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Quicker Chicken Broth

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on December 22, 2011

Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Makes 2 1/2 quarts broth plus 3 cups meat

Quicker Chicken Broth

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 pounds chicken leg quarters, cut into 2-inch pieces1 onion, chopped2 quarts water 2 teaspoons salt 2 bay leaves

Before You Begin

A cleaver is the best tool for hacking through the chicken legs. If you don’t have one, use the thick heel end of a heavy-bladed chef’s knife or leave the legs whole and double the simmering time. If you’re not making soup and don’t need meat, you can use any combination of chicken backs and/or wingtips in place of the legs.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of chicken and cook until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl and repeat with remaining chicken. Transfer chicken to bowl with first batch; carefully remove fat from pot and save for another use.
  2. Return chicken to pot along with onion, cover, and cook over low heat until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes. Add water, salt, and bay leaves, and bring to boil over high heat.
  3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until broth is rich and flavorful, about 20 minutes. Strain broth into large bowl and let stand for 10 minutes before defatting. Remove meat from bones, discarding skin and bones, and reserve meat for another use.
Quicker Chicken Broth

Quicker Chicken Broth

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Makes 2 1/2 quarts broth plus 3 cups meat

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 pounds chicken leg quarters, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 pounds chicken leg quarters, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 pounds chicken leg quarters, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Long-cooked traditional broth is easy to prepare but requires five hours of cooking time. Here in our Quicker Chicken Broth, cutting the chicken into small pieces, browning them well, and cooking them for 20 minutes before adding any water gave this broth a rich chicken flavor in a fraction of the time. Chicken legs were a relatively inexpensive option and gave this homemade broth a rich, meaty flavor.

Before You Begin

A cleaver is the best tool for hacking through the chicken legs. If you don’t have one, use the thick heel end of a heavy-bladed chef’s knife or leave the legs whole and double the simmering time. If you’re not making soup and don’t need meat, you can use any combination of chicken backs and/or wingtips in place of the legs.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of chicken and cook until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl and repeat with remaining chicken. Transfer chicken to bowl with first batch; carefully remove fat from pot and save for another use.
  2. Return chicken to pot along with onion, cover, and cook over low heat until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes. Add water, salt, and bay leaves, and bring to boil over high heat.
  3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until broth is rich and flavorful, about 20 minutes. Strain broth into large bowl and let stand for 10 minutes before defatting. Remove meat from bones, discarding skin and bones, and reserve meat for another use.

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