Name: Slow-Cooker Chicken Stock
Total time: 10 h
Ingredients: 3 quarts water; 2 1/2 pounds roasted chicken bones; 1 onion , chopped; 2 carrots , peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks; 2 celery ribs , chopped; 1 teaspoon black peppercorns; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 bay leaf

Why This Recipe Works

Homemade chicken stock elevates every recipe that calls for stock. For our slow cooker version, we pile leftover chicken bones, celery, carrot, and onion in the slow cooker, submerge everything in 3 quarts of water, and then set it to cook and walk away. The slow cooker prevents evaporation and helps keep the bones submerged. Once it’s done, we refrigerate the cooled stock until the fat rises to the top and solidifies, when it’s easy to pop off and discard.

Before You Begin

This stock is great to use in our recipe for Matzo Ball Soup (see related content) or in any of our recipes calling for chicken broth. You can freeze chicken carcasses one at a time until you have the 2 1/2 pounds needed for this recipe; three to four rotisserie chicken carcasses or one 6-pound roaster carcass will weigh about 2 1/2 pounds. This recipe was developed using bones from cooked chicken.

Instructions

Place all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 8 to 10 hours.

Let stock cool slightly, then strain through fine-mesh strainer set over large bowl. Use immediately or let cool completely, then refrigerate until cold. (When cold, surface fat will solidify and can be easily removed with spoon.) Stock will keep, refrigerated, for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.