Easy Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Stock
Inside: How to make homemade chicken stock using leftover rotisserie chicken bones, cartilage and skin. Use your favorite method (stovetop, crockpot, pressure cooker or Instant Pot) and make an outstanding rotisserie chicken stock.
Have you ever made chicken stock from bones? It’s easy, and this leftover rotisserie chicken stock is WAY better than the canned, store-bought variety. Learn the four simple methods for making broth from chicken bones.
Sliced bread aside, I believe that rotisserie chicken is one of the greatest inventions ever. I mean, a hot roasted chicken, ready to go—for under $10 (and only about $6 at Costco)—is genius. They’re delicious for quick family dinners and there are so many recipes that call for cooked chicken it makes sense to have one on hand at all times.
Therefore, rotisserie chickens are always on my list at Costco. It’s the convenience factor. I make a salad, pour some wine, and voilà, dinner is served.
Leftovers can be used in these enchiladas, authentic chalupas, curried chicken salad or chicken and shrimp fried rice. After that, the bones and that residual wobbly gelatinous chicken goo in the bottom of the container get their time to shine because that carcass has more to give.
Making chicken stock from a rotisserie chicken helps stretch your food dollar and makes a dynamite stock. Put a cape on that bird—because it’s SUPER.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Making chicken broth from scratch is a snap with some water and a few staples from the vegetable bin.
- You use every bit of the chicken so nothing goes to waste.
- It’s flavorful and healthy with nothing artificial.
- Bonus: bone broth may be the key to youthful skin. Who knew?
Ingredients for rotisserie chicken broth:
- Leftover rotisserie chicken carcass -and any residual drippings or gelatinous goo.
- Carrots—You don’t need to peel or dice them. Just give the carrots a rough chop.
- Celery – You can use all parts of the celery right up to the leaves.
- Onion – I use yellow onions, but you can also use red or white onions.
- Parsley – No need to chop, just toss in a few stems.
- Dried Bay Leaves – have a mentholated aroma, but don’t worry, the chicken broth won’t taste like Vick’s.
- Whole Peppercorns – Seasons the chicken broth without overpowering.
- Fresh, Cold Water – enough to cover the chicken carcass.
Why this chicken stock recipe is better (IMO)
This ingredient list is pretty standard for most homemade chicken stock recipes, but most use whole chickens, and they cook the crap out of them. After the meat has been cooked to oblivion, it becomes tough and unappetizing — not something you want floating around in your chicken soup.
One famous recipe (Ina Garten’s) uses three whole 5-pound chickens for her stock — and then she discards the meat – probably because it’s been cooked to death and is dry and chewy. Blasphemy.
To me, that’s a waste (and I love INA). Sure, her stock might taste good, but come on—three chickens?
My mantra is waste not, want not. This stock uses a leftover chicken carcass plus any leftover skin and drippings to make a delicious homemade rotisserie chicken broth that’s great for soups, making sauces and fortifying stews.
What is the difference between boxed broth and homemade
I have two things to say if you’ve never made your own stock. #1 – it’s life-altering. #2 – it’s easier than you think. Oh, and #3 – you can make it on the stove, in your crock pot, pressure cooker or instant pot.
Let’s start with the obvious one first — life-altering.
There is NO COMPARISON between store-bought canned or boxed “chicken stock” and the real deal.
Real rotisserie chicken stock has a silky mouth feel from the collagen released from the bones. It glides across your tongue, coating it with rich umami flavor. Store-bought is little more than salt and water with “chicken flavor.”
I’m not judging you for using the store-bought stuff in a pinch. Heck, I’ve got two cartons in my pantry right now. However, when there’s leftover rotisserie chicken in the house, it’s worth the 15 minutes of prep to make chicken broth from the carcass.
Making homemade stock is easier than you think
I’m not exaggerating here—making homemade chicken stock with leftover chicken carcasses or rotisserie chicken is truly easy.
