Instant Pot Homemade Chicken Stock

A chicken stock that is rich and flavorful with a complex, depth of flavor that you simply cannot get from the store-bought chicken stock. Now with Instant Pot technology, a recipe that once took 5-6 hours of slow simmering can now be accomplished in 45 minutes. This is a simple recipe with only a handful of ingredients. My Instant Pot Homemade Chicken Stock recipe can be made fresh to be used that day or frozen for up to 3 months before using it. Chicken bones add a tremendous amount of flavor, richness, and color to the stock. Instead of throwing bones in the trash, use them to make something magical. Waste not, want not.

Chicken Stock vs Chicken Broth

Chicken Stock is made only with bones, Chicken Broth is made with meat.

In classic French cuisine, stock plays a pivotal role and is the base from which most savory sauces are created. The collagen in the bones is released during cooking, thickening the stock and giving it a slightly gelatinous characteristic that creates the body, a complex mouthfeel, and depth of flavor.

Whereas stock is the base for sauces, gravy, basting liquids, etc. The broth is ready to eat as is, having a subtler flavor with seasonings that are more finished.

White Stock vs Brown Stock

Both white and brown chicken stock have the same ingredients, a high gelatin content, and are simmered the same. The difference is whether the bones are cooked or not prior to making stock.

• Brown chicken stock is named because the bones and the vegetables are roasted prior to adding to the stockpot. This caramelization adds rich, dark color, and flavor to the chicken stock.
• White chicken stock the bones and vegetables are added to the liquid uncooked. The goal of white stock is to not only have great chicken stock flavor but also to remain clear and nearly colorless during the cooking process.

Can Bones be Frozen and Used Later?

Yes!!! If you’re not ready to make stock today, tomorrow, or even next? Or, perhaps you don’t have enough bones today to make stock today, fear not. Bones can be placed in a freezer bag and held onto for up to 3 months, you can collect bones from several different recipes to collect enough for this recipe. When you have collected enough bones, this Homemade Chicken Stock recipe can be made at your convenience on someday in the future.

Chicken Stock Ingredients

• Bones: Bones and connective tissues are what create the body of good chicken stock. When simmered, the bones release collagen and gelatin proteins which thicken and add richness to the stock. I like to give the larger bones a crack with the back of my chefs’ knife to help release the bone marrow.
• Mirepoix: A mirepoix is a mixture of onions, celery, and carrots that enhance the flavor and aroma of the stock
• Seasonings: Traditional chicken stock seasonings are black peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, garlic, and parsley stems. Salt is not usually added to the stock during cooking. If the stock is to be reduced in its final use, the salt would become overpowering and possibly ruin the finished product. It is up to the Chef to add salt to his recipe at the end.

Should You Peel the Vegetables in Chicken Stock?

Many chicken stock recipes don’t have you remove the skin from the onions, garlic, or peel the carrots. My question to you is, how clean are your vegetables? Even organic vegetables are grown in soil that may be fertilized with cow manure. If you feel that they have been cleaned thoroughly, then it’s up to you not to peel them. Personally, I peel my veggies.

“Stock is everything in cooking. Without it, nothing can be done.”

-Auguste Escoffier

Here is my Instant Pot Homemade Chicken Stock Recipe:

Thank you for visiting my Food Blog. I hope you enjoy my Instant Pot Homemade Chicken Stock recipe! Please come back again soon! Bon appetit, Steven