Homemade chicken broth is the gold standard every paleo kitchen needs: chicken bones simmered with leek, onion, carrots, celery, parsley, and a splash of apple cider vinegar until the stock turns silky with gelatin. The only three essentials are bones, water, and vinegar — everything else adds depth. Ten to twelve hours in the slow cooker and you'll never buy broth from a box again.
MAKES 10–12 CUPS/2400–2840 ML
Although the heads and feet are listed as optional, I highly recommend that you include them when making broth, as these are the most gelatinous parts of the animal. Chicken skin is rich in collagen, and also a great addition to broth.
If you don’t have all the vegetables on hand, just skip them. Each adds more depth and flavor to broth, but no one vegetable is necessary. The only three ingredients that are necessary are the bones, water and vinegar!
INGREDIENTS
3 lbs/1 kg chicken pieces (carcass, including necks and backs)
2 chicken heads (optional)
4 chicken feet (optional)
1 leek, cut into several pieces (white and green parts)
1 large onion quartered
2 carrots, peeled and cut in half
2 ribs celery, cut in half
2 bay leaves
10 sprigs parsley
8–12 cups (2880 ml)/2–3 L filtered water
1 tbsp/15 ml apple cider vinegar
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Place the bones, chicken heads and feet (if using) in the slow cooker. Add the vegetables, bay leaves, water and apple cider vinegar. Cook on low for 10–12 hours. Remove all vegetables and bones and put broth through a strainer. Refrigerate overnight. The fat will have solidified at the top by the next day. Remove fat and discard or reserve for another use. Discard bay leaves. Refrigerate broth and use within a few days or freeze.
CHEF’S TIP
Make broth using a whole chicken. Allow broth to cool, remove meat from the carcass and use it for chicken salad or casseroles.
Pro Tips
- Chicken heads and feet are optional on paper but strongly recommended — they're the most gelatinous parts of the animal and give the broth its body. Chicken skin is another great addition.
- The apple cider vinegar draws minerals from the bones during the long cook; it leaves no sour taste behind.
- If you're short on vegetables, skip them freely — no single vegetable is necessary, so use what you have rather than shopping for broth.
- Make it with a whole chicken and you get two meals: pull the cooked meat for chicken salad or casseroles after the broth is done.
- Refrigerate overnight and remove the solidified fat cap before using; the clean, gelatinous broth underneath should wobble when chilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know my broth is gelatin-rich?
It should jiggle like jelly when cold. That gelatin comes from collagen-rich parts — feet, heads, skin, and joints — and is what makes homemade broth so nourishing.
How long does chicken broth keep?
Four to five days in the refrigerator or up to six months frozen. Freeze it in portions so you can defrost exactly what a recipe calls for.
Can I make this on the stovetop?
Yes — a gentle simmer for 4 to 6 hours works well. Keep it at a bare simmer; a rolling boil makes the broth cloudy and greasy.
What can I do with the leftover vegetables?
They've given up most of their flavor to the broth, so they're usually discarded. Compost them guilt-free — they did their job.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- COOKING INSTRUCTIONS Place the bones, chicken heads and feet (if using) in the slow cooker.
- Add the vegetables, bay leaves, water and apple cider vinegar.
- Cook on low for 10–12 hours.
- Remove all vegetables and bones and put broth through a strainer.
- Refrigerate overnight. The fat will have solidified at the top by the next day.
- Remove fat and discard or reserve for another use.
- Discard bay leaves.
- Refrigerate broth and use within a few days or freeze. CHEF’S TIP Make broth using a whole chicken. Allow broth to cool, remove meat from the carcass and use it for chicken salad or casseroles.
