Easiest Chicken Bone Broth Recipe
…simple joy by simpler living
Jump to RecipeChicken bone broth has amazing healing properties. Back in our grandparents or great- grandparents day it was a staple especially during cold season. Often, it would be cooking from morning till evening, simmering and filling the house with delicious homemade aromas. They served it medicinally and were convinced it helped heal. Over the years, as our modern society became busy and fast food restaurants become plentiful, cooking food from scratch became a rarity, especially bone broths. Also, eating for healing has become an unknown concept to recent generations. It is all coming full circle now, though, that scientific studies are proving that what our grandmothers did was not just old wives’ tales.
Nutritious!
Bone broth not only helps common colds and coughs but also many other ailments. It contains collagen along with a plethora of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. This abundant combination of nutrients is why broth is much more nutritious than a supplement that contains just one or two nutrients. Sally Fallon Morell has much more information in her book Nourishing Traditions. I highly recommend this book as one of your core cookbooks and nutritional guidebooks.
Base for Many Foods
Although you could drink a bowl of broth each day to get all the health benefits, most people do not do that. There are however, many other ways to eat or drink bone broth to reap the benefits. Bone broth can be used as a base to many foods. One of the easiest ways to incorporate broth is as a substitute for water in recipes. It adds a good amount of flavor to staples such as rice or quinoa. You can cook vegetables in it. You can even add some to spaghetti sauce or gravies. There are many, many possibilites to enhance flavor and increase nutrients!
Easy!
Here is a very easy recipe anyone can follow to get the great health benefits of homemade broth. I use a slow cooker because it is safe to keep cooking if I leave my house or when cooking over night. This can also be made in a pot on the stove cooked on low. Here is the slow cooker I have used reliably for many years. It is so easy and safe. And here is the brand new multi-slow cooker I just bought. This new one has a metal pot which can easily go from the fridge to cooker if food is prepared the night before and you just want to pop in in to cook in the morning.
(** For full disclosure, I receive a small affiliate fee through the Amazon links. Although, I only recommend products I actually use and believe in.**)
Simple Way to Store Broth
Pour then freeze
Remove from mold and store in bag
Neatly freeze
After I make a batch of broth, I usually freeze at least part of it to keep it fresh for when I need it. I found two containers to store it in that have proven to be the most convenient. For a larger amount to make a soup later, I freeze in these Rubbermaid plastic containers. For smaller amounts to add to rice or other foods, I found these Souper Cubes are perfect. After pouring in broth and freezing, I pop the frozen broth out and store in freezer bags. It makes it so organized in my freezer and easy to grab to add to meals.
Simple Cooking Routine
Making broth and storing can become so easy once you get into the routine. Then adding it to recipes is quick and easy! It is a very simple way to greatly enhance the nutrition in your home-cooked meals!
Homemade Chicken Bone Broth
Equipment
- 1 Slow cooker/Pot on stove
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1 whole Chicken – using bones (Previously cooked, meat removed)
- 3 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- Water (Enough to cover bones)
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1/4 cup Thyme
- 1/4 cup Parsley
- 2 Onions
- 1 head Garlic
- 4 Carrots
- 4 Stalks Celery
Instructions
- Put chicken bones in a slow cooker/pot.
- Pour apple cider vinegar over bones and let sit 30 min..
- Add enough water to cover bones.
- Add remaining ingredients.
- Cook on low for 12-24 hours.
- Let cool so it is not scalding then drain broth. I sit a colander in my largest bowl and pour it all through to drain.
- Use right away or store in refrigerator or freezer.
List of Broth Cooking Ideas
Bone broth can be one of a few main staples in cooking, simplifying menus and providing a foundation of nutrition upon which to build a meals. To inspire you (and me), I have made a list of some of the many foods that broth can be added to below. I will also be including broth as a base for future recipes posted here too! Leave a comment below with any other ways you have found to enhance foods with nourishing broth!
- Substitute for water when making rice
- Base for soups
- Base for sauces to put over meat or vegetables
- In spaghetti sauce
- As a drink with spices and herbs
- In homemade salad dressing
