Slow Cooker Chicken Broth

spoon picking up broth from the slow cooker

Creating a rich, flavorful homemade broth can be practically effortlessly with the help of a slow cooker. All it takes are a few simple ingredients to transform them into a comforting base for your soups and stews.

Course How to, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken broth, Slow cooker chicken broth

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 10

Servings cups of broth

Calories 369kcal

Author Tanya

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken quarters about 2
1 large onion quartered
2 stalks of celery chopped
2 carrots chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
6 cups water

Instructions

Place the chicken quarters, celery, carrots, parsley, and bay leaves in a 6-quart slow cooker.
Pour the water over all the ingredients in the slow cooker, covering them completely. If 6 cups is not enough, add enough to just cover them.
Cover the slow cooker and set it to low. Allow the broth to cook for 8-10 hours. The longer you cook it, the richer the broth will be.
After 8-10 hours, turn off the slow cooker and remove the chicken and set it aside. Remove the meat from the chicken and use it in other recipes if preferred.
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or pot, discarding the solid vegetables. You now have a flavorful homemade chicken broth.

Notes

If you'd like to remove the fat from the broth, allow the strained broth to cool completely in the refrigerator. The fat will solidify on top and can be easily skimmed off. You cal also use a fat separator, which will allow the fat to float at the top and the broth to stay at the bottom. Use the separator to separate the broth from the fat.
Store the broth in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or frozen for up to 6 months.

The flavor of your broth will significantly depend on the quality of your ingredients. Fresh, organic vegetables and high-quality chicken can significantly improve the taste.
For a deeper flavor, you can roast the chicken quarters in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 30-40 minutes before adding them to the slow cooker. This will give the broth a more robust flavor, also known as dark chicken broth.

Nutrition