I like using chicken drumsticks and a couple split chicken breasts for the white meat to use in shredded chicken dishes for the week. I find these cuts inexpensively, easy to find, and the drumsticks deliver a ton of nourishing gelatin with all the cartilage in the joints.👌

First simmer your chicken on the bone.

Then shred chicken, add more water, and add bones to pot.

Helpful Bone Broth Tips

The longer you simmer the more nutrients will be extracted in to your broth.
A hard boil can denature the gelatin so keep the simmer gentle.
Apple cider vinegar is to help extract the collagen and nutrients from the bones which give bone broth its richness and depth of flavor.
It’s OK if some of the skins get in there, and don’t bother peeling the carrot. These will all be sifted out later and actually contain some nutrients.

Look at that jiggle!

Easy Chicken Bone Broth

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Ingredients

8-10 pounds split chicken breast, leg quarters, and/or drumsticks
two carrots, skins on chopped in thirds
one celery, tops on chopped in thirds
one onion, skins on cut in half
1 head garlic, skins on cut in half (head, not clove)
salt to taste 2-3 teaspoons
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
8 quarts water add water as needed after removing chicken meat

Instructions

Add the meat to a large stock pot, skin and all. Cover with water making sure all meat is submerged.
Bring to a boil then a simmer on low for 1½ hours. A hard boil can denature the gelatin so keep the simmer gentle.
Remove chicken from broth, let cool, and pull meat from bones.
Add bones back into broth, and fill large stock pot to the top with additional water.
Bring to boil and simmer very low with the lid slightly vented for anywhere from 1 to 6 hours. The longer you simmer the more nutrients will be extracted in to your broth.
Add veggies, salt, and vinegar.
Run your freshly cooked chicken bone broth through a fine mesh sieve.
Store in refrigerator for 2 weeks, freezer for 6 months, or pressure can for longer storage.
Makes 5-6 quarts of bone broth.

If you need a delicious soup to go with it, here is our all-time favorite. I’ve tried many chicken soup recipes, and this one hits all the marks! Full of flavor, easy to make, and tons of nutrition. Lemon juice at the end is the trick!

Delicious Chicken Soup

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Ingredients

2 cups shredded chicken
2 large carrots diced
1 large celery chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon parsley
8 cups chicken stock
1 cup rice or egg noodles
juice from 1 lemon

Instructions

Add 6 cups of your bone broth to a large pot.
Add all your ingredients except lemon juice.
Bring to a boil and simmer until rice and veggies are cooked, about 20 minutes (less for noodles).
Take soup off burner and let cool for a few minutes.
Add your fresh lemon juice and more salt and pepper, if needed.