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    Home » Recipes » Basic Components

    Homemade Chicken Stock With The Pressure Cooker

    Published: Nov 19, 2020 · Modified: Apr 21, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Recipe Jump to Video
    I use homemade chicken stock in so many dishes that I have to make it almost every week, especially during the winter months. So I found a way to make it fast!

    I use homemade chicken stock in so many dishes that I have to make it almost every week, especially during the winter months. So I found a way to make it fast!

    The Stock for the risotto
    Jump to:
    • Why homemade chicken stock
    • Canned vs homemade
    • Salt or no salt
    • Adding a Bouquet Garni
    • Pressure cooker vs regulat pot
    • Choosing the right chicken
    • Making the chicken stock
    • How to use the chicken stock
    • A stock supply in the freezer
    • Reviving the boiled chicken
    • 📋 Homemade chicken stock

    Why homemade chicken stock

    If you never made chicken stock before, you need to start now. Homemade chicken stock can make wonders in your kitchen:

    • It adds flavor to your recipes
    • Makes everything creamier
    • It is healthy
    • Easy food when you or someone in your family is sick

    The difference between cube stock vs homemade chicken stock is so huge, you cannot even compare them.

    The chicken stock is creamy from the gelatin in the bone and has a full flavor that enhances and complements many dishes without overpowering them.

    Canned vs homemade

    You can find packaged or canned chicken stock at the supermarket, and that is okay. A better alternative to the cube stock.

    However, if you make it in the pressure cooker, it only takes 30 minutes and you can store it in the freezer.

    I bought a chicken stock at the store twice during one of my relocation's nightmare, and frankly, there was no comparison with my homemade.

    chicken stock

    Salt or no salt

    One of the main reasons I like to make my own is that often the one you buy at the store has no salt. Why???

    Besides a possible health factor, there is absolutely no reason not to add salt to the chicken stock. In fact, I found that unsalted chicken stock doesn't taste as good as the salted one, even when you add salt after.

    They say the unsalted chicken stock is better for a perfect foundation of flavor. I just don't know what they are talking about. Unsalted chicken stock has no flavor at all.

    Probably for Asian cooking you need unsalted chicken stock as they add Soya sauce, but for Italian cooking, there is absolutely no need.

    Even if you reduce stock, you need a minimum of salt, and adding it after it is not the same to me.

    Chicken stock

    Adding a Bouquet Garni

    To give the stock a deep flavor, I always put a Bouquet Garni herb bundle in it.

    I make it with a leek leaf wrapped around rosemary, bay leaf, sage, and thyme freshly picked from the garden, and use a cooking string to keep it tight.

    The herbs, as well as the leek, add some subtle complexity to the broth.

    I only add a carrot, a celery stalk and an onion to the water, you can add more flavor but I rather keep it simple so I can use it in any recipes.

    Bouquet garni

    Pressure cooker vs regulat pot

    One of the main reasons I use a pressure cooker is the time I save. The stock in the pressure cooker only takes 35 minutes while in a regular pan it needs to boil for 2 hours.

    That is not all, the pressure keeps the water particles trapped inside the pan at high pressure so they really absorb all the flavors.

    My pressure cooker is a WMF Perfect Pressure Cooker (affiliate link to amazon). I like it because it is very easy to use.

    If you want to know why I love it compared to others and what else I cook with it you can find my review here: Pressure Cooker

    homemade chicken stock

    Choosing the right chicken

    Free-range chicken makes a big difference

    To make the broth, I use an "old" free-range chicken, and by "old" I mean 2 years or older.

    A free-range chicken has much more flavor, plus I wouldn't support farms that raise chicken trapped in small cages.

    I have two chickens and they are free to roam around my garden, they are great company and I love them!

    Chickens lay eggs until they are 2 years old, although they live for at least 10 more years after.