With only 10 to 15 minutes of hands-on prep—corralling the bones into the pot and giving the vegetables a rough chop—you can have homemade chicken stock ready to use, store or freeze for later.
Just simmer the stock with a tight-fitting lid (see methods below), and when it’s done, strain off the solids.
What’s the best method to make chicken stock?
Which brings me to my third point… You can make/simmer your stock ANY WAY YOU LIKE.
If you’re more of a stovetop/dutch oven person. Go for it.
If you can’t live without your crockpot or slow cooker, this leftover chicken stock recipe is for you.
If time is of the essence, whip up your leftover rotisserie chicken stock using your old-fashioned rocky-top pressure cooker or that “look what I got for Christmas” Instant Pot.
How to make broth from chicken bones
- Place the chicken carcass and any gelatin collected at the bottom of the container into a large stock pot, dutch oven, crock pot, or Instant Pot.
- Cover with fresh, cold water.
- Add whole peppercorns and bay leaves.
- Roughly chop the vegetables, such as carrots, onions, parsnips, and turnips and add them to the pot.
Four ways to make chicken stock
In a stock pot/dutch oven:
Bring the ingredients to a low boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and place the lid on the stock pot so that it’s just askew and some steam can escape. Simmer the rotisserie chicken stock for 2 hours.
Homemade chicken broth in a crock pot:
Add all the ingredients to the crock pot and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
In a pressure cooker (the classic type):
Add all the ingredients to the pot and close the lid (follow the manufacturer’s guide for instructions on how to close the lid). Bring the pressure cooker to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the rotisserie chicken stock from the heat and reduce the pressure naturally.
Making stock in an Instant Pot:
Set the Instant Pot to the Soup setting and set the timer to 15 minutes. Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete; it should take about 10 minutes. Follow the manufacturer’s guide for quick release if in a rush. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot.
Straining chicken stock from the bones
The last step is simply to remove the carcass and bones, then strain the stock and vegetables through a fine mesh strainer.
- I recommend using a large bowl or glass measuring cup (one that can hold at least 4-8 cups of liquid) with a pour spout–it makes it easier to pour the homemade chicken stock into storage containers.
- Use a large fine mesh strainer (not a colander) set securely over the bowl.
- Pour or ladle the rotisserie chicken stock (solids and liquids) through the strainer and into the bowl.
- Press down on the solids with a wooden spoon. This will release the excess liquid and give you a richer-tasting broth.
- Discard the solids and continue to strain the homemade chicken stock using this method.
- Transfer the broth to a storage container.
Rotisserie chicken stock FAQ’s
It lasts for up to two weeks (maybe more). Honestly, I’ve always used it within a week of making it.
Yes, but this recipe doesn’t make an excessive amount of broth, so there’s no reason to can it.
Yes. This stock freezes well. You can freeze it in plastic containers or ice cube trays. (Transfer cubes to a zip-top bag when set and keep them for up to 3 months).
Yes. Chicken stock/broth is gluten free.
Yes!
Yes. I use Costco rotisserie chickens to make this bone broth all the time! I like them because the chickens are big and come in plastic containers holding drippings that can be added back to the stock. Those drippings add flavor, body, and a velvety mouth feel to your chicken stock.
Yes – so long as that chicken was kept well-wrapped in the refrigerator. Additionally, if you don’t have time to immediately make chicken broth from the carcass, it can be frozen until you’re ready.
Use homemade rotisserie chicken broth in these recipes:
- Southwestern Chicken Taco Soup with Black Beans
- Chicken and Cornmeal Chive Dumplings
- Italian Pasta Fagioli recipe
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Lemon Chicken Artichoke Skillet
More easy homemade stocks and broths:
- Shrimp Stock
- Homemade Instant Pot Bone Broth (with beef neck bones)
- Easy Homemade Lobster Stock
- Homemade Vegetable Broth
- Homemade Turkey Stock from leftover Thanksgiving Turkey
Leftover Rotissserie Chicken Stock
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 leftover rotisserie chicken carcass and any drippings or gelled consomme left in the container
- 2 medium carrots roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 5 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 6 cups cool water
DIRECTIONS:
FOR STOVETOP OR DUTCH OVEN METHOD:
- Place the chicken carcass in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Add the carrots, celery, onion, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a medium low, cover with the lid slightly askew to let a little steam escape and simmer for at least one hour and up to two.
