This easy chicken bone broth is deeply flavourful, and when I call it easy, I mean it. You only need 4 ingredients – chicken wings, salt, oil and water. You probably have most of these at home already, right?
For the longest time I was really confused about making chicken bone broth. I would see people make stock with leftover chicken carcass but when I did that, it tasted bland and watery. I was determined to make a flavourful chicken stock, and then I figured it out…
The secret? Roasted chicken wings. They give the broth a deeply toasted chicken flavour and adds a big boost of collagen which gives it that full bodied texture.
Why I Love This Chicken Bone Broth
- Budget Friendly
- Easy to Make
- Only 4 Ingredients
- Deeply Flavourful
The Science
Chicken wings have it all – skin, meat, bones, cartilage, and connective tissue. All these elements contribute something different to the broth but the thing that makes wings so attractive is the collagen.
By boiling the wings, the collagen from the skin, cartilage and connective tissues dissolve into the broth and once cooled it will set into a jelly. You know you have been successful in collagen extraction if the broth turns to jelly.
On another note – chicken feet contain even more collagen but chicken wings are easier to find in most cases. Chefs will often use chicken wings, as well as other parts of the chicken like neck or back.
So all in all, different parts of the chicken will contribute different flavour and texture profiles. If you’re interested, this article on Serious Eats by Daniel Gritzer delves further into the elements that make a great stock.
How to Use Chicken Bone Broth
So you’ve got the broth, now what? You might have noticed there are no veggies or herbs and this is because this recipe is to serve as a base. You’re of course welcome, even encouraged, to experiment with add-ins. Here are some ideas for you…
- Stews or soups
- Ramen broth
- Gravy
- Risotto
- Freeze into cubes
- Congee
Easy Chicken Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken wings
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- generous sprinkle of salt
- 2 litres water
Instructions
- Soak the chicken wings in cold water for 30 minutes. Once they've finished soaking, give them a good final clean under running water and pat dry before adding them into a bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F).
- Evenly coat the wings with oil and salt. Spread them out on a roasting tray and roast for about 45 minutes, or until they are golden and crispy.
- Add the wings to a stock pot and make sure to deglaze the roasting dish by adding a good splash of water to loosen the caramelised bits.
- Add the deglazing liquid into a jug and combine with cold water to make 2 litres. Add this to the stock pot.
- On a medium-high heat bring the pot to a boil and turn down to a strong simmer.
- After 15 minutes break the wings apart using a spatular or a whisk. Do this a couple times throughout the cooking process as it helps with collagen extraction.
- Boil for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until about half the water has evaporated, then check the consistency (next step).
- To check the consistency – add a tablespoon of broth to a small container and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. If the broth had set like jelly, it is ready. If not, boil for longer and keep testing.
- Strain the broth using a sieve and discard the bones. The stock will keep for about 3 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.
