This gluten free chicken stock is so rich and flavorful, and is ready to serve alone, or as a base for any of your favorite broth-based chicken soups. My favorite way to use it is to make homemade gluten free chicken noodle soup, and it will also elevate your gluten free chicken and dumplings to new heights.
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What makes this gluten free chicken stock so good?
This chicken broth uses fewer vegetables than chicken, and only dark meat chicken parts. That makes it much more flavorful than if you had more vegetables than chicken.
In fact, it's so rich that you can stretch it a bit by adding some hot water and a bit more salt before serving. The soup is also thick enough with collagen that it partially solidifies when it's cold from the refrigerator, but thins again as soon as it's warmed.
How to make rich homemade chicken stock
This recipe makes rich homemade chicken stock by boiling dark meat chicken like wings, legs, and thighs, including their skin and bones with vegetables, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Making homemade stock is quite simple, but it does make a bit of a mess.
To make it on the stovetop, pile all of the chicken parts, vegetables, and seasonings into a 7 quart stockpot. Cover the ingredients with water, bring to a boil, and simmer on the stovetop for about 2 hours.
To make it in an Instant Pot, the instructions are the same, but the appliance is set to cook for 40 minutes. The timer's counting only begins when the ingredients reach pressure, and when it's done, the pressure is released naturally to allow for a bit more flavor extraction.
When the stock is ready, the whole kitchen will smell like beautiful rich stock, and the meat will be falling off the bone. All the ingredients, including the chicken and vegetables, provide all of their flavor and richness to the water they're boiled in, and you can taste the difference.
The vegetables won't have much flavor left, and you'll discard the bones, skin, bay leaves, and other impurities. But the remaining dark meat is still quite delicious.
All that's left is to skim the fat after the stock cools. You can skim it off with a ladle after it rises to the top, or chill the stock for about 6 hours or until the fat is sold at the top and remove it more easily then.
How to make gluten free chicken stock quickly
Cooking it on the stovetop is very easy, but kind of messy. Using the Instant Pot with the instructions listed below is really very simple, but it still requires that I have a whole chicken in my refrigerator.
If you'd like to make chicken noodle soup without first making stock from dark meat chicken and vegetables, you can use store-bought chicken stock.
You can also use our homemade vegetable bouillon powder that we use in our gluten free ramen recipe instead. Just boil as much water as you'd like soup, and add the bouillon powder to taste. That is going to give you rich flavor.
FAQs
Yes, most chicken broth is naturally gluten free. Always read labels, though, because there can be hidden gluten in certain ingredients that are used to provide flavor.
Yes! According to the company, all of its chicken broth, chicken stock, and chicken bone broth varieties are made with gluten free ingredients and the finished product is analyzed to ensure it does not contain gluten.
No! In the U. S., the nutrition label on Campbell's condensed chicken broth states that it may contain traces of wheat. In Canada, Campbell's chicken broth contains barley in the form of autolyzed yeast extract.
No, you can't make rich homemade chicken stock with only white meat. White meat breasts do not have enough fat and marrow in the bones as dark meat pieces like wings, legs, and thighs. They don't add much richness to the stock, and end up flavorless and almost dry if they're boiled along with the other ingredients.
Yes! Chicken stock freezes very well. You can freeze it in large quantities in a freezer-safe container that has enough space for the stock to expand as it freezes. You can also freeze smaller servings of chicken stock in the wells of an ice cube tray, and defrost as needed.
Yes, you can make the stock without any vegetables, but it will have a less complex, layered flavor. You would at least need a couple bay leaves and the seasonings, and more dark meat chicken, though. If you can't have one of the vegetables, try doubling up on another.
If store-bought stock is not gluten free, it may contain barley in any form, autolyzed yeast extract that is grown on barley (if the stock has that ingredient and it's not marked gluten free, stay away!), or contains traces of wheat from the manufacturing process.
Gluten Free Chicken Stock | Rich, Satisfying Broth
Equipment
- Instant pot optional
- 7-quart stock pot alternative
Ingredients
- 3.5 pounds dark meat chicken parts wings, legs, and thighs (skin on, bone in)
- 3 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
- 5 cloves whole garlic peeled
- 1 large onion (any kind) peeled and quartered
- 1 pound whole carrots (about 2 large) washed, unpeeled and roughly chopped
- ½ pound celery (about 4 medium stalks) washed and roughly chopped (include any leaves)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 quarts water
Instructions
Prepare the stock ingredients.
- In the bowl of an Instant Pot or a very large stockpot (I used a 7-quart pot), place the dark pieces of chicken, the bay leaves, garlic cloves, onion quarters, chunks of carrots and celery, salt and pepper.
- Add enough tap water to nearly fill the pot and cover all the ingredients in water.
To make the stock on the stovetop.
- Place the pot on the stovetop.
- Place the cover on, but askew so that some steam can escape.
- Bring the contents to a boil over medium-high heat and continue to cook until the vegetables are very fork tender and the chicken has begun to separate from the bones (around 2 hours).
- Remove the pot from the stove and uncover it. Allow it to cool until the contents are no longer too hot to handle.
To make the stock in an Instant Pot.
- Plug in your Instant Pot, and return the bowl to the appliance.
- Secure the lid, making sure the vent is set to “seal.”
- Press the “Manual” dial and dial the cooking time to 40 minutes. The pot will take some time to come to temperature and seal.
- Once it has finished cooking, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for as long as you can, then manually release the remaining pressure. The vent will sputter, so cover it with a towel and step back.
- Uncover the pot, and allow the contents to cool until they are no longer too hot to handle.
Finish preparing the stock.
- Remove all the large pieces (vegetables, bones, meat) to a separate bowl.
- Separate as much of the dark meat as you can from the other cooked ingredients, and set it aside to serve either with chicken soup or separately.
- The vegetables will be really soft and rather flavorless, but you can still eat them on their own (don't give to anyone you want to impress). Set them aside.
- Discard the bones, skin, any other chicken parts, and the bay leaves.
Strain impurities.
- Place a metal strainer over glass bowls or jars. Pour the remaining liquid through the strainer into the bowls or jars to strain out any additional impurities.
- Let the containers cool, uncovered.
Skim the fat.
- There are a few ways to skim the fat from the stock. You can let it sit uncovered for a few minutes at room temperature until the fat separates on top.
- Ladle the fat off the top and discard it.
- You can also skim the fat by placing the stock in sealed glass or plastic containers and refrigerating it for about 6 hours or until the fat solidifies on top.
- Remove the fat and discard it.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
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