FOR SLOW COOKER OR CROCK POT CHICKEN STOCK:
- Add the leftover rotisserie chicken carcass to the slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients. Cover with the lid and set the crock pot to low. Cook 4-6 hours or until the broth has body and coats your tongue. The bones and cartilage should be nearly clean from any meat or skin falling off.
FOR THE PRESSURE COOKER/INSTANT POT METHOD:
- Combine the ingredients in the pressure cooker, seal the lid and bring to high pressure. Set the timer for 15 minutes and cook until the time is up. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then you can use the quick release method to open the pot.
STRAINING LEFTOVER ROTISSERIE CHICKEN STOCK:
- Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl or glass measuring cup. Using tongs remove the chicken carcass and discard. Working in batches, ladle the broth and vegetables into the sieve. Press on the solids to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.
- Broth can be refrigerated for 10 days or frozen in a plastic container for up to 3 months.
RECIPE VIDEO:
NOTES:
- Store the stock in an airtight container for a week to 10 days or freeze stock for up to 3 months.
- You can freeze several leftover chicken carcasses (skin and bones) in a freezer-safe storage bag until you’re ready to make a big pot of rotisserie chicken stock. Just be sure to have a pot large enough to hold everything.
- If your rotisserie chicken comes in a plastic container, be sure to use the gelatinous remnants. That’s the best part.
NUTRITION:
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Made this in a large pot, added extra water & such …. Came out AMAZING! I used the broth for the base of a chicken pot pie soup. This recipe is bookmarked, will certainly make this broth again & again & again. Don’t pass on this recipe/method.
Quick question – do you refrigerate/freeze the stock in order to remove the solidified fat (mainly from the skin of the chicken used to make the broth) before using the stock to make soup or putting into containers for future use?
My tip – add a small teaspoon of ground tumeric which will give your broth a beautiful golden yellow hue to it (without changing the taste)!
So easy and flavorful. Will definitely keep doing this recipe.
Fantastic! Didn’t have celery. Didn’t matter it was super easy and I’ll be doing it with every Costco rotisserie chicken forever!
# Leaving the onion skins on (especially for brown onions) also helps to add a rich colour to your broth.
# Stock can be reduced for extra concentration and saving space in the freezer. Just dilute with water when using.
Love Costco roast chickens !! Now I know how to use it totally. I have done this with Turkey carcass’s with veges for the dogs – they go nuts., so if you have dogs DON’T discard veges !! mix them with a little of the juice & make a vege stew to top off their kibble. just use a potato masher to smush the veges. Your dogs will think you are the best thing since milk bones !!!
Love your recipe. I added a little Better than Bouillon Chicken flavor just to add more flavor! Homemade broth is soooo easy and the house smells great!!!
I have made this several times. Before I found this recipe, I never even thought I could make a chicken stock from a rotisserie chicken carcass. It’s a great base for every soup I make plus other recipes. Also, my husband is Armenian and when the Armenians in his family make rice pilaf they never use water for the rice to boil in. I took cooking lessons under a top chef and he stated, on several occasions, never to use water where you can use a broth. So I always use chicken broth when making rice. So this is great for that also. I highly recommend this recipe. Thank you.
So easy…and delicious
This is my third or fourth time using these instructions for broth. We buy the chickens at Costco and eat it for dinner one night and then use the bones juices to make broth for chicken noodle soup the for the next few days. Great recipe! It’s super easy to follow and the broth turns out amazing every time! Thank you for helping me up my soup game!
very easy and perfect for me! thank you!
First time making it and it is delicious!
This is such an easy recipe. I’m so glad I found it. I love not having to throw away the chicken carcass!