    Once my chickens will no longer lay eggs, NO, I will not eat my chickens, ever!

    chickens

    Old chicken for stock

    "Gallina vecchia fa buon brodo", an Italian motto says. Meaning old chickens make good stock. Even if it is probably referring to people getting wiser with age, the adage is true regarding the stock.

    The cartilages of a young chicken are softer and easily break and dissolve once boiled, while old cartilages make a creamier stock.

    If your chicken breaks apart when you remove it from the pan, it was a young chicken.

    If you wish, you can also make chicken stock from just the carcass of a roasted chicken....as long as no one has been chewing on the bones!!

    boiled chicken on a serving dish

    Making the chicken stock

    Making the chicken stock is very simple:

    1. Put all the cleaned vegetables and the Bouquet Garni in the pressure pan
    2. Add the peppercorns and salt
    3. Place the chicken in the pan
    4. Cover with water up to ⅔ of the height of the pan
    putting vegetables and chicken in the pressure cooker
    1. Close the pressure cooker, make sure it is sealed.
    2. Put it on the heat so the pressure builds up with the heat. The pressure valve will rise to the second red line
    3. Once the pressure is built, let it cook for 30 minutes at medium heat. Make sure the valve stays up
    4. After 30 minutes, gradually release the pressure from the pan. The valve will start to go down
    5. Once the pressure is completely released and the valve is down
    6. You can open the pan
    step by step cooking the chicken in the pressure pan
    1. Remove the chicken from the stock
    2. Let the stock cool down completely
    3. Once cold, remove the fat by filtering it through a paper towel or a percolator coffee filter.
    step by step filter the stock

    How to use the chicken stock

    A chicken stock can have multiple uses in the kitchen. I use it to make:

    • Chicken soup
    • Minestrone, soups, or stews
    • Risotto
    • Paella
    • Baked rice

    So many recipes are so much better when added an homemade chicken stock.

    Plus, if one of us gets the flu or a cold, a chicken broth is always ready to pamper us. The classic Italian pastina in chicken broth can resuscitate any miserable sick child.

    pastina in chicken broth

    A stock supply in the freezer

    I like to freeze the stock into bags of various sizes, so I can defrost as big or small an amount as required.

    To fill up my freezer I also make Brown Stock with bone marrow and Fish Stock with shrimps shells.

    I make sure I label them and put the date as once the stocks are frozen they look exactly the same.

    With all the stock ready in the freezer, my weekly dinner meals are much easier to prepare. 

    Homemade stocks Brown stock Chicken stock and Fish stock to freeze

    If you are interested to know what other prep food I freeze you can read about it here in the article: Once a Month Freezer Meal Prep

    Once a Month Freezer Meal Prep

    Reviving the boiled chicken

    When the stock is ready and remove all of the ingredients from the stock, I discard the vegetables, but I am left with an entire boiled chicken to use.

    A boiled chicken can be boring to eat, but I have different recipes to re-purpose it and revive it: 4 Quick and Healthy Dinner Ideas: Reviving a Boiled Chicken

    boiled-chicken-deboned-2

    If you are making this homemade chicken stock in the pressure cooker, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.

    Chicken stock

    📋 Homemade chicken stock

    5 from 6 votes
    Laura Tobin
    Servings 3 liters
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Resting time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
    Print Recipe Save Saved! Pin Recipe
    I make chicken stock in a pressure cooker. If you don't have one, boil the chicken for 2 hours. I like to freeze it into bags of various sizes, so I can defrost as big or small an amount as required.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Pressure Cooker
    • Fine Mesh Strainer
    • Butcher’s String
    • Colander Strainer Spoon
    • Reusable Plastic Storage Container

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 Bouquet Garni: leek leaf wrapped around rosemary, bay leaf and thyme
    • 1 large carrot
    • 1 onion
    • 1 stalk of celery
    • 5 peppercorns
    • 1 tablespoon sea coarser salt
    • 1 hole free range chicken
    • fresh water

