Make homemade chicken bone broth the easy way! All you need is a rotisserie chicken, a couple aromatics, and a few hours to make this delicious collagen-rich chicken bone broth for use in soups, stews, or sipping.
This Homemade Chicken Bone Broth is a great way to use up the bones from a rotisserie chicken! Take the leftover bones and carcass, add a few aromatics, simmer for a few hours, and you have a delicious chicken bone broth that is perfect for making soups, stews, casseroles—or just sipping on!
Bone broth is known for being rich in collagen and amino acids—nutrients that support the immune system, digestion, joint health, and more. It is often made with beef bones and simmered for even as long as 24 hours.
This easy recipe for homemade bone broth uses leftover bones from a rotisserie whole chicken to make it extra easy. You only need 2-4 hours to simmer this recipe, and use the meat from the rotisserie chicken to make my chicken bone broth soup!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Rotisserie chicken makes it easy. Just save the meat for a meal and you have readily available chicken bones for broth.
- Doesn't need to simmer for 24 hours. Just 2-4 hours is enough for this chicken broth.
- Homemade chicken broth for soups and stews. Just simple ingredients here.
- Packed with collagen and amino acids to support digestion, immunity, and joint health.
- Allergy-friendly. This recipe is nut-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Want more soup recipes? You'll also like my quinoa vegetable soup, dairy-free broccoli cheddar soup, gluten-free minestrone, and no bean chili.
Ingredient Notes
Here is everything you'll need to make homemade rotisserie chicken stock:
- Rotisserie chicken: The easiest way to make bone broth—a pre-cooked whole rotisserie chicken! Remove the meat (and enjoy on the side), then you have the perfect bones for making broth. My chicken is around 1kg usually.
- Celery, carrot, yellow onion: For color and flavor in the broth.
- Cold water
- Salt & black pepper
- Bay leaves: They add a little something-something to broths & soups. Use fresh or dried.
Add any aromatics you have on hand: Feel free to add a sprig of thyme, rosemary, sage, fresh garlic cloves, or other fresh herbs for extra flavor. Though I like to leave the broth flavor-neutral for the widest use in soups, stews, etc.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Be sure to read the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and instructions.
(1) Remove as much meat as you can from the chicken. Set aside in a container to use for another meal.
Wash the veggies and peel the carrots and onion. Give each a rough chop into large chunks.
(2) Place the leftover carcass and bones in a large stock pot with the vegetables, 12 cups of water, bay leaves, and seasonings.
(3) Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover, and gently simmer for 2-4 hours. Be sure to not leave the stove on overnight or if you leave the house.
(4) Remove from the heat, strain into a glass bowl or container and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Use in soups, stews, casseroles, or drink on its own.
How to Use Chicken Bone Broth
This homemade broth is the perfect base for soups and stews involving vegetables or chicken. Find some of my favourite soup recipes and accompaniments below:
- Quinoa Vegetable Soup
- Gluten-Free Tomato Soup
- Gluten-Free Minestrone Soup
- Dairy-Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- No Bean Chili
- Tuscan Chicken Skillet
- Gluten-Free Stuffing
- Gluten-Free Garlic Bread
- Gluten-Free Focaccia
- Gluten-Free Cheese Scones
- Gluten-Free No Knead Bread
Storage
Cool the broth to room temperature and refrigerate bone broth for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container. You could also freeze it in ice cube trays for smaller portions.
To thaw frozen bone broth: Move the container from the freezer to the fridge overnight. The broth should thaw partially if not fully. Reheat in a pot on the stove and use in your recipe.
Expert Tips
Here are some of my top tips and tricks for successful homemade chicken stock:
- Remove as much meat from the rotisserie chicken as possible. Save it for chicken salad, soup or another meal.
- Try to remove as much skin, fat, and cartilage as possible. You don't want the broth to become too fatty.
- Add aromatics you have on hand like veggies and herbs.
- Simmer for as much time as you have. I say 2-4 hours for this recipe. Chicken bone broth doesn't need to simmer for as long as beef broth, where you often hear of it simmering for 24 hours.
- Remember to place a large bowl under the fine mesh strainer! Oh yes, I've heard of people straining away their hours of work down the drain by forgetting this.
- Allow broth to cool completely before refrigerating or freezing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beef bone broth is often cooked for 8-24 hours. This recipe is a quicker version using rotisserie chicken. You could simmer this chicken bone broth up to 6 hours for a thicker, richer broth. Any longer and the small chicken bones tend to soften and disintegrate too much. Be sure to not leave the stove on overnight or if you leave the house. Watch to ensure the water is not boiling off too quickly.
Bone broth is great for sipping on its own to get all the benefits of the collagen and amino acids. It's also a wonderful base for soups, stews, casseroles, and other dishes involving chicken.
This homemade rotisserie chicken bone broth is perfect for the fall and winter when the weather gets colder. It is made simply using the bones from a rotisserie chicken and simmered for just a few hours. Perfect for soup season!
More Cozy Dishes
- Gingerbread Banana Bread
- Eggnog Latte (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)
- Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
- Gluten Free Cannelloni with Spinach and Ricotta
Have you made rotisserie chicken bone broth? I'd very much appreciate it if you leave a 5 star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and review below, and tag me on instagram @fromoliviaskitchen!
Recipe
Rotisserie Chicken Bone Broth
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 carrot
- 1 yellow onion
- 12 cups cold water
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- Any other aromatics you like
Instructions
- Remove as much meat as you can from the chicken. Set aside in a container to use for another meal. Wash the veggies and peel the carrots and onion. Give each a rough chop into large chunks.
- Place the chicken carcass and bones in a large stock pot with the vegetables, water, bay leaves, and seasonings.
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover, and gently simmer for 2-4 hours. Be sure to not leave the stove on overnight or if you leave the house.
- Remove from the heat, strain into a glass bowl or container and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Use in soups, stews, casseroles, or drink on its own.
Notes
- To thaw frozen bone broth: Move the container from the freezer to the fridge overnight. The broth should thaw partially if not fully. Reheat in a pot on the stove and use in your recipe.
- Can I simmer the bone broth for longer? Bone broth is often cooked for 8-24 hours. This recipe is a quicker version using rotisserie chicken. You could simmer this chicken bone broth up to 6 hours for a thicker, richer broth. Be sure to not leave the stove on overnight or if you leave the house. Watch to ensure the water is not boiling off too quickly.
- Use this chicken bone broth in soups and stews like gluten free minestrone soup, quinoa vegetable soup, tuscan chicken skillet, chicken piccata.
Sarina says
How to remove the fat that builds up ?
Olivia Parsons says
Hi Sarina, I actually don't notice much fat build up when using a rotisserie chicken. If it bothers you, feel free to skim the top.
Samantha says
Why not simmer the whole chicken pieces , then you have the chicken cooked and ready for soup or what ever.
Olivia Parsons says
If using raw chicken sure, but you will have to scrape off some of the foamy scum that floats. But this is called rotisserie chicken bone broth, so it uses a pre-cooked chicken.