Do This for Thicker, Richer Homemade Chicken Stock (2024)

FAQs

How to make chicken stock thicker? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool. Add a few tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to the bowl and whisk until it's blended smooth. Next, bring the soup to a simmer and add the mixture back to the pot. Pro tip: Don't dump in the entire mixture at once.

Whether it's white wine or vinegar, a touch of acid added to the simmering pot will create a richer finished product. That's because acid helps break down the cartilage and other connective tissues in the bones of the chicken, which helps speed up the formation of gelatin in the stock.

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says.

It typically is not seasoned with herbs or spices, but may have salt added. Stock is thicker than broth. It is made by simmering the meat bones along with herbs, spices and vegetables for a longer time. It will be thicker and richer than broth because of gelatin/collagen that comes from the bones.

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

Then simply top with filtered water until generously covered (about 12 cups / 2880 ml). Next, add in a bit of salt to season the broth (you can add more later). Then add 1-2 Tbsp (15-30ml) apple cider vinegar, which is added primarily as the acidity breaks down the collagen and makes it more abundant in the broth.

Add 8 to 12 cups of water, enough to mostly cover the carcass and vegetables. Then pour in a tablespoon of apple cider or white vinegar to help break down the bones. 3.

Aromatics: For classic chicken stock, use onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Herbs: Using a variety of herbs makes the best stock, tasting better than store-bought. I love bay leaves, thyme, parsley, dill, and peppercorns.

If you can pack in even more chicken and aromatics, your stock will only get richer and more gelatinous. As for time, if you don't cook a stock long enough, you risk not extracting sufficient flavor or gelatin. Cook it too long, though, and you get into a case of seriously diminishing returns.

Add a Source of Acid. After you've selected plenty of collagen-rich bones, consider adding a little splash of something acidic. Acid helps extract the collagen in the connective tissue, resulting in a better likelihood that your bone broth gels.

What is the difference between chicken stock and chicken broth? ›

Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.

Garlic: Technically garlic is optional, use as much or as little as you'd like. Fresh thyme: I like fresh thyme because it's easier to strain from the broth and I think it leaves a fresher tasting stock. You could also use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves, just not powdered thyme. It will give the stock a muddy color.

Home Ec 101 also advises to leave the heat up a bit higher so the broth is at a constant rolling simmer, but still not boiling. This process is known as reduction and will leave you with less liquid in your broth. Don't worry about overdoing it — you can add water to the broth when you're ready to use it in a recipe.

Luckily, fixing this is super easy — just keep the heat on and if you've had a lid on your stock pot, take it off now. This will allow water vapors to escape the broth as it simmers away, leaving you with a more concentrated flavor.

Consider using methods like making a roux, blending beans or legumes, using bread, adding egg yolk, pureeing vegetables, incorporating heavy cream or coconut milk, adding potato flakes or starch, or making a slurry with cornstarch or arrowroot to thicken soups without sacrificing flavor or texture.

Powders and flours. Cornstarch, arrowroot, common wheat flour, and the flours or powders made from potato, tapioca, chickpea — to name but a few — long have been used to thicken cooking liquids. (Gelatins and gums also can play a similar role.)

Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together, then pour into your sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.