    Instructions
     

    • Put all the cleaned vegetables
      1 large carrot, 1 onion, 1 stalk of celery
    • Add the pepper corns and salt
      5 peppercorns, 1 tablespoon sea coarser salt
    • Make a Bouquet Grani wrapping the4 herbs around a leek leave and add it to the pan
      1 Bouquet Garni:
    • Place the chicken in the pan
      1 hole free range chicken
    • Cover with water up to ⅔ of the height of the pan
      fresh water
    • Close the pressure cooker, make sure it is sealed.
    • Put on the heat so the pressure builds up with the heat. The pressure valve will raise to the second red line
    • Once the pressure is built, let it cook for 30 minutes at medium heat. Make sure the valve stays up
    • After 30 minutes, gradually release the pressure from the pan. The valve will start to go down
    • Once the pressure is completely released and the valve is down, open the pan
    • Remove the chicken from the stock
    • Let the stock cool down completely
    • Once cold, remove the fat by filtering it through a paper towel or a percolator coffee filter.
    • Use it or freeze it into various size containers, so it can be defrosted as big or small an amount as required.

    To defrost

    • Microwave the container for 5 minutes or wet the container under hot water and place the iced stock bloc into a pan over the heat

    Video

    Notes

    • use an "old" free-range chicken
    • never fill the pressure cooker more than ⅔ of its height
    • if you don't have a pressure cooker, boil it for 2 hours
    • wait for it to cool down before filtering it as the fat becomes more solid and it is easier to filter

    Nutrition

    Calories: 24kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 2342mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3397IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!
    important notes on ingredients

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cricket Plunkett

      December 17, 2017 at 6:09 pm

      5 stars
      Love a good broth on a cold day, i bet the leeks make it extra tasty!

      Reply
      • Laura

        December 17, 2017 at 6:24 pm

        It is so comforting

        Reply
    2. Lisa | Garlic + Zest

      December 17, 2017 at 6:09 pm

      5 stars
      I am a huge proponent of homemade stock -- it's so much more flavorful than canned broth -- and because you're using the whole chicken, you get that great collagen feel - round and full bodied.

      Reply
      • Laura

        December 17, 2017 at 6:23 pm

        well said Lisa, you really hit the nail with Collagen feel

        Reply
    3. Silvia

      December 17, 2017 at 6:23 pm

      5 stars
      Homemade stock is the best. The store-bought one doesn't even compare to this.

      Reply
      • Laura

        December 17, 2017 at 6:25 pm

        You are right Silvia, it absolutely doesn't

        Reply
    4. Luci's Morsels

      December 17, 2017 at 8:23 pm

      5 stars
      This is great and simple enough! Homemade recipes tend to have much more flavor. I must try this!

      Reply
      • Laura

        December 18, 2017 at 3:12 pm

        Thanks, yes. I make it so often and it has to be simple

        Reply
    5. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

      December 17, 2017 at 8:27 pm

      5 stars
      There is nothing better than homemade. My mamma taught me how when I was just a little girl. I think she made it every Sunday. Then we'd eat soup throughout the week. The bones from the chicken gives the stock that rich taste.

      Reply
      • Laura

        December 18, 2017 at 3:12 pm

        What a nice memory. Yes, a lot of taste from the bone as well as a creamy consistency

        Reply
    6. Maryam

      December 17, 2017 at 11:52 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks Laura, very useful tips. I am going to order the pressure cooker. I think it will be good for stews as well.

      Reply
      • Laura

        December 18, 2017 at 3:10 pm

        Thank you Maryam, I use it so often. It is good for stews as well as cooking chickpeas and beans. I also steam potatoes.

        Reply
    5 from 6 votes

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    Laura Giunta Tobin

    Hi, I’m Laura. Welcome to my blog! While many talk about Italian food, I’ve lived it firsthand. Here, I share real Italian home cooking, just as it’s made in Italy. Won’t you join me?

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