How to Make Rich Chicken Stock with Pasture-Raised Chicken Backs and Carcasses

Chicken backs and carcasses are not the flashiest cuts in the freezer, but they may be one of the most useful.

At Wormuth Farm, we often have a good supply of pasture-raised chicken backs and carcasses because customers naturally reach first for breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings, and whole chickens. But if you like cooking at home, these humble cuts are exactly what you want for making rich, flavorful chicken stock.

A good homemade chicken stock can become soup, gravy, risotto, pot pie, pan sauce, ramen broth, rice, beans, braised greens, or the base of a simple weeknight meal. It is also one of the best ways to use the whole bird well.

If you have never made chicken stock before, the process is simple: bones, water, aromatics, gentle heat, and time.

Why Use Chicken Backs and Carcasses for Stock?

Chicken backs and carcasses are ideal for stock because they contain bones, connective tissue, bits of meat, skin, and cartilage. All of that contributes flavor and body.

A boneless chicken breast will not give you stock. It gives you lean meat. For stock, you want the parts of the bird that have structure: backs, carcasses, necks, feet, wing tips, and bones.

Pasture-raised chicken makes especially good stock because the flavor tends to be deeper and more chicken-forward than bland supermarket poultry. You do not need to do anything fancy. The ingredients do most of the work for you.

Chicken Stock vs. Chicken Broth

People often use the words stock and broth interchangeably, and that is fine for everyday cooking.

Technically, stock is usually made from bones and connective tissue. Broth is often made more from meat. Stock tends to have more body, especially when chilled, and it works beautifully as a base for soups, sauces, gravies, and braises.

For home cooking, do not worry too much about the terminology. If you simmer pasture-raised chicken backs and carcasses with water and aromatics, you are going to end up with something useful and delicious.

Basic Ingredients

You do not need a long ingredient list.

Use this as a starting point:

• 2 to 4 pounds chicken backs, carcasses, necks, or other bones

• 1 large onion, halved

• 2 carrots, roughly chopped

• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

• 2 bay leaves

• A few black peppercorns

• A splash of apple cider vinegar, optional

• Cold water

You can also add garlic, parsley stems, thyme, leeks, shallots, or vegetable scraps.

Avoid strong vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and too many bitter greens. They can take over the flavor of the stock.

Optional Step: Roast the Bones First

You can make chicken stock with raw backs and carcasses, and it will be excellent.

But if you want a deeper, more roasted flavor, roast the bones first.

Spread the chicken backs and carcasses on a sheet pan and roast at 400°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until they are browned. Then move everything into your stockpot, including any browned bits from the pan.

This step is optional, but it gives the finished stock a richer color and flavor.

Stovetop Chicken Stock Method

Place the chicken backs and carcasses in a large stockpot. Add the onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, and any herbs you are using.

Cover with cold water by about 1 to 2 inches.

Bring the pot just to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat. You do not want a hard boil. A slow simmer gives you a cleaner, better-tasting stock.

Simmer for 4 to 6 hours. For a lighter stock, 3 to 4 hours is enough. For a richer stock, go longer.

As it cooks, skim off any foam that rises to the top. This is not complicated or urgent, but it helps keep the stock clearer.

When the stock tastes good, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the bones and vegetables.

Slow Cooker Chicken Stock Method

A slow cooker is one of the easiest ways to make chicken stock.

Add the chicken backs and carcasses, vegetables, herbs, and water to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 12 to 18 hours.

This is a great overnight method. You can start the stock after dinner, let it cook slowly, and strain it the next morning.

Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot Method

For a faster version, use a pressure cooker.

Add the chicken backs and carcasses, vegetables, herbs, and water to the pot. Do not fill above the max line.

Cook on high pressure for 90 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally if you have time.

This method gives you a rich stock quickly and is especially useful if you want homemade stock without keeping a pot on the stove all day.

Should Chicken Stock Gel?

Sometimes homemade chicken stock turns into a soft gel when refrigerated. That is a good sign. It usually means the stock extracted gelatin from the bones, cartilage, skin, and connective tissue.

Chicken feet, necks, backs, and carcasses are especially helpful if you want a stock with more body.

If your stock does not gel, do not worry. It can still taste excellent. The amount of water, cooking time, and mix of bones all affect the final texture.

How to Store Homemade Chicken Stock

Once strained, cool the stock quickly and refrigerate it.

Homemade chicken stock will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days.

For longer storage, freeze it. Quart containers are useful for soup. Smaller containers or silicone trays are great for sauces, rice, beans, and quick weeknight cooking.

A practical trick is to freeze some stock in 1-cup portions. That way you do not have to thaw a whole quart when you only need a little.

Ways to Use Homemade Chicken Stock

Once you have homemade stock in the freezer, you will find uses for it everywhere.

Use it for:

• Chicken soup

• Chicken pot pie

• Gravy

• Pan sauces

• Risotto

• Rice or farro

• Beans

• Braised greens

• Ramen bowls

• Mashed potatoes

• Stuffing

• Slow-cooked roasts

• Any recipe that calls for broth

Even simple rice cooked in homemade chicken stock tastes better than rice cooked in plain water.

A Good Use for the Whole Bird

One of the things we care about at Wormuth Farm is using the animal well.

Customers love the familiar cuts, and we do too. Chicken breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings all have their place. But the less popular cuts are often where some of the best cooking happens.

Chicken backs and carcasses are not leftovers. They are ingredients.

They are the beginning of soup on a cold day, gravy for a Sunday dinner, stock for a pot pie, or the base of a meal you have not planned yet.

Stock Up on Chicken Backs and Carcasses

If you want to make your own chicken stock at home, pasture-raised chicken backs and carcasses are one of the best places to start.

Wormuth Farm offers pasture-raised chicken backs, carcasses, necks, feet, and other stock essentials when available.

Shop pasture-raised chicken stock essentials here:
https://wormuthfarm.com/collections/pastured-raised-chicken-stock-essentials

You can also shop our pasture-raised chicken collection here:
https://wormuthfarm.com/collections/pasture-raised-chicken

Local pickup is available at Wormuth Farm in Wantage, New Jersey. Local pickup customers can use promo code LOCALPICKUP for 10% off.