Slow Cooker Homemade Chicken Broth

Make your own Homemade Chicken Broth with this easy, step-by-step recipe. With just a few ingredients like a rotisserie chicken, veggies, herbs, and spices; you'll have a cozy batch of the most fresh and flavor-loaded chicken broth to use in a variety of everyday cooking. This chicken broth recipe is super fragrant, extra delicious, and so much better than store-bought! Freezing notes are provided, too!

📝 Ingredients

• 1 whole store-bought rotisserie chicken, about 3-4 lbs, see notes
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into quarters
• 3 carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 cloves of garlic, crushed open
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 stems fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 8 cups (64 ounces) filtered water, cold or room temperature

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Prep chicken: Cut the chicken (or use your hands with disposable gloves as needed) to break the whole chicken apart into rough pieces.
2. 2Assemble the broth: Place the chicken pieces, onion, carrots, and celery into a slow cooker vessel (at least 6 quarts in capacity). Then add the salt. If you have a sachet bag, place the bay leaves, garlic, fresh thyme + rosemary, and black peppercorns into it, tighten, and place it into the slow cooker as well. Otherwise, you can just add those items loosely to the pot with everything else. Lastly, cover the ingredients with water.
3. 3Slow cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours– until the chicken is falling apart, the veggies are silky-tender, and the broth is deeply fragrant.
4. 4Cool broth & solids: After simmering, use a slotted utensil to remove the broth contents, transferring them to a rimmed baking sheet or large bowl- do not discard just yet. Let the broth + solids cool down to room temperature or enough to handle.
5. 5Strain broth: Use a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to strain the broth + solids over a large bowl. I like to firmly press on the broth solids while in the sieve/cheesecloth to extract every glorious drop of goodness, ensuring the solids are bone-dry! Then discard the solids + aromatics.
6. 6Storing broth: Transfer and divide the chicken broth into deli containers, mason jars, or any vessel(s) you’d like that can be fitted with an airtight lid. For good measure, be sure to label and date the broth. Refrigerate broth overnight. The next day, skim off any accumulated fat from the top of the broth (or keep the fat cap in place!). This recipe makes 64 ounces (or 8 cups) of chicken broth. Use refrigerated broth within 4-5 days. To freeze: Make sure broth is in freezer-safe containers (ensuring that there is about 1-inch of room at the top in vessel(s) for broth expansion). Chicken broth can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months. When ready to use, simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Enjoy!