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Save money and have a go at making your own slow cooker chicken stock. Homemade chicken stock just got a lot easier thanks to this easy recipe. You only need a few ingredients like chicken, water, fresh vegetables, and a few herbs. This dump-and-go recipe yields a delicious stock that can be eaten by itself or added to enhance your favorite soup.

I like to call this overnight chicken stock because it will need to cook for at least 12 hours. This means you can start it before bed and have homemade chicken broth in the morning. It’s a great recipe for making canned chicken broth to keep on hand for enjoying on cold days or grabbing to include in other recipes. Oh course this chicken broth is wonderful in slow cooker chicken noodle soup!
Key Ingredients:
Here is how to make from scratch chicken stock in your crockpot. Find the full recipe amounts in the recipe card below the images
- Chicken scraps: Anything works for this, especially leftover chicken bones with meat neck, legs, ribs, and the chicken carcass.
- Water: You’ll need just enough to fill the crockpot
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Helps balance the acidity as the stock cooks.
- Vegetables: At the very least, you’ll want to use celery ribs, carrots, and a sweet onion. These will help add the veggie flavors to the broth during the cooking process.
- Herbs: Fresh bay leaves, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, and fresh parsley help enhance the flavors of the stock.
- Garlic: What’s a good stock without garlic cloves? These also help enhance the flavor of the broth.
How to Make Chicken Stock in the Crockpot
Step One – Load the crockpot with all the vegetables and other remaining ingredients. Add enough water to fill the basin and almost cover the ingredients.
Step Two – Cover and turn the cook mode to the LOW setting for 12 hours.
Step Three – Use a slotted spoon or colander to remove the bones and veggies from the crockpot. Discard them.
Step Four – Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer or fine sieve into mason jars or other airtight containers you already have on hand. Enjoy!
What are some ways to use chicken broth?
There are lots of recipes that start with chicken broth, but I bet you’ve never thought to use them when making:
- black eyed peas (try my slow cooker black eyed peas)
- rice
- grits
- quinoa
- turnip and/or collard greens (here is my slow cooker collard greens recipe)
- mashed potatoes
The next time you whip up one of those tasty dishes, don’t forget to use your own slow cooker stock!
Slow Cooker Chicken Stock
Equipment
- Slotted spoon or colander
- Fine mesh sieve
- Jars – I like 16-ounce wide-mouth mason jars but feel free to pick your favorite.
Ingredients
- chicken bones with meat, neck, legs, ribs, carcass (anything works!)
- water – enough to fill the crockpot
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 4 celery ribs, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 sweet onion, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 4 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Load the crockpot. Load all of the ingredients into the crockpot. Add enough water to fill the basin and almost cover the ingredients.
- Cook. Cook on low for 12 hours.
- Strain. Use a slotted spoon or colander to remove the bones and veggies from the crockpot. Discard them. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into jars.
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
Warm up with hearty meals like Slow Cooker Chicken Stew or savory Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken. For something cozy with a twist, try Chicken Fajita Soup or creamy Crockpot Tuscan Chicken. Brown Sugar Chicken is a sweet and tangy favorite, while Slow Cooker Chicken Chow Mein delivers takeout flavor right from your slow cooker.