What to use for chicken stock?

Question

A lot of recipes call for chicken stock, and I'd really like to know what people use *instead* of boiling chicken pieces. For example if you're in a hurry or don't have chicken on hand. Any tips?

I thought it was just broth you can get at the store... not stock. I'll look for it next time.

Answer 1

In a pinch just use chicken boullion - cubes or powder, add water according to package to make a cup of broth. Or just buy Campbells cans or packages of chicken broth/beef boullion ready to use and store in cupboard.

Best tasting solution - whenever you make roast chicken (whole roast chicken), save the carcass after carving and throw in a pan. Later on just top it up with water, throw in an onion quartered, whole baby carrots, couple garlic cloves, celery insides (leafy stuff inside) or parsley - whatever is lying around in your fridge, plus salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer an hour or longer. Later on strain all stuff out of it so you just have liquid, keep in fridge one night so next day you can easily skim off fat if you wish. Pour into cup size tupperware and freeze - just throw into recipies and it tastes WAY better than anything in the store - plus you've done all the work at once and can make up to 10 portions. Its very easy - I always do this. THe store bought also has MSG and other preservatives that give me headaches - you gotta try this easy way to always have chicken stock on hand.

Answer 2

I do buy broth from the store. But when I make alot of chicken (either by par boiling for a BBQ or just doing a couple of big roasters in the oven) if I have no nead for the stock at the time I will freeze it and then use it when I need to. Like when I make my potatoe soup or cream of broccoli soup having frozen stock on hand is pretty handy.

Answer 3

Chicken stock is usually made by boiling a whole chicken or prts of a chicken with seasoning and some veggies in water, so it does contain some protein/fats from the chicken.

Answer 4

If they are available, get some chicken backs or necks. Make a combination of onion, celery, and carrot and saute these three in some extra virgin olive oil, or even a small amount of vegetable oil. Don't brown them. Just saute until slightly transparent. This is called sweating. Simmer the sauted veggies and the chicken necks(or chicken carcass after you have finished. If you are feeling frisky just use a whole fryer, Simmer until what meat there is falling off the bone and strain it all trough a screen strainer when it has cooled slightly

Answer 5

In descending order of goodness,

1) chicken soup base from a decent vendor (I like Penzey's the best)

2) chicken broth in the can

3) chicken boullion

Really, boullion is the worst because of the high salt and the usually fakey taste. But if you don't make the concentration too high it will be passable.

Answer 6

You can buy some decent chicken or beef stocks at a reasonable cost. Both Swanson's and Campbell's have a low sodium version. I always have a can or 2 on hand if I don't want to take the time to make my own.

Answer 7

Stock is made from bones and broth is made from meat.
Just get cans of chicken broth to use in the recepies.
Who has the time to make stock.

Answer 8

Personally, I like using chicken base. It's sort of like boullion but it's a paste. You can find it near the boullion cubes at the store. It dissolves more quickly and I think it has a better flavor. It's still 1 tsp. to a cup of water. In fact the name of the brand is "Better Than Boullion". They also make a beef, veggie, and ham base too.

Answer 9

Chicken stock comes in cans or boxes in the soup aisle of grocery store.

Answer 10

Go grab some at the grocery store, Swansons sells in in boxes, or you could get chicken bullion and put it in boiling water till it disolves, it will do the same thing essentially.