
- Put the chicken carcass, bones, skin, and any other bits and pieces into a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, parsley stems, and peppercorns if you’re using them.
- Pour 10 cups of cold water over the ingredients in the stockpot and raise the heat to medium. Wait until you see a low boil, then lower the heat to medium-low (or whatever level you need to keep the stove at for a gentle simmer). You should only let the stock simmer; you should never let it boil. Boiling can separate the fats and proteins, making the stock dark and greasy. Cover with a lid.
- Skim the stock and let it cook for three hours on medium-low heat. About every 45 minutes, check on it and use a spoon to skim off any foam that forms on top. This is not an exact science. It’s fine if you lose track of time and let it steep for 4 hours. You might need to add water because the stock will be stronger. Not enough time? If you only have two hours, you’ll only have a lighter stock. That’s Ok too. There is no room for perfectionists in stock making! .
- Strain the stock: Layer a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth. Place it over a big bowl and pour the stock into the strainer that has been lined. Press on the solids to release any additional liquid. Based on how much it has reduced, you should have 5 to 6 cups of stock when it’s done.
- You can use, store, or freeze this golden elixir made from bones and scraps. Add it to your next soup or freeze it for that rainy day. Put the stock in small containers to help it cool down faster. Let it cool down all the way, then cover it and put it in the fridge. A layer of fat will form on top of stock after it has been in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Go ahead and remove that fat layer. The stock will be gelatinous and wobbly when cold. that’s a good thing. You have five days to use it or freeze it for up to six months.
To make slow cooker chicken stock:
- Add all of the ingredients into your slow cooker.
- Cover with 6 cups of water and turn to high. If you’ll be there in an hour, turn it down to low. If not, just leave it at that. There is less loss of water when you cook it in a slow cooker, so you don’t need as much.
- Hold the lid in place and let it bubble away all day or all night while you sleep.
- When ready, pour the stock through a fine mesh strainer.
- After it’s completely cooled, put it in the fridge or freezer.